Life for Manchester United after Edwin Van Der Sar
The legendary Dutchman arrived in 2005 at a time when United still hadn’t found a reliable successor to Peter Schmeichel. At the time he wasn’t considered a big signing because he had spent the past 4 years at a small club like
Fulham. He cost United just over £2 million. And considering the impact he has had at United, it’s £2 million well spent.
After the departure of Schmeichel in 1999, United tried 10 different keepers before finally settling on Van Der Sar in 2005. Among the different keepers signed by United were Mark Bosnich, Roy Carroll, Paul Rachubka, Nick Culkin,
Ricardo, Tim Howard and Fabien Barthez. Fabien Barthez and Tim Howard were the most successful among these, but both proved to be one season hits. Fabien Barthez had a magnificent first season and he quickly established himself as a fan’s favourite. But like
all others, he wasn’t able to put up good performances on a consistent basis. Tim Howard had a similar career at United and he was eventually replaced by Van Der Sar.
These keeping problems cost United a lot of points. The defence was always solid, but the unreliability of the goalkeepers prevented United from winning trophies – reminds you of a certain Arsenal doesn’t it? The Gunners too have
struggled in the keeping department. Since the departure of Jens Lehman, Almunia and Flappy-hand-ski have treated crowds home and away with 90 minute shows of their mediocrity. Just like United before the Dutchman, Arsenal has lost a lot of points. Interestingly,
Arsene Wenger looked set to take the Alex Ferguson way out of it by raiding Fulham. Mark Schwarzer was considered to be the answer to the ‘safe hands’ problems that the Gunners have had to bear. The Australian looked set to perhaps be a possible remedy to
the club’s trophyless woes since the FA Cup in 2005.
We all know that Sir Alex is very good at spotting talent, but all this shows that he may not be the best when it comes to recruiting goalkeepers. It took him 6 years to find a good replacement for Peter Schmeicel. United’s goalkeeping
position will soon become a hot topic for discussion after goalkeeping coach Eric Steele said, "I think Ed has made his mind up and said this is his last year."
It is a cause for concern because United don’t have a reliable back up to Van Der Sar. Judging from the past, Sir Alex might hand the number 1 jersey to Tomasz Kuszczak. To be honest he doesn’t look like United quality to me. Apart
from one or two good games, he has looked anything like reliable. And for United to keep competing for trophies like they have in recent years, they will need a good goalkeeper. We talk about the influence of forwards and midfielders all the time, but no one
can deny that Van Der Sar is one of the reasons for United’s return to winning ways. He brings that calm and composure which circulates throughout the defence. A shaky keeper affects the confidence of the defence too.
In recent times, a few good goalkeepers have been linked with United, namely Deigo Lopez of Villareal and Manuel Neuer of Schalke. Both these keepers have been performing well for their respective clubs, but so was Fabien Barthez
when he signed for United for £7 million, which at that time was a very high fees for a keeper. Also, Ferguson has refrained from spending big in the past two seasons leading to speculation that the club’s debts are now beginning to affect United’s potency
in the transfer market. For United fans, Van Der Sar’s retirement is bad news. He may not be Schmeichel, but he definitely made a big impact at the club. Will Ferguson find a good replacement soon or will the post-VDS era be as long and frustrating for United
as the post-Schmeichel era?
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