Rio would be great but what about a keeper?

[Raoul]

Originally posted by Elfie:
<strong>

His first year wasn't average at all, he had the best defence of the premiership in 2000-2001. I'm not the only one to think that, remember that he was voted best United player of the year by Redcafe's members, and by some papers .You have a short memory, and you used to praise him at the time.

And Fab has an absolute passion for the game, it's his trademark. He has said that the only thing that can console him of losing the WC is to win games again.</strong><hr></blockquote>

That was because of Stam. Take Jaap away and we go from conceding 31 in 2000 to 45 last year (same as 99 when Bosnich was in goal). I just don't see the benefit of having Barthez anymore. Its hard for players to repeatedly motivate themselves every year when they've already been at the pinnacle of their sport. I say we need someone who is a solid all around keeper, and not just a shot stopper who likes to entertain.

 

[Amir]

Originally posted by Raoul:
<strong>

That was because of Stam. Take Jaap away and we go from conceding 31 in 2000 to 45 last year (same as 99 when Bosnich was in goal).</strong><hr></blockquote>

Jaap did not play from late August to early January, by the time we pretty much clinched the title. Also, Barthez didn't even concede 31, as he didn't play all of the matches.

Jesus Raoul, I agree wholeheartedly that Barthez was damn near disastrous on ocassions last season, but he was superb in 2000/1.

 

[Raoul]

For me its about confidence. I've lost confidence in him. His mistakes last year were far worse than anything Taibi ever did. If it happened once or twice then fine, but it happened on several occasions during big matches.

 

[Amir]

Originally posted by Raoul:
<strong>For me its about confidence. I've lost confidence in him. His mistakes last year were far worse than anything Taibi ever did. If it happened once or twice then fine, but it happened on several occasions during big matches.</strong><hr></blockquote>

I share your feeling, but I still believe he is a top class goalkeeper and our back line rebuilding should include him.

 

[Red Pat]

Not for me but could we sell him?

 

[fortyseven]

Originally posted by Raoul:
<strong>

Its hard for players to repeatedly motivate themselves every year when they've already been at the pinnacle of their sport. </strong><hr></blockquote>

I'm inclined to agree.

Now, who do we still have left of that 1999 treble winning squad? Neville, Butt, Scholes, Beckham, Keane, Giggs, Solskjaer. Of course! Let's get rid of that load of unmotivated tossers, and maybe we can once again become a force to be reckoned with.

 

[kemo]

Give me Rustu any day. He would really keep Barthez on his toes and would be good backup especially because of Barthez's ever injured back.......

About Rio.ToHEL WITH HIM <img src="graemlins/devil.gif" border="0" alt="[Devil]" />

NESTA TUDOR
NESTA TUDOR
NESTA TUDOR
NESTA TUDOR
NESTA TUDOR
NESTA TUDOR
NESTA TUDOR
NESTA TUDOR
NESTA TUDOR

 

[RangerKeeper]

I think we are forgetting a certain Blackburn goalkeeper, and that Yankee is class. Sign Freidel! He was huge all tourni (and more importantly all season) long. Just a thought. -Ben

 

[Raoul]

Originally posted by fortyseven:
<strong>

I'm inclined to agree.

Now, who do we still have left of that 1999 treble winning squad? Neville, Butt, Scholes, Beckham, Keane, Giggs, Solskjaer. Of course! Let's get rid of that load of unmotivated tossers, and maybe we can once again become a force to be reckoned with.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Apples and Oranges.
So which one of Beckham, Giggs, Keane, Solskjaer, Neville, or Butt have won the World Cup and Euro 2000 ? Barthez has won it all and then some. His school boy cock ups aside, I question his passion and desire to succeed at this stage of this career.

 

[Elfie]

Originally posted by Raoul:
<strong>

And not just a shot stopper who likes to entertain.</strong><hr></blockquote>


He doesn't like to entertain, he would do that if he played with no public. That's his style. Also, he's not only a good shot stopper. If you look at the goals we score, some come from his clearances and he's able to deliver decisive passes to strikers. Shame that during the Euro Trezeguet couldn't score although he had given to him wonderful balls.

As for the season 2000-2001, I remember an interview given by Stam where he praised Fab and said, after a game in Greece, that he was ashamed to let Fab stop so many goals...It's dishonest to say he did not concede many goals because of Stam. People are not that stupid. They wouldn't have voted for him if Stam had done all the job.

Barthez, for various reasons, wasn't well in his head last autumn. Ferguson has said to a French paper that he had helped him to put the things that disturbed him in a part of his brain and it wouldn't be honest not to recognize he did well since December.

He'll do better this year, I'm convinced of that.It was the first time of his whole career he made so many errors.

His errors look awful but sometimes it's just a question of 1 second. On two occasions he slipped.

 

[Elfie]

Originally posted by Raoul:
<strong>

I question his passion and desire to succeed at this stage of this career.</strong><hr></blockquote>


Frankly you don't know him well. Football is his passion, his life. And after a year without trophey he'll come back with hunger, believe me.

 

[Raoul]

Elfie, I brought up the bit about entertaining, because I saw a tv interview in which Fab basically described himself as an entertainer on the pitch. He said he wouldn't want to play if he couldn't entertain. That strikes me as a bit scary from a football perspective, especially after his mistakes last year.

 

[Elfie]

Originally posted by Raoul:
<strong>Elfie, I brought up the bit about entertaining, because I saw a tv interview in which Fab basically described himself as an entertainer on the pitch. He said he wouldn't want to play if he couldn't entertain. That strikes me as a bit scary from a football perspective, especially after his mistakes last year.</strong><hr></blockquote>

No, he has always said that he doesn't care about being an entertainer, that his "tricks" were a necessity. He has adopted a very low profile in the media he's not really the man who wants to be seen.