The Edwin Van Der Sar Appreciation Thread

JP Liz V1

Another MU legend retires

flahavaj

Well deserves his thread. The fact that he was one of the best in the world when he retired age 40 speaks volumnes. Such a steady and reliable presence in goals for us the last few yers and a big reason why the defence has been so good. Brilliant with his kicking as well and rarely made a mistake.

Its a genuine toss up for me between him and Shmeichel as to who has been the best Utd keeper of my lifetime. Both were brilliant in completely different ways.

A gentleman off the pitch as well, the free time he's now going to have with his wife who was very ill is richly deserved.

Whoever takes over from him has massive shoes to fill.

Insect Overlord

Phenomenal goalkeeper. Shame United didn't sign him years earlier.

Dancor

flahavaj wrote: »

Its a genuine toss up for me between him and Shmeichel as to who has been the best Utd keeper of my lifetime. Both were brilliant in completely different ways.

It is really hard to pick the best Utd keeper between the two, but over both their careers VDS has been the best for me.

I remember being a nipper watching the 95' Champions League final (I think) and wondering who that mad lanky bastard was defending the Ajax goal line in the dying minutes with his crazy punches of the ball from crosses thinking he might punch a player.

Picking him up from Fulham has been one of the best Fergie decisions. At the time, I remember thinking it was a bad choice and how we should get a young keeper, well **** was I wrong. After so many flops in goal we got got someone who still had his best days ahead of him and I think he could have gone on longer at the top level too.

dfx-

I thought it was a real coup when I heard Fulham got him...and kept him. Good to see he regained his reputation after the Juve days

Great keeper, going back to Ajax..

The_Kew_Tour

A Legend, simple as....

jimcoolding

Another player United robbed from Fulham

parker kent

Insect Overlord wrote: »

Phenomenal goalkeeper. Shame United didn't sign him years earlier.

I think his bad spell at Juve and his time at Fulham are partly why he continued for so long. I'm not sure if it would have went as well had United signed him in 1999. Obviously you cannot say that his poor form at Juve would have been replicated at United, but you never know. I think the way it has turned out was for the best from VDS's perspective. I'm glad United signed him at that time and probably got his best years.

godtabh

dfx- wrote: »

Great keeper, going back to Ajax..

To play? where did you hear that?

v3ttel

The most negative thing I can say about Edwin Van Der Sar, is that United didn't sign him soon enough.

Top class keeper, and even now, he is right up there as one of the best imho.

Top professional and a credit to the game. I hope he takes up a coaching role at the club after his year out.

NUTZZ

Great keeper, going back to Ajax..

godtabh wrote: »

To play? where did you hear that?

LOL! He meant going back to his days when he played for Ajax in the 1990's!

L'prof

Great keeper who could easily play in the PL for another season or 2, but I'm glad he's chosen not to...now for Giggs

eagle eye

Great keeper for many years, hard to believe that he is only United's second best keeper of the Premier League era.

Kerrydude1981

Its such a pity Utd had to go through a few dud keepers before VDS,what keeper a true legend

eagle eye

Kerrydude1981 wrote: »

Its such a pity Utd had to go through a few dud keepers before VDS,what keeper a true legend

I'm in no way saying anything bad about VDS here but I do think that Tim Howard was harshly treated. As things turned out VDS managed four or five years for United which meant things worked out fine but Howard has been excellent for Everton and has gotten better and better.

Who knows how things would have went for United if they had kept hold of him. They may not have been as successful but its hard to know. Vidic coming in made a huge difference to that defense as did Evra. All I'm saying is a lot of things improved in front of the keeper and maybe Howard would have been seen in a different light had he been there instead of VDS.

Again I'm not in any way saying that VDS wasn't brilliant in this time there. I'm not even saying with any certainty that Howard would have been up to it at United. Its just when you see how good he has been at Everton you just have to wonder.

Basically I don't think that Tim Howard deserves the title 'dud' keeper.

ShooterSF

Another legend!

So calm for a keeper too and not a touch of the usual eccentricity one expects from one. Remember reading a quote that said that he felt if he had to save a shot he had already made a mistake in organising his defence. That's what made him special.
Had it not been for his wife's health problems I think he would have stayed on too.

ShooterSF

eagle eye wrote: »

I'm in no way saying anything bad about VDS here but I do think that Tim Howard was harshly treated. As things turned out VDS managed four or five years for United which meant things worked out fine but Howard has been excellent for Everton and has gotten better and better.

Who knows how things would have went for United if they had kept hold of him. They may not have been as successful but its hard to know. Vidic coming in made a huge difference to that defense as did Evra. All I'm saying is a lot of things improved in front of the keeper and maybe Howard would have been seen in a different light had he been there instead of VDS.

Again I'm not in any way saying that VDS wasn't brilliant in this time there. I'm not even saying with any certainty that Howard would have been up to it at United. Its just when you see how good he has been at Everton you just have to wonder.

Basically I don't think that Tim Howard deserves the title 'dud' keeper.

I always liked Tim and felt it was very harsh that he felt behind Caroll in the pecking order and I was actually looking forward to his return from the initial loan spell but I think comparisons to Foster can be drawn.
He seems to like being in the thick of it and can have a stormer if he pulls of one or two big saves. I just think he probably lacked that concentration that seems to be needed when you might only need to pull off a couple of saves a match. Also I think VDS's ability in organising the defence is again much better imo.

YouTookMyName

Great keeper, thank god the mancs didn't sign him sooner.

I do love this photo.



What a face!

L'prof

YouTookMyName wrote: »

http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00178/Pg-60-messi-goal-ge_178182a.jpg

What a face!

Merked!

folan

he could keep going for a few years! far too good a keeper! One of the few Utd players over the past few seasons that i can honestly say i really respect!

Pro. F

A great keeper and I'm sad to see him go. He was my United player of the season gone and he he has been among the top level keepers in the world over the last few seasons. He was such a rounded player as well. Every aspect of the position he did excellently.

eagle eye wrote: »

I'm in no way saying anything bad about VDS here but I do think that Tim Howard was harshly treated. As things turned out VDS managed four or five years for United which meant things worked out fine but Howard has been excellent for Everton and has gotten better and better.

Who knows how things would have went for United if they had kept hold of him. They may not have been as successful but its hard to know. Vidic coming in made a huge difference to that defense as did Evra. All I'm saying is a lot of things improved in front of the keeper and maybe Howard would have been seen in a different light had he been there instead of VDS.

Again I'm not in any way saying that VDS wasn't brilliant in this time there. I'm not even saying with any certainty that Howard would have been up to it at United. Its just when you see how good he has been at Everton you just have to wonder.

Basically I don't think that Tim Howard deserves the title 'dud' keeper.

I think you are overrating Howard tbh. A decent keeper, but not in the top echelon. Him being at Everton and VDS being at United was definitely the proper order of things over the years.