1 | James Trafford - 2025/26

[Tier2Blue]

Give Ederson a few extra quid for the last 12 months of his deal. Let’s see Trafford in a few cup games, let him learn and go again next season.

 

[DD93]

But what I'm saying is that Ederson has a better shot-to-save ratio than you think and has all of the technical ability Donnarumma lacks and the box commanding prowess Trafford lacks. This idea that Ederson saves nothing is a complete myth.

What kind of idiot you have to be, watching city for the last 10 years and say that - Ederson can't make saves :D

He is without even a doubt, one of the top3 GKs of the last 10 years...

Allison, Ederson and Courtois.

If we compare by titles and success, Ederson is N1
Because without his style, City wouldn't have played that football and therefore he was crucial.

And some clowns compare him to championship level players :facepalm:

 

[Blue Hefner]

He’s rubbish - should be back in Burnley reserves

 

[Blue_Lightsaber]

Your eyes are deceiving you. Ederson's shot save ratio last season was between 65-66%. Donnarumma's was between 67-68%. You can literally look this stuff up.

So what's next?

Pep needs to go lock himself in a room again and come out with a system that allows Trafford to be #1.

Because Ederson is one in a billion! He's the Messi of goalkeepers!

You're not going to find another keeper as good as him.. you're just not!

 

[ste.sully]

Stop talking shit. Pep doesn’t tell traffford to make that particular pass. The team set up in a shape. Usually both cbs split either side of Trafford and the midfield come deep. It’s then up to the keeper to choose the best option depending on how the opposition are pressing.

Trafford simply choose the wrong pass, played it incredibly poorly (to the wrong side) and the player was disposed as a result.

Trafford went long on many occasion today as did ederson when he played. It’s situational. Pep doesn’t instruct someone to play short at all costs. Clueless if you think that.

Most of the times Trafford did go long the ball was then won back by spurs. This is why pep would like us to go short where possible. The players have to be make the right decisions in the right spaces and make the movements to create the passing angles. This is coached daily and for long long periods.

Do you honestly think pep goes “just play it short no matter what mate”.

I don't think Trafford went long at all. Far too predictable.

Pep talked about not doing the simple things after the match.

One of those would have been refusing to go long and look for the outball when it became clear Tottenham's press had worked.

Also Haaland being 30 yards from goal doesn't help - needs to be on the half way line.

 

[jimharri]

I'll just leave this here for the time being......

 

[Blue Hefner]

Bravo is better than him

 

[Sam69]

He made a bad choice. Tottenham's pressing wasn't even executed well. On this goal, it wasn't a question of good or bad ball at his feet, he just made the wrong decision. Even a bad goalkeeper would have played it safe with Stones on his right, wide open. A goalkeeper with a good pass would have tried to find Bob.

Unless he had strict instructions to come out through the middle, and that's the responsibility of the coaching staff, and Pep in particular.

Donnarumma isn't great with his feet, and PSG chose to play the ball out to the wings, via the center-backs who spread out as soon as possible, or to the full-backs. Hakimi and Mendes, who bring the ball out cleanly and do it very well.

 

[city2]

The fault today was down to Dias taking the goal kick why pass it back to Trafford when you have 3 spurs players on the edge of the box who have pressed really well all game. It wasn’t the best pass to Trafford either but let’s all blame the goalkeeper when Dias should have launched it.

 

[red 2 hats]

A home debut to forget, his confidence looked shot to pieces.

 

[01cravend]

Ederson made same mistake few months ago vs Juventus? then dropped an all round stinker vs Al Hilal.
The whole system is washed and needs reevaluating. More danger to ourselves than we are up the other end vs good teams

 

[thyer64]

could've done better for the first goal too - a top top keeper saves it - tho its most down to the suicidal high line we play

less said about the second the better - he can use his own judgment and boot the ball up

 

[Akira]

Complete loss of concentration to make that pass. I'm gonna offer up a slight positive and say he made a solid double save towards the end. Disappointing home debut overall however.

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

Khusanov makes a mistake and city fans in the main say he’s young, he needs time to develop and we back him to come back.

So called city fans, particularly online already writing him off after one game and one pass.

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

Now that I've seen Trafford start for us in 3 games (Palermo, Wolves, Spurs), there's enough to make preliminary assessments on his ability.

On the bright side:
Trafford is a very good passer of the ball.
Trafford is an excellent shot stopper.

Needs improvement:
Trafford's communication with his backfield needs a bit of improvement. At times defenders seem to expect one thing while Trafford expects another. I think that this is natural for a new keeper and will iron itself out over time.

Weaknesses:
Trafford often takes too much time on the ball. He's not ponderous by any means... but he's often closed down to the extent that his forward passes are deflected. IMO Trafford isn't used to the pace of the P/L - but as time goes on, I think he'll adjust.

Extremely poor decision making - in this category, Trafford's passing is most subject. He'll happily play a pass to a defender, facing him, completely unaware with an opponent literally millimeters away - with disastrous consequences - he's made such passes to Nico - leading to a goal - and in a different game to Reijnders who was aware of the pressure and immediately passed back.

Also in the extremely poor decision making category is that Trafford thinks that he has more time on the ball than he does. Numerous times Trafford is point blank with a defender with the ball at his feet.

Finally in the extremely poor decision making category is the times when Trafford leaves his box to charge forward - creating a wide open goal when staying in goal would have worked out much better.

Assessment:
Trafford may be the perfect keeper for us long term... or maybe not. He's an excellent passer and an excellent shot stopper. His range of passing is above average - but is no where near Ederson's.

If Trafford is our first choice in goal this season, we'll lose a lot of games due to his inexperience.

Conclusion:
Trafford has the potential to be a world class, first choice keeper. But he's not at all near this potential yet. I think that we should retain Trafford as our second choice keeper and keep Ederson if at all possible.

Moreover I think that the formula of Ederson always in the P/L and backup in most other ties - is completely misguided. Start your best keeper in all ties regardless of competition against strong sides - start your backup in all ties that you can afford to lose or against especially week opposition.
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TL/DR...
I think that Trafford has the potential to develop into a world class keeper, suitable for our system, which demands a keeper excellent on the ball.

That said, Trafford isn't yet nearly on this level - but as a #2 - is well worth keeping - as there's a good possibility that he'll develop from there.

 

[Blue Hefner]

I’m If the glove(s) don’t fit, you must acquitte

Metaphorically speaking, his gloves don’t fit. Cup keeper and take it from there

 

[Damanino]

will be honest this also looks strange, like the way he is leading with his feet, then ball bounces off of his hand kind of outside the box. may have been a lucky escape to be fair or a red.. would not like if Onana, Allison does this vs Haaland and we dont get a decision. well we didnt get any when Henderson did what he did the final lol. :)

 

[WorthlessPoster]

Khusanov makes a mistake and city fans in the main say he’s young, he needs time to develop and we back him to come back.

So called city fans, particularly online already writing him off after one game and one pass.

Agree 100%. Trafford should start our next match as well.

 

[TFC]

Had a mare yesterday, he'll bounce back. I hate seeing dickheads write him off so soon.

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

Had a mare yesterday, he'll bounce back. I hate seeing dickheads write him off so soon.

It's an open question whether or not he'll improve. There's plenty of potential in Trafford's game - but no way, for me, that he should be our first choice keeper at this time.