10 Nov 2026 06:59:49
James Trafford ranks 1st across Europe's top five leagues for save percentage (81.4%).
Makes a difference!
1.) 10 Nov 2026
10 Nov 2026 07:23:56
Donnarumma has looked vulnerable recently, so mebbe the cheaters will offer us £150M to buy him back in Jan.
2.) 10 Nov 2026
10 Nov 2026 07:47:15
That Devon gk was terrible v Villa too.
3.) 10 Nov 2026
10 Nov 2026 07:54:07
JR I don't know if you saw the podcast he wants to play every week!
So I don't think he'd go back!
Needs to be ours for the next 10 to 15 years. hopefully Leeds can meet is Ambition!
4.) 10 Nov 2026
10 Nov 2026 10:31:23
Looking deeper at JT save stats for Leeds
JT has made 13 saves from inside box and 37 saves in total in 10 matches
As regards the clear cut QUALITY of shots saved JT has registered 2.95 goals prevented
JT has however had out of the 10 EPL matches for Leeds ; Two disappointing matches ( Arsenal and Bournemouth) which undeniably cost Leeds United points.
5.) 10 Nov 2026
10 Nov 2026 12:46:42
Swings and roundabouts, Baz.
So far he's had the Bournemouth one, which is definitely an error, if you ask keepers to play out they happen. The Arsenal equaliser from Calafiori goes down as 'maybe expect to do better' rather than an error or beyond that a howler.
Alisson had a distri. error, Suzuki had one vs. Fulham (I'm not counting the Man utd equaliser, when I played school / Sundays, I ended up in goal a whole lot, Lammens 100% fouls him) . Even Raya vs. Chelsea went down as a 'maybe expect to do better one'. Prime de gea/Neuer/Buffon had errors. There isn't a keeper at any level that is immune to the odd error.
Does 2.95 stat mean even with those errors net he's saved nearly three goals more than expected or do we take away 1.50/2 clear errors for a score of 1.45/0.95 net. Either way if he maintains those number through a whole season it'll end up really quite impressive.
He's tonnes better than Meslier and Perri. Darlow had a decent spell without a true error if i recall but i'd back that Trafford has made better saves than Darlow.
I'd actually disagree about the quote of 'disappointing matches' that implies he was rubbish the whole games. Yes he made 'disappointing errors' during those matches, which obviously factor. But in both games he dusted himself off and I'd have backed him not to compound them by making another in the same game. That in itself is also important.
You can also tell once he made one in Bournemouth or Arsenal, the defence still trusted him. That's important because the nervousness is infectious (as it became with Meslier and Perri - you could see it with Meslier and Rodon especially) . That just isn't there.
6.) 10 Nov 2026
10 Nov 2026 13:17:38
Fair post Ealing. and there does seem to have been more errors than usual from several other keepers recently.
Imo a " difference making " top keeper saves at least one of the Arsenal goals.e. g. Peter Schmeichel saves the first, David James saves the second goal. Trafford saved neither.
Which goes back to the point of the quality of shots JT is facing/ saving.
JT is ofc a better keeper than Super Mes but should hope so too re their respective transfer fees.
7.) 10 Nov 2026
10 Nov 2026 14:38:53
The assertion that Schmeichel would have saved the 1st Arsenal goal is just pure guesswork. Calafiori shaped up for a low shot, which Trafford went to cover, as most keepers would have done, but instead Calafiori mishit it down into the ground, and it bounced up out if his reach.
Most keepers would have done what he did and been similarly deceived. And as for David James, as I recall, his nickname at Liverpool was 'Calamity James', and I don't see him being cited as an example of goalkeeping excellence, and he was replaced there by Bruce Grobbelaar.
{Ed001's Note - he replaced Brucie JR, not the other way around. Terrible keeper for Liverpool because he was far too busy living it up and being a dick to work on his game. Waste of a talent.}
8.) 10 Nov 2026
10 Nov 2026 15:11:34
JR.I'd put. a lot of money on Schmeichel saving the 1st. Arsenal goal.
and 6 foot 5 inch David James had exceptional agility and reach in shot stopping for the 2nd.
DJ also has the record for most EPL penalty saves
Both goals were saveable and Trafford saved neither.
9.) 10 Nov 2026
10 Nov 2026 18:23:26
I mean DJ also has the record for most goals conceded. May well have the most for penalties conceded too. Not a slight. It's testament to his unique nature that the vast majority of his career at Watford Liverpool villa west ham city Portsmouth he played for mid table or relegation threatened clubs. He was more or less always in the prem so his overall level never dropped lower than that.
He was one of the worst for paying attention/concentration. He got robbed at Portsmouth for daillying on the ball at least once (can't remember which game sure it can be found) . His athleticism was amongst the best in the league always and he made some absolutely incredible saves. But his handling and concentration left so much to be desired too often. He'd routinely spill badly, or even not save easy shots at all.
Compare that with my role model (as a school and Sunday keeper) . Brad friedel. I can probably count the mistakes I remember him making over 12 yrs at Blackburn villa and spurs on one hand. Probably didn't make quite as many outrageous saves as DJ but his command and handling light years ahead. Also had a very decent pen saving record.
That second shot from Bruno g. Maybe a world class keeper who gambles saves it. Youd have to gamble cos it was too well struck. It wasnt perfectly in the corner but within 5% of it. JT saw it all the way, split step, dive and it beats him not even one where he flaps it further in he just can't reach it. Fair does. Great finish. Zero blame.
10.) 10 Nov 2026
10 Nov 2026 18:57:20
Interested to know Ealing your opiniom of the 37 saves in 10 matches JT has made which one is the most impressive ?
11.) 11 Nov 2026
11 Nov 2026 01:52:53
I'll answer that question Baz, the one I liked best was in the Sunderland game when Brobbey was through on goal with only JT to beat, but he timed his challenge perfectly, spread himself to cover all angles.
Much as I despise the club he played for I agree that Peter Schmeichel was a top top keeper, though of all the ones I've seen I'd put him behind Gordon Banks who's my all time best.
12.) 11 Nov 2026
11 Nov 2026 02:41:09
Hi JR.I just rewatched video "highlights" of Sunderland vs Leeds match because I could not even recall that spead save at Brobbey's feet.
The YEP (amusingly) referred to all of Traffords saves vs Sunderland as routine saves whilst still making him man of match.
That's exactly my previous point in this thread though; there's been routine saves and some pretty good saves from JR in the 10 matches
But there has NOT really been any amazing standout difference making saves in the 10 EPL matches so far from Trafford.
JT actually saving the Arsenal 2nd goal would have been a standout save.and as for the 1st Arsenal goal through JT's hands. ugh.
13.) 11 Nov 2026
11 Nov 2026 01:13:01
You're a Liverpool expert Ed001, so correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to recall BG being brought back to replace James after a series of blunders, but don't recall how long that lasted.
{Ed001's Note - Jamo did get dropped, yes, but I seem to remember it being Friedel who came in but had a bit of a disaster as well. To be fair the Liverpool defence was woeful at the time, part of the problem was that the keeper was literally having to come for everything put into the box, so both James and Friedel suffered. The difference was Friedel recovered and went on to become a top keeper, James carried on being a dodgy keeper with concentration issues because he never sorted out his lifestyle.}
14.) 11 Nov 2026
11 Nov 2026 11:05:39
Another point Baz, if you want to compare Trafford with Schmeichel you need to compare them at the same age. Trafford is just 24, when Schmeichel was 24 he'd only just signed for Brondby in the Danish league, and didn't sign for MU til 1991 by which time he was 28, so any Trafford is playing in the PL 4 years earlier than PS did.
Talking of MU, have a look back at JTs 40 yard sprint to make a perfectly timed tackle on Diallo in the recent game at ER, not strictly speaking a 'save' but very impressive nontheless, it's at 32 mins on the match clock.
15.) 11 Nov 2026
11 Nov 2026 11:59:06
It's a decent point. JR but. I would still strongly bet that Peter Schmeichel at 24 years old playing for Brondby saves Arsenal 's first goal.
It's a bad goal to. concede for literally any keeper.
16.) 11 Nov 2026
11 Nov 2026 14:30:42
If he was that good in 1987, why then did MU wait 4 years til 1991 to try to sign him? The assertion that he'd have saved Arsenal's first goal is just guesswork, and as I've already said I think it's clear that Calafiori mishit his shot down into the ground, and that was what deceived Trafford, and would have deceived any keeper.
My view of JT is that he's good already, and has the potential to get even better, will he be as good as PS at the same age, we shall see in the coming years.
17.) 11 Nov 2026
11 Nov 2026 17:18:03
I mean if you're comparing Trafford to schmeichel too Baz he's doing an awful lot right just to be included in that conversation unless it's purely the fee we paid for him thinks we're entitled to expect that.
Man u didn't even pay record breaking money for schmeichel £555,000 I believe.
Ofc I'd like us to find a gem of a keeper who costs that in today's money. But what we paid for Trafford is comparable with football inflation to expect a return like what we got from Nigel Martyn. Martyn was amazing but even I'll admit schmeichel was definitely a better keeper.
Chelsea paid £70m for kepa, big money moves don't always work out on keepers or any position.
Trafford wasn't my first choice but it was nothing to do with his level more the cost.
I championed three players that probably would have cost £10m all in
Livakovic (Croatian no.1.) think moved to Barcelona for a pittance.
Jonas wind. Free agent striker off a bad injury season but a good record besides that
Eric Martel a CDM upgrade on longstaff/depth free agent. I guarantee farke knew all of them especially with two of them being based in Germany at the time.
There are so many nuances about where a player wants to play how teams want to play.
Trafford is expensive, we couldn't have done Suzuki, the club didn't fancy or couldn't do livakovic.
It's why we're fans and not chief execs and sporting directors.
18.) 11 Nov 2026
11 Nov 2026 17:49:08
Good posts Ealing and JR.we may not always agree but you guys post quality.
19.) 12 Nov 2026
11 Nov 2026 22:37:14
When the window was still open, the keeper I suggested on a couple of occasions was Noah Atubolu at Frieburg, he subsequently went to Eintract Frankfurt on a €1M loan with an obligation to buy next season for a further €13M, equivalent to £11.7M total, or £28.3M less than Trafford.