James Trafford

[Foshiznik]

Maybe I'm revising history, but i'm sure Muric wasn't the Lev Yashin some on here would have you believe last season.

As for criticism of his distribution last night, i saw far more wayward passes by Allison than Trafford.

[jedi_master]

He’s slowly got better week by week and has been absolutely top drawer in the last two games now. To be performing at that level against Liverpool at 21 years old is outstanding.

[Stalbansclaret]

Legs wider than the Mersey tunnel for their 2nd goal.

You mean just like when he saved from Luis Diaz with his outstretched foot a few minutes earlier to keep us in the game ?
I’m trying to imagine what a keeper would look like if he kept his legs close together in the same scenario !!

[evensteadiereddie]

It's almost as though one of the country's best young keepers has been put in a very inexperienced side at the very highest level of club football and has taken, what, twenty or so games to blossom not, I hasten to add, he has performed anywhere near as badly as some on here love to make out.
It struck me as he walked off chatting with some of the young Liverpool substitute lads, all future full international colleagues, no doubt, what a prospect we have on our hands.

[burnleymik]

Still too slow to move the ball, but does actually seem to be getting better, especially around that spell just after the half time, but without a doubt he kept us in that game and he is one hell of a shot stopper. I have been wanting to see Muric throughout this season so far, but if Trafford keeps progressing at the pace he is right now, Muric is going to be a distant memory in the next few matches...

[Quickenthetempo]

You mean just like when he saved from Luis Diaz with his outstretched foot a few minutes earlier to keep us in the game ?
I’m trying to imagine what a keeper would look like if he kept his legs close together in the same scenario !!

Ok, let's play a game.

Make a bit if space in your front room.
Stand up, imagine you're in goal for Burnley.
Feet, shoulder width apart.
Spring off to your left, then repeat to the right.
Widen your feet 6 inches and repeat.
Again widen further and repeat.

Then put results on here.

I reckon you might find it gets harder to move the wider your legs are.
It's easier at shoulder width apart than legs akimbo.

[Neil]

He's an excellent shot stopper and has been all season. I suspect Kompany thought we'd be facing a lot more shots this season and prioritised a better shot stopper over a ball playing keeper.

His ball distribution - not my main concern. If he gives it to Taylor two seconds earlier it makes little difference to our tactics of five passes across the back then an aimless lump down the field. As for quick long balls out, I'm not qualified to comment. I don't go to the games (don't live locally) and the tv cameras don't span that far down the field when the ball is at the keepers feet. I have no idea what options are available. So nobody that isn't at the match can make that criticism.

Command of his area is my biggest concern. He's not a big physical unit and has been easily bullied for most of the season, though he has looked better in the last few games and will continue to improve.

As for criticism of the ball going through his legs for the second goal, it's frankly a ridiculous thing to say.
All keepers spread themselves to make the target as small as possible and you see goals like that almost every week in all leagues.

[Neil]

Ok, let's play a game.

Make a bit if space in your front room.
Stand up, imagine you're in goal for Burnley.
Feet, shoulder width apart.
Spring off to your left, then repeat to the right.
Widen your feet 6 inches and repeat.
Again widen further and repeat.

Then put results on here.

I reckon you might find it gets harder to move the wider your legs are.
It's easier at shoulder width apart than legs akimbo.

It's a tight angle. He's not planning on diving to save the shot. He's covering as much of the goal as possible and hoping the ball hits him or he can react if it's close enough.

[Quickenthetempo]

It's a tight angle. He's not planning on diving to save the shot. He's covering as much of the goal as possible and hoping the ball hits him or he can react if it's close enough.

It is a tight angle and a keeper stood up and being able to move his legs or arms half a yard each way, saves that 99 times out of 100.

Me or you might just hope the ball hits us. We should expect better from a Premier league GK.

[Neil]

It is a tight angle and a keeper stood up and being able to move his legs or arms half a yard each way, saves that 99 times out of 100.

Me or you might just hope the ball hits us. We should expect better from a Premier league GK.

There's 2-3 yards between the striker and keeper when he hits the ball.
Premier league keeper or not, nobody can react that fast.
Doubt you'll find any pundits highlighting it as a goalkeeping error.

[Ric_C]

Just watch the highlights, no way should he be being beaten from that angle for the second goal. Long barrier required, as per Nick Pope. I'm sure he'll learn, but it's costing us at the moment

[fatboy47]

It is a tight angle and a keeper stood up and being able to move his legs or arms half a yard each way, saves that 99 times out of 100.

Me or you might just hope the ball hits us. We should expect better from a Premier league GK.

You proved in your earlier post(s) that you dont know sh1t about goalkeeping. No need to labour the point now.

[Quickenthetempo]

You proved in your earlier post(s) that you dont know sh1t about goalkeeping. No need to labour the point now.

Pipe down Neville Southall

[Superjohnnyfrancis]

It is a tight angle and a keeper stood up and being able to move his legs or arms half a yard each way, saves that 99 times out of 100.

Me or you might just hope the ball hits us. We should expect better from a Premier league GK.

If he had kept his legs closed he would have easily saved it I agree seeing as thats the only place the attacker could have scored from, hes like Kompany though "learning" so all is good and hes man of the match

[willsclarets]

Just watch the highlights, no way should he be being beaten from that angle for the second goal. Long barrier required, as per Nick Pope. I'm sure he'll learn, but it's costing us at the moment

James Trafford is not costing us anything at the moment. In net terms, he's most certainly in the black.

[Ric_C]

James Trafford is not costing us anything at the moment. In net terms, he's most certainly in the black.

Don't really agree on that. Sure he's improving and his general shot stopping had been good, but the other aspects of his game including marshalling his defence, talking, claiming crosses, taking pressure off the defence, distribution etc have cost us in games this season.

[deanothedino]

Why are the dumb ones so triggered by factual posts?

If your first thought is to call someone dumb, then you don’t have a very strong argument.

[Fretters]

Just seen MOTD and spotted a couple of bits from JT which I loved - just after a save in the second half, the rebound is curled wide. After his sprawling dive, he gets up and randomly punches the ball into the crowd.

Then, before the penalty, he winks at somebody, as though to say 'I got this'.

I think we're starting to see the cockiness and swagger from him that we see for the U21s. His confidence is clearly sky high and it's fantastic to see.

Keep it up JT!

[Vincent'sCap]

Just gets better with each game,no wonder Muric hasn't had a sniff this season he's not fit to lace Trafford's boots.

[BurnleyFC]

He was tremendous again yesterday. Some of his long range passing was sublime, too.

[Casper2]

Just seen MOTD and spotted a couple of bits from JT which I loved - just after a save in the second half, the rebound is curled wide. After his sprawling dive, he gets up and randomly punches the ball into the crowd.

Then, before the penalty, he winks at somebody, as though to say 'I got this'.

I think we're starting to see the cockiness and swagger from him that we see for the U21s. His confidence is clearly sky high and it's fantastic to see.

Keep it up JT!

So he punches the ball into the crowd when we are 2-1 down wasting time .
Winks at someone as though to say “I got this” but doesn’t save it , brilliant

[Fretters]

So he punches the ball into the crowd when we are 2-1 down wasting time .
Winks at someone as though to say “I got this” but doesn’t save it , brilliant

I'm obviously talking about his confidence but it's gone over your head. Never mind.

[dougcollins]

So he punches the ball into the crowd when we are 2-1 down wasting time .
Winks at someone as though to say “I got this” but doesn’t save it , brilliant

Punching the ball into the home fans end and glaring at them is much more than just 'wasting time'.

We need more players getting in peoples' faces, there was a lot more of it last year. Roberts upped it when he came on.

[Fretters]

Punching the ball into the home fans end and glaring at them is much more than just 'wasting time'.

We need more players getting in peoples' faces, there was a lot more of it last year. Roberts upped it when he came on.

Exactly and this is a large part of the point I'm making. We don't have enough 'housery in the team without Barnes, so it's great to see.

[South West Claret.]

Thought he was very confident in every way yesterday.

My only criticism is the time wasting nonsense of playing the ball around when he has possession at the edge of his penalty area.

I know they all do it and it’s to slow the game down but even so I still don’t like it.

[warksclaret]

The beauty of the PL is that brilliant performances push your value up at quite a rate, particularly if you are 21. If a football fan now stops me seeing my Burnley coat and scarf, then I can fairly confidently predict they will say "your keeper is brilliant". Its staggering to think just how good he could be in 5 years

[Superjohnnyfrancis]

The beauty of the PL is that brilliant performances push your value up at quite a rate, particularly if you are 21. If a football fan now stops me seeing my Burnley coat and scarf, then I can fairly confidently predict they will say "your keeper is brilliant". Its staggering to think just how good he could be in 5 years

I think they are being sarcastic

[NewClaret]

Thought he was outstanding yesterday. Would go as far to say that he’s been Pope-esque in the last few games. Hasn’t put a foot wrong and has made some absolute wonder-saves to keep us in matches.

My Villa mates could not believe he was 21 and said they thought he was brilliant. Said we’ve always had a top keeper and that he could be the best of the lot on that performance and given his age.

I’ve been Muric in since the start, but also see his potential. I really don’t think our fans are yet seeing or appreciating the full potential of the players we’ve signed. But the reassuring thing for me is that Kompany does.

[Westleigh]

I’ve been one of his biggest critics and giving him a dozen games to let him bed in has been disastrous ,however I think VK has slightly changed his attitude to how JT plays and he doesn’t seem as obsessed in playing out from the back and he seems to be playing a lot more long balls and his also starting to get to more crosses, it’s taken a probable relegation to get him up to scratch but I think he’s finally becoming an half decent keeper.

[Superjohnnyfrancis]

I’ve been one of his biggest critics and giving him a dozen games to let him bed in has been disastrous ,however I think VK has slightly changed his attitude to how JT plays and he doesn’t seem as obsessed in playing out from the back and he seems to be playing a lot more long balls and his also starting to get to more crosses, it’s taken a probable relegation to get him up to scratch but I think he’s finally becoming an half decent keeper.

I’ve never known a keeper averaging 2 goals let in per game that has been Man of the match so many times its astonishing.

[Nori1958]

I’ve never known a keeper averaging 2 goals let in per game that has been Man of the match so many times its astonishing.

Which goal was he at fault for yesterday?

[summitclaret]

I’ve never known a keeper averaging 2 goals let in per game that has been Man of the match so many times its astonishing.

It's because we have a crap defence

[Goliath]

I’ve never known a keeper averaging 2 goals let in per game that has been Man of the match so many times its astonishing.

I have, regularly eg Bogdan at Bolton, Foster/Hart at Birmingham, Myhill at Hull, Mannone at Sunderland, Begovic Stoke/Portsmouth.

He is kept so busy that he's bound to look good on a highlights video, this isn't a criticism of him but i think we would find out a lot about him when hes in a better team with not as much to do. Its his concentration/distribution and ability to dominate his 6 yard box that has worried me, last few games have shown improvement but lets not get carried away,

[Goalposts]

Still a young man and a lot of potential will only get better, in truth that’s one thing that VK spots very well. Young and tons of potential , he also appears to have a hard side when working with a player for long enough to determine how far that can go.. benson and zaroury

[Superjohnnyfrancis]

I have, regularly eg Bogdan at Bolton, Foster/Hart at Birmingham, Myhill at Hull, Mannone at Sunderland, Begovic Stoke/Portsmouth.

He is kept so busy that he's bound to look good on a highlights video, this isn't a criticism of him but i think we would find out a lot about him when hes in a better team with not as much to do. Its his concentration/distribution and ability to dominate his 6 yard box that has worried me, last few games have shown improvement but lets not get carried away,

Those sideways leaps are amazing like superman