Goalkeeper arrival deserves Hull City chance amid understandable scepticism
Hull City are bringing in goalkeeper Ryan Allsop from Cardiff City on a permanent deal ahead of Friday's transfer deadline, but it's safe to say the move hasn't proved universally popular just yet.
The reaction of opposition fans is often used as a good barometer of how well-liked a player is at their respective club, and in the case of Allsop, news of his impending move to the MKM Stadium has largely been welcomed by those who follow the Bluebirds.
That flurry of comments has generated concern amongst some City supporters, who have been somewhat underwhelmed by the news which emerged on Saturday morning.
Allsop played 43 times last season for a Cardiff side that struggled to put points on the board, indeed, the Bluebirds were beaten twice by a Tigers side who found wins of their own hard enough to come by, so it is perhaps unsurprising fans are a little unsure.
The 31-year-old was Cardiff's number one when new manager Erol Bulut arrived, but the Turkish boss decided to go in a different direction, instead bringing in Alex Runarsson from Arsenal and persevering with Jak Alnwick.
Allsop has almost 350 career appearances to his name across the Championship, League One, Two and even a couple in the Premier League, so arrives at the club with vast experience, and is still relatively young in goalkeeper terms.
Finding a goalkeeper of a required standard is not easy and comes with significant cost. Allsop is a competent Championship goalkeeper, rated highly by Liam Rosenior, and fits into his group well, so for a relatively low outlay, it's a deal that makes sense.
Rosenior will feel he can improve Allsop, and so too, will having him around improve Matt Ingram, who, is almost being forgotten in this discussion, and remains respected as one of the most consistent goalkeepers in the league, by his fellow professionals, and those that know what they're talking about.
The City boss would have seen Allsop's abilities on a daily basis when the pair shared the Moor Farm training ground on the outskirts of Derby, and he spoke glowingly of him after City's 1-0 win over the Bluebirds last season.
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