Alan Shearer has claimed that former Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford has had a “really tough season” at Burnley.
It seemed like Vincent Kompany’s side had taken a bold, yet astute call by signing the Englishman for £19 million (BBC Sport) last summer to boost their chances of survival in the Premier League.
Earlier this season, it also seemed like City had produced yet another brilliant youngster, who looked assured in between the sticks for Burnley.
Considering James Trafford was playing his first campaign in the Premier League, it was all the more impressive to see him making big stops and playing out of the ball in ice-cold fashion.
Alan Shearer says James Trafford has had a “really tough season” at Burnley
After all, Chelsea poster-boy Cole Palmer could well be a candidate for individual awards while Oscar Bobb has also managed to generate a buzz around him, with Nathan Ake claiming he has a “big future.”
However, things went awry sooner rather than later, with Trafford making mistakes in net, especially with his command of the box.
A perfect example of this emerged during Liverpool’s 3-1 win against Burnley in February, in which the 21-year-old made a meal of his attempt to claim the corner and handed Diogo Jota an empty net to head the ball into.
As the Clarets beat Brentford 2-1 in their latest outing, the highly-rated shotstopper was dropped, with ex-City talent Arijanet Muric taking his place.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Alan Shearer emphasised how much James Trafford has struggled at Turf Moor since leaving Manchester City.
“I think it’s been a really tough season for him and at times, I think he should’ve been taken out. I think it’s been a mistake by Vincent [Kompany] to leave him there at times where he’s been under huge pressure, mistakes”, Shearer said.
The popular pundit added, “And when that happens, I think you’re sometimes better off taken out of the team to sit back and have a look and reflect and give the job to someone else because goalkeeping is a very tough position anyway.”
“But someone who’s so young and inexperienced, to come into the Premier League and be asked to do such a huge job, it’s a tough ask and I think it’s been unfair on him at times.”
James Trafford must bounce back to ensure future Manchester City return
It was reported by Fabrizio Romano in July that there was a buy-back clause in the Burnley goalkeeper’s contract. If the treble-winners wished to re-sign him, they would have to pay £57 million, triple the fee he was sold for to Vincent Kompany’s side.
While all is not lost when it comes to James Trafford and his career, Alan Shearer is bang on in claiming that he has not had the best of first seasons in the Premier League.
Trafford certainly has the potential to redeem himself and develop into a brilliant goalkeeper, with City perhaps being tempted to sign him one day if Ederson’s best days are behind him.
But one of the many factors that will depend on is James Trafford’s resurgence.
Whether Trafford bounces back or not will be interesting to see but as things stand, he has not shown many signs in a Burnley shirt that he has the potential to succeed, not just Ederson but also Stefan Ortega.