Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna has decided to continue with ‘very gifted’ goalkeeper Aro Muric despite the latter’s costly late error in last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat to Bournemouth.
Muric’s run off his line brought the Cherries level in the 87th minute at Portman Road, and the visitors went on to record a stoppage-time victory.
It comes after the Kosovan international allowed Bryan Mbeumo’s cross to beat him at the death in a 4-3 loss to Brentford in October, as well as an error-filled debut in a 4-1 loss to Manchester City in August.
McKenna was questioned ahead of Saturday’s critical match against fellow bottom three club Wolves if the £8 million summer signing from Burnley was still his number one.
“We support all of our players,” he stated. “We know mistakes will be made throughout the season.
“We think he’s a really talented goalie, I must say. I believe he has top-tier traits in his game. He’s also fairly young for a goalie (26) and is adjusting to a new team.
“There are aspects of his game that he’s working extremely hard on, and we’re totally engaged in that process with him.
“Obviously, he was disappointed by Bournemouth’s opening goal on Sunday. However, there is seldom just one factor that works against you when pursuing a goal. There were a few additional things we could have done differently to prevent the goal.
“But he works well as a professional on a daily basis. He’s training well, adapting to the challenges we’re putting on him in a variety of ways, and is eager to contribute to the squad. I know he’ll do that in the upcoming games.”
McKenna went on to say, “He was disappointed, as was the rest of the group, but that is the nature of football and being a goalkeeper.” We committed more blunders during the game. On Sunday, almost every player made a mistake, but when you’re a goalie, the margins are razor-thin.
“I believe he has been in good shape. I believe he played well until that point on Sunday. His performances have improved as the season progressed. He’s helped us in a variety of scenarios, and I believe he’s adjusting well to the season.
“When you make a mistake as a goalkeeper or defender, there’s a chance it may result in a goal, especially at the level we play at, but it’s how you recover from it. He has been doing well in his training.
“We believe he is a goalie with a lot of potential who is already doing well this season. He is engaging in actions that have hindered him from achieving his aims. One example would be his cross-claiming. With his ability to claim crosses, he prevents the opponent from creating opportunities.
“He’s also a young goalie adjusting to a new area and club, with new coaches, teammates, and expectations. That procedure won’t always be ideal.
“He’s working hard, Christian (Walton) is working really hard, Cieran Slicker s working really hard – it’s a strong department who push and help each other.”
When asked if the goalkeeper position was the most difficult to adjust because only one could play, McKenna answered, “It’s a different dynamic.” It is not impossible to share a position. There are teams that have done this. Last year, Brighton shared the league place. There are numerous clubs that split their time between the league and the cup, as well as between the league and European games.
“In our situation, we don’t have a 46-game league season, and we don’t have European football, so you don’t want to make changes to that position too quickly. It must constantly be considered. This is the nature of being a goalkeeper.
“On the other side, you always need to be prepared. We’ve seen it better than anyone. Christian, as was obvious, was going into last season as the Championship’s first choice goalkeeper; he ruptures a tendon in his foot with a week to go; Vas (Hladky) comes in, plays every league game, and contributes significantly to a promotion-winning season.
“So you always have to be prepared because you can walk in at any time. We have faith in both goalkeepers. We believe Cieran Slicker is a very talented young goalie. So we’re satisfied with our strength in that regard.”
