Prior to the signing of Simon Mignolet, Liverpool were linked with a move for outgoing Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes, who is leaving the Nou Camp this summer, and although the Belgian is currently LFC's undisputed number one, it appears that Brendan Rodgers may not be convinced that Mignolet is the long-term solution for the club.
Last year, The Mirror, claimed that Brendan Rodgers was planning a summer move for Valdes, and that Barca would listen to offers 'of around £16m'.
Valdes decided to stay at Barca, but according to Spanish newspaper Sport today:
* LFC are currently negotiating with Barca over a possible summer move for Valdes.
* In 'recent days', the Reds have made a new offer for the Spanish stopper.
* LFC's scouts watched Valdes in action during Barca's recent 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad.
Valdes is definitely leaving the Nou Camp, and Barca boss Gerardo Martino confirmed this in September, when he told ESPN:
“He [Valdes] is in exceptional form, but there’s no chance of him renewing his contract.”
Signing Valdes would certainly shake things up at Anfield, and his arrival would inevitably threaten Mignolet's position as LFC's number one goalkeeper. After all, the Spaniard is one of the most experienced elite 'keepers in the world, and he's won 19 trophies in the last 11 years. Mignolet is a comparative pauper.
This news comes as no real surprise, though. Mignolet's form is arguably erratic, and he's made several crucial mistakes this season, which have cost the Reds points. Additionally, LFC's goals conceded ratio has not really improved:
* After 26 league games last season, Pepe Reina had conceded 34 goals.
* This season, Mignolet has conceded 32 goals.
* Only 6 more 'keepers in the Prem have conceded more than Mignolet.
Brendan Rodgers probably expected a more pronounced positive impact, but but the stats don't lie; the plain fact is that Mignolet is barely more solid than Reina. Yes, he's also saved the Reds a few points this season, but he doesn't seem to be able to maintain the kind of form required of a Champions league club.
If this story is true, and Rodgers is genuinely trying to bring-in Valdes, I don't see how this can be anything other than a vote of no-confidence in Mignolet. You don't bring in one of the world's most high-profile, decorated goalkeepers to sit on the bench, and I sincerely doubt Valdes plans to spend the next stage of his career playing a vastly-reduced number of games.
If Liverpool qualify for the Champions League, signing Valdes - who is available for free this summer - would be a massive statement of intent, but it could also be the first nail in Mignolet's Anfield coffin.
Is Valdes the better option?
Jaimie Kanwar
Last year, The Mirror, claimed that Brendan Rodgers was planning a summer move for Valdes, and that Barca would listen to offers 'of around £16m'.
Valdes decided to stay at Barca, but according to Spanish newspaper Sport today:
* LFC are currently negotiating with Barca over a possible summer move for Valdes.
* In 'recent days', the Reds have made a new offer for the Spanish stopper.
* LFC's scouts watched Valdes in action during Barca's recent 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad.
Valdes is definitely leaving the Nou Camp, and Barca boss Gerardo Martino confirmed this in September, when he told ESPN:
“He [Valdes] is in exceptional form, but there’s no chance of him renewing his contract.”
Signing Valdes would certainly shake things up at Anfield, and his arrival would inevitably threaten Mignolet's position as LFC's number one goalkeeper. After all, the Spaniard is one of the most experienced elite 'keepers in the world, and he's won 19 trophies in the last 11 years. Mignolet is a comparative pauper.
This news comes as no real surprise, though. Mignolet's form is arguably erratic, and he's made several crucial mistakes this season, which have cost the Reds points. Additionally, LFC's goals conceded ratio has not really improved:
* After 26 league games last season, Pepe Reina had conceded 34 goals.
* This season, Mignolet has conceded 32 goals.
* Only 6 more 'keepers in the Prem have conceded more than Mignolet.
Brendan Rodgers probably expected a more pronounced positive impact, but but the stats don't lie; the plain fact is that Mignolet is barely more solid than Reina. Yes, he's also saved the Reds a few points this season, but he doesn't seem to be able to maintain the kind of form required of a Champions league club.
If this story is true, and Rodgers is genuinely trying to bring-in Valdes, I don't see how this can be anything other than a vote of no-confidence in Mignolet. You don't bring in one of the world's most high-profile, decorated goalkeepers to sit on the bench, and I sincerely doubt Valdes plans to spend the next stage of his career playing a vastly-reduced number of games.
If Liverpool qualify for the Champions League, signing Valdes - who is available for free this summer - would be a massive statement of intent, but it could also be the first nail in Mignolet's Anfield coffin.
Is Valdes the better option?
polls
Jaimie Kanwar
I don't like getting players on the way down, do you?
ReplyDeleteNot really. I'm also of the belief that we will never win anything with Mignolet. Some of his errors are unforgivable. His inability to come for the ball and poor distribution. I'm glad a replacement is being looked for.
ReplyDeleteMaybe a better conclusion is the defense is costing the goals...not the GK. Anyway...that's what the consistent numbers against 2 different keepers across two seasons tells me. SM has made some amazing stops. Our defense had made some world class errors.
ReplyDeleteno thanks a waste of money
ReplyDeleteWhy buy the mistakes king and one whose carrer is closer to the end than the begining if you think your goalkeeper is not good enough ?
ReplyDeletehe's worse in the air than Mignolet... why buy him for that amount when you could do better, and to be fair when you see our defense he's not the only one to blame.
Would not be surprise if the "news" saying that we are after him is just his agent trying to get some money, the "sources" seems really obscure too.
Reina is better than Valdes.
ReplyDeleteAnd Mignolet has been better than Reina was over the last couple of years. Even with the errors he's made recently.
Maybe he's veiwed as mentor for Simon for 2yrs, as his weakest attribute is distribution. Pepe probably won't stay either way, prob feels we shown no respect to him. But hey, Pepe did the same to us in the past, with him say I'll be off if I get a better offer. Pepe prob would be a good mentor, but had his fingers burnt, don't think he'll hang around.
ReplyDeleteNooooooo. Valdes is, and indeed always was, a poor keeper. He jus had the benefit of playing behind a team so incredibly adept at keeping the ball, in what is essentially been a one team league. Quite frankly, I could have kept goal for that Barca team. Medal count means very little in assessing a player's individual ability, as Djimi Traore and John O'Shea could attest to, to name but a few. Shay Given, for 10 years, was a genuinely world class goalkeeper who's never won a single medal. Truth is, even with recent mistakes, Mignolet, in his current room to improve status, is a better keeper then Valdes ever was.
ReplyDeleteReally! this is the best the papers can come up with... Reina's is he isn't he b#ll#x and seeing as he is from LFC then why not make up another load of nonsense re Valdes.. The don't even pretend to try and write genuine stories... Boring!!!!
ReplyDeletetotally agree there,, Sloppy defending is leaving Mignolet exposed too often, and those who like the old band wagon don't have an individual thought in their empty little heads...
ReplyDeletevery rarely did he ever get challenged at Barca or Spain for that matter,, wait and see how good he really is at his new club... honestly I believe we should let that one go...
ReplyDeleteI would be happy if BR really did have an intention to strengthen the GK position. Not sure Valdez is the answer but I am sure Mignolet needs competition.
ReplyDeleteSo what about the countless times Mignolet has saved us? Which incidentally are far more than he has ever let us down. There is no such thing as a faultless keeper anywhere in world football. Without his saves this season we would be no where near the top 4.
ReplyDeleteBuy him? His contract is ending it would be a free transfer. I don't think barca would sell if this wasn't the case.
ReplyDeleteI nearly piss my pants any time the ball goes back to mignolet's feet... he has no idea about distribution and cost us points against man city that negredo goal was a gaff he palmed the ball into his own net... we could be even higher up the table with frankly a better player
pepe will be here .he know's well lfc.
ReplyDeleteReplace Mignolet with Valdes? Ha Ha!
ReplyDeleteMignolet is a top keeper. Our defence has been up and down this season. If it was not for Mignolet we would have conceded many more, FACT!
Valdez will be free n that's a steal fr a keeper of his standard. With his xp n firm hands ,Mkgnolet will gets to learn from 1 of the best keeper in world...Mignolet is still young n having Valdez in team will makes him a better n maybe becomes 1 of the best in foresee future..... YNWA.
ReplyDeleteLike Julio Cesar at QPR all over again. Let him cash in in Qatar or Monaco or something. Average keeper who would not survive in the PL.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the difference between Valdes and Reina?
ReplyDeleteSo it's nothing to do with the countless errors out defence has been making this season that has let us down. I agree that there has been some errors by Mignolet but I for one have not seen him beat at his near post something that Reina was prone to and Reina was also prone to make more mistakes. No keeper should ever be beat at their near post unless it was a worldy of a shot
ReplyDeleteHahaha Valdes i watch a few of Barca games and i don't think he is much better than Reina .Valdes too has had his fair share of madness Barcelona's game against Valencia springs to mind.He is made to look even better because Barcelona have been so good in the last 5 years.So in my opinion a resounding no.Lopez has been a better goalkeeper than Casillas/Reina/Valdes for a while now.
ReplyDeletePeople are being blinkered by the fact that Valdes played for an extremely good Barcelona team for years now and won a lot of trophies with a team that hardly ever lost possession. Watch Valdes in his new club and see how much he flaps at crosses and costs goals
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed by the criticism of valdes on here. He's been brilliant for barca over the last few years.
ReplyDeleteCoutouis is the best gk in Europe
ReplyDeleteThis season our defence has been varying between unstable and comical so its no surprise that mingolet has conceded more goals than Reina.
ReplyDeleteWe've been unlucky with CB injuries, and we need new full backs for both sides. I do not hold mingolet responsible.
Valdes was rubbish last night
ReplyDeleteAnyone who played without a goalkeeper would concede many more goals, that is a FACT. Whether we'd concede more or less with another keeper can only be an opinion. :-) All goalies make mistakes and Mig does make some good reaction saves but his distribution is sometimes slow and sometimes poor
ReplyDeleteOur defence is krap, not Mignolet,hes superb.
ReplyDeleteMignolet is fairly solid and still only 25 it's the defence that needs changing
ReplyDeleteStory makes zero sense. He is a free agent in the summer. No need to negotiate with Barcelona.
ReplyDeleteThis blog used to be miles ahead of everybody else when it comes to facts. But for the last fee weeks I have noticed a lot of stuff, that is unworthy of its former standards.
All with time. From Reina to Mignolet was the right step for us. A keeper who is playing at the same level if not better than Reina was, and is 5 or 6 years younger is a good thing. He will grow with us and become a Great keeper not just the very good he is today. By the time he's Reina's age he "should be a much better keeper. That is good for us. The whole team is growi together happy years ahead. YNWA
ReplyDelete