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Spanish Inquisition: Can Victor Valdes Be Barcelona’s Saviour?
Goal.com’s KS Leong wonders if Valdes can elevate himself to a saintly status this season...
| Bet: | Returns: | Leverkusen £70.00 | Draw £42.00 | Barcelona £14.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Leverkusen £65.00 | Draw £43.30 | Barcelona £14.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Leverkusen £80.00 | Draw £40.00 | Barcelona £14.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Leverkusen £85.00 | Draw £45.00 | Barcelona £14.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Leverkusen £75.00 | Draw £42.00 | Barcelona £13.70 |
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Feb 8, 2010 1:23:00 PM
By KS Leong
Goalkeepers have one of the most thankless jobs in football: make a match-winning save and you’ll be put on a pedestal for a day; let a backpass from your own defender slip between your legs and you’ll be mocked for the rest of your playing career.
And one goalkeeper in particular who has had to put up with that stigma is Victor Valdes. The Barcelona shot-stopper frequently has to put up with comparisons to his arch rival over at Real Madrid, Iker Casillas, not so much to determine who is better, but to callously further highlight the gulf in quality, stardom and international success between the two.
Poor old Victor has been ridiculed in season’s past because of a few infamous gaffes and blunders and despite his occasional heroics, he doesn’t seem to be able to shake off his reputation as an error-prone goalkeeper. Casillas has committed his fair share of fumbles, but they are almost always eclipsed by his catalogue of miraculous walk-on-water saves, which somehow immunes him from the barrage of derisions. Yet, it doesn’t quite work the other way around.
But ever since Pep Guardiola took over the bench at the Camp Nou and installed a new goalkeeping coach, Valdes has shown significant improvement and he has become as solid as any of the top five shot-stoppers in the world today. But while Dani Alves, Carles Puyol, Xavi and Messi have all cemented themselves as the best on the planet in their respective positions, Valdes is continually overlooked for any sort of recognition, even though he has two Zamora trophies and looks to be on course to pick up a third this campaign.
This season, however, he has a chance to fully redeem himself and prove that he is worthy not only to be labelled as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, but also make a case for himself to break into the Spanish national team, if not for the World Cup finals, then for La Seleccion’s Euro 2012 qualifying series.
While last season Valdes relied largely on the team’s air-tight defence to become La Liga’s best goalkeeper, this term, he has come to Barcelona’s rescue on countless occasions with a string of pivotal saves, most notably against Real Madrid, Tenerife and Real Valladolid where he kept the opponents at bay early on in the game while his team-mates in attack were struggling to load up the cannons.
For all of the Blaugrana’s incomparable offensive firepower, for all of Guardiola’s ridiculous wealth of options in attack, there have unquestionably been a few visible chinks in the team’s defensive armour. And Pep needs his trusty guardian to outshine the attacking megastars and become the team’s saviour.
Yet, to suggest that Barcelona need a saviour would be as outrageous and blasphemous as telling Xavi that he needs to learn how to pass the ball. Barca do not require any saving of any kind, not in that sense. They are well in control of La Liga’s title race, they have yet to be beaten in the league this season, and they have won nine of their last ten games.
They do, however, need a saviour in a ‘San Iker’ kind of way... someone who can be a hero in that Gandalfian, you-shall-not-pass manner that when the fort is under siege, he is always there to repel the enemy and safeguard the goal. That’s where the under-appreciated Valdes comes in.
This Sunday against Atletico Madrid, Barcelona’s fort will indeed be put to the ultimate test, not because Atleti’s attack have been oh so frighteningly fearsome this season, but because Guardiola will have to line up a very makeshift defence. Gerard Pique and Rafa Marquez, both of whom were sent off last Saturday against Getafe, will be suspended; the influential Dani Alves is sidelined for three weeks with a calf problem; while defensive midfielder Toure Yaya is also out for a couple of weeks with a thigh injury.
The weekend 2-1 victory over Getafe demonstrated just how reliable Valdes has become. He never had to perform any saintly miracles, but he did have to make a decent handful of saves, and he showed that he can be called upon confidently with a solid, mistake-free display.
And had it not been for a late penalty which Rafa Marquez needlessly gave away, Valdes would've kept his fifth consecutive clean sheet.
Trying to become the protagonist or even a saviour in this Barca side is almost impossible, especially when the likes of Messi, Xavi, Ibrahimovic, Pedro and Iniesta are constantly hogging the limelight. But if Victor can continue to safeguard his fort like the way he has been this season, there’s no reason why he can’t join that elite group of heroes.
And one goalkeeper in particular who has had to put up with that stigma is Victor Valdes. The Barcelona shot-stopper frequently has to put up with comparisons to his arch rival over at Real Madrid, Iker Casillas, not so much to determine who is better, but to callously further highlight the gulf in quality, stardom and international success between the two.
Poor old Victor has been ridiculed in season’s past because of a few infamous gaffes and blunders and despite his occasional heroics, he doesn’t seem to be able to shake off his reputation as an error-prone goalkeeper. Casillas has committed his fair share of fumbles, but they are almost always eclipsed by his catalogue of miraculous walk-on-water saves, which somehow immunes him from the barrage of derisions. Yet, it doesn’t quite work the other way around.
But ever since Pep Guardiola took over the bench at the Camp Nou and installed a new goalkeeping coach, Valdes has shown significant improvement and he has become as solid as any of the top five shot-stoppers in the world today. But while Dani Alves, Carles Puyol, Xavi and Messi have all cemented themselves as the best on the planet in their respective positions, Valdes is continually overlooked for any sort of recognition, even though he has two Zamora trophies and looks to be on course to pick up a third this campaign.
This season, however, he has a chance to fully redeem himself and prove that he is worthy not only to be labelled as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, but also make a case for himself to break into the Spanish national team, if not for the World Cup finals, then for La Seleccion’s Euro 2012 qualifying series.
Valdes tipping Barca to glory last season
While last season Valdes relied largely on the team’s air-tight defence to become La Liga’s best goalkeeper, this term, he has come to Barcelona’s rescue on countless occasions with a string of pivotal saves, most notably against Real Madrid, Tenerife and Real Valladolid where he kept the opponents at bay early on in the game while his team-mates in attack were struggling to load up the cannons.
For all of the Blaugrana’s incomparable offensive firepower, for all of Guardiola’s ridiculous wealth of options in attack, there have unquestionably been a few visible chinks in the team’s defensive armour. And Pep needs his trusty guardian to outshine the attacking megastars and become the team’s saviour.
Yet, to suggest that Barcelona need a saviour would be as outrageous and blasphemous as telling Xavi that he needs to learn how to pass the ball. Barca do not require any saving of any kind, not in that sense. They are well in control of La Liga’s title race, they have yet to be beaten in the league this season, and they have won nine of their last ten games.
They do, however, need a saviour in a ‘San Iker’ kind of way... someone who can be a hero in that Gandalfian, you-shall-not-pass manner that when the fort is under siege, he is always there to repel the enemy and safeguard the goal. That’s where the under-appreciated Valdes comes in.
This Sunday against Atletico Madrid, Barcelona’s fort will indeed be put to the ultimate test, not because Atleti’s attack have been oh so frighteningly fearsome this season, but because Guardiola will have to line up a very makeshift defence. Gerard Pique and Rafa Marquez, both of whom were sent off last Saturday against Getafe, will be suspended; the influential Dani Alves is sidelined for three weeks with a calf problem; while defensive midfielder Toure Yaya is also out for a couple of weeks with a thigh injury.
The weekend 2-1 victory over Getafe demonstrated just how reliable Valdes has become. He never had to perform any saintly miracles, but he did have to make a decent handful of saves, and he showed that he can be called upon confidently with a solid, mistake-free display.
And had it not been for a late penalty which Rafa Marquez needlessly gave away, Valdes would've kept his fifth consecutive clean sheet.
Trying to become the protagonist or even a saviour in this Barca side is almost impossible, especially when the likes of Messi, Xavi, Ibrahimovic, Pedro and Iniesta are constantly hogging the limelight. But if Victor can continue to safeguard his fort like the way he has been this season, there’s no reason why he can’t join that elite group of heroes.
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