We will, I hope, look at back at this stretch of games as one of the most impressive in the club's history. The number of fixtures we have played, with a full treatment room, is astonishing. If we win nothing, then this run faces being lost in the memory except for one stand-out fact. VDS now has the clean sheet record and that, if nothing else, is going to stick around for a while.
This also means that I have to tuck into a a large serving of humble pie....
Earlier in the season I suggested that Edwin was looking a little shaky, that he was unsettling the defence and then, well, there was our comedy goal concession at Anfield. How long ago that seems now.
I am extremely glad to have been proven wrong. Edwin Van Der is now a solid pick as United's 3rd best goalie of all time behind Schmeical and Stepney- an honorable nod must also be made to Gary 'and Smith must score' Bailey.
The team certainly seem to appreciate him being between the sticks too. ..The best keeper I have played with,. reckons Rio Ferdinand who has had the pleasure of playing with around ten different goalies at United. That is the fact we should be careful not to forget, between the Great Dane..s retirement and Edwin..s arrival we used 11 goalkeepers in just a couple of years and won very little. We are in much better shape with this guy around and despite my false soothsaying at the start of the year I am glad he is still no. 1.
The question is, much like the one over his manager, how long can he keep doing this for? I shall choose not to worry about this for the time being and just enjoy the ride but, it is a concern.
It is not just this record, there is his decisive save in the European Cup Final shoot-out and the fact that during this 11 game spell he has played with a mish-mash of ten different defenders in front of him. The only other ever-present has been an imperious Nemanja Vidic. The record belongs to Van Der Sar but it is the presence of the Serbian that rings in my head. He will be suspended for the first tie against Inter at least. That tie is starting to look like a sizeable bananaskin.
Comments
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Posted by Brian Mutoka on 02/05/2009
Mark, I am a huge fan of your blog. Can I just say, yes- Van (i think we are safely past ruud now) has been highly effective, not just in settling the defence, but also in being the captain at the back, the voice of authority. I firmly believe that it is not despite the fact that he had ten different defenders in front of him at various times that he has been outstanding. He is the reason why we may have had so many players in the back four but have not conceded zip in the premier league- he brings what Rio brings to the back- a leader, and he does it splendidly. He is 39, yes, and one has to wonder if good keepers are exclusively (football years) "old". I hope we don't go the barthez route in finding his eventual replacement, i.e. mr unreliable. But 2 premier league, 1 champions league, and a club world champions trophies later, i'm glad he left craven cottage.
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Posted by Payday Loans on 04/30/2009
Thanks for the interesting information. The post was professionally written and I feel like the author has extensive knowledge in the subject. Keep it that way.
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Mark Payne writes about football for a variety of media outlets. He reported on the 2010 World Cup for Australia’s ABC network and worked at one of the FIFA fan sites. He has been ESPN’s Manchester United correspondent for four years. His writing attracts a worldwide following and in 2011 this blog was nominated for an award. To contact Mark for football discussion e-mail him on markpayne.editor@hotmail.com at any time. He wears lucky socks on match days.
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