Town boss Kieran McKenna admitted keeper Aro Muric was disappointed with AFC Bournemouth’s first goal during Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to the Cherries, but says the Kosovo number one is extremely talented who has prevented plenty of goals this season with the “top, top class” attributes he has in his game.
Muric, 26, joined the Blues from Burnley in the summer for an initial £10 million and has started every Premier League game aside from the opener against Liverpool.
The one-time Manchester City trainee tops the division’s errors leading to goals chart, having been blamed for two of the goals against Manchester City, Brentford’s last-gasp winner in West London and then Bournemouth’s equaliser at the weekend.
Asked whether Muric will still be his number one going to Wolves on Saturday or whether he plans to make a change with Christian Walton waiting patiently on the sidelines, McKenna said: "We support all of our players and we know that mistakes are going to be made over the course of the season.
"Aro is still in his first few months at the football club, we think he's an extremely talented goalkeeper. I have to say, I think he's got attributes to his game that are top, top class.
"He's also very young for a goalkeeper and settling into a new club, so there are things and areas of his game that he's working really, really hard on, and we're fully engaged in that process with him.
"Obviously he was disappointed with Bournemouth's first goal on Saturday. With any goal that goes against you, it's never just one thing, there were a couple of other things as a team and as individuals within the team that we could have done better to stop the goal.
"But he's a good professional in terms of how he works here day-to-day. He's training well. He's adapting to the demands that we're putting on him well in many aspects and he's really keen to help the team. I know he's going to look to do that in the games ahead.”
Quizzed on whether Muric has been able to move on from the mistake later in his press conference, McKenna said: "He was disappointed, as all the group were. It's the nature of football and it's the nature of being a goalkeeper. We made other mistakes in the game, lots of players on the pitch, probably everyone on the pitch made a mistake on Saturday.
"When you’re a goalkeeper, margins are really, really fine, but I think he'd been in good form up until that moment on Saturday. I think he had a good game. I think his performances have been improving as the season has gone on. He's been helping us in a lot of different situations. I think he's been really growing in the season.
"So, same as any goalkeeper, defender, maybe those type of positions, especially when you make a decision or a mistake close to your goal, there's a chance there's a goal, especially in the level that we're operating in, and you're going to be disappointed. But it's how you bounce back from that.
"In your training, first and foremost, and I think he's bounced back in training well. We believe he's a goalkeeper with really high potential. He's already doing some things excellently this season that sometimes prevent goals. For example, his cross-claiming.
"If I give one, I think he stops chances for the opposition with how good he is at taking crosses. And I'm pretty certain he's stopped goals this year that teams haven't even had a shot on because he's so strong in that aspect.
"But he's also a young goalkeeper, settling into a new area, into a new club with a new coaching staff, new teammates and new demands. And that process isn't always going to be perfect.
"He's working hard. Christian's working really, really hard and Cieran Slicker is working really hard. It's a strong department that pushes each other and helps each other, and he's a big part of that.”
Is it the hardest position for a manager to make a change? "I think it's a different dynamic. It's not impossible. There are teams that have shared the position. I think Brighton shared the position last year in the league.
"There are teams that share it between the league and the cup. There are lots of teams that share the position between the league and European football, maybe.
"But in our context, we don't have a 46-game league season and we don't have European football, so you don't want to make changes in that position too flippantly.
"It always has to be considered. I think that's the nature of being a goalkeeper. On the other hand, you always need to be ready and we've seen that better than anyone.
"Christian, as was clear, was probably going into last season as a first-choice goalkeeper in the Championship, snaps a tendon in his foot with a week to go to the season. Vaz [Vaclav Hladky] comes in and plays every league game and is a big part of a promotion-winning season.
"You always have to be ready. You know you can go in at any time. We've got faith in both goalkeepers. We think Cieran Slicker is a really talented young goalkeeper underneath that. So, we're happy with the strength that we have in that department.”