Town boss Mick McCarthy says he rates keeper Bartosz Bialkowski as the best in the Championship, the 29-year-old having put in another impressive performance as the Blues beat Wigan 3-2 at the DW Stadium on Saturday.

Bialkowski had been the Blues’ standout performer throughout 2016, carrying off virtually all of the 2015/16 player of the year awards in May and continuing that form this season.

Having made a rare error which led to Cardiff’s goal in the recent 1-1 draw with the Bluebirds at Portman Road, the former Southampton and Notts County man was back to his best at the weekend.

“We all make mistakes,” McCarthy reflected when quizzed about Bialkowski’s consistent 2016 form following Saturday’s match.

“I’ll put him up there, get him on the selling list by rating him, shall I?” he joked.

“You know my thoughts on him, I think he’s the best one in the league. If there’s a better one I haven’t seen him.

“Lots of people require different things out of their goalkeepers. Some like it so they can have it at their feet and be almost like a sweeper and pass it out and be clipping balls here, there and everywhere.

“That wouldn’t suit him, but he catches it and keeps it out of his net, which is a particularly good quality for his goalkeeper. He’s different class, he really is, he’s a top-class goalie.”

Photo: TWTD

suffolkref added 06:12 - Dec 20 Anyone else find this one strange? When the fans were calling for Bart to be made number 1 MM still persisted with Gherkin and assured everyone else that he knew better than the fans. He refused to put Bart back in as the fans wanted it and now Bart is the best keeper in the championship! Just about sums up MM, stubborn to a fault
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tractorboybig added 06:22 - Dec 20 Putting him the shop window, So the lad is off then,
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BillBlue added 06:24 - Dec 20 This surely proves to all of those still purporting to support him that he is nothing more than a fruit cake. Mind you he has used those words again: 'Different Class', I wonder what is going to happen!
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BillBlue added 06:26 - Dec 20 ps. Somebody get the idiot out of our great club.
4

Swailsey added 06:32 - Dec 20 This is odd yes..
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 06:39 - Dec 20 I think Bart is the one I would least like to leave in January (or any other time). His attitude was great while waiting to get into the team behind Gerkin, and now he has proved himself, even to MM's satisfaction. It would be a big downer for the already depressed fan base if he left.
30

pegasus added 06:54 - Dec 20 Yes. Look at the stats. Despite a grim season so far, the 'Goals Against' column indicates a good goalkeeper and, yes, not that bad a defence all round.
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trncbluearmy added 07:01 - Dec 20 Tell us something we don`t know, but you go ahead and tell the world about the one player that has kept you in a job.
12

Penguinblue added 07:01 - Dec 20 Bart is the best - we knew that long before the prat McCarthy did. McCarthy only responded to fans eventually. Not so long ago he insisted his proper bloke Gerkin was better, could not praise Bart without mentioning Gerkin - now one suspects he praises him to keep on side the 20% of fans who still support him - or worse still if you are a conspiratory theorist - to sell him. Get McCarthy out of our club. McCarthy OUT

10

BondiBlue added 07:13 - Dec 20 Mick signed bart so ii don't think we can really say things like 'we knew bart was good before mccarthy did'
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hoppy added 07:18 - Dec 20 Nice to actually see MM giving Bart some praise without feeling the need to mention 'Gerks' at all (in this snippet of the interview, anyway) as he usually does.
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flashblue added 07:25 - Dec 20 As I have said consistently, he is not only the best in the league he is also the best ever keeper to play for town.
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bedsitfc added 07:27 - Dec 20 Bless ya mick You do catch up eventually
4

jas0999 added 07:37 - Dec 20 'He joked' - actually I wouldn't at all be surprised if the club are looking to off load a key asset in the January window. Evans likes to cash in. Sadly there are few saleable assets left. Dozzell, Webster and Bart perhaps the only three who would command top money. Sears, Pitman and possibly Bishop would be sellable, but for how much ...
3

Len_Brennan added 07:39 - Dec 20 Bondi - He signed him on recommendation from the goalkeeping coach, but was still preferring Gerken, or at the very least ranking them equally, long after many/most of us could see that Bart was clearly our number 1. To be fair to Dean Gerken, he is a reasonably decent keeper who is not out of place in the Championship & is good cover to have on the bench. He's just not good enough to help a side gain promotion, as he'll cost a few extra points over the course of a season.

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sereneblue added 07:41 - Dec 20 Just as well!!!!
2

Terry_Nutkins added 07:43 - Dec 20 I think everyone loses sight of why Bart lost his place in the side and we have no idea how it effected him when his old man passed away. A combination of giving him time to recover emotionally and get his head right and Gerkin's decent form could well have been the reason he was delayed getting the shirt back but he was always getting it back. That would seem a perfectly logical reason but it doesnt fit with many people's MM is just stubborn and doesnt want to play the players fans want theory,

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Swn98 added 07:58 - Dec 20 Terry Nutkins couldn't agree more
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jert16 added 08:03 - Dec 20 lol I thought this was a positive story?! Well said Mick!
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Surco72 added 08:05 - Dec 20 Terry... That is absolute rubbish . Gherkins form was awful and made the defence nervous too he cost us many points and Bart was only brought back in due to injury not selection . MM got it wrong and is only just admitting it , the same as repeated selections of Nouvle, Tabb,Douglas ,Chambo at right back when better players are available
1

iaintaylorx added 08:05 - Dec 20 Without doubt he is!! The amount of points he has saved us this season. I think Mick knows that without Bart, we'd be bottom 3 and Mick wouldn't be here!!
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DurhamTownFan added 08:07 - Dec 20 Flashblue: I hope that was sarcasm... Mr Wright and mr Cooper might have something to say about that (in his autobiography, bobby said cooper was his best ever signing ever!)
7

oldblue added 08:10 - Dec 20 Flash blue...I am hoping you have your tongue firmly in your cheek ...best Town keeper ever ? How about Richard Wright and Paul Cooper ...both in a different league..literally....good as Bart is he is not the best ....
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OwainG1992 added 08:19 - Dec 20 Have to agree with Mick says here. Unlike the negative lot who find argument with it. Despite the fact we all agree with him! Can't we go one day without the tons of cr*p on this site.
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pickles110564 added 08:20 - Dec 20 Flashblue, perhaps you should have added whilst you have supported Town. David Best, Paul Cooper, Larrie Sivell and Ruchard Wright are better than Bart. Saying that though Bart is a very good keeper.
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