Barthez

MrMarcello said:
World class shot stopper, but there's far more to keeping that stopping shots. Shit distribution, kicked like a clown at times, and flapped at crosses. Total liability but on his day he could win matches almost by himself (assuming the attack gave him a lead ;)).
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Can't agree with that bit. He may have flapped when being chased down but given time he was one of the best passing goal keepers I have seen. He was very comfortable with the ball at his feet.
 
mjs020294 said:
Can't agree with that bit. He may have flapped when being chased down but given time he was one of the best passing goal keepers I have seen. He was very comfortable with the ball at his feet.
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agreed, when SAF was explaining why he had signed Barthez he said that kicking/ distribution was one of the main reasons. He even compared Barthez to Schmikes in this regards.
 
Sunny Jim said:
agreed, when SAF was explaining why he had signed Barthez he said that kicking/ distribution was one of the main reasons. He even compared Barthez to Schmikes in this regards.
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Much better passer of the ball with his feet than the big Dane but nowhere near as good throwing the ball.
 
As some have noted our defense was not exceptional and yet didn't we allow very few goals one year while he was here?
 
Also didn't he get himself substituted against southampton so he could go smoke a joint in Strachans office?
 
gambit28 said:
Also didn't he get himself substituted against southampton so he could go smoke a joint in Strachans office?
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This display was only ruined by Arsenal's last-minute winning goal at Highbury and an injury to Fabien Barthez after an aerial collision with Michael Svensson in the first half. "It can't be that bad," said Southampton manager Gordon Strachan. "He was sitting in my office for the second half smoking fags. Someone should have told him it is a no smoking area." Not a question of him running out of puff then. Still, Barthez left the ground on crutches with a badly bruised thigh.
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Nutter.
 
At the time VDS signed with Fulham, Barthez was coming of being named to the PFA Team of the Season. He was class and looked set for a long career with United. There was zero reason to sign VDS.
 
MrMarcello said:
At the time VDS signed with Fulham, Barthez was coming of being named to the PFA Team of the Season. He was class and looked set for a long career with United. There was zero reason to sign VDS.
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In retrospect there was plenty of reason to sign VDS. Barthez, despite having been a WC winner had a mildly clownish reputation and was short - both of which cost us dearly.
 
Disagree. Lots of people were stark raving mad about the small French keeper after that first season. If anything, the club should have signed VDS in 1999 instead of a drunk Australian.
 
MrMarcello said:
Disagree. Lots of people were stark raving mad about the small French keeper after that first season. If anything, the club should have signed VDS in 1999 instead of a drunk Australian.
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Well we should've signed VDS in 99 or 00. He's been a better/more steady keeper than Barthez ever was. How would VDS have handled Neuville's injury time equalizer by Neuville in Leverkusen, Costihnia's winner at OT, or even Fat Ron's hatrick at OT.
 
I do wonder how things would have played out. VDS would have saved a few more shots in 99-00 but probably not enough to help the club repeat as CL champions (the back four let the club down a lot that season).

In 00-01, Barthez was pretty much world class so don't think VDS would have made an improvement in terms of trophies that season. Although there was the 'taxi' howler in the FA Cup. Should have bought Campbell or Rio that summer to shore up the leaky defense.

However, in 01-02 things would really have changed. As others have pointed out, the Leverkusen match, perhaps the league as well although selling Stam would have still had a huge effect.

My belief is 02-03 would have turned out much different. He'd have saved two of Ronaldo's shots but would Real have let up and soaked up the pressure from that point forward? No, they'd have continued to attack relentlessly. But I think the club might have advanced. I also doubt Figo's cross/goal in the first leg occurs against VDS. So it's 2-1 going to OT. VDS saves a couple, let's give Real one back for not closing up shop, that's 4-2 to United. 5-4 on aggregate. And United would have taken Juve apart again. Then the Milan match who knows but I think Veron could have sprayed passes all day against them.
 
That's true. In Fab's defense, Stam's sudden departure and the ensuing defensive chaos didn't help his keeping out at all.
 
For me, no matter how good he may have been - this will remain eternally unforgivable. Unworthy of a Professional, much less a Manchester United player.

 
Raoul said:
That's true. In Fab's defense, Stam's sudden departure and the ensuing defensive chaos didn't help his keeping out at all.
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Yep. He got exposed to a lot of aerial football as result. Yet he wasn't a tall keeper. I aslo think his hip injury in his last year at United did alot of damage to his career. He started having a diving weakness on one side. The side Ronaldo exploited to the full at OT.
 
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