Mickey Weir: Why I'm backing David Marshall to show his class next season

Going into the transfer window, there are many questions facing Lee Johnson as he looks to build his team and improve upon last season. One of which concerns goalkeeper and club captain David Marshall.

Johnson will know best whether Hibs need a new goalkeeper or not. He's the one who'll see Marshall day in and day out and whether these errors that we've witnessed over the last couple of months are likely to continue.

But what I will say is that you don't become a bad goalkeeper overnight, though Marshall, at 38, is now an age where everyone will start to say that. I've played with many a goalkeeper, like Jim Leighton for instance, who were in their thirties and people were saying 'we need to get a replacement'. But there are lots of goalkeepers who play well into their late 30s and even their 40s. You look at Craig Gordon, for instance, who just turned 40 this past season. A lot of people were saying the same about him a couple of years ago before he made his move back to Hearts, then he won Player of the Year.

The thing with goalkeepers is that if they go through a sticky spell then everybody is on top of them. If you make one mistake it's magnified. But if there's one thing in football, or in life, that you cannot beat then it's class. Marshall has played at the highest level. You can have dips in form but that type of class is permanent.

Hibs goalkeeper and club captain David Marshall found criticism directed his way towards the end of the season. Picture: SNS

Marshall had a couple of moments that weren't great, but I was happy enough with him over the course of the season. I don't think he's let himself down. He's certainly not come in here and had a disaster.

It's all well and good saying we'll replace him, but it's very difficult to replace these types of players, someone who not only has the ability and is a leader in the dressing room.

There has been quite a bit of movement and change with the defence in front of him. We've had injuries, Ryan Porteous being sold, a young centre-back starting every week, changes of formation. We've never really had a settled back four or back three. If we manage to get that then Marshall’s form will improve.

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