DRFC: Who Will Be Lo-Tutala's Replacement?

With the confirmed exit of Timothee Lo-Tutala, and the further confirmation of an unlikely return to the club, having now failed to gain promotion, it is time to look for possible suitors for the young shot stopper. With big shoes to fill following such an impressive loan display over the last 6 months, I have no doubt that Grant McCann's strength in recruitment will at the very least attempt to fill that TLT-shaped hole as we look to find the Frenchman's replacement.

There is no way around it, the market for the goalkeeping position this season is extremely scarce. Whilst my knowledge regarding the loan market is somewhat flawed, the permanent market is certainly something that I can draw excitement from. Especially with the lesser-known shot stoppers out there, that absolutely deserve their chance to shine in the EFL next season.

Nikola Tzanev

Nikola Tzanev's fall from grace has certainly been an interesting one, if you can even label it as such. Having performed to an excellent extent in the 2022/23 season within a newly relegated league two side, the New Zealander boasted an impressive 14 clean sheets over the duration of a pretty dire first season back in league two with Wimbledon, though was for some strange reason dropped for Sunderland loanee Alex Bass upon his arrival to the Wimbledon setup early into last season, appearing on just 9 occasions, as opposed to his total of 49 appearances in the previous.

Displaying his excellent goalkeeping capabilities through his 70% save percentage, Tzanev further portrays his shot stopping skills with the saving of two penalties in the 22/23 season. Trusted by his teammates when called upon to defend corners and set pieces, Tzanev's presence in the air when making high claims and his attacking of crosses is a very key aspect of his successes as a goalkeeper. As we saw on various occasions with the likes of Lawlor and Jones in the 6 yard box, the defence's evident lack of trust in their number 1 was a concerning theme throughout our season, eventually leading to the unwanted trophy of conceding the most set piece goals in the division come the end of the season - with an impressive 30 occasions. Hence, Lo-Tutala's addition provided such defensive confidence in attacking the ball in such situations. I feel that Tzanev would replicate this confidence entirely, as evidenced by his sitting atop the table in high claims in his season, with 42, acting as a sweeper keeper on 33 occasions.

Notably, in one of his scarce appearances, Tzanev played a crucial role in Wimbledon's clash with FA Cup semi-finalists Coventry City early into the season, facing 28 shots, making 10 saves, and conceding just one goal, as Wimbledon overcame their one goal deficit to come out as 2-1 winners in the 92nd minute. With an 8.5 rating on Fotmob, Tzanev rightfully travelled home with a man of the match award for his performance.

Having appeared on a consistent basis in league one in 2021/22 with Wimbledon, Tzanev has the experience required by McCann to make the step up to league one, understanding the upturn in quality upon taking the step up.

Having said this, there are some concerns regarding the 'keeper's weakness in distribution. Obviously far from the level of Jonathan Mitchell's painstaking football ability, Tzanev's strengths, though widely impressive, certainly do not include his footballing ability with the ball at his feet. A weakness to his game that may have played a role in his demise from the starting 11 upon Bass' arrival. Particularly with long balls, Nikola is far from accurate, with an accuracy percentage of just 29.7%. Of course, Wimbledon's route 1 playing style would have contributed to this last season - likely instructing Tzanev to fire the ball up top to the holding striker - but this may cause concern to those unaware of Tzanev, and understandably so.

Name: Nikola Tzanev

Age: 27

Height: 6"5

Foot: Right

Position: Goalkeeper

Apps: 9

Assist(s): N/A

Clean Sheet(s): 4

Goals Conceded: 7

Tzanev, now out of contract upon his release from Wimbledon last month, will certainly look to retain a place in the EFL for the foreseeable future, and having showcased his clear ability over the course of the 22/23 season, I thoroughly believe that the acquisition of the 'keeper's signature could well be the best bit of business that the club will make this summer. We are desperate to build that consistency for the future years of the club, and as seen with the longer-term deals of Luke Molyneux, Clifton, Sbarra, and Gibson, the permanent signing of a goalkeeper would massively outweigh that of a loanee.

Alex Bass

Having said this, rover's recent successes with loan signings - particularly TLT as an example, may resultantly look to continue. So why not look into the man that took Tzanev's spot last season in the Wimbledon ranks?

Easily one of the top 3 goalkeepers in the division, Alex Bass, for the most part, played a vital role in maintaining Wimbledon's ambitions of a top 7 finish, at least until the final month of the season. Featuring on 44 occasions for the Dons in the league this season, Bass accomplished an impressive 16 clean sheets, conceding just 47 goals over the course of the 9 months. Impressive numbers already. To consider the fact that rovers conceded 70, the fact that Wimbledon finished so low, even with an evidently stronger defensive foundation, is confusing. So imagine a goalkeeper of Bass' quality in an improved rovers back line, upon the return of Wood, and the stability/leadership that he has reinstated to the side over the second half of the season.

With an astounding 69.9% save ratio, totalling over 100 saves throughout the course of the season, Bass' ability in front of goal has been excellent. One of the strongest goalkeepers when it comes to individual intuition, acting as a sweeper keeper on 27 occasions, Bass' has made 47 high claims this season, often unafraid to make quick decisions in pressing onrushing attackers. As for his distribution, it is a step above that of Tzanev's. With a passing accuracy of 53.3%, though a little unimpressive to some, consists mostly of his notable long ball accuracy. Completing an admirable 341 long passes, his 36% completion rate is no doubt an important aspect of his game, and with McCann's playstyle intent on building out from the backline, Bass' comfortability with a ball at his feet would unquestionably be another key significant to the side.

With experience playing in the league above, he matches the typical recruitment process that McCann often looks for in his player profiles, tallying 18 league one appearances for newly promoted championship side Portsmouth previously.

Name: Alex Bass

Age: 26

Height: 6"1

Foot: Right

Position: Goalkeeper

Apps: 48

Assist(s): N/A

Clean Sheet(s): 17

Goals Conceded: 51

With his contract expiring next summer, come the end of the 2025 season, a loan with the option for a permanent move would absolutely be the perfect option for all parties involved. His parent club Sunderland would receive a fee, all be it a nominal one knowing our recent spending habits. Bass is likely the best like for like replacement that could be made to replace the departing TLT. Although, having had such an impressive season in an underperforming side, there can be no doubt that the keeper absolutely will harbour some interest from this league and the league above next season. As one of the sides predicted to finish near the top, why not us?

Ben Amos

The literal definition of experience, Ben Amos is a goalkeeper that has played at the highest of levels. Rising through the academy ranks of football giants Manchester United, spending over 8 years on their books in the professional game, Amos made 7 appearances for the 'red devils,' one of which came in the premier league itself, in which he managed a debut clean sheet against Stoke City on January 31st 2012, in a 2-0 home win. Performing throughout the course of several loan spells, Ben Amos' eventual release in 2014 made way for a long and successful EFL career.

Most recently playing for league one side Wigan Athletic, the experienced shot stopper has fallen down the pecking order in accordance with the quick rise of highly rated Sam Tickle - a Wigan academy graduate. Now a free agent upon the expiration of his deal, Amos will look to regain those consistent first team minutes elsewhere, and having spent most of his career in the North, it is likely that this theme may well continue, if he were to join an EFL side in need of a new goalkeeper. Cough cough, hint hint.

Aged 34, there is no doubt that Amos possesses extreme leadership capabilities that our backline has often lacked in recent seasons - another trait that Grant often searches for. Goalkeeping 'prime years' are generally very different to that of the outfield positions. Whilst midfielders tend to peak by the age of 28, and wingers/defenders alike, goalkeeping prime years often arrive in the early 30s of their careers. 30-35 often being the boundary for this. So the argument of the loss of talent or ability is a hollow one at that. Draped in silverware (with an astonishing 3 premier league titles, 2 league cup trophies, a league one winners medal, and 2 U21 premier league titles with Manchester United), Amos possesses the hunger to win, and evidently wishing to conclude his career at the highest level possible, he may look to drop a league for regular minutes in a side searching for promotion back to league one. Cough cough, hint hint.

Whilst Amos only appeared on 4 occasions this season, in the EFL Trophy, appearing once as a matter of fact against Rovers in our penalty shootout win against Wigan, I have little doubts that Amos would absolutely be able to maintain his sharpness and prepare for regular minutes next season should he be called upon. Even with his few appearances last season, he still managed 2 clean sheets, conceding just 3 goals in the process. Having appeared on 33 occasions the previous season in the championship with Wigan Athletic, unable to save them from the drop of course, you can see for yourself the proof of his ability at such a higher level of football, keeping 10 clean sheets throughout the year, even with such a dire squad up ahead of him each matchday.

Name: Ben Amos

Age: 34

Height: 6"4

Foot: Right

Apps: 4

Assist(s): N/A

Clean Sheet(s): 2

Goals Conceded: 3

Certainly a realistic option once again, and one that I absolutely would not mind as our number 1 next season, the lack of appearances this season proves difficult to source any statistical data  to make note of for the 34 year old. Nevertheless, Amos seems like a perfect McCann signing for that number 1 spot, and I cannot imagine that a decent offer from the club would go a miss with our recent spell of promising form.

Ben Killip

Perhaps the most realistic option of the lot from this list, Killip, in my eyes, would be the most likely signing from the 5 to actually go ahead. Having performed to an astounding level last season for Hartlepool United in the 22/23 season, the number 1's deserved move to league one's Barnsley has not gone entirely to plan.

Never properly given a chance in the Barnsley first team, Killip's rare opportunities to perform between the posts were often tarnished by constant defensive errors, and in a Barnsley side that scraped into the playoffs on the final day, perhaps slightly underservedly with their concerning form, Killip's chance to shine was near impossible in a side that imploded defensively each week.

A club legend in many ways at National League's Hartlepool United - totalling 150 appearances, Killip played a vital role in their successful promotion campaign in the 2020/21 season, helping them stay up the following year, but failing to do so last season, despite of all efforts. Despite of this, it was the 22/23 season that really made a name for himself. Totalling 109 saves over the course of the season (an average 3.9 made per game) Killip's goal prevention ratio was a positive 5 statistic, implying that, as is rarely seen in league two keepers, Killip prevented a further 5 expected goals as a result of his own saves and game contributions throughout the year. Add this onto the 67% save success rate, and you've got one hell of a keeper on your hands.

Comfortable with the ball at his feet, Killip boasted an impressive 54% passing success rate, completing 181 long balls, though primarily playing the ball out from the back when called upon by Keith Curle in the latter games of the season, as the Hartlepool ranks clawed at any scarce points towards safety. One extremely notable performance to rewatch if you are interested in finding out more about the 'keeper is Hartlepool's final league game last season against Stockport County, by which Killip earnt his side a 1-1 draw, making 8 saves, saving a penalty, and earning himself a 9.3 match rating. You can find one of his plethora of outrageous saves from memory in the video linked below:

https://x.com/themoderndaygk/status/1655908805308194819

Name: Ben Killip

Age: 28

Height: 6"2

Foot: Right

Apps: 15

Assist(s): N/A

Clean Sheet(s): 4

Goals Conceded: 24

Certainly a player that we should be looking at, Killip's history with Barnsley and northern based clubs should be a useful factor in a possible move to Rovers, with the chance of first team football again, in a league that he has previously performed in. McCann's links to Barnsley would certainly be of great use for a signing such as this one, with his son now performing well in the academy, and his own playing heritage there to match of course. Despite being out of contract, Barnsley still hold their claim to a one year extension option, though their hesitancy to activate this may suggest a decision to move the 28 year old on.

Joe Whitworth

Rumoured to be interested in the young shot stopper, Rovers have already been linked with a move for the 20 year old 'keeper, alongside league one outfits Shrewsbury Town and Exeter City.

Highly rated in the academy ranks of Crystal Palace in recent years, Whitworth has accumulated two senior appearances at Premier League level, indicating the clear trust that his parent club have in his potential development for the future. Featuring against both Brighton and Arsenal in a 1-0 and 4-1 loss, Whitworth played the full 90 minutes in each fixture, facing 10 shots on target, 8 from within the box, saving 5, though conceding 5 in the meantime.

Having captained his U21 side throughout this season, the goalkeeper tallied a total of 17 appearances, with 4 clean sheets, helping his side accomplish a top half finish, 9th placed in the Premier League 2 above the likes of Man Utd, Brighton, Aston Villa and Newcastle's academies.

With a lean body type, Whitworth certainly possesses the ability to take command of his box, charging out to claim the ball when called upon, unafraid of using force against the larger players in the opposition to win the ball. As previously mentioned, with our significantly poor defensive capabilities in countering set piece routines this season, I feel that Whitworth's commanding style could be a beneficial addition to the side. Able to pull off such agile saves alike those of TLT's against Wrexham for example, Whitworth's highlight reel, though evidently a flawed representation as they do not show the weak points, is thoroughly impressive. It is a clear presentation of his composure in high pressure environments, instructing his defence on how they should position themselves, as well as the evident passing range that he possesses, both in long range, and short range.

Name: Joe Whitworth

Age: 20

Height: 6"0

Foot: Right

Position: Goalkeeper

Apps: 20

Assist(s): N/A

Clean Sheet(s): 6

Goals Conceded: 39

We have now seen with our own eyes the uncovered talent that the academies of top sides produce in the goalkeeping department, as seen with the introduction of TLT last season. It is clear that the Crystal Palace elites thoroughly believe in Whitworth's abilities to progress to the very top, labelled as "Crystal Palace's Future Number 1" in the highlight reel linked below. With our solid foundations in premier league relations regarding premier league loanees in recent times, I would imagine rovers could be the better option for the loanee out of the 3, though the possibility of a step up to league one over league two may be too appealing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIaNXJHF8QA

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Another article that I thoroughly enjoyed writing, it is an aim of mine to publish works much more consistently over the coming months, to try and force a schedule of writing that may help myself develop further. As a result, I will hopefully be looking to peer into other subjects of interest, with the Euros of course a primary subject.

Please provide me any article ideas that you yourselves would enjoy reading, or any criticisms that you may have surrounding the work.