If we get promoted, I would expect a new keeper to come in, hladky to be back up and Walton to be sold
I really wouldn't say it's a priority. We need a right back, left back cover, hopefully to sign Omari and first and foremost a number 10. Chappers, for all is service, is now way off the pace.
I don't think making sweeping changes is the way to do it. Sign three or four for the first team, quality not quantity, and there are other areas I mentioned above where we are definitely short of options. If we got promoted, to have a chance we need to be a real threat ourselves in games and be able to keep possession against the mid table sides above all else. We are not going to outplay Man City or Arsenal whoever we sign.
Agree with this, although I'd say priority would be I'm the left forwards position maybe even 2 players there over no.10, think we have some good players who can play in that position including Chaplin, Broadhead, Hutchinson, Taylor, Al Hamidi, Humphreys. I'd actually like to see Broadhead played a bit more in the Chaplin role. Plus would like to see us sign a top player to compete in the midfield.
I think the criticism of Hladky is harsh, like a lot of our defensive players, we ask a lot of them on the ball and off it and we take risks as a team, without those we wouldn't be where we are today, it's those risks which turned us from playoff contenders in League 1 to favourites for promotion to the PL in the space of just over a year. Under McKenna at the start of last season we had some decent results but it wasn't until after the January transfer window that it all clicked. I suspect McKenna signed some players which meant he felt we could take more risks and since then we have and do. Before that point I would say McKenna was actually quite risk averse and often we could be quite pedestrian and not take enough risks, we would often pass the ball for the sake of passing the ball. In terms of yesterday there's no denying Hladkys involvement were 2 big mistakes, I think it was too risky to pass to Morsy in that situation and the second was a big mistake and he definitely doesn't command his box in the way Walton does but he's probably the best goalkeeper I've seen for this and it takes so much pressure off the defence. However Hladky on the whole has been outstanding, his shot stopping and passing on the ball has been superb plus he has grown a hell of a lot in terms of sweeping things up. He's not as good as Walton on crosses but I don't think many keepers are. Let us not forget the first few games he looked quite shakey and has grown in confidence so much since then. It's so hard to chose between them and I can't remember a time where we've had 2 such strong GKs competing against each other. Even from the little I've seen him I think Slicker looks a decent prospect.
I agree with this. I think Hdlaky has been a core part of our success this season. He is comfortable with the ball at his feet and his ability to pick out the right pass from the back is generally the starting point of our attacks. He doesn't aimlessly lump the ball up field and give away possession. Add to that, he is a good shot stopper and has kept us in many games this season. Recall the first half of the season, the club put out a montage of his top saves and several of them could've been strong contenders for save of the season. Not to mention the most recent draw against Middlesbrough, he made two superb saves that I don't think Walton would've managed. Hdlaky did make two bad mistakes against Hull. He does make the odd error once in a while, and looks worse than most other goalkeeper gaffes at this level because of how we play. I've got no issues with our style of play - it produces more goals than what we concede - and without it, we wouldn't be where we are in the table. My main issue with Hdlaky isn't really evidence-based, it's just that I think he'll struggle in the Premier League, if we got promoted. Opposition forward players won't give him the amount of time he typically gets in the Championship to pick out a pass. I think we'll get pressed a lot more effectively and a lot more frequently during Premier League matches. He's a good Championship keeper playing in our system, and he'd be a good back up keeper in the Premier League, but I do think we'd concede a lot without a more experienced sweeper keeper who's 'been there, done that' at the top level.
Well Raya dropped an absolute clanger just the same yesterday and Arsenal are top of the Prem so that puts that debate to bed I reckon.
I don't get why Hlady is attracting so much criticism after a couple of mistakes! He has saved us countless points during this season including the two worldys he pulled off against Middlesboro only recently.
Goalkeepers cop it don’t they? Tuanzebe could easily have been sent off for his foul - he was the last man. Nobody mentions it.
I don't see a lot of criticism for Vas on here, there are a few pointing out two bad mistakes but they're also saying he's been excellent throughout the season. Whichever way you want to look at it, the pass to Morsy was just stupid. It wasn't a calculated risk, it was a poor decision. Woolfy was the obvious choice to pass to and would've kept us with the play from the back mantra the team lives by. Screenshot the image when Hladky has the ball at his feet, Woolfy is free and Morsy has three around him. Show it to any football fan and ask which is the correct pass and I don't think you'll find many saying the pass to Samy is the right one. I don't see anyone here giving him a hard time, just telling it how it was. His punches are weak and there are definitely times when the ball could've been caught instead. He has been excellent, he has contributed to attacks and made great saves, he's also made some poor decisions and I'm not too blinkered to see that.
The pass to Morsy was fine. They have played dozens of tight passes like that throughout the season. If Morsy taps it straight back it’s all good, but he hesitated and got caught in possession. The next move then is to play it wide. It is a pattern we have played over and over and over again. It is entirely calculated and it is entirely fruitless if you do this when it’s safe and there’s plenty of space. Why do that and not pass it wide straight away? To suck the opposition in. The risky bit is the Morsy bit and how many times does he successfully trick his way out of danger in situations that would gift the opposition a chance? So I don’t blame him either really. Then the second mistake is that Woolfy makes the wrong choice and decides not to deal with the danger but to retreat instead, a decision he gets wrong time and again.
Ah well, he's Marmite, some love him, some don't. I don't, he fills me with dread half the time, especially facing set pieces but I get some of you love him.
How about that point blank save tonight?! Remember Bruce Grobbelaar? Hladky is just as bonkers. He’s a genius.
