Phil SumblerFreddie Woodman has been on loan from Newcastle United for two seasons but yesterday was unable to keep the clean sheet he would have desired and a clean sheet that would have helped the Swans into the Premier League.
From the disappointment of conceding an early penalty to the second goal inside the first twenty it was always backs to the wall for the Swans who never really turned up on the biggest stage and ultimately it was Brentford who will play top flight football next season.
Woodman has been a man linked with various moves this season as he has headed towards the Championship golden glove award with Arsenal and Southampton also said to be keeping tabs on him and many Newcastle fans believing he should be competing for the Number 1 shirt at their club.
But on the morning after the disappointment of Wembley has Woodman dropped a hint that he could be at Swansea next season?ย “It’s probably been the best two years of my life playing here. I’ve fallen in love with the place and developed so much,” he said on the club’s official website.
“I just wanted to get over the line for the city; I know how much they wanted us in that big league, so I’m absolutely gutted.
“I hope this isn’t the last game I play in a Swansea shirt.
“The main thing is to sort out my next step; if that’s in a Swansea shirt then brilliant but if it’s not, I have to crack on and that’s football. ”
Words that certainly sound like they are coming from a man who would like to retain his shirt for next season and is open to talks around that.ย Whether that is a permanent or a further loan move I guess is a point for discussion but it is clear that Woodman wants to play football and I don’t believe he will go anywhere where he thinks he will sit on the bench as a back up to a first choice goalkeeper.
Of course, defeat yesterday, will give us a substantially different budget for next season and the manager (Cooper’s Talksport comment was a Crystal Palace hint?) will need to work out how he will work with that especially given the significant number of departures that we will see this summer.
Woodman could not hide his disappointment from yesterday when he addedย “It’s disappointing. To lose any final is not nice and I’m gutted to get the same feeling here,” he added.
“I thought the fans were brilliant; they came out in numbers and there was a real buzz. We just couldn’t get over the line, which is a shame.
“But looking back on the season, the boys can be proud of themselves and how far we have come. Hopefully, we can take the positives and come back stronger next season.
“The referee got it right for the penalty. As a goalkeeper, it’s a matter of fine margins. Obviously, I brought him down; it was a mistake on my part, but I had to go for the ball. ”
There is an interesting summer ahead of Freddie Woodman but firstly he has to sort his future and the club would be wise to be sitting down early and talking to him about any possibility of extending his stay at the Liberty.
