Keeper Crisis Pending At Ipswich Town?

It may seem a long way ahead, and perhaps it is, but are Ipswich facing a keeper crisis once the season ends? The first choice behind the posts this season has been Vaclav Hdladky, and although he has leaked a lot of goals, he has also made some outstanding saves and as a shot-stopper, he has impressed, and deprived our former number-one Christian Walton of a place in the Ipswich Town side, after Walton succumbed to injury at the start of the new campaign. Such is the life of a goalkeeper.

Much might depend on where Ipswich finish this season. If they were to get promoted – either automatically, or through the play-off process, would McKenna strengthen this position? I think he would be forced into it because third choice Ciaran Slikker is still learning his trade, and Walton will almost certainly be heading for pastures new. No keeper enjoys being second choice – especially after he was initially regarded as the Blues number one. McKenna’s style of quick distribution, and a high press does not work for Walton, who is far too hesitant when in possession to administer a quick release. He also looks a little clumsy with his feet and is not a natural footballer.

Assuming then that whatever league Town finds themselves in next season, manager Kieran McKenna will be searching for someone to bolster his last line of defence, who might appeal to him? I suppose much would depend on whether he employs the same system because if he does, it narrows the field. There are not many keepers around who are both two-footed and prepared to play the high-risk strategy of quick distribution. It has worked so well for Ipswich this season that I don’t think he will adopt a different football strategy any time soon.  Someone like Wayne Hennessy might just suffice, as he is struggling to get back into the first team at Forest.

If Hdladky was to stay, and not be tempted to go to Celtic, as many football pundits seem to think will happen, would he be good enough to grace the Premier League? It would be a big step up for a keeper who only a couple of years ago was plying his trade with Salford City in League Two. At 33, he still has a few more years in the game, because, of course, keepers generally outlast the rest of the team. What would not appeal to him at this late stage in his career is to find himself as an understudy to someone else. At his age, I would suspect that only number one would do.