What now for James Trafford?

[Spijed]

When he signed for Man City he was seen as the replacement for Ederson, not only to be Man City's number one for many seasons, but also replacing Pickford in goal for England.

But since Man City have now signed Gianluigi Donnarumma he'll surely be the main goal keeper as he's only 26.

All well and good for Trafford to keep goal in the cup matches, but surely he won't be happy being on the bench for the next few seasons unless there is an injury.

Has Pep thrown him under the bus?

[dsr]

He's thrown himself under Pep's bus. If he didn't know that Man City have unlimited funds and that they'd be happy to pay £27m for a reserve keeper, then he should have been paying more attention. It was pretty obvious to most of us that staying at Burnley would have been better for his England prospects (assuming he is good enough) than moving to City.

He's no doubt got more money for the move, but no matter what he was told, he should have known that the money was the only guarantee.

[ISpeds00]

I dont envisage him ever becoming CIty's number 1 permanently in the league - i dont think he is good enough
He is not an ELITE level keeper -

They have now signed an ELITE level keeper with immense experience domestically and at top level in the world/europe
There is no displacing that - he will be City's number one for the duration of his contract, as Ederson was

The only path i feel for Trafford is a loan to another side - with the eventual permanent move to a lesser club

I honestly feel he went to City for the big money - and City bought him to stop another rival taking him on, when they had 1st dibs on him.

[The Shire Claret]

He's thrown himself under Pep's bus. If he didn't know that Man City have unlimited funds and that they'd be happy to pay £27m for a reserve keeper, then he should have been paying more attention. It was pretty obvious to most of us that staying at Burnley would have been better for his England prospects (assuming he is good enough) than moving to City.

He's no doubt got more money for the move, but no matter what he was told, he should have known that the money was the only guarantee.

Staying at Burnley was not his best option - Going to Newcastle would have been in my opinion...

He's done the relegation battle ... it now looks like he's going to potentially do the warm the bench thing...but he will believe in himself to get that spot

Newcastle he would have been starter and be in the top 10

[Vegas Claret]

Sign for a big club expect big competition

[CoolClaret]

Agreed, if he'd have gone to Newcastle it'd have been best for his career.

I also think City are on the decline, they look crap and are nowhere near the powerhouse of a team they once were (Rodri & Haaland aside).

[ClaretOfMancunia]

Gutted for him. Really should have gone to Newcastle in hindsight.

From a purely selfish BFC perspective, I'm glad we got top dollar for him when we did. His stock was at an all time high - and we got Dubravka for a fraction of the cost, who I think will actually perform better this season.

[ISpeds00]

Agreed, if he'd have gone to Newcastle it'd have been best for his career.

I also think City are on the decline, they look crap and are nowhere near the powerhouse of a team they once were (Rodri & Haaland aside).

Pep trying to be clever - as usual
You cant start Oscar Bobb - when you've had world class players in that position for years
He was well out of his depth vs Brighton - Got forward loads, but messed up at the time he needed to perform

Then bringing on players like O'Reilly to try and change the game - nowhere near world class quality - this is the point they got hammered on the counter and conceded, and likely could have conceded more.

[Pearcey]

I’m not gutted for him in the slightest. He wanted to leave after the first season. I’m sure he’ll go on to have a great career whatever happens.

[gandhisflipflop]

Pep trying to be clever - as usual
You cant start Oscar Bobb - when you've had world class players in that position for years
He was well out of his depth vs Brighton - Got forward loads, but messed up at the time he needed to perform

Then bringing on players like O'Reilly to try and change the game - nowhere near world class quality - this is the point they got hammered on the counter and conceded, and likely could have conceded more.

City could start Oscar Bobb in goal against us and still smash us

[ISpeds00]

City could start Oscar Bobb in goal against us and still smash us

I dont see a City smash this year on anyone

[gandhisflipflop]

I dont see a City smash this year on anyone

Any other side id agree but even before their takeover they were our bogey side.

[Procrastinate B]

Not convinced he would have displaced Pope immediately, either tbh.

Still think Traff will get plenty of games there.

[ISpeds00]

Any other side id agree but even before their takeover they were our bogey side.

I dont think we will see the 5-0 this time though

[ISpeds00]

Not convinced he would have displaced Pope immediately, either tbh.

Still think Traff will get plenty of games there.

I bet Pep signs Donurumma but continues to play Trafford for a while - he's arrogant like that

[GodIsADeeJay81]

Did a job for us
We benefitted from having him here
We got good money for him

He's made his choice, whether it's right or wrong isn't our issue anymore
He probably would've done a good job for us

He'll be City's Cup goalie pretty much
He may even seek to move in Jan or next summer

Wonder if we have a sell on clause...

[boatshed bill]

Perhaps Pep will rotate keepers a bit.

[LincsWoldsClaret]

He’ll be no 1
Just give Donna enough rope

[warksclaret]

No more ruthless a team with players than Pep.Numerous examples of really bad treatment of players and James should have known that

[NottsClaret]

Bad stage of your career to start bench warming. Henderson will be well ahead of him if he plays for Palace every week this season.

[CoolClaret]

City could start Oscar Bobb in goal against us and still smash us

I disagree.

It's a far cry from their teams of 2017-2023, which were filled with powerhouse players throughout the spine, with a bit of flair in key positions.

Players like Cherki, Bobb, Doku, Reijnders, Nunes, Gonzalez, Lewis are nowhere the calibre of players such as Fernandhino, David Silva, Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sané, Alvarez, Walker

[claretonthecoast1882]

I disagree.

It's a far cry from their teams of 2017-2023, which were filled with powerhouse players throughout the spine, with a bit of flair in key positions.

Players like Cherki, Bobb, Doku, Reijnders, Nunes, Gonzalez, Lewis are nowhere the calibre of players such as Fernandhino, David Silva, Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sané, Alvarez, Walker

To be fair they have also played us with Onuoha, Adam Johnson and Gareth Barry and scored 6 as well as Steve Howey, Richard Dunne, Richard Edghill, Kevin Horlock & Danny Tiatto and scored 5

[AfloatinClaret]

...City bought him to stop another rival taking him on, when they had 1st dibs on him.

My thoughts too. Signing Trafford was a back-stop in case they couldn't manage to get the Donnarumma deal over the line, with the added bonus that it prevented Newcastle getting their hands on him. Whatever, JT will get his chance somewhere/sometime and will be getting very well paid while he waits.

[tarkys_ears]

A badly advised young man.

Best case scenario was he'd be #2 keeper. BEST.

[CoolClaret]

To be fair they have also played us with Onuoha, Adam Johnson and Gareth Barry and scored 6 as well as Steve Howey, Richard Dunne, Richard Edghill, Kevin Horlock & Danny Tiatto and scored 5

Aye but who else was on the pitch in those games? Some good players there as well!

Not to mention, we didn't have the calibre of player then which we do today...

[claretonthecoast1882]

Aye but who else was on the pitch in those games? Some good players there as well!

Not to mention, we didn't have the calibre of player then which we do today...

You could go a bit further back to 1999 and the 6-0 (to be fair that wasn't long after the 5-0 loss to Gillingham) as well as a 5-0 cup defeat same year.

This was probably when we couldn't cope with Shaun Goater

[Winstonswhite]

I’m perplexed by both keeper signings by Pep tbh.

Enrique supposedly wanted someone better with his feet so got rid of Donnarumma for that reason, as well as his wage demands and I don’t think Trafford is elite level with his feet either. A strange one.

[BurnleyFC]

Classic ‘Pep’ management.

I feel for Trafford in this instance. It looks highly unlikely he’s going to be number one while the manager remains.

With hindsight Newcastle probably should’ve been the move for him.

[Corway]

Strange to sell Ederson for £12m when he’s only 31. Keepers have played PL into their 40s.
Trafford was Peps first choice but he needs a good replacement for all the games they play. Donarummar just happened to be fortuitously surplus to requirements at Paris.
Traffords 84.5% save record outstrips both Edersons 67% and Donnarummar 66.2%. Their 85% passing record beats his 70% one.
It will be horses for courses and both will be needed.

[AlargeClaret]

A badly advised young man.

Best case scenario was he'd be #2 keeper. BEST.

Badly advised? He’s 22yrs old , played a full season in the prem .played for Eng at multi levels ,he’s currently playing for one of the worlds “super clubs “ he’ll be a millionaire multi times over in a year or two and quite possibly Eng’s no 1 before he’s 25.
He can afford to play 2nd fiddle for a good few yrs yet if need be .

[CoolClaret]

Strange to sell Ederson for £12m when he’s only 31. Keepers have played PL into their 40s.
Trafford was Peps first choice but he needs a good replacement for all the games they play. Donarummar just happened to be fortuitously surplus to requirements at Paris.
Traffords 84.5% save record outstrips both Edersons 67% and Donnarummar 66.2%. Their 85% passing record beats his 70% one.
It will be horses for courses and both will be needed.

Stats like this without context are pretty meaningless; you're comparing apples to oranges with the save %.

Traff was exceptional last season and made some brilliant saves, but he was still given a superb platform to perform. Player positioning, tighter banks of defenders make the target for players to hit much smaller.

It's entirely different and much harder to keep goal as a sweeper where there's far less protection.

[agreenwood]

If regular Premier League football and a place in next summers World Cup squad was his objective, he needs to have a hard look at his agent (David Eyres), who spent the summer briefing the media about the tiniest of developments to keep the momentum on a move going.

If his objective was to become an extremely wealthy young man, potentially at the expense of playing time, he should thank his agent who did an excellent job of engineering a move.

[Wokingclaret]

Should have gone to toon

[equinox]

The way he was treated by alot of Burnley 'fans' in that first season in the Premier League, James Trafford couldn't wait to get out the place, even a brilliant, following season didn't change that and I don't blame him.

[daveisaclaret]

Observing only from the outside on Trafford's character, I have very little doubt he completely believed he would earn the #1 job very quickly at either City or Newcastle. He was probably given assurances at City that he would start the season ahead of Ederson, and that turned out to be the case.

I don't follow European football closely but it doesn't seem like it was anticipated that Donnarumma would become available straight after Trafford signed nor that Pep would double dip at the position.

He's not had a perfect start in nets at City but I think he's fallen into very unlucky circumstance and feel quite sorry for the lad.

[Enola Gay]

I'm not as convinced Donnarumma will be the naled-on Number 1 as others seem to be, although two defeats in three games(?) won't be helping Trafford's cause.

Interesting to see another 'poor Trafford' narrative developing though. Allegedly hung out to dry by Kompany, apparently thrown under a bus by Pep. When will the poor lad catch a break...

[JohnMac]

He wouldn't have been No1 at Newcastle either imo but shared the Season with Nick Pope.

[Jakubclaret]

He'll end up moving on I think. Some transfers are that daft it's puzzling to work out why they bothered in the first place. City are good at signing players & not finding places for them to fit in the phillips chap & grealish are 2 recent 1s that stand out although KP is still there with no future there.

[CrosspoolClarets]

Feel a bit sorry for him. He is a commodity and may even have been contractually compelled to sign for City if City matched Newcastle’s fee and wage offer, due to clauses in the original deal. It would be no use to City if they had a buyback clause that a player could simply ignore. Certainly Burnley couldn’t have stopped City once a Newcastle offer was accepted. Plus, with his love of City, he was unlikely to anyway.

Realistic options are a few league matches and domestic cup games. Donnarumma will be busy in the Champion’s League, easy to imagine Traff getting the subsequent league game if a lower opponent.

[Procrastinate B]

If he has anything about him, and I think he has, he’ll not sulk and just work to cement himself as the number one. City were never going to just rely on him, he’s not daft, he’ll know the expectations and rivalry at a club that size for every position.

[ClaretPete001]

I don't think his cause has been helped much by Spurs and Brighton second goals

[boatshed bill]

I don't think his cause has been helped much by Spurs and Brighton second goals

He made some very good saves in the game.

[dvalley69]

He made some very good saves in the game.

Not enough in this day & age. He flaps at crosses and isn't great with his feet. His inexperience & slim physique don't give him that stature you need to command your box at the top level: think Ederson, Schmeichal, Alisson, Donnarumma, etc. Whether he'll grow into it remains to be seen; he's got plenty of time to show it if he knuckles down.

[claretdj]

Shouldn't we be talking about Ederson for £12m? What a bargain that is!

[steve1264b]

I dont care

[jrgbfc]

He'll still get plenty of action with all the cup games City play. Actually think this is better for him than being thrown in the deep end straight away.

[FeedTheArf]

I’m sure he’ll do just fine on his 5 year contract at c£100,000 a week

[IanMcL]

Staying at Burnley was not his best option - Going to Newcastle would have been in my opinion...

He's done the relegation battle ... it now looks like he's going to potentially do the warm the bench thing...but he will believe in himself to get that spot

Newcastle he would have been starter and be in the top 10

Nick Pope is number 1 at Newcastle. 1 more season at least.

[IanMcL]

I’m sure he’ll do just fine on his 5 year contract at c£100,000 a week

He will fine in the League Cup.

He did very well last match for city.

[Dyched]

JT would have been told exactly what the situation is. There’s plenty of games for both of them with the Cups/EPL/CL. Donnarumma has also yet to play in any kind of decent league. Different playing Sat/Midweek/Sat, big game, after bug game.