That prolonged debate about whether our number one Vaclav Hdladly would stay or go, cost us a lot of time. He deliberated for what seemed like an eternity and did not get what he wanted which was a three-year contract extension and the guarantee that he would start next season as the first choice behind the posts.
The clock had been ticking on finding a new number one before the season started for some time but today we finally got one! I cannot stress just how important this is because a keeper is the vice-captain who marshalls his defence. This understanding does not come overnight and takes time to develop. Town’s stubbornness in not accepting Hladky’s demands could have caused us problems because we may need more than one new keeper if Christian Walton moves on, and Ciaran Slikker does not have the experience to be considered as a number two. Walton is good but he is very deliberate in his distribution, which is not the McKenna way. And if he does contemplate staying he would be bench-warming again. I am not sure he wants that!
All goalkeepers make mistakes and for all the great work that Hladky did, he was susceptible to the odd glaring error. Today Town confirmed the signing of Kosovo international keeper Arijanet Muric from Burnley on a four-year deal. I watched him for the relegated Lancashire side last term and what I remember most were two abysmal mistakes that cost the Clarets dear. I am not suggesting that they would have stayed up if he had not made them but it did highlight the vulnerability of a goalkeeper’s position. A striker can miss gilt-edged chances continuously but people will only remember that sublime goal he scored with moments to spare. Conversely, a keeper can make a string of magnificent saves but then do something stupid that leads to a goal and fans will only remember that. Being a goalkeeper is a thankless task.
The Town will pay an initial fee of £8 million plus £2 million in add-ons. Manchester City will receive a sell-on percentage too. He will join up with the squad at their Austria training camp having become Ipswich Town’s fifth recruit of the summer so far. The spending probably won’t stop there because apart from another keeper Town need to bolster the midfield and perhaps add further strength to the attack. Muric probably has just enough time to gel with his new teammates before our first Premier League game of the season on August 17th, when we face Liverpool at Portman Road.
