Farke Tells Trafford Not to Rewatch Goal Kick Error That Echoes City

• Leeds goalkeeper James Trafford played a short pass straight to Justin Kluivert, and Evanilson scored the 31st-minute opener in Bournemouth’s 2-0 win on Saturday, per Sky Sports.
• Leeds manager Daniel Farke said: “My recommendation is that he doesn’t watch the game back.”
• The error looked almost identical to one Trafford made for Manchester City against Tottenham, 10 days before City signed Gianluigi Donnarumma.

A Short Pass, a Familiar Mistake and a Manager Who Stood Firm

Daniel Farke spent his post-match time defending his goalkeeper. Leeds had lost 2-0 at Bournemouth on Saturday, and the manager had one message for Trafford. “He’s still top class and has all my trust and all my love,” Farke said. Then came the advice. “My recommendation is that he doesn’t watch the game back.” The pass that decided the match came from a goal kick, with Leeds on top, and it handed Bournemouth the lead at the Vitality Stadium.

The pass that gave Bournemouth the lead

Leeds were the better side until the first goal. Dominic Calvert-Lewin had a goal ruled out in the 11th minute, on his 50th appearance for the club, after VAR spotted a handball. The visitors kept passing with confidence and asked questions of Bournemouth.

Then came the goal kick. Trafford received it short and tried to find Ao Tanaka. The ball went to Kluivert instead, and he squared it for Evanilson, who tapped in the opener in the 31st minute.

Farke did not dress it up. “It was self-inflicted, an own goal,” he said. “This was decisive.” Leeds finished with one shot on target from 10 attempts and 0.61 expected goals. Amine Adli sealed the win in injury time after Junior Kroupi set him up with an assist that included a nutmeg.

Trafford kept going. He made a fine save from a Marcus Tavernier free kick and another from Kroupi late on. The Bournemouth supporters jeered him every time he touched the ball.

An old ghost from the Etihad

The goal carried a familiar look. Trafford conceded an almost identical one at the Etihad against Tottenham at the start of last season, on his second league start after his move to City. He received a short goal kick that day too, and tried to pass it to a teammate who was already surrounded. City signed Donnarumma 10 days later, and Trafford’s City career was close to over.

The England keeper rebuilt it at Leeds. He came into Saturday with the best save percentage of any goalkeeper in the Premier League, and led the second-best defence in the division behind champions Arsenal. Farke made the same case. “He is a terrific young goalkeeper and has saved us points this season,” he said. “It’s a life of a football player. The sun isn’t always shining. But he will save us way more points than perhaps he cost us today. We win together, we lose together.”

What Farke wants from his goalkeeper

Farke wants Trafford to keep playing out from the back. “I want a confident goalkeeper who plays out from the back,” he said. “He normally spots the scene better.” He also wants no rethink after one slip. “He shouldn’t change his game just after one mistake.”

The pressure is on a Leeds side that has scored twice in its last five Premier League games and is winless in five. Anton Stach replaced Tanaka after 65 minutes, but the response from Leeds never came.

The Bournemouth run behind the blunder

Trafford’s mistake sits inside a bigger story. Bournemouth have now won six games in a row in all competitions without conceding. They have beaten Sturm Graz, Sunderland, AC Milan, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Leeds, scoring 16 goals along the way. Marco Rose faced early grumbling from sections of the fanbase when his side failed to win any of their first six league games.

The goal was a gift, and Bournemouth took it. Leeds go on with a goalkeeper who still has his manager’s trust. One short pass from a goal kick will be replayed for days, whether Trafford watches it or not.

WRITTEN BY

George Howson

George Howson is a Futbol Chronicle contributor and accredited journalist with over 20 years of experience following international football. A member of the AIPS International Sports Press Association, George has covered matches at stadiums around the world, bringing deep knowledge and first-hand insight to every match report and analysis he writes.

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