| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? 10:58 - Jul 1 with 8463 views | wkj |
Considering he was to be the #1 keeper last summer until an injury opened the door for Hladky.
I know there is much discussion around Walton's ability to play as a sweeper keeper, but I don't think it is a mad thought to consider he's still in the thoughts for the #1 spot. |  |
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| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 12:51 - Jul 1 with 2041 views | FrimleyBlue |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 12:47 - Jul 1 by ibbleobble |
Only morons did. He is and always has been a better keeper than Hladky. |
KM a moron then? |  |
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| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 12:55 - Jul 1 with 2030 views | strikalite |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 11:47 - Jul 1 by tonybied |
I not expecting him to be the No. 1, with Hladky leaving we will be in the market for a new Goalkeeper. We will look to bring in a higher calibre keeper than Walton. Meaning, that unless the new guy has an injury that opens the door for Walton, I'm fully expecting him to be the backup keeper (if he's happy to play that role that is!). |
Yep agree, keepers as good as Hladky is with his feet will cost us though, I'm not sure you can teach a keeper average with his feet to be anything close to what Vaz is...and it's a huge part of how we play.. |  | | |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 12:58 - Jul 1 with 2012 views | Mookamoo |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 12:43 - Jul 1 by Ryorry |
"Also, if we are to play how we did last season"
Knowing KM, I'd be very surprised if he doesn't adjust our style of play somewhat, in accordance with the difference we'll now see from Prem teams and players (though probably not changing our overall basic philosophy much). |
Can see us adapting the style for whoever we have in goal and back 4. However well we think we're going to do, the keeper is going to busy.
We've seen some success at the Euros from those with a high press, something most teams we will be up against next year will adopt.
Where we did well last year was to wait for those sides that didn't have the discipline or fitness levels to drop off rather than hound Woolfenden and Hladky. The out ball was either a Burgess long ball, or to Morsy's feet with him facing our goal. There will be a very good player on Morsy in a flash next year. |  | | |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 13:03 - Jul 1 with 1994 views | ibbleobble |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 12:51 - Jul 1 by FrimleyBlue |
KM a moron then? |
Circumstance dictated. Hladky took his chance and you don’t change a winning team. No qualms with Walton being number one again if that happens. He was outstanding before. Morons forget that though. |  | | |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 13:05 - Jul 1 with 1993 views | BarcaBlue |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 12:48 - Jul 1 by FrimleyBlue |
We had this discussion in that season.
His Ariel attributes are well known.
But His shot to save ratio was terrible.
Absolutely he was in goal for those we didn't concede in and does of cause he takes plaudits. But don't forget he has a team in front of him.
As stated at the time he's spent his career being a back up keeper. There is nothing to suggest he's a no.1 for a prem team who will most likely concede a lot of shots on goal. And with that being the case. Yes I feel we will need better than Walton who's shot to save % was just 67%
Similar to hladky and probably why we didn't go mad with our offer to keep him. Footwork numbers great. Shot stopping figures not so.
So as a backup and being what he's been his career yes. But prem keeper. Not for me. |
I agree, I don't think Walton is a first choice Premier keeper. In a scenario where he wasn't already at Town I can't see he would be signed as one. I also think we needed an upgrade on Hladky. I'd be happy for Walton to stay as a #2 but would assume we'd be setting our sights a lot higher for the #1. |  | | |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 13:29 - Jul 1 with 1969 views | Vaughan8 |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 12:43 - Jul 1 by Ryorry |
"Also, if we are to play how we did last season"
Knowing KM, I'd be very surprised if he doesn't adjust our style of play somewhat, in accordance with the difference we'll now see from Prem teams and players (though probably not changing our overall basic philosophy much). |
Agreed, which I why I did add that. if we're going to adopt a less tippy tappy policy for some games, Walton would be fine for that. I think hes shot stoppoing is pretty good, despite his shot to goals ratio for part of the League 1 season was quite bad, but I don't think that's entirely down to the GK. If the defence give away easy chances, then it will be a high ratio. | | | |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 13:50 - Jul 1 with 1947 views | Churchman |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 13:29 - Jul 1 by Vaughan8 |
Agreed, which I why I did add that. if we're going to adopt a less tippy tappy policy for some games, Walton would be fine for that. I think hes shot stoppoing is pretty good, despite his shot to goals ratio for part of the League 1 season was quite bad, but I don't think that's entirely down to the GK. If the defence give away easy chances, then it will be a high ratio. |
I’ve not seen shots to goal ratios and don’t know how much they tell us when it comes to keepers. I’ve seen Hladky live, but not Walton so a comparison from me is iffy.
The tv impression I got was that Walton was a good keeper. Big bloke with a presence about him. Made the odd mistake but was reliable and our best keeper since Bart. Not spectacular but gave the defence a sort of balance. No 1 club keeper. Had Hladky gone last summer I doubt too many would have noticed or cared.
One year on, Hladky did spectacularly well. Distribution was his main strength and he also made plenty of good reflex saves. I didn't think he was great at controlling his area which led to more than one panic up. He could be a bit ‘flappy’ and while his distribution was a foundation for goals at the right end, he also messed up more than once too. He was by no means perfect.
I’d have had Walton back in the team last season. He just looks more of a proper keeper to me. McKenna thought otherwise and believe it or not I suspect he’s a better judge than me. He certainly didn’t seek my advice! 😃
Regardless, we are obviously needing a new keeper and I hope it’s an upgrade on W and L!
Two players in today. Like the sound of the full back and we know all about OH. It’s all good. [Post edited 1 Jul 2024 14:20]
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| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 13:54 - Jul 1 with 1940 views | Simonds92 |
As a no.1, yes I have written him off. He is a good goalkeeper but he wasn't faultless and did let in a few soft ones when we were in L1. People suggesting he must have been working on his footwork and that it would suddenly bring him up to standard is ridiculous. If that was possible, we could all play football professionally with a bit of hard work for a season. Unfortunately he doesn't have those attributes and having a keeper who is comfortable on the ball is absolutely crucial to how we play. He can come in as backup and be absolutely fine, but a prolonged run of games is a problem for us and how we play. No different to us losing Hirst and replacing him with Kieffer. | | | |
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| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 13:54 - Jul 1 with 1939 views | wkj |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 11:40 - Jul 1 by FrimleyBlue |
Yes
He wasn't a great stopper in league 1
He's not very good with his feet either
So yes |
Whew, given that the opposite of your hot take is often the facts - I can rest assured that Walton staying could be a good thing then | |
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| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 14:02 - Jul 1 with 1920 views | TRUE_BLUE123 |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 12:27 - Jul 1 by SuperKieranMcKenna |
The same Walton that kept an all time club record 9 consecutive clean sheets, and conceded just 4 goals in the last 16 games.
Imagine describing him as not a great shot stopper in L1 with a record like that. |
I don't think he is an amazing shot stopper, certainly no better than Hladky was.
The clean sheet record really is more down to the defence who protected the goal remarkably well. As he says, the shot to save ratio was nothing to write home about, and we went through a period where Walton wasn't really saving a lot and there were discussions about Hladky coming in.
He is a solid keeper for sure. Very good at claiming the ball in the air. I cannot imagine him being a premier league keeper though. [Post edited 1 Jul 2024 14:03]
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| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 14:04 - Jul 1 with 1910 views | FrimleyBlue |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 13:54 - Jul 1 by wkj |
Whew, given that the opposite of your hot take is often the facts - I can rest assured that Walton staying could be a good thing then |
If its as back up then yeah. Unless you feel he should be no.1 in the prem. | |
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| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 14:06 - Jul 1 with 1908 views | monty_radio |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 12:19 - Jul 1 by NthQldITFC |
I don't think he needs to be as good as Hladky was with his feet, and I think you can coach an older player to improve certain aspects of their game quite a lot. Then there's the performance window for any given attribute that can be defined for a footballer - if they and their coaches/manager have them consistently playing towards the top of their window for any given trait (which is mainly a mental thing, a self-belief thing) you can be looking at a very good version of the same player. |
That's quite a technical way of describing someone who might just need to become a better footballer - can't see it, myself. | |
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| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 14:11 - Jul 1 with 1896 views | Vegtablue |
It's a big ask.
I look at those who overlapped our L1 spell and have climbed the leagues with us. Cooper and Rushworth just recorded impressive first seasons in the Championship, but shot-stopping numbers dropped from 78% to 73% and 71%. Trafford's 81% in L1 became 66% in the PL. Bazunu's 73.4% in L1 became 54.2% in the PL, then 63.6% in the Champ. Each level higher bites a fair amount harder, as we'd expect. Hladky's 80.4% in L2 before joining us, now 66.7% in the Championship. Two places above him sits Leeds' Meslier on 67.8%, who posted 59.5% in the PL the season before.
Walton's Championship record, some years ago now, is 65.1% and 70.5%. With us in L1, he posted 72.8% and 71.0%. These shot-stopping numbers don't leap off the page and scream, 70% PL save percentage here I come. Neither did Hladky's, which is probably why we've sadly parted ways, but Hladky was freakishly dynamite in one area of the game. I'd love Walton to have the season of his life and proves himself PL quality, that would be awesome, but my prediction is a new #1 is quite high priority for us. | | | |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 14:15 - Jul 1 with 1885 views | tonybied |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 13:50 - Jul 1 by Churchman |
I’ve not seen shots to goal ratios and don’t know how much they tell us when it comes to keepers. I’ve seen Hladky live, but not Walton so a comparison from me is iffy.
The tv impression I got was that Walton was a good keeper. Big bloke with a presence about him. Made the odd mistake but was reliable and our best keeper since Bart. Not spectacular but gave the defence a sort of balance. No 1 club keeper. Had Hladky gone last summer I doubt too many would have noticed or cared.
One year on, Hladky did spectacularly well. Distribution was his main strength and he also made plenty of good reflex saves. I didn't think he was great at controlling his area which led to more than one panic up. He could be a bit ‘flappy’ and while his distribution was a foundation for goals at the right end, he also messed up more than once too. He was by no means perfect.
I’d have had Walton back in the team last season. He just looks more of a proper keeper to me. McKenna thought otherwise and believe it or not I suspect he’s a better judge than me. He certainly didn’t seek my advice! 😃
Regardless, we are obviously needing a new keeper and I hope it’s an upgrade on W and L!
Two players in today. Like the sound of the full back and we know all about OH. It’s all good. [Post edited 1 Jul 2024 14:20]
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Who is Lladky? Is he Welsh? |  | | |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 14:21 - Jul 1 with 1868 views | Churchman |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 14:15 - Jul 1 by tonybied |
Who is Lladky? Is he Welsh? |
Probably. All sounds like sneezing to me.
Anyhow, edited the post | | | |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 14:38 - Jul 1 with 1850 views | itfcjoe |
I haven't, but I think we've just seen a better keeper walk out the door and with only a 1 year deal left for Walton it's gong to be another difficult situation to manage over the course of this season.
Wouldn't surprise me if we sign 3 keepers this summer with Vas gone, Walton to go and Slicker out on loan |  |
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| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 14:53 - Jul 1 with 1802 views | FrimleyBlue |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 14:38 - Jul 1 by itfcjoe |
I haven't, but I think we've just seen a better keeper walk out the door and with only a 1 year deal left for Walton it's gong to be another difficult situation to manage over the course of this season.
Wouldn't surprise me if we sign 3 keepers this summer with Vas gone, Walton to go and Slicker out on loan |
It actually feels quite Evans era that a player who helped us win promotion to the prem has just left on a free. | |
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| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 14:55 - Jul 1 with 1799 views | Mookamoo |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 14:38 - Jul 1 by itfcjoe |
I haven't, but I think we've just seen a better keeper walk out the door and with only a 1 year deal left for Walton it's gong to be another difficult situation to manage over the course of this season.
Wouldn't surprise me if we sign 3 keepers this summer with Vas gone, Walton to go and Slicker out on loan |
Wouldn't surprise, although it seem daft moving Walton on unless we have to.
Maybe Kaminski for instant PL experience, Rushworth for the future and an old hand like Begovic
Pope could be an option instead of Kaminski, but Newcastle have signed a couple of keepers which suggests he might still have shoulder issues. | | | |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 15:06 - Jul 1 with 1777 views | _clive_baker_ |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 12:48 - Jul 1 by FrimleyBlue |
We had this discussion in that season.
His Ariel attributes are well known.
But His shot to save ratio was terrible.
Absolutely he was in goal for those we didn't concede in and does of cause he takes plaudits. But don't forget he has a team in front of him.
As stated at the time he's spent his career being a back up keeper. There is nothing to suggest he's a no.1 for a prem team who will most likely concede a lot of shots on goal. And with that being the case. Yes I feel we will need better than Walton who's shot to save % was just 67%
Similar to hladky and probably why we didn't go mad with our offer to keep him. Footwork numbers great. Shot stopping figures not so.
So as a backup and being what he's been his career yes. But prem keeper. Not for me. |
Spent his career being a back up keeper? He's played about 200 games in 6 season prior to last summer, from the age of 21 - 27. He probably would've been #1 last season too were it not for injury.
Number 1 in the Premier league is a different question but on what basis has he 'spent his career being a backup?'. |  | | |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 15:09 - Jul 1 with 1772 views | _clive_baker_ |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 14:38 - Jul 1 by itfcjoe |
I haven't, but I think we've just seen a better keeper walk out the door and with only a 1 year deal left for Walton it's gong to be another difficult situation to manage over the course of this season.
Wouldn't surprise me if we sign 3 keepers this summer with Vas gone, Walton to go and Slicker out on loan |
That's a likely scenario IMO, although I wouldn't have any issue if we signed a #1 and Walton stuck around as a back up who we know has a bit about him and offers a bit of continuity. | | | |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 15:12 - Jul 1 with 1769 views | itfcjoe |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 15:09 - Jul 1 by _clive_baker_ |
That's a likely scenario IMO, although I wouldn't have any issue if we signed a #1 and Walton stuck around as a back up who we know has a bit about him and offers a bit of continuity. |
I think it's been known all season that due to 'circumstances' we've been heading towards a bit of an iceberg this summer with the GK situation and it's now been hit.
Obviously we don't know figures involved but I'd have kept Vas as #2 and allowed Walton to leave, even if it was on a free as I don't see a way we get much value for him and we would then know we have a back up who fits our style of play perfectly where we don't currently | |
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| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 15:16 - Jul 1 with 1754 views | _clive_baker_ |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 15:12 - Jul 1 by itfcjoe |
I think it's been known all season that due to 'circumstances' we've been heading towards a bit of an iceberg this summer with the GK situation and it's now been hit.
Obviously we don't know figures involved but I'd have kept Vas as #2 and allowed Walton to leave, even if it was on a free as I don't see a way we get much value for him and we would then know we have a back up who fits our style of play perfectly where we don't currently |
That might've been the plan, its hard to know how or why Hladky has moved on but I would assume he wants to cash his chips for one last juicy signing on fee and a longer term deal somewhere.
Given where we're at now though, and because we're unlikely to get much of a fee for Walton, I would let him stay and run down his contract to be honest, its going to be a difficult deal to do to bring someone in as a number 2, and if Walton is happy to stay and fight for the shirt I think we could do a lot worse. Means we can invest our attention and importantly budget elsewhere, rather than signing on fees, agent fees and wages to someone else to sit on the bench who might not even be much of an upgrade. | | | |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 15:25 - Jul 1 with 1723 views | Vaughan8 |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 13:50 - Jul 1 by Churchman |
I’ve not seen shots to goal ratios and don’t know how much they tell us when it comes to keepers. I’ve seen Hladky live, but not Walton so a comparison from me is iffy.
The tv impression I got was that Walton was a good keeper. Big bloke with a presence about him. Made the odd mistake but was reliable and our best keeper since Bart. Not spectacular but gave the defence a sort of balance. No 1 club keeper. Had Hladky gone last summer I doubt too many would have noticed or cared.
One year on, Hladky did spectacularly well. Distribution was his main strength and he also made plenty of good reflex saves. I didn't think he was great at controlling his area which led to more than one panic up. He could be a bit ‘flappy’ and while his distribution was a foundation for goals at the right end, he also messed up more than once too. He was by no means perfect.
I’d have had Walton back in the team last season. He just looks more of a proper keeper to me. McKenna thought otherwise and believe it or not I suspect he’s a better judge than me. He certainly didn’t seek my advice! 😃
Regardless, we are obviously needing a new keeper and I hope it’s an upgrade on W and L!
Two players in today. Like the sound of the full back and we know all about OH. It’s all good. [Post edited 1 Jul 2024 14:20]
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I don't know the stats off the top of my head, nor where to look, so someone with a better knowledge may know, but there was a period (not for ages) where nearly every shot on target against us was going in! | | | |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 15:45 - Jul 1 with 1690 views | Mookamoo |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 15:12 - Jul 1 by itfcjoe |
I think it's been known all season that due to 'circumstances' we've been heading towards a bit of an iceberg this summer with the GK situation and it's now been hit.
Obviously we don't know figures involved but I'd have kept Vas as #2 and allowed Walton to leave, even if it was on a free as I don't see a way we get much value for him and we would then know we have a back up who fits our style of play perfectly where we don't currently |
At 33, I assume he wants his next contract to 3 years. I assume that is why we are not keeping him. | | | |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 15:55 - Jul 1 with 1666 views | PositivelyPortman |
| Have we, as fans, written Walton off already? on 12:10 - Jul 1 by monty_radio |
"I'd like to think he's been working on improving his footwork a bit over the last year" -
That's a nice, positive thought, but doesn't it come down to how good he ever was as an outfield footballer? If so, it's not so likely that, at his age now, he can up that part of his game to the standard that modern tactics require. [Post edited 1 Jul 2024 12:11]
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“At his age”……he’s 5 years younger than Hladky! |  |
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