Schmeichel or Van der Sar

[Rado_N]

In my head Schmeichel is the greatest keeper the game has ever seen, but to be perfectly fair my memories are like a higlights reel and errors don't feature so he has the benefit of nostalgia. He did have bad games, including a few howlers against City, but obviously the good memories are not reinventing history, he was THAT good.

VDS, having his time between the sticks more fresh in our minds, will have a hard job standing up to the memories we have of the Great Dane. He has, however, been fantastically consistent, made more than his fare share of Schmeichel-esque 'holy shit' saves, as well as being more comfortable with the ball at his feet than possibly any other keeper. His saves in Moscow will no doubt be remembered in 20 years as fondly as anything from Schmeichel, too.

In summary, I don't think the call is as clear cut as some might suggest, but I do still think Schmeichel was better. VDS isn't going to tarnish my memories by playing across town though.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

In my head Schmeichel is the greatest keeper the game has ever seen, but to be perfectly fair my memories are like a higlights reel and errors don't feature so he has the benefit of nostalgia. He did have bad games, including a few howlers against City, but obviously the good memories are not reinventing history, he was THAT good.

VDS, having his time between the sticks more fresh in our minds, will have a hard job standing up to the memories we have of the Great Dane. He has, however, been fantastically consistent, made more than his fare share of Schmeichel-esque 'holy shit' saves, as well as being more comfortable with the ball at his feet than possibly any other keeper. His saves in Moscow will no doubt be remembered in 20 years as fondly as anything from Schmeichel, too.

In summary, I don't think the call is as clear cut as some might suggest, but I do still think Schmeichel was better. VDS isn't going to tarnish my memories by playing across town though.

Nor can I imagine him cheering his fecking bollocks off if his team scores against us.

I can't forget that cnut jumping up and down when City scored and beat us 3-1

 

[Brwned]

Not even debatable. The Dane's the best keeper ever... I suspect there are a lot of very young posters in this thread.

Well, obviously. Two of the three posters with the most posts in this thread were <5 when Schmeichel signed for us.

Would VDS be our second best keeper of all time?

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Well, obviously. Two of the three posters with the most posts in this thread were <5 when Schmeichel signed for us.

Would VDS be our second best keeper of all time?

I'd say, at the present time, yes he is. If he had been signed immediately after Juventus then I've no doubt he would have been number 1

 

[gormless]

I'd say, at the present time, yes he is. If he had been signed immediately after Juventus then I've no doubt he would have been number 1

He failed at Juve though. For all we know, he might have failed here as well if he had signed for us in 99. Not saying he definitely would have, but its possible.

 

[Spoony]

Well, obviously. Two of the three posters with the most posts in this thread were <5 when Schmeichel signed for us.

Would VDS be our second best keeper of all time?

Dunno. I can only recall as far back as Gary Bailey, things were a bit too hazy before then....but he's easily the second best keeper I've seen at Old Trafford, and I'd find it difficult to believe that the likes of Stepney were better. So, probably yes. I think he's the best keeper in the world. And to think the likes of Devilish were berating Fergie for signing him from Fulham. Aside from a dodgy spell at Juve he's been as good as anyone post Schmeichel.

 

[Brophs]

Schmeichel's still comfortably the best keeper I've ever seen in 25 odd years of watching football. Van Der Sar's top class but he's not quite as good.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

He failed at Juve though. For all we know, he might have failed here as well if he had signed for us in 99. Not saying he definitely would have, but its possible.

Denis Bergkamp was a flop at Inter, I'd have signed him in an instant.Fact is anything's possible.Scmeichel wasn't an instant success either

 

[gormless]

Denis Bergkamp was a flop at Inter, I'd have signed him in an instant.Fact is anything's possible.Scmeichel wasn't an instant success either

Yeah, I know what you mean, its just possible that the experience he had at Juve prepared him for United if that makes sense?

 

[Ole'sbodyguard]

Denis Bergkamp was a flop at Inter, I'd have signed him in an instant.Fact is anything's possible.Scmeichel wasn't an instant success either

Schmeichel was an instant success at United. By the end of his first season after Euro 92 he was seen as the best keeper in Europe and the best in the English league as United had just made their first proper title challenge under Fergie. His standards just got higher and higher from there.

 

[Claymore]

like VDS, he's a world class keeper, done it all in the game and seems like a top bloke, far better than Schmeichel comes across post United. Schmeichel is the better keeper though for me because he simply did more stand out things in most games than Edwin.

Don't get me wrong, VDS has made some top saves this season like the Chelsea/Torres top corner save and really organises his defence well, good on crosses etc. Its just that Peter would do something out of the ordinary regularly, like the improvised save against Inter and Ivan Zomorana where he did a mid air jump whilst spreading his arms. The constant coming out and spreading for one on ones or the diving saves. Even his throw outs were mental which often set up an attack. I remember the dive down to his right he did and flicked a header over the bar, it was as closes as the Banks v Pele save as you could get and it actually made the NEWS!!!!!

Generally on the web, I find whenever these polls or who's the best questions pop up its always the current players who get the nod because they are fresh in fans minds but not this time, Peter Schmeichel was the best. In that goal he looked like he did when he was on BBC Strictly come dancing, like a freak, like Frankenstein, he scared people.

Both though are not just two of the greatest United keepers, but two of the best of all time anywhere and we are lucky have had them.

 

[Laphroaig]

Schmeichel is the greatest goalkeeper ever in the history of football IMO.

Yup.

 

[IrishLegend]

The Great Dane was the best keeper in History.

Silly thread.

 

[kundalini]

Not even debatable. The Dane's the best keeper ever... I suspect there are a lot of very young posters in this thread.

Agree

 

[antohan]

The point on consistency and the quality of the defence is an important one.

Schmeichel was no doubt the better goalkeeper, but VDS is more reliable week in week out.

In our current team, Schmeichel's attributes are not as valuable as VDS', e.g. how often do we face one-on-ones? I would probably take VDS as our keeper through the season, but would fancy Schemeichel for a big and tough one-off game like Barca.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Did Schmeichel make as few errors as VDS? Because the amount of mistakes VDS makes per season are almost negligible. I find that mind boggling.

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

I prefer Van der Sar. Both are excellent and bettered only by Yashin, probably.

For me it's a question of style. Edwin is smooth, calm, cerebral even. Peter had more of a brute force style. Very impressive but since it's about personal opinion I'll pick the one that appeals to me more, that's Edwin.

 

[Commadus]

Schmeichel saves vs Rapid Vienna (Gordon Banks-esque) and the Don Hutchinson save vs Liverpool.

Having been privileged and it is a privilege to watch these two amazing GK playing for United I can say that for me there is no doubt Schmeichel was the better GK. This is no slight on VDS but Schmeichel was a one off freak of nature. He was a monster of a guy but so damn flexible and athletic. He commanded the area with fear - opposition strikers knew that when Schmeichel came for a ball he would take out his own defenders to get to it.

 

[redtilded121]

he played for city!!!!

and his kid too!!

so did denis law so what
phil neville now plays for everton sweats blood for em too
does not stop him wanting us to win.
besides schmeichel to city at that stage of his career is nothing like sol going to arsenal in the manner that he did.

 

[Boss]

No eboue option?

What sort of fecked up thread is this?!

 

[Ferguson]

VDS will tell you himself that stopping Anelka's penalty to win us the Champions League was the exception to the general rule that he has been poor over the course of his career at stopping penalty shots. Schmeichel, on the other hand, could cancel out a penalty with a penalty save when called upon to do so (i.e. Arsenal in the FA Cup in '99).

Schmeichel was also more athletic, better one on one, and better at dealing with crosses, not that VDS is bad in that department.

It must be admitted that VDS makes fewer errors. We remember that Peter was capable of producing a howler once in a while. But the reason VDS makes fewer errors is because he takes less chances. VDS is the more intelligent and the more technical goalkeeper. He can execute a tactical game plan even under the most adverse circumstances (i.e. against AC Milan, first leg, with a man down - VDS's unbending commitment to the counter-attack ended up winning United a crucial away goal).

But to my mind, Schmeichel is clearly the better goalkeeper because he was more than just a goalkeeper. He would marshal the team and inspire victories with his presence and his aggression. If you needed a goal in injury time, then Schmeichel was your man. If you needed the spectacular, then Schmeichel would produce it for you. Peter was larger than life, a big character. The kind of personality that drives a team. VDS is a model professional for younger teammates to emulate, Schmeichel reminds the older players why they play the game.

VDS likes to talk about how he played centre forward when he was younger, before sort of falling into the goalkeeper position. I think he is proud of being more technically proficient than most goalkeepers, more of an outfield player. And he is consummately Dutch in his awareness of the tactical approach of the whole team, not just his own position. But Schmeichel likes to talk about always wanting to be a goalkeeper and nothing else. For him, even as a young man starting out, goalkeeper was the best position in football. Goalkeeping for Schmeichel is the most natural thing in the world. VDS plays goalkeeper because his abilities best suited him to that position, Schmeichel is a goalkeeper because he was born one.

As a goalkeeping coach I believe that VDS would be the better choice, because he could teach someone how to learn to be a goalkeeper. I don't believe that Schmeichel, on the other hand, could teach another what he possessed as a goalkeeper. VDS has revolutionized modern goalkeeping, but Schmeichel embodies a greatness that transcends eras and styles of play, a greatness that belongs to himself alone.

I'd take Schmeichel without a second thought if given the choice.

 

[Raees]

Great post Ferguson, also it says it all whenever a new keeper makes a series of eye-catching displays whether in this league or across Europe.. the first player they liken him to is nearly always the Great Dane. He's transcended the role of a mere goal-keeper, he's an Icon.