Comments on: Van der Sar, Superstar

By: Bobmagee

Bobmagee — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 20:59:17 +0000

I rate Van De Sar very highly, but even as a United fan, can’t honestly say he has been better than Cech and Casillas who have both kept their teams in the game in several occasions, I honestly cant recall Van De Sar doing that. Although he is an expert in calming the game down with back passing, taking pressure off the defence and is a commanding presence in the box during a corner. But Ben Foster is the future, his kicking and throwing is first class and Fergie has faith enough to call him the best keeper in the league, I am always nervous with Kuscak in goals though.

By: Dave Stopher

Dave Stopher — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 18:06:48 +0000

I always rate Van Der Sar very highly!! What will united do when he retires!!!

By: Fateh

Fateh — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:19:35 +0000

Great article.Kudos to van der saar and fergie.I remember being dissappointed when United signed EVDS,thought they had resorted to him after failing to sign a quality keeper.I thought it was a sign of United’s decline after the disastorous champions league campaign where they failed to make it past the group stage.How wrong i was!

By: Koewart

Koewart — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:18:32 +0000

Am I the only one who thinks Van der Sar was actually the best keeper of 2008? I think he was even better then Casillas. He was good in the premier league, and great in both Champions League and Euro 2008, with Euro 2008 the only competition that he didn’t win

By: Penguin

Penguin — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 10:51:13 +0000

I agree with all of the above, and I’m delighted that EVDS has come good again after a frankly appalling first 3 months of the season.

Suspect Foster and TK are less delighted, because it will mean there will be another “transition” season – whereas in November it looked like EVDS would be gone after this one.

One a different note, I think Fabian Barthez gets unfair stick in that list of failed keepers. For his first season, he was a superstar and looked like the solution – nobody had a bad word to say about him, and the only example of the dreaded “Bartezade” that we saw was against West Ham in the FA Cup. Obviously the next season it got worse, and in big games.

But through it all, Barthez retained something that cannot be taught – the ability to make absolutely stunning, how-the-fuck-did-he-do-that, you-have-no-right-to-be-anywhere-near-that saves.

The one that stands out most in my head (although because of context rather than quality) is the one he made from Hamann in the last minute of the Liverpool game where Forlan scored twice.

By: BD Condell

BD Condell — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 08:52:50 +0000

He’s been a great buy! Just a point on the golden gloves award. Reina has won this the last 3 seasons but the formula is flawed. Essentially Reina has won it by staying fit. If you miss some games like VDS and Cech you miss out.

I would propose that it is based on the clean sheets to games played ratio but with a minimum number of games required (say 40).

By: Victor Li

Victor Li — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 23:17:28 +0000

What always struck me about Van der Sar is that while you can name better shot stoppers (Reina, Lehmann, and even Gomes are/were his superior), or stronger keepers who dealt with crosses better (like Cech), Van der Sar stands out because of his confidence, his decision-making, and his sure-handedness. I can’t think of too many times where he made an embarrassing howler or gave up a goal because he hesitated between coming off his line or staying put. After Carrol, Howard, Barthez, and all the other mistake-prone keepers, Van der Sar was exactly what Manchester United needed. I’d still take him over almost any keeper in the world.