Tomorrow nights game at the Swansea.Com Stadium see’s two goalkeepers on either side on familiar ground. Freddie Woodman who played eighty eight matches for the Swans against the current incumbent for Swansea Andy Fisher. This season Fisher has met with some criticism, and Freddie has at last found a permanent home at Deepdale for a small fee in June 2022.

Freddie ( below ) has forty two games under his belt for the Lillywhites, plus three in the league and FA Cup. He set a club record of seven consecutive clean sheets at the start of the season, as it stands Andy Fisher is on three going in to this game.

Freddie’s stats though are impressive for this campaign.

His team are looking at the play offs and will see their game at Swansea City as very winnable.

Andy Fisher’s ( below ) stats show just how much of a fine margin there is in goalkeeping ratings.

As a Goalkeeper, Andy Fisher ( above ) has conceded twenty six goals and kept five clean sheets in twenty two matches in the Championship 2022/2023 season. That means when Fisher is in goal, his team conceded a goal every 74 minutes. Andy Fisher's per ninety minutes goals conceded stat is 1.22. In terms of raw goalkeeping, he's saved 46 of the 76 shots faced - meaning Andy Fisher's save percentage is 60.53%.

Freddie Woodman has played more games and has a better rating.

As a Goalkeeper, Freddie Woodman has conceded 44 goals and kept 17 clean sheets in 42 matches in the Championship 2022/2023 season. That means when Woodman is in goal, his team conceded a goal every 86 minutes. Freddie Woodman's per 90 minutes goals conceded stat is 1.05. In terms of raw goalkeeping, he's saved 108 of the 155 shots faced - meaning Freddie Woodman's save percentage is 69.68%.

Without stats we have a narrative which is very clear. Freddie has had a full season of goalkeeping for Preston, Andy Fisher only came in for Steven Benda in January when he was injured against Queens Park Rangers. Fisher is a number two for his club who has been forced in to the spotlight by injury. Freddie Woodman has stayed injury free and is a number one choice goalkeeper for his club. Andy Fisher up until the home game against Coventry City on Good Friday has had a pretty traumatic time with numerous errors leading to goals and a loss of points for the Swans. Freddie Woodman plays for a team who are one point from a play off place with a poor goal difference. The Lillywhites also concede goals. However narrative wise Freddie seems to have gotten away with blame. At Newcastle United he was hung out to dry at times and his goalkeeping was error strewn. He had numerous ‘pundits’ criticise him and his then manager Eddie Howe also stated he didn’t know if he was good enough.

Put aside the errors this season for Fisher and he has a very similar record to the one he had in League one for MK Dons. He is showing an improvement at a higher level, albeit that will be as a part of this very good recent Swansea run.

Freddie Woodman sits third in the table of best goalkeepers in the championship with seventeen clean sheets that’s a very good return indeed. Especially for a club who concede more goals at home than they score. That really confirms the fact that much of the goals conceded for Preston are not just down to Freddie Woodman.

As we said goalkeeping has so many fine margins, not least the bravery of a goalkeeper to make not only physical choices in the tackle but mentally as well to adapt to games as the opposition change formation and strategy. One mistake as a keeper and your dust, let the ball roll under your foot as an outfield player and you have a deep groan and a few shouts to deal with. That’s the difference and that’s the mental affect of being between the sticks.

Swansea City v a Preston North End kicks off at 7.45pm tomorrow night at Swansea.Com Stadium. Tickets are still available. It is available as well Sky Sports Red button 🔴

Photographs licence from Reuters

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