Only one Man City starter impressed vs Salford - and he might be about to leave

James Trafford was one of the only Manchester City players to come out of the win over Salford in the FA Cup with any credit.

Progressing to the next round of the FA Cup should always be something to smile about. Yet few fans leaving the Etihad on Saturday will have been dreaming of silverware after a turgid display against Salford City.

Of course, cup football is all about getting the job done, and if City do go on to lift the FA Cup in May there won't be an asterisk next to their name as winners because they were poor against Salford. But it would be a surprise to see City produce a more lifeless display this season than they did on Saturday.

Memories of the 8-0 victory over Salford came rushing back as City hit the front early on, but from then on the Blues lacked any real intensity and struggled to find their rhythm. So much so that they had to rely on James Trafford producing a couple of sharp stops in the second half to ensure they didn't suffer the ignominy of falling to League Two opposition.

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The role of a second-choice goalkeeper is not an easy one. They often spend months watching their team from the bench and are required to be razor sharp when needed. The challenges of the role grow further at a team like City, where a goalkeeper can be a passenger in terms of being called into action by the opposition for much of the game, but they need to be alert when called upon.

Trafford showed against Salford that he could do all that and more.

The issue for City is that in just a few months' time they are more than likely going to have to find a replacement for the man they signed just last summer. Trafford arrived at the Etihad looking to challenge Ederson for the number one spot, knowing he would be the successor to the Brazilian at some point.

The arrival of Gianluigi Donnarumma changed the landscape of the City goalkeeping department, and at just 26 Donnarumma is set to be City's first choice for the next decade.

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A goalkeeper of Trafford's quality, who has aspirations of becoming England's first-choice stopper, is very unlikely to settle for a place on the bench week in, week out, with the odd cup appearance thrown in. You would expect there to be plenty of Premier League suitors come calling for Trafford in the summer if he did outline his desire to leave.

Finding a dependable second-choice goalkeeper is not an easy task. City have had some excellent ones in recent years, but they'll likely have to find another this summer.