Who is / was Boros's number one? They did have a brilliantly named guy called Glover last year who looked excellent. Standard of goalkeeping in the Championship is very high.
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Who is / was Boros's number one? They did have a brilliantly named guy called Glover last year who looked excellent. Standard of goalkeeping in the Championship is very high.
It was Seny Dieng, but his form was patchy and then he got injured. Then Sol Brynn came in, but he got injured too. So Glover, the third choice, came in bringing his nominative determinism with him but seemingly hasn't convinced. So now it will be Travers, who I would say is the best of the four. Middlesbrough are poor at the back in general though and have conceded far more goals than the other teams in the top 6, it hasn't been all down to the goalkeeper so he could be kept busy for the rest of the season.
I could see the defensive stats for Middlesbrough were bad, but I didn't realise they were "defender absolutely rocketing one in past his own keeper from 10 yards out" bad. Travers is going to have his hands full on this loan.
I watched this last night to see how Travers would get on. He did nothing wrong. Couldn't blame him for any of the goals and he brought off a number of decent saves. His defence was all over the place though. They gave the ball away numerous times trying to play out from the back. Two of the goals were scored by his own defenders. The first a huge deflection when Travers would have covered the shot. The second a bullet of an effort from his own winger from 10 yards. What ever happened to Darragh Lenihan, he has been out injured a hell of a long time at this stage.
Sounds like they need some Irish Centre-Backs alright ! !Quote:
Originally Posted by Drummerboy2
He did have one spill near the end that nearly gave Sunderland a fourth. Recovered it well with a second save from the follow up shot but it would have been a bit of a clanger otherwise. Also possibly went to ground a bit too easily in the one on one for the second Sunderland goal, though the attacker was always favourite there.
Watched the 2nd half of Boros game tonight and Travers was one of their best players, despite shipping two goals. I'd very comfortably have him as no.2 in the pecking order with Bazunu now in 3rd
Saying that, O'Leary was decent in the other end as well. Watching a game with 2 Irish stoppers drove it even further home how spoiled for choice we are
He has also looked competent in the Premier League this season, which Bazunu never really did when he was there. Longer term I'd still hope Bazunu has a higher ceiling, but if Kelleher was ruled out against Bulgaria I'd definitely prefer Travers to start.
Bazunu should have some time to come good - short of things imploding at Liege - but Travers is the safer choice by far if the match were this week. That's no black mark against Bazunu, just back from injury like that.
Middlesbrough would like to keep him, but may not be able to afford him; Birmingham reported to be interested.
https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/soc...nship-35185709
Have Birmingham got some Sugar Daddies ~ ~ Birmingham have never been a club that gave me the vibes of having loads of money !Quote:
Originally Posted by Demesne Lad
Yes, Tom Brady and his friends are in there now, they've just bought their way to the highest ever League 1 points total.
The Championship will be very interesting next year with them and Wrexham going into it. Having two promoted teams that will be nowhere near the relegation battle will shake things up a bit for the Swansea and QPR types who usually sit comfortably in the middle order in the division and might now be in a relegation scrap.
Dropped twelve million on a striker getting him to drop two divisions from Fulham into L1 is the clue, not the kind of thing you see every day.Quote:
Originally Posted by seanfhear
Highest ever football league total - though it's not clear if there was a better season in the two points for a win days.Quote:
Originally Posted by Eirambler
You'd imagine Birmingham would be challenging for promotion again next season, though four promotions on the spin may a step too far for Wrexham.
Back in the day they were lucky to have two Brummies to rub together to keep warm !
They got £1 million ( maybe £1 less or something like that ) off Nottingham Forest for Trevor Francis ~ ~ I think that Trevor Francis's ankle was already giving trouble, not that Birmingham told Nottingham Forest that ~ ~ Trevor Francis had a good career, but I think the ankle held him back a good bit in comparison to what he could have been !
I do think, that ankle / injuries, did curtail Trevor Francis a good bit ~ Anyway I digress to history !
Heading to Everton for £5m. Would imagine it will be worth his while financially, because it's unlikely to be in terms of playing time - of the 114 Premier League games Everton have played in the last three seasons, Jordan Pickford has started and finished 113 of them.
Unless Pickford moves on or gets a rare injury, Travers won't be playing much for the next few years. Personally I would say, if he was content to continue as a Number 2, he should have been aiming for a club playing in Europe next season.
https://sports.yahoo.com/article/mar...000000567.html He's not sure about the move because of concerns about playing time.
Not sure what is meant by concerns here, he's not going to play if he moves to Everton, it's as simple as that really. It's not a concern as much as it's the reality of making that move, he's either OK with that or he isn't.
If he's looking for assurances about playing time at Everton he won't be getting them, certainly when it comes to league games.
25 millon for petrovic is absolutely criminal. Very hard to understand why Bournemouth woukd not give Travers an opportunity. His distribution the more issue unfortunately.Quote:
Originally Posted by John83
Is there, any /many, managers playing with goalkeepers with poor distribution these days ?
Shay Given wouldn't be getting many games these days ~ When you consider how poor he was with the ball at his feet ~ Ok, maybe if he came through the coaching systems now, he would be a lot better, but if it was based on what he was like when he played, then he wouldn't be getting many games these days !
Looks like a done deal for 4M, medical today.
You make a good point, but I have a feeling that Everton are an exception to the rule, both because Moyes is a bit "old school", and also because Pickford, for all his deficiencies with his feet, is excellent in other respects and firmly established in the team.Quote:
Originally Posted by seanfhear
Which is why I'm surprised at Travers going to EFC, since he'll surely only be warming the bench and he ought to be better than that, if not in the PL, at least in the Championship or a good continental team?
don't people say that Pickford is exceptional with his feet? I remember it being cited as the reason Southgate continued to pick him.Quote:
Originally Posted by EalingGreen
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...-a8585696.html
As we saw with Darren Randolph a few years ago, there's more money to be made as a number 2 keeper in the Premier League than as a number 1 keeper in the Championship. Randolph basically ended his club and international career from a playing perspective when he moved to West Ham. But he made a fortune in the process (not that he likely needed it given who his partner is).Quote:
Originally Posted by EalingGreen
This move will most likely give Travers financial security for life and give Everton a very solid backup keeper. But he will play very few games and will have no chance of competing for the number 1 jersey for Ireland.
He's not quite good enough to be a Premier League first choice keeper, both in terms of his distribution and his command of his area. Presumably he knows that and has made his decision to be a second choice and take the EPL money rather than drop back down a division and be a first choice keeper.
Pickford feels overdue an injury - think he's been at Everton for 8 years and never had a season with less than 30 starts. Normally it's him injuring players badly, rather than the other way around:
See here:
https://x.com/Jetworld/status/1907731702497067205
https://x.com/thfcesv2/status/1317432205405278208
https://x.com/MrDavidConnolly/status...138185/photo/1
I was just going to make a similar remark re; Pickford, and not wishing any injury on any player, but it can happen.Quote:
Originally Posted by elatedscum
Also when you consider that Pickford is a bit of a, head-the-ball / header, tis kind of surprising that he hasn't been injured ( that much ) himself or been injured ~ God must love, head-the-balls / headers ! !
It is said that Lyndon Johnson did the research re; American Presidents dying in office before he accepted the role of Vice-Presidential candidate to JFK ? !
I stand corrected, then.Quote:
Originally Posted by elatedscum
I think I may have been influenced by seeing him caught out a couple of times with the ball at his feet and conceding etc. Maybe that was overconfidence, rather than lack of confidence?
Is it? I've never seen that. I'd like to.Quote:
Originally Posted by seanfhear
When you meet God, try to get a question on that in re; Head-the-balls / Headers ! !Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
Official.
Quote:
verton have completed the signing of goalkeeper Mark Travers from Bournemouth.
The 26-year-old has signed a four-year deal until the end of June 2029.
Travers made 82 appearances for the Cherries, while also having loan spells at Weymouth, Swindon Town and Stoke City, along with Middlesbrough, where he was the first choice in goal for the second half of their 2024-25 Championship campaign and played 20 league matches.
"I'm extremely proud and excited to be an Everton player," the Republic of Ireland international told club media
"Coming in, you can feel how big this club is and the history that comes with it. You really feel that with the fanbase, the new stadium now as well and the direction the club is going in.
"It's a fresh start for me to come up here and try a new chapter in my career.
"It's a really exciting time to be part of this massive football club and I just can't wait to get going."
It is expected that Travers will come in as a back-up goalkeeping option for current number one Jordan Pickford.
On the prospect of competing with the England international, he added: "Jordan [Pickford] is an outstanding goalkeeper for club and country. I'm looking forward to competing with everyone here and being a Premier League player.
"Being in this environment is huge. We're going to push each other every day in training and whatever happens on the weekend, we're going to be there for each other and make the most of every opportunity that comes.
"It's always really exciting to work with a new group and being able to help the younger lads as well. I'll give it everything. I'll take pride in doing the right things on and off the pitch and representing this club with a lot of pride."