It’s one of the most crucial areas on the pitch.
Seeing as I was one myself when I was growing up, I consider it to be the most important, but that’s an argument for a different time. The goalkeeping situation at St Andrew’s is proving to be a bit of a sticky wicket.
With Pep Clotet now in charge of the club, for the time being anyway, that title of ‘caretaker head coach’ doesn’t sit well with me, he’s been given the reigns for how the club is to be set up for the upcoming season, and that includes the goalkeeper spot.
The problem is, he’s only seen one goalkeeper during his time at the club, that’s the man who started 46 games for the Blues in all competitions last year, Lee Camp. Supposed number two David Stockdale spent last season on loan at three different sides, Coventry, Wycombe & Southend, so he hasn’t played in front of Clotet other than in training.
As was pointed out ahead of the 1-1 behind closed doors friendly with Reading U23’s, a lot of the Birmingham fans aren’t exactly too happy with the prospect of Lee Camp in goal for this season, even if he is pulling off these ‘spectacular’ saves. And I must say I’m kind of on their side in the matter, because the stats back it up.
In his 232 appearances in the Championship, he has kept 72 clean sheets which is roughly 1 every 3.22 games, compared to Lee Camp whose record is 3.28. It’s not the greatest margin of victory, but it shows that Stockdale has the better record. If we go by goals conceded as well, Stockdale comes out on top again. Stockdale concedes on average 1.19 goals a game, and Camp concedes 1.45.
David Stockdale surely has to be the Blues number one goalkeeper going into next season. The fans don’t want Camp, and the stats show that the team would be better off without him. After a year in the wilderness on loan, now is the time for Stockdale to take his place as Birmingham’s number one, just as he did back in 2017/18.
