Sideways Sammy

Simon Moore

Appearances: 4, Minutes Played: 411, Goals Conceded: 11, Clean Sheets: 0

Simon Moore might have dropped out of the team at the back end of the previous season, but it was seen as a necessary rest after an impressive first year at the club where he looked to be the very definition of ‘a safe pair of hands’. His complete unravelling upon returning to the team at the start of last season was as shocking as it was hard to see coming. In the very first game, Moore flapped at a cross to allow Sunderland to score and he only got worse from there. He went on to literally hand Millwall and Hull City wins to lose his place in the side and went on to end any conversation as to whether he could win his place back from Ben Wilson with a disastrous showing against Wrexham that was almost quite sad to see. Sometimes players of a certain age will drop off quite suddenly as their physical capabilities decline, but Moore is by no means ancient as far as goalkeepers go.

With a year still left on his contract, it may not necessarily be easy for the club to shift Simon Moore from the books and bring in someone who can provide genuine competition for Ben Wilson in goal. Given that Wilson has played to such a high standard over this past season, it would be an acceptable situation to keep Moore in situ and hope that he might work himself back into a place where he can hold the fort in goal for the odd game. By all accounts, Moore is an excellent presence on the training ground and wouldn’t kick up a fuss at not being first-choice. The doubt is whether the club can take the risk on Moore not being able to recover his confidence in goal if he was to be needed for an extended spell at some point over the coming season.

Ben Wilson

Appearances: 47, Minutes Played: 4,693, Goals Conceded: 45, Clean Sheets: 22, Goals: 1

The concern with Simon Moore’s loss of form at the start of last season wasn’t just down to the player himself, but who the alternative was, Ben Wilson. While Wilson had a decent run in the team in the first year in the Championship, he didn’t command much confidence, especially with an erratic streak to his game, particularly when coming off his line. It was felt that something would have had to have gone severely wrong for Wilson to get back into the team, which is exactly what happened. Fortunately, Wilson took the opportunity presented to him with both hands.

For all the praise that Ben Wilson deserves for his performances last season, it is fair to note that he has been aided by a switch to a deeper defensive line, meaning that he has rarely been left in one-on-one situations against opposing attackers or been peppered by opposition shots. Nonetheless, it helps the team’s defensive efforts massively when the goalkeeper makes saves when called upon and keeps mistakes to a minimum. As the season wore on, Wilson became increasingly confident and calm between the sticks, starting to look a more commanding presence in his penalty area and making some notable big saves. While his kicking still leaves something to be desired, Ben Wilson has earned the chance to work on the flaws in his game as first-choice next season. The test for him then may be what he can do when playing behind a defensive line pushed higher up the pitch.