What United have been looking for. (Fabien Barthez)

Member Name: paul_dennis

Product:	Fabien Barthez
Date:	01/01/01 (29 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great keeper, World Class International. Very good kicker of the ball

Disadvantages: None

He is nowhere near as good as Peter Schmeichel was when he played for Manchester United, but is one of the best goalkeepers in Europe. Despite being quite a small person, he can dive very far to his left and right, and jump very high. I think after the goalkeeping crisis that Man Utd had before he arrived, they would have been pleased to have had a keeper anywhere near his ability. He signed for the best team in the world from Monaco last year, for £7.8 million. He is worth every penny of that money. I don’t think he is as good as Edwin Van der Sar or Francesco Toldo, both stars in Euro 2000, however, Fabien was part of the side that won this tournament!

His kicking is superb. He can kick way past the half way line on a drop kick, and can quickly get the team on an attack on a goal kick. I think he has been behind World Class defences, (not so much the defence of Monaco) for example, France, have a defence of Lizarazu, Blanc, Desailly and Thuram, who all play for Top Class clubs in Europe. Irwin, Stam, Silvestre and Neville of Man Utd, All world class internationals. He has got a good clean sheet record at Manchester United and I’m sure he will have his first Premiership winners medal by the end of this season.

Summary: