Football FanCast columnist David Allen looks at the goalkeeping dilemma that is facing Martin O'Neill and wonders if Scott Carson has done enough to secure a permanent contract at the club.

Scott Carson has had a turbulent season to say the least. Having initially impressed when beginning his loan spell at Villa, it was ironically his reward for his fine form which potentially marked the beginning of the end for the Liverpool loan-signing.

His mishap one night in November at Wembley infamously denied England a trip to Austria and Switzerland this summer, and since then he's never quite looked the same player. That said, his form hasn't been noticeably dreadful - and he's pulled off some amazing saves this season. But there seems to be some niggling doubts over his consistency that seems to have lead to Martin O'Neill cooling his interest in a permanent transfer.

A continual reluctance to come for crosses and the occasional ease with which the ball squeezes past him when it shouldn't, means Carson's future is still uncertain. Even this weekend, critics would suggest that the Villa no.1 was beaten at his near post slightly too easily by Valencia's second Wigan goal in yesterday's infuriating defeat.

O'Neill's thwarted attempt to sign highly rated American keeper Brad Guzan for £4m in the January transfer window suggests that the manager doesn't see Carson as a long-term solution, certainly not for the £10m fee being muted by Liverpool. To further complicate matters, any permanent move for Carson might be at the insistence of a swap deal for Gareth Barry, as suggested by Liverpool's attempt to poach the Villa captain with the exchange of a few squad players last week.

What do Villa fans think? Has Carson earned himself a permanent deal this season? Or can we do far better at a lower cost abroad? And if we do sign him, surely it's not worth losing Gareth Barry in the resulting exchange?