Two months ago I used to dream of a day when Victor Valdes would really keep a clean sheet. Now Valdes have kept a clean sheets for three successive matches that too against the likes of Sevilla, Valencia and Real Madrid. This would have given Victor Valdes some breathing space and a temporary stoppage from being ridiculed as the biggest blunder of FC Barcelona. Victor Valdes have played an essential part in the 2-0 victory against Real Madrid. In many fans' opinion including mine, he was deservingly the "Man of The Match" in the "El Classico". Now that's another surprise isn't it? Who would have thought that in an "El Classico" edition the Goal Keepers would come out on top? Victor Valdes at this moment may be in a very much confused state; that too without sipping a single shot of Tequilla. Then, you can't blame him for that. Suddenly the world especially Barca fans have started to see the brightest side of him. Everyone is throwing praise at him from all sides. Do he really deserve this? His performance against Real Madrid was outstanding. If we have conceded the goal early then the outcome of the match could have been different. But then if you look at Valdes career he has been like this from the age he have started his first division career. Goal Keeper's can be categorized into five types - Legends, Great, Good, Average and 'Oh My God! How the hell is still there?' types. The Legendary ones are the likes of Yashin, Banks etc. Kahn, Buffon, Cassilas, Chilavert, Lehman, Cech all should fall in the Great list. Valdes is the Good type of Goal Keeper - by 'Good' I meant that he will be good for the majority of the match but still is bound to make a couple of blunders. These mistakes in most of the time would unharmful and sometimes could be really harming; and at that point they need the defense to come to their rescue. That was precisely Valdes biggest problem. Valdes have covered the defense many times but you cannot say the same for Barcelona defense. Each time Valdes made a mistake, the Barca defense failed to cover him up. That gives the mistake an unimaginable proportion and you can also say that whenever Valdes makes the smallest of mistake he is sure to have conceded a goal. Ok, these mistakes don't cover his certain blunders like throwing the ball in the path of players like Villa and Torres.
The problem for Valdes is that he is a part of a big club, big interms of both achievement and history. A club who can afford the best in the business and that makes Valdes life very difficult. Unjustified comparision with Buffon and Casillas are being drawn out at every juncture. FC Barcelona fans were crying for a better replacement for him not so long ago. But these fans never look into the reality of the situation. Chelsea is not goint to let Cech leave; even in the worst times Juventus held onto Buffon dearly and Cassilas moving out of Madrid and that too to Barca will happen when Armaegadon arrives; Van Der Saar will remain in ManU for rest of his career. Now with whatever options available I believe Valdes is the best option available. He is the best probably better than Casillas when it comes to one-on-one sittuation. I read an article in Goal.com saying that Drenthe did a charity by hitting the ball straight at him; tha's ridiculous. Valdes have done this many times before. If Henry was so frustrated after the Champions League final of 2006, it was because of Valdes. Henry had two great chance to put the match beyond Barca's grip but both the times he ran into Valdes. There were some stupid reasons given at that time also that Henry was tired as Arsenal was playing with 10 men. But no one remembers Valdes' contribution everyone remembers Belleti's winning goal and Eto's equaliser.
Then Goal Keeping has been the most unthankful job in the soccer proffession. After a great season with two major trophies the football Journalist fraternity never thought it is good to have Casillas in the top three of Ballon D'Or. The purpose of this article is not to project Valdes as a great keeper, simply because he is not. But he is the best at this moment we can have. It will do him a world of good if the fans accept the fact that he is bound to make some mistake in a couple of matches. It will also do him a world of good if he don't get carried away by the sudden praise, as I am pretty sure he will be commiting some silly mistakes pretty soon. Hoping heavily that the defense cover him up on his mistakes; I am stopping this article with only one prayer - "Valdes, don't throw the ball straight to the likes of Villa, Torres etc. If you do You will be screwed buddy".
