The gloves are off - or should that be on - at Birmingham City in the contest to become the first choice goalkeeper at St. Andrew's. And it is a dilemma that Alex McLeish has probably been longing for all season.After signing Joe Hart on loan for the season from Manchester City, the future looked decidedly bleak for Northern Ireland international Maik Taylor.
A Blues' stalwart for more than five years, Taylor was rewarded for his key role in earning promotion back to the Premier League last season by seeing a young, ambitious and highly-rated keeper come in and take his place.
Hart has made no secret of his ambition to figure in next year's World Cup squad and believed regular first team football with McLeish's side could help elevate him even further into the conscience of Fabio Capello.
Despite the supposed sanctity of the goalkeepers' union, those bold statements are certain to have irritated Taylor, who has spent most of this season sitting on the substitutes' bench at St. Andrew's.
But, last Sunday, Taylor's chance came. With Hart ineligible to play against his full-time employers McLeish thrust in the 38-year-old and he achieved the first mission - a clean sheet.
Looking rather leaner than last season, Taylor also appeared solid and confident in goal, with his much-maligned kicking vastly improved.
Now the battle is on - and McLeish must decide which goalkeeper to choose for the daunting trip to Liverpool on Monday night. "Hopefully the manager will have something to think about," said Taylor. "I certainly won't be banging doors down, as much as I want to play. Only time will tell and we'll wait and see."
Fanhouse believes it should be an easy decision for McLeish.
Hart is without doubt one for the future, but you only need to consider Scott Carson's loan spell across the Second City at Aston Villa. Carson arrived with the same flurry of publicity and expectation - then simply crumbled under the dazzling glare of attention.
The England goalkeeper is only now recovering his form and rebuilding his career at West Bromwich Albion and being thrust into a demanding position at such an embryonic stage of his career undoubtedly set him back.
Despite costly errors that led to goals against Burnley and Sunderland, Hart has impressed on the whole but is still inexperienced. And inexperience is one of the main factors that can lead a club to relegation.
With Rafa Benitez expected to still be clinging on for dear life to his job next Monday, Taylor should be the man for such a high-profile game. After that, the challenge really will be on for him as he attempts to establish himself as number one for the rest of the season.
