| Walton / Hladky 12:18 - Oct 26 with 4986 views | N2_Blue |
A lot of people a few weeks back were saying Walton is still our number 1 and would come back in after the international break. Thoughts now??
I just can't see it currently and another impressive game for Vaz last night. Hladky is playing too well, in incredible form and is so confident. All those things make him undroppable even if Walton is still perceived as our No.1
I have always thought of Walton as being the better keep of the two and he may well be, but it's pretty difficult to make that case currently because we haven't see Walton play for Town at this level and until this season many fans only viewing of Hladky was a pretty difficult start in a team that was struggling for any cohesion and far from settled which makes is tricky for a keeper. Admittedly he didn't look great at the start of his Town career but had just won the golden glove the previous season in L2 and hadn't just become a bad keeper overnight.
So there are cases for both but crucially i do actually think Hladky fits our playing style better than Walton. That's not to be harsh on Walton who is plenty capable with his feet and of course contributed to our playing style with no issues in L1 but if you were picking a keeper based solely on ability with their feet it would be Hladky for me everytime.
So while the rest of his game is in tip top shape and confidence sky high it just has to be Hladky for me, I can't see Walton getting in until Hladky's form dips or he
Even if Walton is absolutely perfect and has a brilliant game v Fulham, Hladky is my pick for the GK shirt at the moment. Harsh on Walton but he may just have to be patient...very patient. |  |
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| Walton / Hladky on 10:49 - Oct 27 with 1315 views | SomethingBlue |
| Walton / Hladky on 10:23 - Oct 27 by LegendofthePhoenix |
It isn't just that Hladky suits our playing style though. Our playing style has developed because of Hladky, in a way it wouldn't have done with Walton. The confidence with which he receives backpasses under pressure and always seems to draw the attackers forward only to outsmart them and leave them in no man's land is breathtaking to watch. Are there any keepers even in the Prem that do it better? Yes, Walton is excellent at commanding the box, and the goal at Derby demonstrated his ability to start attacks, but right now we have the best keeper in the Championship in Hladky. |
A lot of truth in your second sentence I think – knowing that Hladky will work the angles and find the pass means the rest of our team can set up accordingly, perhaps more ambitiously. We are definitely doing this (even) better than we were last year. And Hladky is, for my money, at least as good as anyone in the country on this front at the moment. [Post edited 27 Oct 2023 10:51]
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| Walton / Hladky on 11:20 - Oct 27 with 1255 views | tractorboy1978 |
| Walton / Hladky on 10:49 - Oct 27 by SomethingBlue |
A lot of truth in your second sentence I think – knowing that Hladky will work the angles and find the pass means the rest of our team can set up accordingly, perhaps more ambitiously. We are definitely doing this (even) better than we were last year. And Hladky is, for my money, at least as good as anyone in the country on this front at the moment. [Post edited 27 Oct 2023 10:51]
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He seems to be getting more and more confident as well. He's becoming an 11th player for us and at times was holding a position well outside of his goal on Wednesday. I watched Slicker's debut in the cup earlier this season and I've never seen a keeper occupy such a role and high/'risky' position - obviously schooled at Man City. Hladky seems to be developing that way too. It seems to be what McKenna wants which makes Walton's position here interesting. I think he is going to need to adapt if he wants to get back in! | | | |
| Walton / Hladky on 15:05 - Oct 27 with 1176 views | ipswichtillidie |
| Walton / Hladky on 08:16 - Oct 27 by The_Flashing_Smile |
Hladky seems to play as a defender and a keeper at the same time. It's like having 12 men on the pitch, which is cheating.
And he's a ball-playing defender at that!
Just astonishing how confident he is at the moment. Part of the entertainment of watching ITFC at the moment is watching Hladky and his risky but controlled plays with his feet. That's before you get onto talking about his traditional role as a goalkeeper. |
And this is why he won’t get dropped. You don’t know what is around the corner but a goalkeeper essentially playing as a sweeper defender from a team who like to play out from the back is not to be underestimated. Add to this that he has made some incredible saves with hands and feet close in a done everything asked he is currently out No1. I hope he remains that way because that means that we are keeping teams out and the longer continues the better |  |
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| Walton / Hladky on 15:30 - Oct 27 with 1158 views | BigCommon |
No need to change things atm...I was all for Walton coming straight back in, once fully recovered. But Vas' all round contribution has been pretty faultless.. There's more understanding developing between Vas' and the CB's, in terms of high balls into the box, imo. Burgess seems to be taking the lead on that front. And so far, so good... It's great to have two really good keepers at the club. If Vas' became unavailable for selection, I wouldn't flinch if Walton stepped back in... Can't say its always been that way, with back up keepers.
Hopefully, with KM's policy on signing players or keeping players at the club, that have the right mentality. Then there won't be any ruffled feathers in terms of who plays in goal. As long as the results and performances are decent. |  | | |
| Walton / Hladky on 15:48 - Oct 27 with 1134 views | ibbleobble |
Raya or Ramsdale? Arteta has made a bold call dropping Ramsdale despite going close to winning the league last year. If he feels that the fine margin between winning and losing a title is the goalkeeping selection then time will tell but our situations are similar all be it ours was thrust upon us whereas Arsenal’s was not.
Is Hladky the difference between promotion and not? Interesting debate given his / our form and not wanting to rock the boat versus not playing a better goalkeeper and risking disharmony. | | | |
| Walton / Hladky on 16:08 - Oct 27 with 1125 views | Herbivore |
I've shifted to the camp of Hladky deserves to keep his place. He's getting more confident and his use of the ball is a real strength. Still not as commanding as I'd like but if he was he'd probably be in the Prem by now to be fair. If the season was starting tomorrow and both were fit, I've got to be honest and say I'd still opt for Walton. I think he's the better all round keeper and has a higher ceiling. But with how we're doing currently and the way Vas is playing he absolutely deserves to keep the shirt for the foreseeable. |  |
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| Walton / Hladky on 16:22 - Oct 27 with 1111 views | Vegtablue |
| Walton / Hladky on 15:48 - Oct 27 by ibbleobble |
Raya or Ramsdale? Arteta has made a bold call dropping Ramsdale despite going close to winning the league last year. If he feels that the fine margin between winning and losing a title is the goalkeeping selection then time will tell but our situations are similar all be it ours was thrust upon us whereas Arsenal’s was not.
Is Hladky the difference between promotion and not? Interesting debate given his / our form and not wanting to rock the boat versus not playing a better goalkeeper and risking disharmony. |
The difference in our situations is large though ibbleobble.
Raya was statistically the better goalkeeper last season. He prevented 5 more goals than expected after post-shot analysis in 2022/23, compared to Ramsdale who conceded 2 more goals than expected. Raya's pass completion was also 15% higher, he was more active in the 'sweeper keeper' role and his save percentage was 7% higher.
In our situation, Hladky is 1st in the Championship in several of these areas and is performing above Walton's best level so far. Reversing positions in our case would be to favour name over performance, which is the opposite of what Arsenal did. | | | |
| Walton / Hladky on 16:57 - Oct 27 with 1098 views | blueasfook |
| Walton / Hladky on 10:32 - Oct 27 by _clive_baker_ |
I agree I can't see why Walton would look to force a move in January. He's been #1 here since the day he joined, and as it stands right now has only not been #1 when available for a couple of games. He'll know the score, its hard to change a winning side and Hladky is still in on merit. There's plenty of reasons for Walton to believe he has a long term future here as 1st choice, especially given the age profiles and contractual situation of both. We're a club on an upward trajectory, seemingly a great environment in which to learn and develop, and one where the emphasis on it being a squad effort has always been made clear. Of course he'll want to play, but in his position I think the most sensible thing to do is to sit tight, work hard, and wait for his chance. Not to mention the likely financial gain that a promotion will bring by way of bonus and wage inflation, as well as an opportunity to play at the top level which is something he's yet to do in his career. |
I think Walts will have to sit it out until Hladky has a stinker then it will be an easy decision for McKenna to bring him back and not have to disappoint Hladky. I think Walton will understand why Hladky is in the team at the moment based on his performances and be nothing but 100% supportive of that. |  |
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| Walton / Hladky on 16:57 - Oct 27 with 1098 views | Herbivore |
| Walton / Hladky on 14:09 - Oct 26 by IPSWICHFANITFC |
I would be looking to offload Walton in the summer. It's not that Walton is a bad goalkeeper, but I think there's some value in him and a chance to get a decent fee and invest into a younger goalkeeper who's similar to Hladky with his feet.
It's not just 10 outfield players who need to be comfortable with the ball, it's the goalkeeper too. He is the spare man in our defensive third and important to how we build up. I didn't see this football when Walton was in goal and we didn't draw teams on to us when Walton was in goal, the same way we are doing it now with Hladky. Part of that might be personnel, part of that might be down to our opponents having more of a go at pressing higher and not dropping off.
McKenna is making the right decision sticking with Hladky though - he's the better goalkeeper for the system we play. |
The way we're playing this season isn't really significantly different to how we were playing last season, especially the latter part of it. | |
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| Walton / Hladky on 18:55 - Oct 27 with 1056 views | ibbleobble |
| Walton / Hladky on 16:22 - Oct 27 by Vegtablue |
The difference in our situations is large though ibbleobble.
Raya was statistically the better goalkeeper last season. He prevented 5 more goals than expected after post-shot analysis in 2022/23, compared to Ramsdale who conceded 2 more goals than expected. Raya's pass completion was also 15% higher, he was more active in the 'sweeper keeper' role and his save percentage was 7% higher.
In our situation, Hladky is 1st in the Championship in several of these areas and is performing above Walton's best level so far. Reversing positions in our case would be to favour name over performance, which is the opposite of what Arsenal did. |
Thanks for posting, that’s really interesting. Hard to know whether those Raya stats are worthy of being deemed an automatic first choice or whether they’ve seen something when he’s actually side-by-side with Ramsdale. Either way, I’m surprised he’s kept his place from what I’ve seen of him but Arteta clearly has confidence in him.
Hladky was statistically the best keeper in League 2 when we signed him but was swapped for Walton as soon as Walton joined. Hladky missed large swathes of League One and is now a top performing keeper in The Championship. Kind of bizarre really but it infers that a lot of it is down to varying factors that enable those in game stats to come to fruition ie: style of play, man management, team form and momentum, coaching and set-up etc. Timing is obviously key to all of this too.
I guess the question is would Hladky have been number one during pre-season prior to Walton’s injury? I think the answer is unequivocally, no. I’d love to know how Hladky and Walton’s stats compared between their good seasons in League 1 and League 2 if you have a link to them? | | | |
| Walton / Hladky on 20:45 - Oct 27 with 1040 views | Vegtablue |
| Walton / Hladky on 18:55 - Oct 27 by ibbleobble |
Thanks for posting, that’s really interesting. Hard to know whether those Raya stats are worthy of being deemed an automatic first choice or whether they’ve seen something when he’s actually side-by-side with Ramsdale. Either way, I’m surprised he’s kept his place from what I’ve seen of him but Arteta clearly has confidence in him.
Hladky was statistically the best keeper in League 2 when we signed him but was swapped for Walton as soon as Walton joined. Hladky missed large swathes of League One and is now a top performing keeper in The Championship. Kind of bizarre really but it infers that a lot of it is down to varying factors that enable those in game stats to come to fruition ie: style of play, man management, team form and momentum, coaching and set-up etc. Timing is obviously key to all of this too.
I guess the question is would Hladky have been number one during pre-season prior to Walton’s injury? I think the answer is unequivocally, no. I’d love to know how Hladky and Walton’s stats compared between their good seasons in League 1 and League 2 if you have a link to them? |
Sure thing. Must be careful not to compare apples with oranges (Championship shots should be harder to save) and lower division stats are much less generous.
Here's the link for Hladky in 2020/21. He had the best save percentage in the league (80.4) and unable to say anything else. 'Show Player Goalkeeping' is the button to press below the team data.
https://fbref.com/en/comps/16/2020-2021/keepers/2020-2021-League-Two-Stats
Similarly Walton in 2021/22 and 2022/23, only save percentage available (72.8 and 71.0). 'Previous Season' and 'Next Season' buttons at the top.
https://fbref.com/en/comps/15/2021-2022/keepers/2021-2022-League-One-Stats
In the Championship though, we receive much more data. Two links for Walton in 2018/19 and 2019/20. 'Advanced goalkeeping' provides detail on the difficulty of shots faced by each goalkeeper, to better assess their performance relative to others, and provides data on passing, crosses stopped and more.
https://fbref.com/en/comps/10/2019-2020/keepers/2019-2020-Championship-Stats
https://fbref.com/en/comps/10/2019-2020/keepersadv/2019-2020-Championship-Stats
And for Hladky this season.
https://fbref.com/en/comps/10/keepers/Championship-Stats
https://fbref.com/en/comps/10/keepersadv/Championship-Stats
I agree, Walton would be between the sticks if it was wasn't for his injury and we would be worried about the lack of depth in this position. He's never matched Hladky's current performance level across a season though, which is where swapping them back becomes difficult. Hladky had a very high save percentage in L2 and has the best record in the Championship today, when save difficulty is factored in. He's 4th on save percentage without any weighting (74.5) and Walton's best season with the gloves is below this (72.8 in L1). Hladky's also brilliant with his feet.
To be honest Raya outperformed Ramsdale statistically by some margin last year, so I think he would have outperformed him visually on the training ground as well. | | | |
| Walton / Hladky on 22:40 - Oct 27 with 1022 views | Wickets |
Its a tricky one but i would not change it Walton is better at crosses ,commands his box better when the opposition have the ball and is maybe the better shot stopper , just . But Hladky is as other have said much better with the ball at his feet which aids our playing out from the back . What i am sure about is we are lucky to have at least 2 maybe 3 keepers at the moment . [Post edited 27 Oct 2023 22:43]
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| Walton / Hladky on 09:20 - Oct 28 with 961 views | Nomore4 |
| Walton / Hladky on 22:40 - Oct 27 by Wickets |
Its a tricky one but i would not change it Walton is better at crosses ,commands his box better when the opposition have the ball and is maybe the better shot stopper , just . But Hladky is as other have said much better with the ball at his feet which aids our playing out from the back . What i am sure about is we are lucky to have at least 2 maybe 3 keepers at the moment . [Post edited 27 Oct 2023 22:43]
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To think Hladky has had teams umming and ahhing over a 100k fee this past few years. | | | |
| Walton / Hladky on 11:13 - Oct 28 with 907 views | Nthsuffolkblue |
I am quite certain that Walton is happy to bide his time and knows he will get an opportunity at some point. If we get promoted, becoming at worst second choice in a Premier League team won't do him any harm. I doubt any established Premier League is about to sign him to become guaranteed first choice keeper.
Compare this with how Arteta has handled Raya and Ramsdale. To my shame, I was one saying Walton should walk back in. The players have confidence in McKenna's decisions and I am sure he is clear with all of them about why he makes them too. |  |
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