Radek Vitek has responded perfectly to a challenge set by his manager, as the Manchester United loanee shone during his side’s 4-2 victory.
Manchester United have been in the midst of a goalkeeping dilemma for quite some time now, with their recent fixtures in both the Premier League and the Carabao Cup highlighting their conundrum.
The Reds are currently rotating between Altay Bayindir and Andre Onana as they look to eradicate the mistakes and inconsistency that have often cost them success.
United have clearly been dissatisfied with their current options, as they have pursued a new shot-stopper for the vast majority of the summer. They have now secured Senne Lammens for a deadline day fee in the region of £18 million.
With Ruben Amorim’s side now looking set with their goalkeepers for another season, they will be sure to keep tabs on their loanee Radek Vitek, who is spending the campaign at Bristol City.
Vitek shines for Bristol City
During a 4-1 victory over Sheffield United last month, Vitek managed to impress his manager, Gerhard Struber, which led to the Robins’ manager setting his new goalkeeper a challenge.
The Czech shot-stopper produced several impressive saves throughout the course of the fixture, whilst also using his giant 6ft6in frame to claim multiple high balls.
As reported by Bristol Live, manager Struber was eager to emphasise the impressive debut of his new number one, saying, “He did a really good job, we can see his profile; he’s a highly talented player with a high potential profile.
“Of course, this is something special that he brings to the table, but it’s also important that we find the right consistency. He’s a young player; today he showed us a great performance, but now it’s the start, and this counts for every single player, consistency is, in the end, the driver for more.”
Since then, Vitek has produced several more impressive performances between the sticks at Ashton Gate and it seems like he’s responding to his manager’s challenge perfectly. He made a standout save during the 4-2 win over Hull City on the weekend.
Is Vitek a long-term option?
Clearly, it hasn’t taken long for the Robins to be impressed by their new goalkeeper, and hopefully for United, he is able to continue his fine form for the remainder of the campaign.
It seems slightly ironic that the Reds have struggled with their goalkeeping situation so far this season, while their young loanee shines in the second tier. However, this should hopefully be a problem of the past due to the addition of Lammens.
A positive for United to take from Gruber’s interview is the tall Czech’s ability to claim high crosses into the penalty area, which is an attribute that his current goalkeepers can’t seem to get to grips with.
There should be some positive times ahead for Amorim’s side, with their 21-year-old Czech and new 23-year-old Belgian both being ones to watch for the future.
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