James Trafford

[Chicken Dancer]

Pope is a really good goalkeeper at being well - a goalkeeper. Good shot stopper and surely one of the best in the league at commanding his box. He's really decent at sweeping up too (Liverpool Feb 23 aside...).  It's really fashionable to think keepers are crap because they can't ping a ball like Ederson, but 10 years ago Pope would have been talked about as one of the best about. He is absolutely fine and was crucial to any success we've had over the past 3 years - if it wasn't for him we'd have had enormous pressure going to Chelsea away last game of 22/23 and if he hadn't done his shoulder against Man Utd the following year, we've have likely finished a place or two higher and been in Europe last season.

 

That being said, there's nothing wrong with wanting to upgrade, I just don't know/think it should be our #1 priority this summer. I'm not even sure Trafford would be an upgrade yet, but it's OK to think he would be long-term. 

 

If we've earmarked Trafford for over a year now he may know that he would be the starter in the cups initially with the intention to have him as our #1 from 26/27 (or later), but after the season he's just had he may not be happy with that.

 

Either way, I trust the club to do the right thing. We've seen success in slowly integrating Livramento & Hall into the side, though granted it may be different for a keeper.

 

 

Edited Thursday at 10:50 by Chicken Dancer

[Foxy Ruel]

Proper well put that like Chicken Dancer 👏

[mondonewc]

Data's not everything but think using it for Goalkeeping performance is fair:

Save% Pope is 9th


GA per 90 he's 7th 

Playing time is 14th

Saves he's 13th 


Pass completed % he's 17th

Number of defensive actions outside of the box he's 2nd 


Here's a link if anyone wants to look for more positive data for Pope - https://fbref.com/en/comps/9/keepersadv/Premier-League-Stats

Attempted to be balanced as possible, but I'm not seeing anything to suggest he's this top class keeper in other areas to accept his woefulness with his feet. Sure eye test also matters, but we are likely to be biased in that regard and the data here matters in my opinion. We are a top 6 team, we want to be CL most seasons, I'm not seeing anything in the data except his ability as a sweeper keeper, which I'd agree he's very good at, to suggest we should continue with Pope as our #1. 

[Chicken Dancer]

Whilst the information above is of course relevant, the eye test definitely matters. He commands his area very well and there is no metric for that as far as I can see. I could be being lazy here.

 

Sanchez is top of save % but by all accounts Chelsea want a new GK?

 

Pope has won us much, much more points than he has cost us. He's not near the best about but he's absolutely fine for where we are right now. Should we look to improve? If the right deal is there absolutely. But it shouldn't be our #1 priority this summer IMO, but I trust the people paid millions a year to know a lot more than me!

[The College Dropout]

2 hours ago, Dr Venkman said:

I’d say Dubravka is semi-decent with his feet but he’s glued to his line which mitigates a lot of his ability with the ball.

More than semi decent. He's good and composed. When Arsenal tried to press him he passed it out calmly. Doesn't shank em like the Chelsea GK does all the time.

[Vaj]

Pope has had a drop off this season, but still showed glimpses of being the class keeper he was. 

 

We will struggle to get a goalkeeper as good at commanding his area and sweeping as Pope is, but if we can get someone who can do them to a decent level but is a composed passer of the ball it can change our whole style. I have always thought that GK is our most important position to upgrade except getting a quick young RCB. If Trafford is the one they think can do it, then get him in. 

[Fak]

I thought Pope has looked back to his near best since the cup final.

[Dokko]

1 hour ago, mondonewc said:

Data's not everything but think using it for Goalkeeping performance is fair:

Save% Pope is 9th


GA per 90 he's 7th 

Playing time is 14th

Saves he's 13th 


Pass completed % he's 17th

Number of defensive actions outside of the box he's 2nd 


Here's a link if anyone wants to look for more positive data for Pope - https://fbref.com/en/comps/9/keepersadv/Premier-League-Stats

Attempted to be balanced as possible, but I'm not seeing anything to suggest he's this top class keeper in other areas to accept his woefulness with his feet. Sure eye test also matters, but we are likely to be biased in that regard and the data here matters in my opinion. We are a top 6 team, we want to be CL most seasons, I'm not seeing anything in the data except his ability as a sweeper keeper, which I'd agree he's very good at, to suggest we should continue with Pope as our #1. 

 

Kepa for £5m looks the GK signing of the season. Impressed by him when watching Bournemouth, so nice to see the numbers back it up as well.. 

[Crimson Cardigan]

despite the overwhelming evidence of this season, my brain simply refuses to accept that Matt Selz is now good, because he was so unbelievably shit for us. Guess the move was just too early for him.

 

 

Edited Thursday at 12:46 by Crimson Cardigan

[HawK]

Have to disagree with chicken dancer, if we buy one player for our team to solely improve our first XI, a ball-playing keeper for tactical reasons alone would be transformative in the two main aspects of our play we struggle at, under a high press, and playing against a low block, in my opinion.

 

But I don't think it's the most important signing for our squad right now. We're 'fine' at GK but would rather see 2x £20m potential players to pad out our squad up front and in midfield first.

[Dr Venkman]

4 hours ago, The College Dropout said:

More than semi decent. He's good and composed. When Arsenal tried to press him he passed it out calmly. Doesn't shank em like the Chelsea GK does all the time.

3/4 decent?

[The Prophet]

“In the summer I think people knew I wanted to move,” he told the Ben Foster's Fozcast podcast. “The club that I was close to going, it was a good fit for me. It was brilliant for me and I really believed in it.

 

“I wanted to move, not just because I didn’t want to play in the Championship, I had no shame playing in the Championship. I have no ego to think I’m better than the Championship. You only prove something by performing and showing people. You can say whatever you want but unless you perform.

 

“It was just when an opportunity and a situation you think suits you can happen, you should take it and you should try and go for it, so I wanted to move. It was close but it didn’t end up happening.

 

“The manager was brilliant throughout pre-season. I wasn’t the best, I was moody because I’m young and I wanted to move, but in the moment I still worked extremely hard.

 

“I knew the longer it went on, the reality became I would be playing the first game of the season and I wanted to play. I told the manager I’m available if he wanted to select me. If not, I’ll sit on the bench, but I’m available. He played me the first game and that was it.”