If you were in holden’s shoes surely you would be saying I’ll take a year with appearance based contract at Walsall. He really needs to prove he’s able to get himself fit and can’t see anyone else giving him a chance and him falling out the game or retirement from
Football. If he takes an appearance based deal it’s no risk for Walsall but his last shot at professional football for me
To show he’s able to return
He had an England U21 call up didn’t he mate? That’s probably why or I dreamt he did one of the two 
I tried placing before he had any at our place but still had England appearances at other ages and possibly still at U21. I believe the lad will go on to big things
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He’ll be capped by England at senior level
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Rushworth will be premier league keeper
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By the time he is 24-25 Rushworth will be a number 1 at a premier league club and in the England squad. That’s my prediction. All the best rushy.
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Imagine going after his kicking. Seen him ping passes this season that many a Walsall outfielder would have struggled with.
Don’t really buy the “doesn’t command his area” one either. Sure he’s not Buffon, but he’s better at it than a lot of keepers we’ve had. Compare him to Roberts in that department and it’s night and day. Ethridge was always poor at that so I’d say he’s on a par if not better, and he played Premier League.
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Granted, I’ve seen him make many fine saves this season. However, (and maybe I’ll get shot down in flames for saying this but I’ll commit nonetheless) there have been occasions where he has been hesitant to come off his line and/or out of his area to sweep up a ball played over the top, as if his vision is not perfect. I’m still expecting him to have a good career though!
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That is true, although he did seem to be improving that too by the end of his spell. The clearance against Port Vale for example, when for me he was back to his best. The one area he looked weak in was judging whether to stay or charge out for one on ones, but to be fair I imagine that’s an experience thing.
I think Rushworth went a little backwards during the bad spell just after Christmas, the results would have dented anyones confidence.
However I have no doubt the lad will play at the top level, great players.
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He’s got potential but think it may be too earlier to be a starter for a Championship side, unless it’s a struggling one maybe but if you were Brighton would you want to knock his confidence there. As others have said I think he needs more awareness when off his line, I remember him getting in a mess around Christmas time which led to one of our defenders getting a red (Menayese against Exeter maybe?).
Think we also have to take into account the fact that he was playing behind our defence
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Quite. I thought he left us a better keeper than when he came. He reads the game much better - look at the times he swept up a long through ball - and he does attack the ball more often with crosses and corners. And he remains a good shot stopper.
All keepers have strengths and weaknesses. Shilton played more than 100 times for England but was always weak in the air.
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There are loads of decent, experienced keepers available. I thinks its the least of our worries and the issue that is most easilly solved. Likewise defensively, whilst an incoming upgrade in personnel in some positions will be required, what we need at this level is to establish and enact a style of play in which everyone knows what they are doing both when we are in and out of possession. Creativity and goalscoring is Flynn’s major problem to be solved, especially shopping with Pomlette’s top 7 vouchers.
He’s 19 isn’t he?..huge potential.
Allow him to mature…learn…stick two quality premier league centre halfs in front of him and a world class defensive midfielder in front of them and he’ll be well away. I think he’s got a great chance of getting to the top.
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I would go for that connor ripley
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Is he talented?
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I agree with that and there also has to be a team that fits the style of play. That was Taylor’s big mistake - he had a system but not the players to play it. I reckon he did damage to Miller, asking him to play as a lone striker. Flynn is too experienced to make that mistake.
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Yes true, and its astonishing that Fullarton appointed Taylor, and was responsible for player recruitment as well as the root and branch shaping of the football side of things.
I would literally class the appointment of Fullarton as the worst “managerial” appointment in my time supporting. And that includes the likes of Sibley and Barnwell, not to mention Merson, Mullen and Dutton.
The fact that Pomlett appointed him, so soon after the Dutton fiasco really doesn’t reflect well. That’s the reason I’ve got a real pain in the gut wondering what might happen if Flynn fails/departs.
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If the players were being told across Monday and Tuesday, coupled with the E&S not running a ‘Walsall’ story yet this morning (normally released at 9am), suggests today is the day we’ll find out the released and retained news.