01 Nov 2026 22:24:36
As expected there has been the usual ganging up on our goalkeeper. It's a 60 year Leeds tradition! But let's look at other keeper errors in the EPL this weekend. Suzuki at Villa with a basic positional error. Alisson at Pool with a distribution error.

Would we take either of them as keepers? I think so. Let's keep some sense of perspective. We have a young talented keeper who will get better with sustained EPL first choice experience. Keepers' errors are always catastrophic as they are the last line of defence.

1.) 01 Nov 2026
01 Nov 2026 22:41:23
You're wasting your time explaining the obvious to deaf ears sixpence, however I hear you loud and clear.

2.) 01 Nov 2026
01 Nov 2026 23:25:47
The marvellous Nigel Martyn had a couple of blunders for Leeds ; and of course Gary Sprake had several. Lukic had a few.

Then there was Super Mes and Kiko with a trolley full of them.

Trafford isnt immune either and needs to learn sharpish from his blunders.

But there have been two Revie Leeds keepers both highly reliable, brave and very good shot stoppers David Harvey and David Stewart who I cannot recall making any blunders whilst playing for Revie and Armfield's Super Leeds United.

3.) 02 Nov 2026
02 Nov 2026 01:22:51
I think Trafford already has learnt from earlier errors since he came to us. When he played for England against Spain, it was noticeable that due to the quality of the opposition, he didn't dawdle on the ball too much, and he's since carried that forward into his games for us.

Yesterday's error was just a case of picking the wrong pass to make, and then compounding the error by badly under hitting it, next time just hit it long, and that problem is negated.

4.) 02 Nov 2026
02 Nov 2026 02:16:00
JR
Wasnt Trafford's blunder yesterday virtually identical to the blunder he made for Citeh vs Spuds which saw Pep then go sign Donnarumma and drop Trafford ?

Pretty sure Trafford was dropped by Burnley in EPL too?

Trafford has talent but he needs to improve as bottom line just 9 games in he has cost us points vs Gooners ( both goals were saveable) and Bournemouth ( careless ) .

P.

5.) 02 Nov 2026
02 Nov 2026 06:49:20
The goals that he faced against Arsenal in my opinion were not saveable.

6.) 02 Nov 2026
02 Nov 2026 07:18:16
I wish I could say I have made all the right move so far in my life unfortunately I cannot it's all down to human errors.
Live with it and move on.

7.) 02 Nov 2026
02 Nov 2026 09:08:55
Some make more than others though. The ones that maker fewer move on. The ones that make a few don't.

8.) 02 Nov 2026
02 Nov 2026 12:38:29
Nah OP the 2nd Gooner goal was very saveable indeed ; expect more of your players.

9.) 02 Nov 2026
02 Nov 2026 15:05:11
I expect all our players to perform to the best of their abilities in every game they play in, however, I don't expect them to perform miracles.
Let's face it Living in the past Baz, unless any of our keepers are called Nigel Martyn, they are just rubbish.


Or could it be your, we are going to be relegated because we bought a gk instead of a striker agenda ?
Hmmmmm the mind wonders.

10.) 02 Nov 2026
02 Nov 2026 15:44:27
Nah OP you really dont.

Re Nigel Martyn. in my post yesterday gave you 2 Leeds United keepers David Harvey and David Stewart who were ultra reliable and never made blunders.better than Nigel

And miracles would be expecting Trafford to part the Red Sea rather than simply get his body and hands behind the 2 shots he conceded.

At a whopping £45 million transfer fee Trafford was brought into be a difference maker. ie win the team matches.not lose the team 2 matches and 6 points.

11.) 02 Nov 2026
02 Nov 2026 16:26:07
I don't think its a case of learning from errors in the mistake made at bournemouth. If that was the case a keeper would never make a distribution error again.

Many modern keepers are maligned the instant they go long, they're told they must play out. There's inherent risk in that. Alisson is in his mid thirties and made a similar poor ball out. If you expect keepers to play out then the odd distribution error will occur, and more often than it did 20 years ago.

12.) 02 Nov 2026
02 Nov 2026 20:43:56
Totally agree Ealing, distribution or playing the ball out which most modern day keepers are trained to do will always be prone to potential errors as it is by nature with a certain amount of risk.
Something that the old GK's had nothing to do with apart from saving the ball then booting the ball 60 odd meters up the pitch.

Something you Baz conveniently do not equate for in your dreamy nostalgia of decades gone by in football.

13.) 02 Nov 2026
02 Nov 2026 21:04:46
Baz I think Trafford has already made saves that meslier perri and darlow dont make this season. Sunderland had a few of those. Bournemouth is the only true error for me. Arsenal is one that you can chalk down to 'might expect to do better without being a full error'. I'd expect a world class keeper to save the arsenal one. But Trafford is in the very decent, on the way to very good and potential to be world class camp. He definitely isnt yet.

What I like about him is that so far at least he looks completely unruffled the moment something bad happens. Meslier was on his way to very good too but the moment he made a couple of errors it cascaded. Having a thick skin is a big part of it for keepers and you could see the way he was bantering the sunderland fans as he baited the press he was well up for it.

And I'm too young to remember anyone before Martyn granted but surely if Martyn edged out title winners in Leeds all-time voting he's better than Sterwart, Harvey Lukic, etc.

14.) 03 Nov 2026
02 Nov 2026 21:50:11
Good thoughtful well reasoned post as ever Ealing.

Nigel Martyn is indeed in my opinion Leeds United best ever keeper as I have always msmaintained ; he made 2 blunders in his Leeds playing career but still number 1 for me.

With regards to the Arsenal game the shot from outside box required a very good stretch save granted. but I felt he could have saved it.the likes of athletic David James similar in physiqye and height to Trafford would have saved it imo.seen him save many like that and he is not world class
.the other goal was awful.Trafford was a Meslier like hologram and statuesque; it didnt require a world class keeper to anticipate, react, get his body and hands blocking the ball imo.

As regards his distribution he has dallied on ball being closed down almost resulting in goals, I am not sure he concentrates enough and is accurate enough at passing to be choosing the more crowded potentially dangerous central areas of pitch to pass to

And he looked pretty ' ruffled" and uncomposed recently when he came rushing out of his penalty area and lost ball to opposition half way inside our half of pitch

I note that Trafford isnt particularly rated highly by other fans groups such as England, Arsenal, Villa and Everton which is quite telling imo.

15.) 03 Nov 2026
02 Nov 2026 21:57:23
Yep OP more than happy to admit my nostalgia of football in 60s and 70s when football was far more a sport than a business and so much more entertaining and direct, with keepers and defence not faffing around at the back anywhere near so much to concede from mistakes.

16.) 03 Nov 2026
03 Nov 2026 06:02:05
Fitness levels are far superior with today's players. Our old Revie team with todays rules with no hacking players down would be absolutely annihilated by the top teams of today.

17.) 03 Nov 2026
03 Nov 2026 09:26:54
Players maybe fitter but that's it.

18.) 03 Nov 2026
03 Nov 2026 15:02:04
It's also worth noting with regards to some of the pondering with keepers. It's pretty clear that they're also instructed to goad the opposition into a press in certain situations. Sometimes the only way the ball the manager wants played opens up is when the forwards begins pressing the keeper.

19.) 03 Nov 2026
03 Nov 2026 18:42:58
Trafford just ooze's apprehension when he has has the ball at his feet attempting to play it out.