When Victor Valdes first arrived at Old Trafford, there were quite a few bemused faces. Why was one of the great keepers of the modern age moving to a club where he’d be forced to play second fiddle? With the Spanish international team, he’s always been considered second best, why would he put up with the same situation at his next club?
Louis Van Gaal has tried to explain the situation as follows:
“When you are out for more than a year, first of all you have to show yourself at a lower level. He has to do it in the second team. Like Ashley Young is doing that, like Michael Carrick has to do that. It is always the same. I think it is normal.” (Source: The Metro)
In many respects Van Gaal is right. It’s worth pointing out, however, that Ashley Young and Michael Carrick’s competition to get back into the first team isn’t quite as impressive. Victor Valdes, on the other hand, has to jump ahead of David De Gea in the pecking order and he’s probably the best goalkeeper in the Premier League – more than that, he’s enjoying some of the best form of his career.
Of course, there’s one thing that does stand in Victor Valdes’ favour: David De Gea continues to pick up links to Real Madrid. With Iker Casillas’s career winding down, it wouldn’t surprise me if Carlo Ancelotti’s next big money signing was a goalkeeper. This could leave the door open for Victor Valdes to reassert himself.
In the meantime, however, he’ll just have to impress whenever he gets given a chance. With 20 caps for the Spanish international team and 535 appearances for Barcelona, Valdes certainly has the credentials. Now he just needs to prove that his long-term injury hasn’t slowed him down.
Let’s hope that he’s up to the challenge and that Louis Van Gaal is playing the situation right.
What’s your take? What does the future hold for Victor Valdes?
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