I've seen complications from Covid suggested as the reason he vanished off the face of the earth for half of the 2021-22 season (October 2021-March 2022 to be specific) due to needing so long to recover, as that set back his development as a resultI had Hope's for him but like so many he didn't make the grade ,shame
We're getting pretty close to having more keepers than centre-halves now.
The shift from 3/5 at the back to 4 demands a clear-out, in a way.
Definitely an area that we need to address in January, though.
We should've been getting them consistent loans from much, much earlier.Alfie Whiteman turns 25 next month.
Brandon Austin is 24.
Even for a GK, they really aren't young anymore.
Is it a complete lack of personal ambition that keeps them at the club? Why are they still here?
Keep the HG/CG numbers upAlfie Whiteman turns 25 next month.
Brandon Austin is 24.
Even for a GK, they really aren't young anymore.
Is it a complete lack of personal ambition that keeps them at the club? Why are they still here?
We should've been getting them consistent loans from much, much earlier.
They've not played nearly enough senior football for their ages.
Keep the HG/CG numbers up
Similar to why Jamal Blackman was in the Chelsea squad for so long in spite never playing
You make it sound as if we're the only club which does thisSo we'll file that under: total lack of personal ambition.
The club has used them as elaborate bell boys and they've happily played along.
Unimpressed.
So we'll file that under: total lack of personal ambition.
The club has used them as elaborate bell boys and they've happily played along.
Unimpressed.
TBH Whiteman has a decent chance of that, given he's got a couple of seasons as first choice keeper in the Allsvenskan under his belt that would at least generate a degree of interestI don't actually blame either for staying. Neither are really high level keeping talents and at best they’d only really make a career in around League One/ Two, the average wage of League One and Two players are also less than what Austin earns a week at Spurs (£5k).
So if in their shoes the choice is risk leaving to try and establish yourself in lower leagues (where failure to do so could see you fade into non-league) or stay at a Premier League club as an emergency backup and pocket a guaranteed £5k, I think the latter makes more sense.
So we'll file that under: total lack of personal ambition.
The club has used them as elaborate bell boys and they've happily played along.
Unimpressed.
I don't actually blame either for staying. Neither are really high level keeping talents and at best they’d only really make a career in around League One/ Two, the average wage of League One and Two players are also less than what Austin earns a week at Spurs (£5k).
So if in their shoes the choice is risk leaving to try and establish yourself in lower leagues (where failure to do so could see you fade into non-league) or stay at a Premier League club as an emergency backup and pocket a guaranteed £5k, I think the latter makes more sense.

Right, so lack of personal ambition then.
No different to a player in their prime selling out and moving to Saudi or China back in the day.
Just doesn't sit well with me.
What’s ambition for them though?
What academy keeper in recent times has gone on to have an “ambitious” career that Austin or Whiteman should try emulating?
No different to a player going Saudi and picking up about 5x their European wage with their club also making a nice sum? I’m sure if we got such an offer for Whiteman or Austin we’d accept and they themselves would bolt in a second.
For me a keepers first and most important job is keeping the ball out of the net.There's a real shortage of English goalkeepers at the moment and this might be why.
They're sitting on people's books as third or fourth choice and not getting time.
That's both youngsters and those coming to the end of their careers.
You've got Pickford, Pope, Ramsdale and Henderson and that's about it.
Butland's gone to Scotland to try to resurrect his career, so respect to him for that.
Patterson from Sunderland is supposedly rated as a prospect, as is Trafford at Burnley.
The latter's had a hard start to the campaign though, so he needs to keep his place.
The switch to footballing keepers may have caught out a lot of people.
Clubs are looking abroad for their needs and it's tough for the locals.
Playing regular football and through that, trying to actually improve as players. Be involved in a promotion for a League 2 club. Win the EFL trophy. Who knows?
There's plenty of players out there no-one thought would ever amount to more than a league 1/2 player who made it all the way to the top. Vardy, Antonio, Barnes, Kilman all started off in the lower echelons of English football (most were non-league iirc) and made it to the PL.
Sitting around for years doing bugger all just to collect a pay cheque strikes me as a total lack of personal ambition. And both players have recently signed new contracts so it isn't the case that they couldn't have left despite a lack of offers.
For me a keepers first and most important job is keeping the ball out of the net.
Trafford looks to have that attribute plus a bit more.
You want to start the play from the back?, get the FBs and CBs to do it but don't have your keeper trying to dribble in his own area.
Old school![]()
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you should tell your manager and goalkeeper this .For me a keepers first and most important job is keeping the ball out of the net.
Trafford looks to have that attribute plus a bit more.
You want to start the play from the back?, get the FBs and CBs to do it but don't have your keeper trying to dribble in his own area.
Old school![]()
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