Mar 28
On Kuszczak and Foster
Since Peter Schmeichel left Manchester United after that game, it always seemed that we had a weakness to find good goalkeepers and bring them to the club. Sir Alex tried everything: Mark Bosnich, Tim Howard, Roy Carroll, Fabien Barthez. Nothing seemed to work. It looked like Schmeichel left a ghost behind to haunt everybody who tried to replace him successfully.
But then, after becoming utterly frustrated and bored of experimenting with goalkeepers, he went for the sure choice: Edwin van der Saar. The Dutchman nearly joined United in 1999 before he opted to move to Juventus, but he then moved on to Premier League side Fulham and Manchester United had no problem snatching him from the Premier League strugglers. Suddenly, Schmeichel’s ghost vanished.
Van der Saar has put in two seasons and a bit of steady, good performances and made some miraculous saves since joining the team in 2005. He has become the undisputed number one at Old Trafford, but age is against him. His contract runs out at the end of the next season and it looks unlikely that he will sign (or be given) another extension. If history is to repeat itself even partially, Sir Alex will have trouble replacing him successfully, but the current goalkeeping situation is not one we should worry about.
Standing in the shade behind the big Dutchman, are two other young goalkeepers, both with a full season of Premier League experience. The much criticized Kuszczak is one of them and he has performed up to standards when called upon. The other option, England’s last chance to a good goalkeeper has only played one game for the club, but was highly impressive both in his season with Watford last year and against Derby in his sole performance for the club in three years.
There are two things I cannot understand about Kuszczak: the first being how he got to be called PIG, the second is why just about every Manchester United fan thinks he is not good enough to be the second choice goalkeeper for the team. He has made thirteen appearances for Manchester United in two seasons at the club and he was fairly steady in most of those. His recent game against Bolton was very good and in his first one - against Arsenal - he denied a penalty and made other good saves. Not bad for an out-of-practice goalkeeper, I will say.
He will be a good backup next year and maybe challenge Foster for the first team in the future if he continues to improve. We keep on forgetting that he is not that old, Kuszczak - only one year the senior of Ben Foster. So if he can keep on improving, and learn from one of the best goalkeepers in world football since the Great Dane, his future at Old Trafford might involve some actual football rather than resting on those very comfortable red chairs.
The other option, the one for the future is Ben Foster. He arrived at United at the same time as Edwin van der Saar and was shipped off to Watford almost immediately. He was a major factor in their rather surprising promotion and did all right the following season in the Premier League - although his team finished bottom of the league.
He was a little bit unfortunate to injure himself just as Ferguson seemed set to give him a chance to challenge Van der Saar for the first team spot, but has come back and looks good for several appearances next season, which we can presume will be his apprenticeship at the club. Following that apprenticeship, we can look forward to several good years from Foster. He is young, talented and steady and if he can keep that up and improve on it that Ferguson might have found a really good goalkeeper for the very long term.
Despite this enviable amount of goalkeeping talent and potential within the squad, Manchester United continues to be linked with new goalkeepers, which for me is baffling. But what is more baffling is that this is not only press rubbish; a lot of it comes from the fans as well. Sir Alex might want spend the money he will be given this summer in areas which need some strengthening; goalkeeping is not one of them.
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March 28th, 2008 at 21:01
I too was baffled by PIG for a while- it merely means Pole In Goal, but does seem to imply derogation, which is quite unfair considering, as you say, he’s been pretty darn good (bar Portsmouth, but that wasn’t really his fault) when called upon.
March 28th, 2008 at 21:21
If Foster continues to improve Fergie will no longer be looking for a replacement for EVDS. Foster was originally supposed to be that guy anyway.
As for PIG, does that make Schmeichel DIG, Barthez FIG, Howard AIG (Hey wait a second aren’t they our current advertisers on all the jerseys?). Of course it was meant as defamatory statement, just like the dog eating chant regarding poor Park. United fans are great but sometimes they show no fucking class to their very own players and supporters. Oh well, not that big a deal. Living in an ethnic melting pot does that to people.
March 28th, 2008 at 21:31
Yeah, I dont understand that wneh Kuszczak play very good match there is no comments in english press, but when Foster has a one good match, all press is talking about him. Im Polish aso maybe I can be a little unfair, but think Kuszczak is as good as Foster - and I am not sure who will be our future no1.If Foster - then I hope Kuszczak will find a good club to play in - he shouldnt be no2 all his life!!
March 28th, 2008 at 21:33
no because it originally means polish in goal, i dont know if you’ve noticed, but kusczkak is long and defficult to spell for some people, so just call him pig, pole isn’t a racist remark, its like calling scottish people Scots.
March 28th, 2008 at 21:40
all racism aside, I think he looks a bit piggish too. pole in goal is in no way derogatory though. more like affectionate slander.
March 28th, 2008 at 21:48
Excuse my stupidity, but where are the racial connotations with the name PIG? It may be an insult depending on your interpretation but I’m not sure where racism comes into it. As an aside British humour, particularly from football fans, can be extremely cutting and not even remotely PC. However it is not normally intended to be offensive and the British way is normally to laugh about anything no matter the subject.
March 28th, 2008 at 21:59
it is not racist bottom line, saying something like n’gg’r-in-goal is racist but calling a pole, a pole is not racist. could we not call foster BIG(brit/british in goal)?
March 28th, 2008 at 22:01
I for one never said it was racist, just insulting. Even if PIG stands for Pole in Goal, it is sort of insulting. Nobody likes to be referred to as PIG. And Dan, I know Pole is not a racist remark. Jeez, give me a little more credit. My comment was simply stating that one should not call one of their own PIG. Save it for Fabianski or Boruc. United players are our icons. They should not have nicknames that poke fun at them. Shortcut my ass. A little less drinking and a little more common sense.
March 28th, 2008 at 22:05
i was speaking in general, i wasn’t talking about you specifically, your name wasn’t mentioned so why think i was talking about you?
March 28th, 2008 at 22:07
Ahhh JB, someone with common sense reasoning at last. British humour is okay with me, ironic yes, but best in the world. I think PIG and Foster are equally as good - we are fortunate to have them at ManU. Some terrace chants are a bit bare knuckle though!.
March 28th, 2008 at 22:32
Well I like Mr. PIG because he’s BIG. Look at the size of the hips and arse on him. It’s quite clear that, unless the likes of John Terry is out to nobble him, even big lads are going to have a hard time jostling him during corners or goalmouth situations. There’s no way of knowing how well either one is going to perform until it’s too late. I can definitely remember, however, when United signed Van Der Sar and a lot of bloggers said he’d been crap in pressure situations for Juventus. They were wrong, of course, especially compared to the likes of Calamity James who needs a psychiatrist to hold his hand before every game, and seems to lose it in any truly big games. Van Der Sar may yet end up having the last laugh if he ends up switching to Spurs.
March 28th, 2008 at 22:47
vds looks distinctly old in goal recently… he seems reluctant to fly across goal and very slow to get up when he does. also he cant bamoosle his way through a crowded area. on saying that he had a great command of his area.. and it seems that even the team obviously know his weaknesses they are happy defending in front of him. pig (used cos his real name is hard to type) looks good but has certain weaknesses even on a technical level.. only a few mind and he doesnt have vds’s strengths. we actually have eight world class players(more than any other team except chelsea) and pig in this company seems a little short. foster looks exceptional in his one game and seem to hafve to history to sustain this. unfortunately as alex wants to win in europe now and not lose any league games so instead of giving foster an extended run and letting him get on with it as he did with ronaldo a few years ago when he constantly gave the ball away, there is the slight possibility he may slip away. I personally hope that from early next year foster is in goal all the time and get the chance to become the next casilas.. a true keeping ledgene at what 26?
March 28th, 2008 at 23:00
Another case of the british overhyping things as mentioned in the last article. Kuszczak gets no credit for some consistent solid performances but foster gets labeled a hero for 2 good saves.
March 28th, 2008 at 23:01
Right Andrei I’ll try to get back on topic
Kuszczak is a decent, nay excellent shot stopper. However for a keeper at a top level cub his distribution, kicking and command of his penalty area is somewhat suspect. Good shot stoppers are ten a penny, keepers with the other attributes are not. Ultimately I don’t think he is first choice material.
Grognard has criticised VDS in the past because he feels he will not make the big match winning save for you, and up to a point he is right. I’m sure we could get a better shot stopper than VDS if we tried, but getting a keeper that matches his all round game would be difficult and brings you into Cech, Casillas and Buffon territory. However given the uncertainty of our keepers post Schmeichel, a steady eddie like VDS was just what the doctor ordered.
As for Foster, he has a lot of potential but he has it all very much to prove. The demands that United place on you are very different to Watford and he has to show he can meet them. Can he stay inactive for 90 minutes and then pull off a top class save? Can his distribution help us on the counter attack? Can he command Rio and Vida effectively? These are only questions that will be answered in time and only then will we know if Foster is really good enough for the number 1 jersey.
March 28th, 2008 at 23:14
spot on JB. it is hard trying to picture foster commanding rio-vida effectively, but that is what he has to do to truly be effective. theres no point having a raw shot-stopper when the opposition is pounding the balls into an unorganised defence. Foster will learn with experience which is why he needs to be given the chance. its a matter of when SAF will take the risk.
March 28th, 2008 at 23:17
you guys bicker like old women. it’s hopeless
March 28th, 2008 at 23:21
EVDS not capable of match winning saves?? Has Groggy forgotten the miraculous one handed save against the dippers at Anfield last season? (the game where O’Shea etched his name into United folklore) That save practically won us the title!! Although he does have his iffy moments, like in the 1st leg against Roma last year when he parried the shot which led to their second goal…
March 28th, 2008 at 23:27
Regarding PIG’s overall attributes - other than shot-stopping - I think that SAF and co will work on that. Reflexes, instinct and positioning come naturally to sports players, but other attributes - like distribution and command of area in the case of goalkepers - can be taught. So, if we have an “excellent shot stopper” as JB, maybe we can teach him some of the other aspects of the game and be content with our equivalent of Carlo Cudicini.
Regarding Iker Casillas, I first saw him when he was 16 and was deeply impressed. He is 26 now and is staking his claim to be one of the best goalkeepers of all time. His all round game is perfect and, if United could somehow snatch him, it would be amazing. Pointless, but amazing.
VDS not capable of match winning saves?!?!? OLD WOMEN!?! Pffft
March 28th, 2008 at 23:56
Kuszczak is far from a complete Keeper and some of his weaknesses are worrying. As JB stated he is a top class shot stopper but his decision making, positioning and command of the area is awful. I mean look at the number of penalties he has conceded and what about the amount of crosses (especially on corners) that he has flapped at or completely missed. Someone said he about him being big and that being good as he wouldnt be jostled off the ball but he is an awful lot. It causes alot of extra work for the defence and probally causes as many problems as his excellent shot stopping solves.
Infact I would say that he reminds me very much of Bosnich and Barthez who could both be world class shot stoppers but whos weaknesses would so often undermine these qulaities
March 29th, 2008 at 0:02
Andrei: You would think that but the number of good shot stoppers floating about who have failed to develop the other aspects of their game suggests things like distribution are pretty hard to have coached into you. Regardless I don’t think PIG has enough about him to make the number 1 slot.
On VDS, incapable of making the big saves is a bit harsh, but I wouldn’t say is he in the very top level of shot stoppers.
March 29th, 2008 at 1:18
what about Kuszo?
March 29th, 2008 at 3:15
Koozchak, Koozchak, Koozchak. Now what is so difficult about pronouncing that? The mind warbles! In North America athletes often get nicknames from fans or fellow athletes. Usually they are silly little short versions of their names or something to do with their personality or work ethic (ex; Koooooz, Vidy, Giggsy, Scholsey, Scooter, Ronny etc.) That is far more endearing and heartfelt than Pig, or Dog Eater etc.
JB; I recently was listening to a North American footy podcast show here in Canada where they were talking to an expert from Italy about the Serie A. The topic of EVDS came up and how good he was. The guest came out and said that the reason Juventus got rid of EVDS was that the club’s brain trust just didn’t feel he was spectacular enough. He was a good goalkeeper but he never had one exceptional quality in his game. I have to agree. I think he is consistent and very dependable but there is not one aspect, be it diving, reflexes, kicking, punching, handling crosses etc, that he excels in. These limitations come out whenever he is required to make an amazing save, especially from a cracker out of the box. His diving is only adequate and his reflexes are slow and getting slower with age. Still he is pretty decent but my argument has always been, should we be settling for decent? Lets face it, in most games he hardly gets a workout, but what if we were to open up our game attack wise and let ourselves be more susceptible in the back? How would he perform then? He did well for a useless Fulham but he was also 5 years younger. I think if healthy, Foster will get his big chance next year. Eddy can’t go on forever.
March 29th, 2008 at 3:19
Ahmed; Grognard was a term of endearment by Napoleon for his Old Guard. He used to refer to them as his miserable old warriors. So just call me a bickering old warrior woman.
March 29th, 2008 at 3:54
Thanks Shannon! Much appreciated. And that insult was for what? At least explain why you are insulting me or is putting together a full sentence a real challenge for you? Obviously your spelling could use some work. Grow up!
March 29th, 2008 at 4:48
ha ha… Just get a life brother.
Insult is based on ur thoughts on United’s fans treatment of Park, and PIG.
Park is treated very well among the United faithful, even with his below par United performances’
I’ve been lucky enough to see one match at Old Trafford in my life, Have you? If not i don’t think you can comment on Fans treatment of its players, and whether all they do is drink!
March 29th, 2008 at 5:39
[Shannon]
That was unnecessary. What part of my comments policy did you not understand? Get in touch with me through the contact form, need to have a few words with you.
March 29th, 2008 at 6:32
Can’t be bothered Red Ranter… If you have an issue with my ‘rants’ kick me off.
But i’ll be sure not to bother with my Grognard opinions and keep it United!
BTW do you know if Ronaldo and Nani will be playing tonight since they didnt play against Greece the other day?
March 29th, 2008 at 7:23
Grog - not exactly something you’d mention in your job interview, eh?
Shannon - doubt that Nani will start.
March 29th, 2008 at 7:38
[Shannon]
Mate, I have no issue with your rants, what I don’t accept is calling people names and your utter disregard. I tried to be fair here by asking you to stay in line. I’d imagine you to be mature enough to treat it with the same level of respect, unfortunately I haven’t seen that in your reply. I could just bump people off, but I’d like to give them a chance. Which is why I did in your case, just now. Hope you keep that in mind.
While Grognard could be abrasive with his opinions, I don’t see personal attacks coming from him (or at least initiated by him). So if you don’t like him, just stay away from him. There are other commenters here too. There are other places to have bitch fights. I don’t intend to turn this into an arena for one, despite the sorry degeneration of the discussion on here over the past day or so.
To quote Ahmed, “Stop bickering like women and start ranting about United.” For Fuck’s sake!
March 29th, 2008 at 9:32
Oh mannn..we got just 7 matches left to go in the premier league and AS Roma is gonna fight like their asses are on the line. SO, i can safely say ITS CRUNCH TIME!
And in the meantime, what on earth are we discussing about? Silly insults and retorts and fighting for ones RIGHT TO BE BITCHY. Come on, once in a while a little flare up is exciting, but now its getting old. So lets divert our attentions back to football and what say we give Ahmed and RR a break huh? They have been having a hard time already keeping the commenters in check.
March 29th, 2008 at 9:49
I think tk is a brilliant shotstopper, but he seems very unconvincing to me. for example, he will save it, but he will do a small parry and then pick up the ball on the second attempt. i think he gets the job done but its just a matter of times before these things turn into goals. i would not want us to concede when he parries what he should catch and the opposition capitalise on the rebound. if he can improve on that aspect of his game as well as his command/communication, i think he will be a very fine keeper indeed. as for foster, havn’t seen much but judging by what i hear, looks good. he will have to play 5-10 CONSECUTIVE matches before we can really judge him.
March 29th, 2008 at 11:47
…what did shannon say that was bad?
March 29th, 2008 at 16:03
Dan; His response was removed by Red Ranter due to it’s inappropriate tone. Hint!
March 29th, 2008 at 16:06
Kuszczak is a good shot stopper but he really struggles when it comes to handling crosses (a real concern in English football) and in kicking the ball down field. Certainly areas where there is room to improve.
March 29th, 2008 at 20:49
well der, thats why i asked what he said.