Newcastle have been heavily linked with James Trafford for a long time now and is clearly a player Eddie Howe really admires.
The Mail’s Craig Hope recently reported that there is an ‘expectation’ Trafford will become a Newcastle player this summer, regardless of whether or not Burnley are promoted, so he certainly feels like one to watch and a Toon target well worth discussing.
I’m confident he would already be a Newcastle United player if it wasn’t for the whole PSR issues in the summer which led to Vlachodimos signing. There are a lot of different opinions of the signing of James Trafford but I for one would be very excited by the prospect of the move, I will explain why.
Trafford’s impressive career so far
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James Trafford is a 22-year-old English goalkeeper for Burnley, he is a Man City academy graduate, he has had such high praise from peers and coaches who believe he has a world class potential.
He also had a very successful loan move at Bolton before joining Burnley, where he had the most clean sheets in a season than any Bolton keeper.
The Clarets No.1 has already had a call up to the England senior squad and I am sure we all heard of his unbelievable Under-21 tournament with England where they won the Euros, conceding zero goals as Trafford saved a penalty in the last minute of the final.
After a baptism of fire in the Premier League last season where he was perhaps exposed too much too soon, Trafford has been outstanding in the second tier this season. He’s recently gone on an unbelievable streak without conceding a goal in the Championship, keeping 12 clean sheets before Cardiff ended this incredible streak earlier this month.
Trafford’s profile – An ideal fit?
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At 6ft 5′, the Carlisle-born stopper has the height and reach required to get to shots and claim crosses. He has a very good goalkeeping profile and has already achieved a lot in his short career, as highlighted above.
Trafford is well known for being a modern day keeper, this is shown with his ball playing ability. He has a great range of passing. His long passing is some of the best I’ve seen from a keeper, his technique is excellent.
Another aspect of his game I love is his understanding of the ball in deep areas. Under Vince Kompany he would often dictate the build up areas and would see him pointing and organising the shape in those areas. At such a young age to be that smart on the ball is very impressive.
His sweeping ability – a key area of Nick Pope’s game – is good as well. He is quick off his line and isn’t afraid to dive at an opponent’s feet to retrieve the ball. Crucially, his timing of when to go is great as well. He ranks in the 78th percentile for defensive actions outside the penalty area this season (via Fbref).
You can tell he is confident in his ball playing ability because he often attempts to bait the press by putting his studs on the ball to try and bait the attacker in. This is something Howe has been trying to slowly implement into our build up play, so Trafford would massively help us in that aspect.
Areas to work on and conclusion
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A few criticisms I’d have would be his pass selection can be a bit risky, he sometimes puts his teammates in awkward positions or plays a long ball when it isn’t needed. I also think his cross claiming can be inconsistent, where he will sometimes drop the ball or not be physical enough, but this is understandable from a young keeper who will fill out in time.
Finally, I think his shot stopping is strong but could improve, he sometimes pushes the ball into bad positions or chooses the wrong type of save but again this will improve with experience.
In conclusion, I think Trafford would be a top signing. This is a keeper with world class potential, he has impressive experience for such a young goalie, his profile is exciting and with the correct coaching he could be unstoppable.
A keeper of his age is like a 19-year-old outfield player. We are paying for potential, not current ability, and Trafford’s potential is so high.