Starting this week, we at ManUnited.uk are starting a Reader’s Choice Worst XI in the club’s illustrious history. Let us start with the man between the sticks.
United have had some of the World’s best keeper’s prowling along the goaline. Peter Schmeichel, Alex Stepney, Edwin van der Sar and more recently David De Gea have been world beaters but United have had their fair share of unreliable ( I am being polite) number ones. Keep scrolling down and vote for your least favourite United keeper.
ROY CARROLL – 46 APPEARANCES
Oh Boy. Roy. Remember that game against Spurs where he dropped the ball over his shoulder and behind the line. Luckily for Carroll, the refs missed it and the ‘goal’ did not count. That is not the end of his gaffes. Let’s go back to a Champions League match at Old Trafford against Milan where a straightforward catch was spilled onto the path of Hernan Crespo who duly took advantage. He left at the end of the season.
RICARDO – 5 APPEARANCES
Ricardo made just one league appearance for Manchester United against Blackburn. His first touch saw him give away a penalty. Yes he did save the penalty but just a solitary league appearance in 3 years is poor.
FABIAN BARTHEZ – 92 APPEARANCES
Where do we start? On paper he is a World Champion, serial Championship winner and even has the Champions League medal to his name.
Barthez first season is remembered for his attempt to ‘psych out’ Di Canio. In an FA Cup tie, Di Canio beat the offside trap while Barthez stood with his arm up expecting the ref’s whistle or hoping Di Canio stopped. Well neither happened and Di Canio scored the only goal of the game. Remember the basics boys: Play to the whistle.
That was not the end of Barthez’s troubles. Unnecessary touches lead to unnecessary goals, most notable the two assists Barthez provided for Thierry Henry’s goal against United. Barthez once refused to stand in goal for a penalty resulting in him being booked.
THOMASZ KUSZCZAK – 32 APPEARANCES
Thomasz Kuszczak is the guy who had his name misspelled at the back of his shirt. That does not bode well for the Polish keeper. He was always third choice behind van der Sar and Foster. He wanted to be No.1 but could not even consolidate his position as No.2 when afforded the opportunity. And accusing Sir Alex of holding back his career did not go down well with the supporters.
MASSIMO TAIBI – 4 APPEARANCES
The Blind Venetian. Remember him flapping at a free kick against Liverpool that saw Sami Hyppia score. Let me tell you how he got the infamous name. Against Southampton, the weakest of shots from Matt Le Tissier somehow crept between his legs and agonisingly slowly over the goal line and thus the tale of the Blind Venetian was born. He was hammered for 5 goals by Chelsea in one of his four games. And this was actually pre-Abramovich as well.
Those are all of the nominees for the goalkeeper position. Vote for the one you think was the worst for United in the poll below.