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Thomas Sorensen


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Like with Fornaroli, he's saying he's moving out here so he's getting his own thread..

 

Stoke City: Thomas Sorensen on his bike Down Under

 

By Martin Spinks

 

August 28, 2015

 

THOMAS Sorensen has just completed one monumental journey - and is now about to embark on second to the other end of the earth.

Fresh from his epic charity bike ride across America, the 39 year-old Stoke favourite is now packing his bags for a life down under with Melbourne City.

And there will, he insists, be just about enough room for his bike!

The saddle-sore keeper has spent this week training with Manchester City to dust down his goalkeeping skills ahead of Sunday's flight to Australia for the A-league season starting in October.

"I've been training with Joe Hart and also the development squad," he says, "and it's been good for me.

"I'm not training 100 per cent fully yet, but I am getting there and should be ready for the new season.

"I'm going out there for a couple of years, that's the plan, then we will see what happens after that," says the former Danish international.

"It's going to be an exciting project, a real challenge, and quite an experience as well.

"It will be nice to live out there with the family and hopefully we'll enjoy more sunshine than we get here."

He will rent out his Solihull home, but admits there is always a chance of settling down under.

He and wife Maria could have been forgiven of putting their feet up for the next three months after completing their gargantuan bike ride of some 4,000 miles over 52 days from the east to the west coast of America.

He believes they have so far raised around £75,000 for sick children here in Stoke and back home in Denmark.

"It was an amazing trip," he says. "We had some luck with the weather, which was predominantly good, and met some great people along the way.

"It was also great having the family share such a great experience.

"I was very taken by Oregon, which was immense, then there were places like the Yellowstone National Park and Mount Rushmore.

"That was like being on a film set and you half expected the Indians to pop out at any moment.

"You certainly realise how big America is when you take on a journey like that."

He admits he benefited hugely from speaking with Team Sky's cycling director Sir Dave Brailsford before setting out.

"He talked a lot about the mental side of a ride like that. Physically, I was fairly confident, as long as nothing went wrong, but I was more worried about the mental side of having to get up every day and keep doing it.

"He told me it was a case of breaking down each day into something like 25-mile sections in your head.

"Obviously there were some days when you wanted to stay in bed, but we got through them."

Not that it was all plain sailing in a high gear.

"The worst was the big plains with no trees or anything. We cycled the one day into a head wind for about 80 miles and my wife nearly threw her bike into a ditch.

"But in the end she just got better and better. On the climbs she kept grinding away at her own speed and got to the top.

"What she did was ten-fold what I did because she hasn't come from a life in sport."

The end finally came when they reached the Pacific coast for the ritual of dipping the front wheels into the sea... but with mixed emotions.

"It was a funny feeling," he admits. "We were immensely delighted and proud of what we had done.

"But there was also a bit of sadness because we really got close to the other people on the trip and we suddenly realised it was all over. All we would have would be the memories."

But what memories.

 

http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Stoke-City-Thomas-Sorensen-bike/story-27689759-detail/story.html

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Baffling. Should be a good keeper for us, but as has been stated elsewhere I find it odd we used a Visa spot on a keeper when we had a halfway useful option (at least) there already and could have used it for an on-field player, it's not like we have the most even squad getting about.

Anyway, I'm sure the club knows better than me what it's doing, so welcome Thomas!

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I'm really happy with Sorensen. I reckon he'll add real class to the team and will turn us into one of the tightest defensive units in the league. Not saying that Tando was doing a bad job but with Sorensen's experience and years of national and EPL experience should now see the end of conceding cheap goalie error goals. 

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Part of me wants to say that they haven't learnt anything from the J Kennedy signing, but at the same time it's a clear indication that the club want silverware and they want it this season.

A lot of people will be upset over this, and that's understandable - but we're showing more ambition now than we ever have been. I think this is the best off season we've had, taking into account players who have left and players who have come out as well as those we have re-signed.

IN
Kuzmanovski
Franjic
Hughes
Sorenson
Zullo
Gamiero
Fornaroli

OUT
Redmayne
Hoffman
Kennedy
Duff
Wielaert
Murdocca

RE-SIGNED
Mooy
Novillo
Velaphi

 

I think this signing would have been more effective if there were two cup competitions running concurrently with the season. Interested to see what role Sorenson plays in the FFA Cup matches, if any at all.

Overall though, I'm happy with this signing.

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Quickly pulled together a list of all visa players who have played for the club/will this season:

Terra                   Maycon                   Wielaert
Duff                     Meeuwis                  Koren
Mifsud                 Migliorini                  Fornaroli
Engelaar             Miller                        Hughes
Worm                  Tadic                       Bahrudin
Sibon                  Sorenson                 Gerhardt
Germano            Novillo                      Fred
Gray                   Jaliens                      Villa

By the end of his tenure, I'd expect Sorenson to be one of our better visa players by quite some way.

 

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I have so much faith in this guy that i will go out now and say he will easily win us an extra 3-10 points this season and judging by how close the a-league is these days, they will end up being crucial points. Yes i understand peoples frustrations, but i feel as if people are completely under-estimating Sorensons abilities, the bloke is a class keeper whos been playing at a level we've all wished to be playing in and he was there for well over a decade.. With his abilities and experience, it could be a blessing for Tando in the coming years to be competing with a fellow keeper who's played at the highest level which would enable him to improve his overall game under the guidance of Sorenson... Welcome and good luck Thomas! 

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Sorensen will wear the number 1 jersey and fills Melbourne City FC’s final visa position.
Read more at http://www.a-league.com.au/article/melbourne-city-sign-epl-shot-stopper-sorensen/ccyb2luq1wks1e5y2embdm90m#S6prUbKbmYjK5UFO.99

Saw this at the bottom of the article and thought it was interesting.

Does this mean Germanos being kept on?

Anyway not a big fan of the signing but look, i'll give him a chance before writing him off

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Welcome Thomas! Understand that people are disappointed with the signing due to the fact he will occupy a VISA spot, but hey, what he has accomplished is far better than every keeper in the league. Not only will this help on field with defensive organisation and goalkeeping in general, he can also coach Tando and youth goalkeepers, so me, I'm really happy and excited about the signing!

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I hope this signing works out. Of course he has vast experience and will be able to pass that on to Tando. However, it is on the pitch where he needs to show his ability. For me it is a wait and see signing. Hopefully he will prove his worth.

 

Summed up my feelings better than I could. It's no secret Tando is a massive fan fav but if Sorensen can save us even a couple of extra points this season then it's worth it IMO. 

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This signing completes the spine of our team 

if you look at our spine now 

Sorensen, kisnorbo/Hughes, Mooy/Koren, Bruno F

if this fires on all cylinders we will be very hard to beat.. Looking at it, you would have to say this Spine is the best in the league by far.. 

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This signing completes the spine of our team 

if you look at our spine now 

Sorensen, kisnorbo/Hughes, Mooy/Koren, Bruno F

if this fires on all cylinders we will be very hard to beat.. Looking at it, you would have to say this Spine is the best in the league by far.. 

Sorenson is an uncertain performer due to his time off, Kinsorbo and Hughes are questionable due to their age and speed, Koren hasn't proven to be of marquee status but has started well with the Wellington game, Mooy is almost garunteed to do well, at this point Bruno is unproven but started fairly well against Wellington. So my opinion is a lot of question marks hang over the spine of our team and whether it will be good enough. 

Edited: And Paartalu for me has dissapointed compared to his performances for the Roar. 

But im hoping for the best and agree if it fires we will be very hard to beat but I feel there's certainly question marks over our spine.

Sorry for for the slightly negative post but that's where I feel we're at. 

Edited by n i k o
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I'm also quite dubious about this signing, but really we should look to the bright side, JVS has well and truly dug his own grave this time.

Because it's inevitable that there is going to be some deficiency in our squad, whether through injury or just JVS ruining someone's career again, and then it's just an easy tap in "we wasted a visa spot on a goalkeeper when we don't have anyone good to play at Position X".

And that would be a fair statement to make.

Also this should be the end of any questions about the playing squad. If JVS was happy to use a visa spot on a goalkeeper we don't need, then clearly the rest of the squad is perfect according to him. So I expect us to win all 3 titles this season, if not then it's time for JVS to find a new job.

So either:

1. We're gonna win the league.

2. JVS is gonna get fired.

3. JVS won't be fired but at least I won't have to listen to people defending him any more.

A win either way. Therefore, 10/10 signing.

This is the first time as a Heart supporter I have gone into a season with a completely optimistic attitude for the same reasons. Nothing but good can happen- bring on 15/16

*edit- there is aslo

4. None of the above happen, so I finally snap, cancel my membership and stop coming to games therefore getting my summer weekends back

Edited by KSK_47
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This is the first time as a Heart supporter I have gone into a season with a completely optimistic attitude for the same reasons. Nothing but good can happen- bring on 15/16

*edit- there is aslo

4. None of the above happen, so I finally snap, cancel my membership and stop coming to games therefore getting my summer weekends back

ahhhh summer weekends, I used to be quite the handy surfer if my memory serves me correct 

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