Victor Valdes

[BillyShears]

Question is: is he really being considered or is it just so obvious a link that someone in the press has taken a punt?

If there is no lasting serious impact from his bad injury, he ought to make a decent back-up. I note my Dutch friend referring to attitude problems but I trust Pep would only bring him in on the understanding that he was prepared to be number 2 if he (VV) cannot oust Joe on merit and I wouldn't expect him to as I rate Joe as a better keeper.

I watched VV a lot when he was a Barca and rated him very highly. 34 is not old for a keeper - just look at Buffon at 38 and him with long standing chronic back problems.

I think it comes down to whether they want someone who will genuinely challenge Joe or whether they want a good back up. For me VV is a good back up. I'd be happy with that as opposed to someone who'd expect/want to play.

 

[Zin 'messiah' Zimmer]

I think it comes down to whether they want someone who will genuinely challenge Joe or whether they want a good back up. For me VV is a good back up. I'd be happy with that as opposed to someone who'd expect/want to play.

He 'was' a good back up 2 years ago, he's played very little football and it's a stop gap, which invariably means hart will plod along and continue his riveting 'in your face' media career. If I was Hart I'd want someone keeping me on my toes, Valdes won't do that at this stage. Hart has also been very lucky with injuries over his career, his game is about to change and he will be more susceptible to them... Would you be confident of going long periods under VV?

 

[OB1]

He 'was' a good back up 2 years ago, he's played very little football and it's a stop gap, which invariably means hart will plod along and continue his riveting 'in your face' media career. If I was Hart I'd want someone keeping me on my toes, Valdes won't do that at this stage. Hart has also been very lucky with injuries over his career, his game is about to change and he will be more susceptible to them... Would you be confident of going long periods under VV?

All depends on VV's level of fitness and that would be something for the club to establish.

I take your point about someone to push Hart but I would rather see transfer funds spent elsewhere this summer than on a keeper.

 

[Cityfan]

He 'was' a good back up 2 years ago, he's played very little football and it's a stop gap, which invariably means hart will plod along and continue his riveting 'in your face' media career. If I was Hart I'd want someone keeping me on my toes, Valdes won't do that at this stage. Hart has also been very lucky with injuries over his career, his game is about to change and he will be more susceptible to them... Would you be confident of going long periods under VV?

I suspect if you are a footballer with a belief in your ability you don't feel you need another keeper to keep you on your toes, you do that yourself. Harts reaction to his replacement by Pantilimon was positive but he clearly thought it unnecessary.

 

[TrueBlueMike]

If Chelsea are looking at Mandanda, does that open the door for Begovic? He qualifies as Home Grown as he joined Portsmouth at age 16. Not a bad back up keeper to have, certainly from his time at Stoke at any rate.

 

[Zin 'messiah' Zimmer]

I suspect if you are a footballer with a belief in your ability you don't feel you need another keeper to keep you on your toes, you do that yourself. Harts reaction to his replacement by Pantilimon was positive but he clearly thought it unnecessary.

Competition for places is a must otherwise complacency creeps into performances, something hart well knows... A better keeper than pantilimon coming in and hart may not of recovered, as it was his game and desire improved. The reason we have been sniffing a new keeper is for that reason, I just don't see Valdes as a concern to Hart!!

 

[Cityfan]

Competition for places is a must otherwise complacency creeps into performances, something hart well knows... A better keeper than pantilimon coming in and hart may not of recovered, as it was his game and desire improved. The reason we have been sniffing a new keeper is for that reason, I just don't see Valdes as a concern to Hart!!

I'm not saying a potential challenger to Hart is necessarily undesirable though he was not obviously complacent last season, just that I doubt Hart sees it that way.

 

[Dax777]

The Valdes - Van Gaal spat was the reason why the Spaniards all fell out with LVG and spent time out of the team. DDG, Mata and Herrera would all have been uneasy with another year of LVG. Hope Madrid take DDG but I doubt.

VV is still ok age wise for a keeper as OB1 mentions above.

You making me think to much with all those acronyms ;) DDG PSG VBV. Can't tell who is what :)

 

[Tron Coltrane]

Didn't he refuse to play with unitards under 21s ?

To Valdes's credit, he came out of that ordeal fairly well. Van Gaal accused him of not being willing to play for the reserves, to which he posted the following on instagram (including him posing for a picture with the youth team in the dressing room):

He also followed up with bemusement that Van Gaal complained to the public, rather than simply discussing the issue with him (which he would presumably have hoped to clear up). Haven't read anything to suggest that the ordeal reflected poorly on Victor, but someone here might know more than I do.

 

[CityFan94]

The goalkeeper from the best ever club team on a free, still at a good age, as back-up and who knows exactly how Pep wants to play.

No-brainier for me.