Van's the man to replace great Dane - Fergie
Alex Ferguson believes he has finally got the right man to fill the massive void left by goalkeeping great Peter Schmeichel in Dutchman Edwin van der Sar.
Manchester United have been hit by a succession of goalkeeping problems ever since Schmeichel quit Old Trafford for Sporting Lisbon at the end of the 1999 treble-winning season.
While some potential replacements such as Fabien Barthez and Tim Howard have initially looked capable of doing the job then lost their way, others, like Massimo Taibi and Mark Bosnich, have been an unmitigated disaster.
Ferguson decided before the end of last season neither Howard nor Roy Carroll were up to the task of being United’s number one on a permanent basis.
And with Carroll departing for West Ham on a free transfer, he was quick to splash out £2m to take Van der Sar from Fulham.
“When you have had a great goalkeeper like Peter Schmeichel in your team it is inevitable there will be comparisons and you can’t get away from the name being mentioned,” Ferguson told the Manchester Evening News.
“We decided to combat that and to cope with it you had to go for experience and personality. That’s why we went down that route and got Edwin van der Sar.
“He has got experience in abundance. Captain of Holland, nearly 100 caps and a Champions League winner and great years with Ajax, plus Premiership experience with Fulham. It’s what we needed.”
Ferguson still feels Howard has the talent to eventually become first choice again, hence the contract extension he was handed at the back end of last term.
However, the American will be forced to watch and learn as second choice at the start of the campaign, with Van der Sar already earmarked to play in the opening-day Premiership trip to Everton on August 13.
The 34-year-old brings with him the experience of a career that has seen him excel for Ajax and Juventus, from where he joined Fulham in 2001.
Van der Sar spent four seasons at Craven Cottage, impressing Ferguson every time he saw him in action, not just in terms of his ability but also the communication aspect of the goalkeeping art.
Which is why the United boss is convinced his arrival will not just improve Howard, but also the entire Red Devils back four.
“He talks all the time during matches,” he said. “It was one of the things I noted about him whenever we played against him. He keeps everybody on their toes.
“Fabien Barthez talked a fair bit when he was here but it was mainly in French. That was okay for Laurent Blanc and Mikael Silvestre but Edwin communicating in English will be a major help for the defence.”
