The idea about Vitor Baia by some people is not fair.
Vitor Baía was, indeed, a great goalkeeper in Barcelona. Do I have to remember that in the 1996/1997 season he was considered the best goalkeeper and the best foreigner player of the spanish championship? His first season in Barcelona was a very good season, and if Vitor Baía didn't stay more time in Barcelona was because of his long injury and because him and Van Gaal had personal problems.
Vitor Baía is much, much better goalkeeper than Vitor Valdés. The spanish GK is not even at the same level that Baía. If Bobby Robson had continued in Barcelona, and Baía didn't have the personal problems with Gaal, Baía would stay for a very long time in Barcelona, no doubt about that.
Think about all the goalkeeper that were great, but in Barcelona they were (supposly) not so good. Even Zubizarreta left Barcelona under a big wave of criticism. In the last 2 seasons of Zubizarreta in Barcelona, he was criticised all the time. And what about other positions? Kluivert, Fernando Couto, Ronald De Boer, Frank De Boer, Davids... all great players that, for some Barcelona fans, they weren't so great. But only while playing in Barcelona.
I think that the problem is that Barcelona fans create too much expectation for some players. And when they fail, even for just one time, they react straight away. Players are human, just like everybody else, they also make mistakes. For some reason Baía was 2 times the best goalkeeper in the world... and in a club that is not a giant of Europe. A player must be actually great to win such awards in a club that is not as rich as Real Madrid or Barcelona. And Baía did it twice. Think about it.
