So do you drop Muric after two massive costly howlers?

[warksclaret]

I'm sorry but the howler yesterday can happen to all keepers. However awful it was, it doesn't make him a bad goalkeeper.

Totally agree-and probably happens once or twice a lifetime. Except with Muric, its twice in two weeks

[123EasyasBFC]

Luton home and Forest away were 4 points dropped due to VAR. I would have thought even the most critical anti-Trafford fan (you) could at least see that.

Those 2 results are still classed as positive because we didn’t lose the games so even with those it’s still only 8 positive results in 28 games. I think the forest away game is the season changer, first away game of the season a win would have really set the tone. Shocking var decisions in the games muric has also started.

Thinking that Trafford is nowhere near the all round keeper muric is, is not anti Trafford, for so many games it had been a tough watch watching us defend corners with Trafford in goal and play out from the back. Regardless of the 2 mistakes I have been much more confident in our ability to defend corners and play out from the back in the last 5 games. It’s on kompany for putting us in this situation to start with.

Kompany coming out with comments like ‘I’ll be right eventually’ in regards to Traffords ability is just arrogant. To play his so called number 1 for 28 games to then drop him with 10 games makes no logical sense other than he’s realised he’s made a massive selection mistake

[Rileybobs]

Would you have commented on that if it hadn't slipped under his foot? I don't think I've seen that criticism of his technique at any point until yesterday.
Do you watch all other prem keepers to see if they ever team it with their stoods, I'm fairly sure I've seen Alisson do it regularly for example.
It just seems like a very lazy criticism that's come about because of an unfortunate slip up.

Well I did actually comment on Muric rolling the ball from one side to the other during the game and suggested it was a dangerous thing to do considering the conditions and proximity of opposition players.

To be honest, if the ball hadn’t slipped under his foot I probably wouldn’t have noticed that he was trapping the ball with his studs. But it did slip under his foot and that wouldn’t have happened had he trapped the ball with a good technique which is with his instep and something he is perfectly capable of. Using the studs to trap the ball in that situation is a minor act of showmanship and I suspect one which we won’t see him attempt in a similar situation again.

Call it a lazy criticism if you want, I’d say it’s just a simple criticism to make because it is a bad technique that offers little if any reward but makes controlling the ball more difficult. I very much doubt that players are encouraged to do this like you claimed and the video you posted didn’t suggest any such thing.

[Dark Cloud]

I'd still stick with him. His command of his 6 yard area, his catching of crosses, his positioning during general play where he can get out quickly to snuff out dangerous through balls and above all his distribution are all light years ahead of Trafford as things stand. Plus the game moves at a much faster tempo with Muric in goal because Trafford is very ponderous and constantly slows everything right down. Yes Muric has made two unbelievable howlers in consecutive games, but tbf the one last week happens an awful lot to loads of goalies, but 99% of the time it cannons harmlessly wide, so he was a bit unfortunate. As I've seen mentioned it happened to Trafford away at Luton in the first minute and it went very narrowly wide. You'd like to assume that for a keeper with his experience and having risen through the ranks to be a professional player, yesterday's blunder is something that's never happened to Muric before and is unlikely to ever happen again. Having said this I will admit that I was calling for Trafford's head from a few games in and so if Muric's cock ups now cost him his place, I can't really complain, but we're definitely better with him in the side.

[123EasyasBFC]

Well I did actually comment on Muric rolling the ball from one side to the other during the game and suggested it was a dangerous thing to do considering the conditions and proximity of opposition players.

To be honest, if the ball hadn’t slipped under his foot I probably wouldn’t have noticed that he was trapping the ball with his studs. But it did slip under his foot and that wouldn’t have happened had he trapped the ball with a good technique which is with his instep and something he is perfectly capable of. Using the studs to trap the ball in that situation is a minor act of showmanship and I suspect one which we won’t see him attempt in a similar situation again.

Call it a lazy criticism if you want, I’d say it’s just a simple criticism to make because it is a bad technique that offers little if any reward but makes controlling the ball more difficult. I very much doubt that players are encouraged to do this like you claimed and the video you posted didn’t suggest any such thing.

The pressing from lallana makes the decision to try and stop the ball with the top of his foot even stranger, touching it with the inside of his foot allows him to kick it long. The way he attempted to stop the ball he would proper need to take another touch out his feet to clear it

[jos]

I find it odd that a professional footballer doesn’t know how big the ball is! Was he looking elsewhere at the time? And never pass back to the goalie if it can go between the posts.

Schoolboy errors.

I still think Muric is the better option though.

[IanMcL]

Play Trafford one half and Muric the other & we will quickly see which half of football is the most effective.

I think we have already seen enough.

[IanMcL]

Kosovan mafia anyone?

[Tricky Trevor]

Sorry I haven’t read the full thread and the error is totally on Muric but why in gods name is Berge holding onto the ball to play it back to him? When he receives the ball he has 30yds of empty grass in front of him and could easily have got to the halfway line before he met an opponent. That is how to get down their end not wait to pass it back to a keeper in his 6yd box. Tittypatty sh1te.

[GetIntoEm]

Heard it's in his contract that he has to play 25% of the games, so we have no choice.

[boatshed bill]

The last two goals we have conceded are down to Muric's lack of concentration, nothing else.
For all the weak performances we've seen from Trafford I really don't think he'd have messed up as Muric has in these last 2 games

[keith1879]

Nearly as depressing a read as yesterday was a depressing watch. (Not sure that makes sense but whatever).

To all those arguing that the team has more confidence in Muric......can that really be possible after the last two games? FWIW I would start him in the next game because to drop him might finish him as a keeper but one more unforced error and I would sub him off. Even after the goal yesterday he made a bad pass to a marked man ..... we can't keep making excuses for that sort of thing. I'm not the only person who thinks that for all Trafford's lack of command he hasn't made even one mistake to compare with the events of the last 8 days.

[CrosspoolClarets]

What I’ve liked about Muric is the aggression at commanding his box, the instant the ball is swinging over he is charging towards the spot where it will descend, plucking them out of the air. Then his aggression at one on one situations. Then his speed in wanting to get us up the field (as opposed to the slow roll out and 5 minutes passing around the back).

Now, memory can play funny tricks, but I don’t recall him being that adept at all that. He seems to have improved. Keepers do of course at that age.

So I’d keep him in as giving us the best chance of survival, which will now need a miracle, like a win at Spurs. It is also the best way to get his confidence back. Trafford has not yet done that improvement curve, command of his box, using his physicality, but in time of course he will.

[ashtonlongsider]

I'd keep Muric in for the remaining matches. For me he should have started in August on merit and irregardless of the two howlers he deserves the chance to redeem himself.

[dsr]

I'm sorry but the howler yesterday can happen to all keepers. However awful it was, it doesn't make him a bad goalkeeper.

But it doesn't. Paul Robinson's effort for England was 18 years ago and it's still remembered, simply because it is so rare.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpTvg2-Mz-M

(And Robinson had the excuse that it bobbled, and also that he was trying to kick it, not just stop it.)

[dsr]

Apologies messed the link up. Not sure how to do it as a link but see below. I actually think we are overreacting to it because of last week's. I don't think this one is anywhere near as bad, he's just.let a backpass slip under his foot and because it was played directly towards goal he didn't have chance to recover it.
There's a reason people are told from a young age not to pass back between the posts.

https://twitter.com/TifoFootball_/statu ... 83365?s=19

There's also a reason why goalkeepers are told that when the ball is going towards the goal, they have to stop it going in. He knew where he was stood, and he knew that letting it under his foot would cost us a goal, so he should have taken care to see that it didn't.

When I was in Lord Street Junior school. I remember a football practice in PE when the teacher passed the ball to me and I tried to trap it and let it under my foot. He was quite insulting about it (unnecessariiy so I thought, and still do) but the point was that at 10-year-old non-competitive level, it was a mistake well below the standard that was expected.

[123EasyasBFC]

Muric 94 touches if the ball against Brighton, the most by any keeper in 8 seasons

[It Is What It Is]

Yes.

[GetIntoEm]

seems to be getting an easy ride compared to how trafford was treated.

i say stick with him, mistakes happen. Chin up aro

[Darthlaw]

2 monumental clangers and questions over his movement for the Wolves goal aint great in 5 games. Keeps the shirt for me, for now, but another one thrown in and its back to Trafford.

Sad, really, as I though he would be nailed on for improving his value the way he started.

[Goliath]

Well I did actually comment on Muric rolling the ball from one side to the other during the game and suggested it was a dangerous thing to do considering the conditions and proximity of opposition players.

To be honest, if the ball hadn’t slipped under his foot I probably wouldn’t have noticed that he was trapping the ball with his studs. But it did slip under his foot and that wouldn’t have happened had he trapped the ball with a good technique which is with his instep and something he is perfectly capable of. Using the studs to trap the ball in that situation is a minor act of showmanship and I suspect one which we won’t see him attempt in a similar situation again.

Call it a lazy criticism if you want, I’d say it’s just a simple criticism to make because it is a bad technique that offers little if any reward but makes controlling the ball more difficult. I very much doubt that players are encouraged to do this like you claimed and the video you posted didn’t suggest any such thing.

Here's a better link talking about it. Ironic that the mistake happened against one of the pioneers of the technique.

https://theathletic.com/4912608/2023/10 ... ed-article

Includes this quote from De Zerbi:
'If you have it to the left, you could not play to the right. If you receive the ball with the sole and from the front, you can play to the side you want'

I dont actually like watching it myself, it's mind numbingly dull watching them wait for someone to come and press. However, it's not fair to say it's bad technique when it is clearly being coached by managers who want to play this type of football which VK clearly does.

[Darnhill Claret]

He was probably looking where to pass it to, seeing who was unmarked and took his eye off the ball for that split second like we do when checking the rear view mirror. It shouldn't happen but it did. He made a bad choice and we've all suffered the consequences but he'll be hurting the most.

[quoonbeatz]

Only the athletic could string out an article about how some players control the ball. Mad that people still pay for that.

Anyway, as with almost all Muric's errors, it comes down to poor decision making. The time to decide to not try and control a football with your studs is on the edge of your 6 yard box when the pitch is greasy and the ball is wet and heading between the posts. There was no pressure on him. It's basic stuff.

[Goliath]

Only the athletic could string out an article about how some players control the ball. Mad that people still pay for that.

Anyway, as with almost all Muric's errors, it comes down to poor decision making. The time to decide to not try and control a football with your studs is on the edge of your 6 yard box when the pitch is greasy and the ball is wet and heading between the posts. There was no pressure on him. It's basic stuff.

To be fair that's the exact sort of thing the athletic is for. Mainstream press aren't going to produce articles like that but football has changed in the last season or 2 and this is one of the major reasons for it so it's worth an article.

I think it's really damaging to English football personally and could lead to a pretty big demise. As it states in the article the main way to counteract it is by just sitting in a low block and not pressing them. It's an absolute killer to the stadium atmosphere as well

[Rileybobs]

Here's a better link talking about it. Ironic that the mistake happened against one of the pioneers of the technique.

https://theathletic.com/4912608/2023/10 ... ed-article

Includes this quote from De Zerbi:
'If you have it to the left, you could not play to the right. If you receive the ball with the sole and from the front, you can play to the side you want'

I dont actually like watching it myself, it's mind numbingly dull watching them wait for someone to come and press. However, it's not fair to say it's bad technique when it is clearly being coached by managers who want to play this type of football which VK clearly does.

I don't subscribe to the athletic so can't read the article. But in any case I don't need to read it to know that in that particular scenario, it was bad technique to attempt to trap the ball with the sole of his foot.

[Quickenthetempo]

It's winding me up this passing back to the keeper everytime they get the ball.
94 touches for the keeper is shocking.

You would think they would have learnt not to pass back on target after Muric dived full length to keep one out the other week from O shea?

Stop being cowards, if the midfield don't show for it, put it down the channel that will suit Foster and Fofana.

[Goliath]

I don't subscribe to the athletic so can't read the article. But in any case I don't need to read it to know that in that particular scenario, it was bad technique to attempt to trap the ball with the sole of his foot.

I don't subscribe either but seem to be able to view the article for some reason.

So you're just going to ignore expert professional opinion because it contradicts your own fairly archaic opinion?

Here's a few more quotes on there from highly regarded coaches, it also uses example of Raya and Ederson from this season.
.

'You don’t have to look down again for the ball,” says Paul McGuinness, who spent 25 years as a youth coach at Manchester United and is a big advocate of using the sole of the foot. “You have 360-degree control, you can look at your opponent and instantly play the ball. It’s the timing of it, it’s the milliseconds it gives you.”

It also means that the opposition find it hard to co-ordinate their press.

“They’ve taken the clues away,” explains Ian Cathro, who worked alongside Nuno Espirito Santo at Valencia, Porto, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur. “Usually, when the ball is in movement, there’s an indication as to where it’s going next and that also triggers presses. So if a centre-back receives the ball and takes it across his body, that’s indicating where the pass is likely to go.'

You may regard it as bad technique but that's because youve been you've been raised with British values. This is clearly something that is more common abroad and is being brought into our game pretty rapidly. It's unfair to criticise Muric for his technique in this case IMO, only the execution.

[CoolClaret]

I don't subscribe either but seem to be able to view the article for some reason.

So you're just going to ignore expert professional opinion because it contradicts your own fairly archaic opinion?

Here's a few more quotes on there from highly regarded coaches, it also uses example of Raya and Ederson from this season.
.

'You don’t have to look down again for the ball,” says Paul McGuinness, who spent 25 years as a youth coach at Manchester United and is a big advocate of using the sole of the foot. “You have 360-degree control, you can look at your opponent and instantly play the ball. It’s the timing of it, it’s the milliseconds it gives you.”

It also means that the opposition find it hard to co-ordinate their press.

“They’ve taken the clues away,” explains Ian Cathro, who worked alongside Nuno Espirito Santo at Valencia, Porto, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur. “Usually, when the ball is in movement, there’s an indication as to where it’s going next and that also triggers presses. So if a centre-back receives the ball and takes it across his body, that’s indicating where the pass is likely to go.'

You may regard it as bad technique but that's because youve been you've been raised with British values. This is clearly something that is more common abroad and is being brought into our game pretty rapidly. It's unfair to criticise Muric for his technique in this case IMO, only the execution.

I'm as big of Muric fan as there is but you are misappropriating the 'studs on the ball' technique .

Standing on the ball like that isn't meant to be used when controlling a back pass when stood in front of your own goal. It's meant to be used after the ball is already under control.

If Aro gets that ball across him on a diagonal he has every right (and does) put his studs on it to roll it to 'tee up' his next pass, which is often done immediately after - sort of gives the ball a little rolling start before he pings it.

In the instance on Saturday, with the conditions and with the context of the game, he should have really just took a touch with his instep, or smashed it first time.

That's his inexperience and he will learn.

[Goliath]

I'm as big of Muric fan as there is but you are misappropriating the 'studs on the ball' technique .

Standing on the ball like that isn't meant to be used when controlling a back pass when stood in front of your own goal. It's meant to be used after the ball is already under control.

If Aro gets that ball across him on a diagonal he has every right (and does) put his studs on it to roll it to 'tee up' his next pass, which is often done immediately after - sort of gives the ball a little rolling start before he pings it.

In the instance on Saturday, with the conditions and with the context of the game, he should have really just took a touch with his instep, or smashed it first time.

That's his inexperience and he will learn.

Not according to this snippet. I hadn't really thought about it but it's true. If a keeper let's the ball come across him and takes it with his instep on his left foot. It's pretty easy to press him and force him to go left and then force the play down 1 side. That's exactly the point being made below. In this example if Muric controls with his studs he can still go either way and it's harder for the striker to get his press right.
There was also a Lallana quote in there saying he now coaches his kid to use his studs to control the ball but I can't be bothered finding it again.


They’ve taken the clues away,” explains Ian Cathro, who worked alongside Nuno Espirito Santo at Valencia, Porto, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur. “Usually, when the ball is in movement, there’s an indication as to where it’s going next and that also triggers presses. So if a centre-back receives the ball and takes it across his body, that’s indicating where the pass is likely to go.

[Neil]

I don't subscribe either but seem to be able to view the article for some reason.

So you're just going to ignore expert professional opinion because it contradicts your own fairly archaic opinion?

Here's a few more quotes on there from highly regarded coaches, it also uses example of Raya and Ederson from this season.
.

'You don’t have to look down again for the ball,” says Paul McGuinness, who spent 25 years as a youth coach at Manchester United and is a big advocate of using the sole of the foot. “You have 360-degree control, you can look at your opponent and instantly play the ball. It’s the timing of it, it’s the milliseconds it gives you.”

It also means that the opposition find it hard to co-ordinate their press.

“They’ve taken the clues away,” explains Ian Cathro, who worked alongside Nuno Espirito Santo at Valencia, Porto, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur. “Usually, when the ball is in movement, there’s an indication as to where it’s going next and that also triggers presses. So if a centre-back receives the ball and takes it across his body, that’s indicating where the pass is likely to go.'

You may regard it as bad technique but that's because youve been you've been raised with British values. This is clearly something that is more common abroad and is being brought into our game pretty rapidly. It's unfair to criticise Muric for his technique in this case IMO, only the execution.

Come on Goliath, it's a load of crap.

It may save you a millisecond but it gains you no real advantage. If you're under that much pressure the millisecond doesn't matter cos you're booting it away first time anyway.

I only watched the Arsenal game yesterday but I made a point of watching Martinez deal with multiple back passes and he controlled every single one with the side foot.

The risk is far higher trying to stop the ball with your studs than the instep regardless of what anyone says.

Using the Muric example from Saturday, it probably won't happen to him ever again but the annoying thing is his situational awareness. You're 20 seconds away from half time at Goodison, boot it. You're one nil up with 15 minutes to go in poor weather conditions, make sure you control the ball.

[boatshed bill]

"You may regard it as bad technique but that's because youve been you've been raised with British values. This is clearly something that is more common abroad and is being brought into our game pretty rapidly. It's unfair to criticise Muric for his technique in this case IMO, only the execution."

So the execution has nothing to do with technique then? OK.

[bfcjg]

TBH it get worse every time you see it,total lack of concentration, I'm not going to watch it again .

[Rileybobs]

I don't subscribe either but seem to be able to view the article for some reason.

So you're just going to ignore expert professional opinion because it contradicts your own fairly archaic opinion?

Here's a few more quotes on there from highly regarded coaches, it also uses example of Raya and Ederson from this season.
.

'You don’t have to look down again for the ball,” says Paul McGuinness, who spent 25 years as a youth coach at Manchester United and is a big advocate of using the sole of the foot. “You have 360-degree control, you can look at your opponent and instantly play the ball. It’s the timing of it, it’s the milliseconds it gives you.”

It also means that the opposition find it hard to co-ordinate their press.

“They’ve taken the clues away,” explains Ian Cathro, who worked alongside Nuno Espirito Santo at Valencia, Porto, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur. “Usually, when the ball is in movement, there’s an indication as to where it’s going next and that also triggers presses. So if a centre-back receives the ball and takes it across his body, that’s indicating where the pass is likely to go.'

You may regard it as bad technique but that's because youve been you've been raised with British values. This is clearly something that is more common abroad and is being brought into our game pretty rapidly. It's unfair to criticise Muric for his technique in this case IMO, only the execution.

I’m not ignoring expert opinion and I don’t have an archaic opinion. CoolClaret has pretty much made the points I was going to make. Firstly, you’re seemingly misunderstanding the article as the quotes you are posting don’t make any reference to trapping the ball with the sole of the boot. Obviously once the ball is under control I can see the marginal gain that using the sole of the boot could give, I have and still do play football so it’s pretty easy to understand.

Everyone knows that it is more difficult to trap a ball with the sole of your boot than using the instep. And even though there may be some situations where it is fine to do this, clearly controlling a back pass on its route into your own goal in wet and windy conditions isn’t one of them. It’s quite mad that I’m even having to make this point really and I’m surprised this has even turned into a debate.

Oh, and using terms like archaic opinion and British values is quite condescending, particularly as you don’t know anything about me.

[Goliath]

I don't think I am. The quotes from both Mcguiness and Cathro both imply the use of studs as the first touch to give then a slight advantage in being able to play both ways. As soon as you take a touch with the sidefoot it attracts the press from one side, it's a trigger for the press and you then can't play out.

I'm not arguing that it was good execution or that it was a smart thing to do. But the comment that it's bad technique is unfair when it's something coming down from the top level of football
I actually think it's as much the angle he gave that's the problem, we need to avoid firing it back inbetween the posts.

[Rileybobs]

I don't think I am. The quotes from both Mcguiness and Cathro both imply the use of studs as the first touch to give then a slight advantage in being able to play both ways. As soon as you take a touch with the sidefoot it attracts the press from one side, it's a trigger for the press and you then can't play out.

I'm not arguing that it was good execution or that it was a smart thing to do. But the comment that it's bad technique is unfair when it's something coming down from the top level of football
I actually think it's as much the angle he gave that's the problem, we need to avoid firing it back inbetween the posts.

There was absolutely no advantage to be gained by controlling the ball with the sole of his boot. So it was bad technique. Simple as that.

[boatshed bill]

I don't think I am. The quotes from both Mcguiness and Cathro both imply the use of studs as the first touch to give then a slight advantage in being able to play both ways. As soon as you take a touch with the sidefoot it attracts the press from one side, it's a trigger for the press and you then can't play out.

I'm not arguing that it was good execution or that it was a smart thing to do. But the comment that it's bad technique is unfair when it's something coming down from the top level of football
I actually think it's as much the angle he gave that's the problem, we need to avoid firing it back inbetween the posts.

There's some difference between a technique in a tactical sense and the technique displayed by Muric.

[Goliath]

This has led me to rewatching a few times (aware I'm overanalysing this now). The moment Berge receives the ball their strikers are miles away, he then dallies for an absolute age and one striker comes towards him and one goes closer to Muric anticipating the pass back to him. They are on the edge of the box by the time he passes it.

That seems to have put doubt in Murics mind as if you run it on he initially goes to lump it down the field which I hadn't noticed before and then changes his mind and tries to control it. It's very rare you see him show any nervousness in possession but watching it again he's clearly caught in 2 minds. It's absolutely stupid from Berge at that point in the game but I also think Muric should have gone further left and opened up the angle which may have been what Berge was hoping for.

[boatshed bill]

This has led me to rewatching a few times (aware I'm overanalysing this now). The moment Berge receives the ball their strikers are miles away, he then dallies for an absolute age and one striker comes towards him and one goes closer to Muric anticipating the pass back to him. They are on the edge of the box by the time he passes it.

That seems to have put doubt in Murics mind as if you run it on he initially goes to lump it down the field which I hadn't noticed before and then changes his mind and tries to control it. It's very rare you see him show any nervousness in possession but watching it again he's clearly caught in 2 minds. It's absolutely stupid from Berge at that point in the game but I also think Muric should have gone further left and opened up the angle which may have been what Berge was hoping for.

Shouldn't Muric have just trapped the bloody ball??

[agreenwood]

Bring Vigouroux in and send both Trafford and Muric to Everton to work with Billy Mercer for a month or so

No ta.

[ClaretTony]

No ta.

I’ve never seen Vigouroux play to be fair

[Goliath]

There's some difference between a technique in a tactical sense and the technique displayed by Muric.

The reason he uses that technique is for the tactical advantage. If it was seen as a technical flaw he'd have had it coached out of him years ago

[boatshed bill]

The reason he uses that technique is for the tactical advantage. If it was seen as a technical flaw he'd have had it coached out of him years ago

The point is that he failed because his technique (performance) wasn't good enough for the technique (tactical).
If you get my drift

[Darnhill Claret]

Eye off the ball, lack of concentration, poor weather conditions, pass played between the posts all combined and a total misjudgement, nothing at all to do with technique. He could have employed the inside of the boot technique (not instep) and still misjudged it with the same result.

[Stalbansclaret]

So much analysis but the simple fact is that the first and basic responsibility of a goalkeeper is to stop the ball going into the bloody net. It was an unbelievable error in the circs of both the individual match and our season as a whole and as much as I love watching Muric pass the ball it’s pretty damning that he has effectively scored the opposition’s goals against us two games running .

[deanothedino]

I'd keep Muric in for the remaining matches. For me he should have started in August on merit and irregardless of the two howlers he deserves the chance to redeem himself.

Wasn’t Saturday his chance at redemption for the first error?

[Darnhill Claret]

England's No 1, Mr Pickford, made an epic fail last night of Muric proportions, yet for some reason it has hardly had a mention, certainly not on this thread. Yet another reminder that an error does not define a keeper, because all keepers make them.

[Nonayforever]

It will be interesting to see who VK picks on Saturday.
He is obviously a Trafford fan but the hit and hope style of play puts us under constant pressure, with Muric we are in control but error prone.
I would pick Muric but who knows anymore what VK thinks.

[taio]

England's No 1, Mr Pickford, made an epic fail last night of Muric proportions, yet for some reason it has hardly had a mention, certainly not on this thread. Yet another reminder that an error does not define a keeper, because all keepers make them.

Surely there is a simple explanation. This thread is about Muric, Muric plays for us and Pickford doesn't, and, unlike Muric's two howlers, Pickford's didn't have a material impact on the outcome.

[AfloatinClaret]

seems to be getting an easy ride compared to how trafford was treated...

I've been thinking similar; the vitriol on here would have been epic if it had been James Trafford making those mistakes.

[claretonthecoast1882]

I've been thinking similar; the vitriol on here would have been epic if it had been James Trafford making those mistakes.

Must remember though those who hammered Trafford virtually all season did so without an agenda