1 - Victor Valdes

[Chucka]

If anything being a goalie in a team that has 60% + possesion is harder to do that a team who gets dominated, with us he can easily lose concentration after not doing anything for 60 mins then has to pull of a wonder save (which he does).

 

[diegomessi]

i cant imagine this team with any other keeper this summer i was in a bit of a panic when i thought he was leaving

 

[zanela]

Facing more percentage of the opposition means more pressure & vulnerability as one lapse in concentration could end up hurting ur team. I'd say remaining focused for 70% of the match time with little respite is a much harder thing to do than when faced for only 30.

 

[Esteve]

I remember quite a few people were making a fuss over signing that Asenjo (sp) lad. And as it turns out, he has been dodgy as this season.

 

[Jaumet]

like i always say, for a keeper Valdes sometimes has SWEET FUCK ALL to do, Casillas is always busy so it's easy to keep concentrated, Valdes sits in a deck chair with his finger up his ass for half the game, poor bugger.. The someone shoot from halfway, and he trips over the power cord that was connected to the portable air conditioner and eveyr says he is crapola

 

[Metaphysical]

the best keepers are those that can do nothing for ages and then bust out a great save when they have to (i.e. the best keepers who play for the best teams: zoff, yashin, buffon, etc.) any idiot can stand in goal and fly around making save after save. well okay not ANY idiot, but the fact that you see so many performances from plucky small teams where these no name keepers have miracle performances to keep out big teams kinda negates the idea that continuous shot-stopping is harder than sporadic shot-stopping. for example: david marshall at camp nou? timo hildebrand at camp nou? carlos kameni EVERY SINGLE TIME WE PLAY HIM? yet, when playing a game on even footing they look much less impressive.

when all you're doing is saving shots, that's all you have to think about, and it becomes that much easier.

that's why even average defenders turn into supermen when defending inside their own box. because they only have to focus on one thing. getting in the way of the ball.

great goalkeepers can do it all. stopping shots BUT ALSO commanding their area and helping the defence out by coming to collect balls. valdés is awesome at that. he's also got tremendous distribution and is great at coming off his line (two things which are essential for our style of play) when facing an attacker 1v1.

valdés is an exceptionally rounded keeper. he only weakness is the occasional erratic decision (and really, every keeper has these, except buffon pre-injury). I've said for years, vic makes no more mistakes than any other keeper, it's just he makes them HUGE. so when they happen, you remember them much more than, say, iker's screw-ups.

diego lopez is never, ever, better than valdés. honestly.

to be honest, valdés is the most complete and well-rounded spanish goalkeeper (he is superior to iker on 1v1's and on crosses).

but iker is a magician. you have to pick him because he can do things no other keeper in the world can do. guy performs miracles on a regular basis. he's a freak of nature (like tyson, whose boxing technique was all wrong but because he was mike freakin' tyson it worked).

 

[adil_909]

i'd rather have valdes in my goal than pepe reina. how reina and lopez get called up over valdes is a mystery to me

 

[Jaumet]

the best keepers are those that can do nothing for ages and then bust out a great save when they have to (i.e. the best keepers who play for the best teams: zoff, yashin, buffon, etc.) any idiot can stand in goal and fly around making save after save. well okay not ANY idiot, but the fact that you see so many performances from plucky small teams where these no name keepers have miracle performances to keep out big teams kinda negates the idea that continuous shot-stopping is harder than sporadic shot-stopping. for example: david marshall at camp nou? timo hildebrand at camp nou? carlos kameni EVERY SINGLE TIME WE PLAY HIM? yet, when playing a game on even footing they look much less impressive.

when all you're doing is saving shots, that's all you have to think about, and it becomes that much easier.

that's why even average defenders turn into supermen when defending inside their own box. because they only have to focus on one thing. getting in the way of the ball.

great goalkeepers can do it all. stopping shots BUT ALSO commanding their area and helping the defence out by coming to collect balls. valdés is awesome at that. he's also got tremendous distribution and is great at coming off his line (two things which are essential for our style of play) when facing an attacker 1v1.

valdés is an exceptionally rounded keeper. he only weakness is the occasional erratic decision (and really, every keeper has these, except buffon pre-injury). I've said for years, vic makes no more mistakes than any other keeper, it's just he makes them HUGE. so when they happen, you remember them much more than, say, iker's screw-ups.

diego lopez is never, ever, better than valdés. honestly.

to be honest, valdés is the most complete and well-rounded spanish goalkeeper (he is superior to iker on 1v1's and on crosses).

but iker is a magician. you have to pick him because he can do things no other keeper in the world can do. guy performs miracles on a regular basis. he's a freak of nature (like tyson, whose boxing technique was all wrong but because he was mike freakin' tyson it worked).

OH gee whizz, i agree totally.. that's what i said.. you just said in more eloquently... He is FANTASTIC at 1 on 1s, technically, always gets his legs in the way, rather than just falling underneath...

 

[Valon]

Valdes is awesome

 

[Metaphysical]

i'd rather have valdes in my goal than pepe reina. how reina and lopez get called up over valdes is a mystery to me

I dunno about lopez, but reina seems like a total mentalist and must be really good for squad morale. plus his stats are utterly OBSCENE because of liverpool's years of defensive play. he was so well protected it made his job easier.

OH gee whizz, i agree totally.. that's what i said.. you just said in more eloquently... He is FANTASTIC at 1 on 1s, technically, always gets his legs in the way, rather than just falling underneath...

yeah, tbh I didn't read the last few posts.

I like your description of a vic error.

but yeah, vic is awesome.

 

[zanela]

great goalkeepers can do it all. stopping shots BUT ALSO commanding their area and helping the defence out by coming to collect balls. valdés is awesome at that. he's also got tremendous distribution and is great at coming off his line (two things which are essential for our style of play) when facing an attacker 1v1.

Except he distributes them to the opposition players. Sorry, but he has never been "tremendous" at ball distribution.

diego lopez is never, ever, better than valdés. honestly.

Wrong. Lopez was arguably the best keeper in Spain only last season. Valdes did win the Zamora but we all know why he did. Tbh, if it wasn't for his Catalan origin, he wouldn't been given so much time to improve and probably be plying his trade elsewhere. He has gotten better no doubt, but he is still prone to huge f*cks up unlike Lopez.
Lopez is excellent. A very underrated keeper if i may add. He deserves his place in the NT. Although, Valdes deserves it too. The one who doesn't is the overrated Reina.

 

[Metaphysical]

Except he distributes them to the opposition players. Sorry, but he has never been "tremendous" at ball distribution.

watch how he quickly gets the ball out of his hands. he's always looking to move the ball out asap. occasionally our defenders put him under too much pressure, trying to play passing moves with him. considering how often that happens, the odd misplaced pass is to be expected.

Wrong. Lopez was arguably the best keeper in Spain only last season. Valdes did win the Zamora but we all know why he did. Tbh, if it wasn't for his Catalan origin, he wouldn't been given so much time to improve and probably be plying his trade elsewhere. He has gotten better no doubt, but he is still prone to huge f*cks up unlike Lopez.
Lopez is excellent. A very underrated keeper if i may add. He deserves his place in the NT. Although, Valdes deserves it too. The one who doesn't is the overrated Reina.

right.

so when valdés wins the zamora it's because of our outfield.

and when lopez does well it has nothing to do with senna being a demon, or gonzalo and godin playing brilliant?

of course, that makes perfect sense!

I suppose it was someone other than lopez who let in goal after goal earlier this season? when was the last time villarreal kept a clean-sheet? this sounds an awful lot like the shay given debate, to be honest.

I mean, if he's so good how did he let a CR shot beat him at the near-post? if he's so good why did he stand there stock-still while pedro steadied himself and blasted that shot home in the camp nou? he should have been right in his face smothering the chance. and that's just two examples right off the top of my head.

if he's so good why is he still at villarreal? why have none of the top PL teams, two of which desperately need a young goalie, moved for him?

and considering valdés' brilliant consistency and iker's excellence in real's charge up the table you'd be hard-pressed to argue diego was anything more than 3rd best last season.

 

[zanela]

watch how he quickly gets the ball out of his hands. he's always looking to move the ball out asap. occasionally our defenders put him under too much pressure, trying to play passing moves with him. considering how often that happens, the odd misplaced pass is to be expected.

An example here at @4:02 where he is really not under much pressure, dwells on the ball a bit too long and then misplaces a pass.

so when valdés wins the zamora it's because of our outfield.

Last season.Yes. Only those with blaugrana tinted glasses 'll say it otherwise. I didn't see any legendary goal keeping, what i did see was Valdes being hardly challenged due to minimal ball possession by the opposition.

and when lopez does well it has nothing to do with senna being a demon, or gonzalo and godin playing brilliant?

Never said that. Just saying he is a better keeper.

I suppose it was someone other than lopez who let in goal after goal earlier this season?

And, you think Valdes would've done better for them? How gr8 was Valdes in the 2007-08 season?

when was the last time villarreal kept a clean-sheet?

Against Racing last month. Anything else you like to know?

I mean, if he's so good how did he let a CR shot beat him at the near-post? if he's so good why did he stand there stock-still while pedro steadied himself and blasted that shot home in the camp nou? he should have been right in his face smothering the chance. and that's just two examples right off the top of my head.

I never said he is the best out there, did i? Every goalie make mistakes and Lopez is no diff. He just doesn't 've brain farts like Valdes which makes him a bit more reliable than the latter.

if he's so good why is he still at villarreal? why have none of the top PL teams, two of which desperately need a young goalie, moved for him?

You brought up the same argument against Kjaer...The good ones don't necessarily always 've to play for the Top clubs, u know. It's like saying if Villa is so good why is he still at Valencia?...There are so many factors that can stop a player transfer. Doesn't 've to reflect a footballer's ability. As for Lopez, he is still young(28y.o) for a goalie and his period at Villareal has been quite successful so far. He did attract a lot of interest last summer from the EPL clubs, esp Man Utd. I wouldn't be surprised if he did end up there.

and considering valdés' brilliant consistency and iker's excellence in real's charge up the table you'd be hard-pressed to argue diego was anything more than 3rd best last season.

Iker didn't 've the best start and was awful during the last few weeks. Lopez was more consistent.

 

[Valon]

Lopez is a great keeper but never better than Valdes. At least not now. He might have been better but Valdes is better now. End of.

 

[Metaphysical]

An example here at @4:02 where he is really not under much pressure, dwells on the ball a bit too long and then misplaces a pass.

I refer you to yourself:

I never said he is the best out there, did i? Every goalie make mistakes and Lopez is no diff.

Last season.Yes. Only those with blaugrana tinted glasses 'll say it otherwise. I didn't see any legendary goal keeping, what i did see was Valdes being hardly challenged due to minimal ball possession by the opposition.

[...]

Never said that. Just saying he is a better keeper.

you obviously equate flailing around like a carp with legendary goalkeeping.

so that shows what you know.

And, you think Valdes would've done better for them? How gr8 was Valdes in the 2007-08 season?

he may well have done, valdés is very underrated as a goalkeeper.

You brought up the same argument against Kjaer...The good ones don't necessarily always 've to play for the Top clubs, u know. It's like saying if Villa is so good why is he still at Valencia?...There are so many factors that can stop a player transfer. Doesn't 've to reflect a footballer's ability.

it isn't like that at all. did you even think before you typed that?

the reason villa is still at valencia is because until now villa has rejected any move abroad, and valencia stupidly rejected two mammoth bids from barcelona and real madrid. it has nothing to do with his quality. good lord.

villarreal had their best season so far (finishing second) in 07/08, but lopez wasn't the first-choice goalkeeper for the start of that, vieira was. lopez took the first-choice slot eventually but only had 20 apps in the whole season.

but in 08/09 when lopez was undisputed first-choice they finished 5th.

funny, that.

anyway, he IS a good goalkeeper.

but as good as valdés?

no.

nothing he's achieved or done proves that.

and valdés is an intensely underrated keeper by the masses, of which you are apparently a part. it's a shame you can't see how good or important he is. but ah well.

As for Lopez, he is still young(28y.o) for a goalie and his period at Villareal has been quite successful so far. He did attract a lot of interest last summer from the EPL clubs, esp Man Utd. I wouldn't be surprised if he did end up there.

and yet ferguson preferred to go with ben foster and tomasz kuszack...

Iker didn't 've the best start and was awful during the last few weeks. Lopez was more consistent.

true I suppose, but there's also palop, who was excellent and finished second in the zamora to valdés. or was that down to his excellent defence as well?