In said I couldn't be bothered to find quotes, as I just assumed you wouldn't argue the toss. But is seems you doubt what i said, so here you go, all taken from just the first few pages on this very thread. I could have gone on, but there was enough there to support what I'm saying:
"We're talking about one of the best goalkeepers in the world, if not the best!"
"It won't be like spurs to have a truly world class keeper"
"I don't remember the last time we signed possible one of the best players in the world in there position from a CL club"
"Hugo Lloris is one of the very best goalkeepers in World Football."
"We've just signed one of the best keepers in the world"
"A world class keeper."
I asked why others would have seen much of him or watched him with the same scrutiny they would a Spurs player. I used the point that I'd seen brad many times before we signed him, but it was only once he was a Spurs player I started watching everything he does. The level of scrutiny fans use when judging their own players as far greater than when watching other teams.
My point isn't that Brads a better. But that I or the vast majority don't know. You haven't really answered my questions.
The fact you claim to have seen him 25 times doesn't mean much. That is why I asked for an explanation of why his stats seem so out of kilter with how highly many Spurs fans rate him.
Why? Means as much as your apparent scruitiny of Friedel. Some people choose to scrutinise many players they watch, not only Spurs - personally I catch at least one Bundesliga game a week and/or the featured Real Madrid match. We also get most of the weekly PL games down here live so unless it's clashing with Spurs (or the wife!) I'd try and watch those too.
I understand you haven't seen much of him but why dismiss the opinion/observations of those who have? From the games I've watched the impression was one of a very agile, assured goalkeeper who is very good-to-excellent in the air and not afraid to commit to a challenge (1v1) coupled with good short-range passing. He is also vastly experienced considering his age (for a goalkeeper) and is in my opinion a cut or two above Brad - as most on here will discover witin 6-12 months.
Whether you choose to believe that or not based on some percentage numbers from whoscored.com is up to you, but. I like stats myself but they only tell half the story - unless of course you want to accept the fact Stalteri was statistically our best player during Lasagnegate season. Just a few pages back people argued that clean sheets mean fudge all because they're not solely down to the kepper instead encompassing (at the very least) his 4 defenders in front.
I'm not going to go and find every Lloris stat I've read since he turned up at Spurs Lodge. But here is a link that compares him with the other GK in the French squad.
http://www.whoscored.com/Blog/tni6t...-2012-Focus-What-is-Frances-Best-Available-XI
Here are his passing stats:
http://www.whoscored.com/Regions/74...451/PlayerStatistics/France-Ligue-1-2011-2012
Spurs fans would probably put the fact Brads save percentage wasn't the highest due to lack of mobility or agility. So I'd like to know what those who have seen a lot of Lloris and rate him so highly, put his lower save percentage down to. Has he just been unlucky? I'd ask the same for his distribution. Brad is said to be poor in this area as he's not a good footballer. But why is Lloris's passing less accurate? I don't think these are unreasonable questions given how convinced many seem to be of his quality.
I'm not saying he isn't a world class keeper, as I don't know, but surely you can understand why I'm reluctant to take the word of random message board posters.