Sir Alex in for Akinfeev

To be honest there is a slight similarity between the current Akinfeev and a very young Iker Cassilas. Its only been in the past 3 or 4 seasons that Cassilas has become more assured in his handling. He used to flap at literally everything and despite making great shot stops, almost nothing would stick. As he's matured he's improved that side of his game a lot.

That said, if he plays like he played against Besiktas (a team who actually put some pressure on the keeper, despite their striker being Nihat - a hobbit) he will get destroyed in the premier league. He's more suited to Spain, like Cassilas was when he was younger.
 
I like what i've seen from him in the 2 games. Very quick off his line and positive, good kicking off the deck, commands his area, and he has a cockiness about him that all the best keepers have.
 
gambit28 said:
Casillas?
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He's an impossibility to sign, especially the way Real are trying to sign everything that moves (building a team). Cesar/Buffon play for Italian clubs and even though they'd be hard to sign.. more of a chance than Casillas.

As for Buffon's injuries, he's 31.. still alot of life in him. We don't need a keeper who's lightning quick etc we need a calm experienced head, who's composed with his kicking, strong one v one and can deal with crosses.

Some teams suit having a crazy shot stopper and can get away with it, spanish teams in particular.. but United need the right one, it's imperative.

All the youngsters I've mentioned play for smaller clubs, so there is no guarantee they'd hack the unique pressure of keeping at United, playing for your country in the worlds biggest tournement is great preparation and a true test of your capabilities as a top-class keeper.
 
datura said:
I like what i've seen from him in the 2 games. Very quick off his line and positive, good kicking off the deck, commands his area, and he has a cockiness about him that all the best keepers have.
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Absolutely not.
 
Why, Buffon has been pretty loyal to Juve. Cassilas has said in the past the only club he would leave Madrid for is us as he would like to work with Sir Alex.
 
gambit28 said:
Why, Buffon has been pretty loyal to Juve. Cassilas has said in the past the only club he would leave Madrid for is us as he would like to work with Sir Alex.
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Real would act like us though. The only time they'd let him go would be on their terms, when he's past his best or being detrimental to the locker room wanting to leave all the time. Cant see that time coming for quite some time.
 
gambit28 said:
Why, Buffon has been pretty loyal to Juve. Cassilas has said in the past the only club he would leave Madrid for is us as he would like to work with Sir Alex.
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Well would you leave Madrid having been raised as a Madrista whilst they're trying to build such a project?

Italian football isn't the place to be at the moment, I'm sure we could tempt him.
 
Ekeke said:
To be honest there is a slight similarity between the current Akinfeev and a very young Iker Cassilas. Its only been in the past 3 or 4 seasons that Cassilas has become more assured in his handling. He used to flap at literally everything and despite making great shot stops, almost nothing would stick. As he's matured he's improved that side of his game a lot.

That said, if he plays like he played against Besiktas (a team who actually put some pressure on the keeper, despite their striker being Nihat - a hobbit) he will get destroyed in the premier league. He's more suited to Spain, like Cassilas was when he was younger.
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If your going to judge him off one game then your a bit of an idiot...Our very own number one currently has had the odd aerial mishap in the past and yet hes rated and rightly so as one of the best around....However if we were to judge him off of just those occasions hes made the odd mistake then using your logic hes not suited to the premier league either....Not to mention Pepe Reina whos had plenty of problems dealing with the crossed ball and yet still hes rated as one of the best around currently....is he not suited to the premier league either??

Hes 25 years old and the captian of both his club and country i believe....and rated around europe as one of the best emerging keepers on the block....lets just say hes done his case no harm with his 2 displays against us....
 
Allforone said:
If your going to judge him off one game then your a bit of an idiot...Our very own number one currently has had the odd airiel mishap in the past and yet hes rated and rightly so as one of the best around....However if we were to judge him off of just those occasions hes made the odd mistake then using your logic hes not suited to the premier league either....Not to mention Pepe Reina whos had plenty of problems dealing with the crossed ball and yet still hes rated as one of the best around currently....is he not suited to the premier league either??

Hes 25 years old and the captian of both his club and country i believe....and rated around europe as one of the best emerging keepers on the block....lets just say hes done his case no harm with his 2 displays against us....
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I've seen him play 6 times for CSKA. The only time I've seen him other than against us this season was against against Besiktas a few weeks ago at home where he was awful.

I could refer back to last season in the uefa cup against Villa when he was awful and let in an awful goal. But its more important to look at what he's doing right now, this season and seeing if he's improved. He hasnt really.

And he's done his case plenty of harm against us, even though we barely pressured him on his aerial and crossing weakness.

He made a poor effort with Valencia's winner against them at home and he made a huge error today sitting on his line, watching a guy head the ball in from a freekick in his own 6 yard box.

Someone posted here that he commands his area. He didnt even command his 6 yard box today let alone the rest of it.
 
Ekeke said:
Someone posted here that he commands his area. He didnt even command his 6 yard box today let alone the rest of it.
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From where I was sat he was communicating well with his defence, bollocking them , very quick off his lin etc, not passive at all, which is what I was referring to. You don't seem to rate him, fair enough.
 
Raees said:
Well would you leave Madrid having been raised as a Madrista whilst they're trying to build such a project?

Italian football isn't the place to be at the moment, I'm sure we could tempt him.
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do people not realize that he dropped a division to stay with juve when some of the other 'names' in that juve side were jumping like rats on a sinking ship.

if he stayed with them then (and willingly missed out on 2-3 years of CL football), why would he move now?
 
Was too quick to get rid of the ball which led to our 3rd goal today.

And I was led to believe his distribution was the key aspect of his game, balls were going out all the time from what I was seeing, one good ball that landed on one of their players foot though, that was good to watch.

I would of expected him to make all of the saves he made though, his save from the Owen header was good I guess.

There are not that many goalkeepers around at the minute, I really do like that one at Villareal at the minute though I can't remember his name but he is very good.
 
VoetbalWizard said:
do people not realize that he dropped a division to stay with juve when some of the other 'names' in that juve side were jumping like rats on a sinking ship.

if he stayed with them then (and willingly missed out on 2-3 years of CL football), why would he move now?
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I don't think it was a shortage of interest, I remember hearing something in one thread on here that he was the jewel in the crown of an otherwise aging side and that they slapped a huge price-tag on him.
 
Stobzilla said:
Was too quick to get rid of the ball which led to our 3rd goal today.

And I was led to believe his distribution was the key aspect of his game, balls were going out all the time from what I was seeing, one good ball that landed on one of their players foot though, that was good to watch.

I would of expected him to make all of the saves he made though, his save from the Owen header was good I guess.

There are not that many goalkeepers around at the minute, I really do like that one at Villareal at the minute though I can't remember his name but he is very good.
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Diego López.

I agree, he's quite good. Definitely one of the first choices if we're looking for established, experienced keepers.

As for the young prospects - Akinfeev is definitely talented, but there are quite a few flaws in his game that lead me to believe he'll struggle to adapt to the English game.
Hugo Lloris and René Adler impress me the most as all-round solid young goalkeepers.
 
Reading through this thread and seeing the pure hilarious opinions of some keepers makes me really thankful we have running the club.

The ages of the popular successors to Van Der Sar:

Akinfeev - 23 (With more experience, leadership, and potential than most keepers nearly done their career)
Lloris - 22
Adler - 24
Asenjo - 20

ALL YOUNGER THAN FOSTER... how can you even critique, critisize, or hell, even begin to write off these guys? It's embarassing to read some of these opinions; ANY of these 4 are potentially United quality, and I think Lloris and Akinfeev are already good enough to be our backstops.

We're also so concerned about leadership in the future, Akinfeev has been captian for club and country and has represented both with pride and determination, I can't think of any Keeper in the world NOT named Cassilas or Buffon that i'd have between the posts.
 
Ekeke said:
To be honest there is a slight similarity between the current Akinfeev and a very young Iker Cassilas. Its only been in the past 3 or 4 seasons that Cassilas has become more assured in his handling. He used to flap at literally everything and despite making great shot stops, almost nothing would stick. As he's matured he's improved that side of his game a lot.
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Sense.
 
Manchester United and Bayern Munich have taken a look at Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon with a view to making a move for him in the summer.

According to Tuttosport, both the German and English clubs are following the 'keeper with enthusiasm.

After Bayern lost to Bordeaux in the Champions League - a result that has put qualification in grave doubt - Uli Hoeness hinted at signing a new goalkeeper, fuelling speculation of a move for Buffon.

"[Hans-Joerg] Butt will continue until the end of the season, then we will buy a great 'keeper in the summer," Hoeness said.

Meanwhile, the Red Devils are looking for a replacement for aging No.1 Edwin van der Sar. Fiorentina's Sebastien Frey has also been linked with the Old Trafford outfit.

The Italian paper also suggests Juve would be keen to swap their custodian with Franck Ribery. Real Madrid and Barcelona are likely to have a say in the Frenchman's future.
 
Akinfeev, 23, delivered a stunning performance against Manchester United on Tuesday night as Leonid Slutski’s team emerged from Old Trafford with a 3-3 Champions League draw following Antonio Valencia’s deflected injury-time equaliser for the Premier League team.

CSKA officials admitted last month that they are fighting a losing battle to hold onto Akinfeev when the transfer window opens in January.


And United have been strongly linked with a move, with Akinfeev himself admitting following United’s 1-0 win in Moscow in October that he would relish a transfer to Old Trafford.

Ferguson is facing a crucial decision on the goalkeeping situation at United with first-choice Edwin van der Sar celebrating his 39th birthday last week.

Neither Ben Foster nor Tomasz Kuszczak have convinced while deputising for the Dutch veteran, but Ferguson insists that his confidence in the pair of them ensures he will not pursue a move for Akinfeev.

Ferguson said: "It is only rumour. We are not showing any interest in him (Akinfeev).

“We are happy with our goalkeeping situation at the moment and wouldn't be looking for another one.

“We wouldn’t be interested, but I have to say he is a fantastic goalkeeper.

“He is athletic, with a powerful build, and his distribution his good.

“He really saved CSKA from a big defeat against us. He made one very good save in the first half and four I think in the second half. He was outstanding.”

United travel to Chelsea on Sunday with Ryan Giggs, Dimitar Berbatov and Nemanja Vidic all set to return from injury at Stamford Bridge.

Captain Gary Neville will serve the second game of a domestic three-match ban, however, and Ferguson admits that the suspension is coming just as the 34 year-old appears to be returning to the form he displayed prior to his 18-month injury lay-off.

Ferguson said: “Against CSKA, Gary Neville was fantastic with his crosses.

“It was Gary Neville at his very peak. He was unbelievable and put in so many crosses. It was the sort of show that made you think of him at his absolute peak.”
 
VoetbalWizard said:
do people not realize that he dropped a division to stay with juve when some of the other 'names' in that juve side were jumping like rats on a sinking ship.

if he stayed with them then (and willingly missed out on 2-3 years of CL football), why would he move now?
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Because no-one actually made a concerted effort to sign him?

None of the big guns were on the market for a keeper, the situation has changed for us due to VDS' age.
 
Anderson Searl said:
Reading through this thread and seeing the pure hilarious opinions of some keepers makes me really thankful we have running the club.

The ages of the popular successors to Van Der Sar:

Akinfeev - 23 (With more experience, leadership, and potential than most keepers nearly done their career)
Lloris - 22
Adler - 24
Asenjo - 20

ALL YOUNGER THAN FOSTER... how can you even critique, critisize, or hell, even begin to write off these guys? It's embarassing to read some of these opinions; ANY of these 4 are potentially United quality, and I think Lloris and Akinfeev are already good enough to be our backstops.

We're also so concerned about leadership in the future, Akinfeev has been captian for club and country and has represented both with pride and determination, I can't think of any Keeper in the world NOT named Cassilas or Buffon that i'd have between the posts.
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don't get what you're trying to say?

I think all those youngsters have alot of potential, but none of them have featured for big clubs, hence why it would be a gamble to sign them at this current stage of their careers. Like I said, the world cup.. will provide a good measure of their respective capabilities. I'd rather sign a keeper whos the finished article than watch them develop..it's the one position where I prefer solidity/experience rather than flashy/youth etc
 
I suppose what most people are against when it comes to signing Akinfeev, is that they want someone who is clearly better than Foster and he isn't "clearly" better. He might be, but not by a long way.
 
I dont understand how there could be. On the one hand we have Akinfeev, the youngest ever capped russian, possibly the youngest captain of cska and the russian national side and a player whom if made available would spark a bidding war amoungst some of the worlds top clubs.

On the other hand you have ben foster who has only just arrived at a serious club, has a couple of england caps (when england have no good goalkeepers) and has largely spent his career in the lower devisions and despite being 3 or 4 years older has made less appearances and is therefor actually less experienced.

He looked great at watford he really did but United are a different proposition.
 
FlawlessThaw said:
I suppose what most people are against when it comes to signing Akinfeev, is that they want someone who is clearly better than Foster and he isn't "clearly" better. He might be, but not by a long way.
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On the one hand I agree, technically I don't think there's a big difference between the two.

BUT, and it's a big but (hence those nasty capital letters), mentally I think there is a huge difference.

Foster looked great at Watford, but he's struggled to cope with the pressure of playing for United and England, looking tentative and unsure of himself. He's still a great shot stopper, but when it comes to making those key decisions (coming for crosses, standing tall or throwing himself at the striker's feet etc.) he's looked very shaky. Furthermore he's never looked in command of his defence, something that is absolutely essential for a top keeper (look at Schmikes, VdS et al.).

Of course until he plays for us there's no way to be sure that Akinfeev can handle the pressure of playing for United. But the fact that he established himself for club and country at such a young age, becoming captain and playing in European Championships and the Champions' League is a good start. On that ground at least I think there is that gulf between the two, and a gulf that might well make Akinfeev worth a bid.
 
So Russia have other keepers do they? And who would this bidding war be between then? Nobody with an ounce of sense in England. Real and Barcelona dont seem to look at keepers. In Italy Juve have Buffon and Inter have Julio Cesar. Milan? Wait, you said top clubs.
 
FranklyVulgar said:
I dont understand how there could be. On the one hand we have Akinfeev, the youngest ever capped russian, possibly the youngest captain of cska and the russian national side and a player whom if made available would spark a bidding war amoungst some of the worlds top clubs.
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And we've been talking about leadership post-Neville/Giggs/Ferdinand and there wouldn't be much debate if this lad was with us... Why not have him grow in our system and develop with us rather than wait 5 years, and him grow in a different direction?

He's got experience at a young age, which for a keeper is unheard of... We shouldn't let this pass.

SecondFig said:
Of course until he plays for us there's no way to be sure that Akinfeev can handle the pressure of playing for United. But the fact that he established himself for club and country at such a young age, becoming captain and playing in European Championships and the Champions' League is a good start. On that ground at least I think there is that gulf between the two, and a gulf that might well make Akinfeev worth a bid.
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Well said, well worth the risk

Ekeke said:
So Russia have other keepers do they? And who would this bidding war be between then? Nobody with an ounce of sense in England. Real and Barcelona dont seem to look at keepers. In Italy Juve have Buffon and Inter have Julio Cesar. Milan? Wait, you said top clubs.
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... Huh?

You're actually proving the point
 
lloris against the dippers tonight ..
if he keeps them out..... fergie might smile
 
If this guy is seriously the best option out there then I'm putting my name forward. People keep getting swayed by his age, his international caps and the captaincy. None of that really matters as he's no better than a good goalie. As everyone here seems to be saying, United are a different proposition than most clubs out there. He'd be an absolute liability in England, IMO.
 
Anderson Searl said:
Is there a debate?
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Perhaps not, but he's shown to be just as flap happy and nervous as Foster. I know he is Russian and he has great leadership skills but for £20 million just isn't worth it. We're not looking for someone who is better than Foster, we're looking for someone who is head and shoulders above Foster. And there lies the debate.

The age debate is a bit irrelevant as all the keepers you mentioned before haven't reached their peak and that's where it all matters.
 
Brophs said:
If this guy is seriously the best option out there then I'm putting my name forward. People keep getting swayed by his age, his international caps and the captaincy. None of that really matters as he's no better than a good goalie. As everyone here seems to be saying, United are a different proposition than most clubs out there. He'd be an absolute liability in England, IMO.
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Curious, how much have you seen this lad play outside of the CL and the Euros?

FlawlessThaw said:
Perhaps not, but he's shown to be just as flap happy and nervous as Foster. I know he is Russian and he has great leadership skills but for £20 million just isn't worth it. We're not looking for someone who is better than Foster, we're looking for someone who is head and shoulders above Foster. And there lies the debate.

The age debate is a bit irrelevant as all the keepers you mentioned before haven't reached their peak and that's where it all matters.
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Fairplay, although I think the potential he posesses wil be accelerated WITH us rather than anywhere else.
 
Anderson Searl said:
Curious, how much have you seen this lad play outside of the CL and the Euros?
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Outside of those, maybe four or five times. But he's looked shaky in both the Euros and the CL, and that's the level we're at.
 
Seems to be a lot of people jumping on the Akinfeev bandwagon after last night but im guessing most of these havent seen very much of him. Sure he is a great shot stopper but is a complete disaster when it comes to coming for crosses or dominating his area which means I couldnt see him being a huge success in the premiership
 
Anderson Searl said:
... Huh?

You're actually proving the point
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I cant prove whats not there. If Akinfeev is available it wont spark a bidding war between top clubs because he's clearly not suited to playing in England and the other top clubs in europe have a keeper they are happy with. Someone either better than Akinfeev, or Victor Valdes who Barcelona clearly arent looking to upgrade on else they would have done years ago.

Now if he was suited to playing in England perhaps Arsenal and ourselves could be the bidding war. Although Arsenal dont do bidding wars... But no, a keeper who is scared to come and collect crosses under pressure and when he does, makes a hash of it, is not going to start a bidding war in England.

If the Spanish clubs were after goalkeepers, perhaps there would be a bidding war over there. But they are both settled in their goalkeeping position.
 
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