Mark Warburton made a lot of errors as manager back in the day. It would safe to say his managerial skills in the SPL were questionable and evidenced by his inability to find a new gig since leaving Forest.
However one call he made, more out of unfamiliarity than football knowledge, may have turned out the biggest mistake and dead on call at the same time;
Liam Kelly to Livi.
Looking at the now-23-year old’s displays for the Almondvale side this season makes simply stunning reading.
For those who don’t know, he exeeds Allan McGregor for clean sheets, which is a truly staggering stat and a reason as to why they were so comfortably safe from relegation this season and bordered on scraping the top half of the table.
Indeed, prior to kick off yesterday Kelly was the only goalkeeper in the SPL who actually had more clean sheets to McGregor (13 to McGregor’s 12) – and come full time and both stoppers conceding, it remains the case.
In McGregor’s instance, there’s a bit of help – he’s a borderline world class goalkeeper who happens to be playing behind a team who keep ball a lot. While defence is pretty poor (more on that later, as we said before), midfield and attack have a lot of the play, which often takes pressure off our number one.
Kelly doesn’t have that – Livi have had an excellent season but they’re a notoriously defensive team and Kelly gets called into action a heck of a lot.
While we can argue that Warburton’s rejection of Kelly was a huge mistake at the time, by contrast, his growing maturity and performances for Gary Holt’s men mean even now he’s statistically the best-performing keeper in the SPL and a great chunk of that is down to developing out there away from the claustrophobic pressures of Ibrox. A mistake may have ended up a success.
It takes a special goalie to cope with the expectations of Govan – McGregor is one. But it could now be our 37-year old keeper, brilliant though he is, will have a possible successor right down the road ready to take his place in a few years.
And he’ll be another one of our own.
would take him back in a minute.
So the east end beggers slipped up again today I can see another helicopter Sunday in the distance . Let's hope they keep the manager they have now the one who's teeth are the same colour as the incredible hulk .
Wasn`t Liam Kelly sold to Livvy last summer after being on loan there ? How is that Warburtons decision when we have three managers after him and in fact Kelly played last year in the USA friendlies under Murty. He wanted more game time and as we had signed McGregor we couldn`t give it to him so we let him go .Even if we bought him back he would be sitting on the bench which is not what he wants.One to watch maybe when McGregor needs replaced .
Said all along that liam kelly is a better keeper than young robbie mccrorie and thats not a sleight on mccrorie.He is IMHO the natural successor to the fantastic,allan mcgregor.Kelly will be back at us within the next couple of years,to take over the no.1 goalie jersey, from mcgregor.Kelly is a tremendous young goalkeeper and could emulate allan mcgregor and become as good as him.
We should have been speaking to his agent and Halkett's. Halkett was out of contract in the summer, but we have let him go to Hearts. Bad call.
We need kelly to know he has to come home, he is wanted.
Yes, hopefully the lad can make it, however, a Rangers jersey is far heavier than any other jersey in the SPFL. But the wee fella is sure looking good at the moment.
Sell Foderingham, Alnwick
Release Firth
And Bring Kelly Home!! 💪🏻💙
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