Sooner, rather than later, Plymouth Argyle head coach Ian Foster will have the tough decision of picking from two first-team candidate goalkeepers, Conor Hazard and Michael Cooper.
Both Hazard and Cooper have started games in the Championship this season, with the Northern Ireland international starting 20 games for the Greens, whilst academy graduate Cooper has just nine starts.
Who’s better?
Well, that’s a tough one. Up until recently, most Argyle fans would’ve said Cooper, with little hesitation. But Hazard’s recent heroics during the start of new boss Foster can’t go overstated, as he recorded five saves and a clean sheet in the Pilgrim’s first away win of the season versus Swansea City.
As for 24-year-old Michael Cooper, it’s been yet another frustrating season, following a nasty ACL injury during last season’s campaign. Cooper is currently out with a damaged medial cruciate ligament, which is set to last 10 weeks.
There is no denying that the Englishman is a top goalkeeper. Just a look at his awards alone will tell you all, with two consecutive features in the EFL League One Team of the Year along with back-to-back Player of the Year awards for Argyle.
Comparing the two, this season
Hazard stats will of course be inflated, as he’s recorded more than double Cooper’s league appearances this season, but we’ve got enough data to analyse the two fairly.
In terms of clean sheets, Cooper’s record is the more impressive, recording three from nine matches. Compared to Hazard, who has four from twenty.
When comparing the shot-stopping ability, both are practically identical, with Cooper having a 68.9% save percentage and Hazard with 69.4%
Despite Hazard’s three-inch height advantage over Cooper, when it comes to high claims (successful catch of an opponent’s cross) Cooper only has two less than competitor, with the two recording 17 and 19 respectively.
Strengths and Weaknesses
We’ve already established both goalkeepers are great shot-stoppers, but a deeper dive into each individual’s pros and cons will help us answer the original question.
Cooper has managed to turn what was an issue in his game, into a strong weapon for the Green Army, that being his distribution. Whilst Hazards can at times be dubious.
Hazard boasts seven caps for Northern Ireland perhaps giving him a unique edge on his portfolio of football, with games at a more elite level, this however could be seen as objective.
Through no fault of his own, Hazard won’t know the club as well as Cooper, who has been with the Devonshire side since the age of 10. Cooper has a brilliant rapport with the Green Army and having a full city behind you has aided Cooper into the top-quality keeper he is today.
Looking at Cooper’s shot map and more specifically his goals conceded, 71% or 10 of the 14 goals have beaten him along the floor, with little to no height on the shots.
What does this mean?
Plymouth Argyle are very fortunate to have two solid goalkeepers, in my opinion. Both boast an array of strengths, with little to criticise in their respective games. But for me, there is one winner.
If Argyle are serious with their five-year plan, a key fundamental to achieving that will be sustainability, which can be achieved even easier if substantial player sales go through. Cooper for me is a huge asset and giving him game time, for wider eyes to acknowledge his talent, could gain him a potentially substantial fee for the club.