American goalkeeper Ethan Horvath has struggled in the early going of the 2024/25 EFL Championship with Welsh side Cardiff City. After three games, Cardiff is bottom of the league with two losses and a draw. In those three games, Cardiff has conceded eight goals. That is the worst in the Championship to go along with the side’s league-worst goal difference of negative seven. Now, analysts and pundits have started to point the finger at Horvath.
On Sunday, BBC Sports analyst Jason Perry admitted that Cardiff City has a goalkeeper problem in the form of Horvath. The former Cardiff City and Wales defender said Horvath does not have the confidence of a goalkeeper that clubs often need in the difficult EFL Championship.
“I understand why [Cardiff manager Erol Bulut] stuck by him [Sunday] because if you dropped him after Burnley, then you lose him. But today, he was very, very nervy,” Perry said. “If you want to play possession football from the back, a goalkeeper becomes an outfield player because sometimes it’s the goalkeeper who will step in between and make that pass.”
It is not just a matter of failed distribution plaguing Horvath either. Shot-stopping, previously Horvath’s calling card among goalkeepers, has haunted him. Perry did attribute the goal to Horvath. That may be harsh, as the American made a sensational save before Swansea tucked the ball home on the rebound. Still, Horvath looked shaky.
“He didn’t look comfortable from crosses, the shot for the [Swansea] goal or balls [played] back to him. He doesn’t look comfortable in possession. So, it’s hard to play that way through the thirds starting from that backline.”
Ethan Horvath at Cardiff is the latest nervous American goalkeeper in Europe
Ethan Horvath’s struggles have dipped into the embarrassing. Perry mentioned keeping Horvath in the fold after the Burnley game. He is mentioning the 5-0 drubbing Cardiff experienced at the hands of the club recently…
Author : Kyle Fansler
Publish date : 2024-08-26 14:53:58
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Author : soccernews
Publish date : 2024-08-26 14:58:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.