Would you sign Christian Walton

[Prelude]

Poll

[Angry_Pirate]

If "No" doesn't win this poll by a considerable landslide, I'm deleting my account as I will have completely lost faith in all of us!

[Stuart]

Voted no but I fully expect Mowbray to sign Walton and replace Leutwiler.

[DE.]

I wouldn't be unhappy with signing Walton as a competitive no2, but I think we can do a lot better for the no1 spot. A good no1 with Walton as no2 would be decent enough, although whether Walton would realistically sign as our no2 is another question entirely.

[Roverthechimp]

Voted yes on the proviso that the price is right in terms of fee/wages.

[tomphil]

I'd decide after he's given us a full season. Then if hes shaped up ok in general and he could be got for 500k to 1 million max then I'd say yes.

Personally I think they'll sign him for a (silly) undisclosed fee. They'll keep Leutwiler if HE wants to stay and they'll sign a youngster.

[Blue blood]

2 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

I am not sure about that. The league to be fair is littered with poor keepers and he certainly isnt one of the very worst (Sluga and Camp possibly the main 2) plus he isnt the worst player in our team hence my insistence that goalkeeper wasnt a priority in January but there have been plenty of goals in which he carries the main portion of the blame. The last 2 goals that we have conceded have both been his fault, palming the ball straight out v Boro and Mitrovics shot was saveable too.

Hes a totally different style to Raya, far more conservative. Rayas errors were usually blatant and obvious ones, whereas Walton does let in saveable shots more. He also pulls off less brilliant reflex saves although v Gestede it was a great save. Distribution, Raya kicked it out of play quite a lot, Walton doesnt but his kicking is often inaccurate in terms of things like floating towards a Dack or Armstrong when Gallagher or Graham are playing and Rayas distribution was sometimes an asset on the counter attack whereas Walton is poor and reluctant doing that which I think Mowbray recently touched on.

I think the main bug bear has always been about selling a keeper and loaning one who is the same age to be fair though. I would want a permanent upgrade in the summer to Walton.

To nick 99s post best summary of Walton yet imo. Especially the bit in bold suggests he isn't all that good and whilst Raya is trying to grab the headlines for the worst howler ever (along with the best saves) a more mundane but still weak Walton isn't the answer. 

C'mon folks we are Blackburn Rovers, a mid table championship side. You can't tell me there aren't better keepers in our price range out there who would come to us. Walton may be less headline grabbing than Raya (for good or ill) but that doesn't make him a good keeper. Heck wherever people stand on the Raya quality debate that's not the standard either. The standard is a solid to good number 1 and Walton isn't that. 

 

[simongarnerisgod]

no,but then again i don`t trust mowbray to sign a better one,so im`e in a dilemma

[Mr. E]

He has made a few mistakes, but is miles better than Raya in the air. Way more stable, and unlike Raya has shown the potential to improve. How much faith do people have that Tony would be able to find someone better? 

[joey_big_nose]

I reckon he actually looks pretty good. Main concern is our whole back five has improved immeasurably since Tosin has come into the side.

I wonder when Tosin goes they all get a lot poorer again (apart from Lenihan who has always been good).

[jim mk2]

Yes, as a No 2.

If we have any pretensions to winning promotion, we'd need a better goalkeeper. 

[Tom]

I’ve gone for maybe but my view is aligned with Jim’s above

Sign as a number 2 but not as the main man

[Ossydave]

All depends on price really.

Looking more accomplished by the week behind a settled back line and some people really need to admit they were way off with early judgements of him.

[K-Hod]

Dependent on price, for me. If we’ve not got a pot to whizz in and he’s available for a pittance, then at least we know what we’re getting....

[scotchrover]

Yes but needs to work with a decent goalkeeping coach, who’s played the game. 

[47er]

Agree with others. Good No 2. Sloppy goals would be critical in a promotion run-in.

If our aspirations only extend to mid-table then fine.

[ben_the_beast]

I do think he is slowly improving. If the price was right. Ie cheap. I'd rather see any cash invested elsewhere. At the end of the day he's never going to make the grade as a number 1 at Brighton. Let him go to us. Cheap fee, sell on clause just in case he does kick on 

[Guest]

Yes. Been great for us. One or two mistakes early on, but nowhere near as many as Raya made in Rovers colours. Reliable at set-pieces and seems to fit in well. I quite like him. For the right price and the right wages I think it's a good deal all round. Only going to improve at a relatively young age for a goalkeeper too.

[Tom]

3 minutes ago, JoeH said:

Yes. Been great for us. One or two mistakes early on, but nowhere near as many as Raya made in Rovers colours. Reliable at set-pieces and seems to fit in well. I quite like him. For the right price and the right wages I think it's a good deal all round. Only going to improve at a relatively young age for a goalkeeper too.

I’d say more than one or two mistakes, he made two on Saturday that on another day could easily have led to a goal. (One where he inexplicably dropped a slowly rolling ball at a strikers feet and was saved by a flag and then messed about with the ball and cleared it about 30 yards to their man)

Then again I don’t think there’s too many keepers in this league that don’t do that sort of thing.

His height is a big plus but he needs to be braver releasing the ball, never wants to go early and turn defence into attack, also frustratingly slow late in the game when we are chasing the game 

Edited February 12, 2020 by Tom

[Trinidad Rover]

All depends on what the alternative is of course...…..the real question is who do we back TM to recruit? Anyone better?

[roversfan99]

15 minutes ago, JoeH said:

Yes. Been great for us. One or two mistakes early on, but nowhere near as many as Raya made in Rovers colours. Reliable at set-pieces and seems to fit in well. I quite like him. For the right price and the right wages I think it's a good deal all round. Only going to improve at a relatively young age for a goalkeeper too.

Made far more than that, just not calamatious ones. Was responsible for the last 2 goals conceded.

[TheWeasel]

I find the dislike for the guy in general is a bit harsh. If we can grab him for a low fee in the summer I’d be all over it. Baby age for a keeper with loads of experience already and yeah he’s made some gaffs (which keeper at this level doesn’t see Leeds Brentford last night) but he’s saved us a few times and has a lot of clean sheets and in my opinion has helped stabilise the defence being more commanding in the area. 
 

I would like to see him under a keeper coach that isn’t a no mark and if Mowbray has something better lined up fair enough but I doubt it. I think Walton if he leaves would be appreciated a lot more by us lot when we end up stuck with real trash like that Sunderland keeper we were linked with.

[chaddyrovers]

Brighton rated him very highly. They wont be selling him. 

Think he has been recently. confidence better. More commanding of his area. 

I dont know how Walton was at Fault for Fulham goal on Saturday as @roversfan99 has claimed?.

[roversfan99]

Shot was right down the middle. He had perhaps gone too far across and was slow getting down to it. Hardly a major error but a good keeper I think saves that.

[RevidgeBlue]

Course we shouldn't.

Never heard anything as ridiculous and not even sure why it's up for debate.