American goalkeeper Ethan Horvath has struggled in the early going of the 2024/25 EFL Championship with Welsh side Cardiff City. After three games, Cardiff is bottom of the league with two losses and a draw. In those three games, Cardiff has conceded eight goals. That is the worst in the Championship to go along with the side’s league-worst goal difference of negative seven. Now, analysts and pundits have started to point the finger at Horvath.
On Sunday, BBC Sports analyst Jason Perry admitted that Cardiff City has a goalkeeper problem in the form of Horvath. The former Cardiff City and Wales defender said Horvath does not have the confidence of a goalkeeper that clubs often need in the difficult EFL Championship.
“I understand why [Cardiff manager Erol Bulut] stuck by him [Sunday] because if you dropped him after Burnley, then you lose him. But today, he was very, very nervy,” Perry said. “If you want to play possession football from the back, a goalkeeper becomes an outfield player because sometimes it’s the goalkeeper who will step in between and make that pass.”
It is not just a matter of failed distribution plaguing Horvath either. Shot-stopping, previously Horvath’s calling card among goalkeepers, has haunted him. Perry did attribute the goal Cardiff conceded against Swansea to Horvath. That may be harsh, as the American made a sensational save before Swansea tucked the ball home on the rebound. Still, Horvath looked shaky.
“He didn’t look comfortable from crosses, the shot for the [Swansea] goal or balls [played] back to him. He doesn’t look comfortable in possession. So, it’s hard to play that way through the thirds starting from that backline.”
Ethan Horvath’s struggles have dipped into the embarrassing. Perry mentioned keeping Horvath in the fold after the Burnley game. He is mentioning the 5-0 drubbing Cardiff experienced at the hands of the club recently relegated from the Premier League. However, the opening goal, arguably the emotion setter for the contest, was a massive blunder from the American. A pass back, something Perry criticized about Horvath, slid off the American’s foot and crept into the net. Horvath and Cardiff never recovered from that moment.
For American fans, Horvath is a name that has not featured in recent tournaments. Although he was a part of the squad for both the World Cup and Copa America, he played second fiddle to Matt Turner. However, both goalkeepers have been the subject of criticism. Turner is no longer in the conversation as a goalkeeper at Nottingham Forest, a position he helped take from Ethan Horvath, after Turner struggled mightily in the 2023/24 campaign.
Horvath faces major questions from Cardiff manager Erol Bulut. The Bluebirds return home after two games away from Cardiff City Stadium in a fixture against Middlesbrough. Bulut must decide if he should stick with the out-of-form Horvath or an option like Jak Alnwick. The Cardiff backup started the League Cup game against Bristol Rovers, which was a 2-0 win for Cardiff in the First Round of that tournament.
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