Radek Vitek’s loan spell has been of extreme interest to Manchester United as he has played extremely well, but his stock might just have improved without playing now.
The momentum of Radek Vitek’s loan spell came to a screeching halt recently as the goalkeeper picked up a serious knee injury.
It is expected to keep him out of action until February, even though Man Utd decided it would be best for him to recover at his loan club instead of returning.
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That decision might pay off, because his stock at United and Bristol City has just improved despite being out of action due to injury.
Radek Vitek’s absence is haunting Bristol City
Vitek has been so good at Bristol City that it is often forgotten how his signing was just an emergency measure taken by the club.
Their first-choice goalkeeper, Max O’Leary, had started the campaign out injured, so Vitek was expected to deputise for him for a month or two before making way for O’Leary.
However, Vitek was immense in the minutes he played, resulting in him winning over first-choice goalkeeping duties from O’Leary.
Vitek’s injury opened the door for O’Leary to again make an argument for him to do to Vitek what he did to him when he was out injured.
However, if anything, Bristol City’s performances since the towering Man Utd loanee got injured are only serving to heighten his importance to the team.
After starting off well against Middlesbrough and West Brom, O’Leary had a poor game as Bristol City crashed to a 2-1 defeat at Millwall.
O’Leary finished the game as the lowest-rated player on the pitch, as per Fotmob, earning a measly 5.8 for his efforts.
He stood still as the first goal went in close to him, while a sea of bodies in the six-yard area saw him concede a deflected second goal, which proved to be the winner for Millwall.
Vitek’s stock is rising at Man Utd
Bristol City’s surprise charge towards automatic promotion places to start the season has well and truly fizzled out, and they find themselves out of playoff places entirely at the time of writing.
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The Millwall game was a clear example of the value Vitek adds with the command of his area, with his huge frame also helping him to make saves that shouldn’t be possible for an average goalkeeper.
The way he has jumped from playing in the Austrian division last season to Championship football this year has caught the eye of people at Man Utd.
He has already been identified as a potential first-team player for Man Utd by people at the club, and with the futures of Altay Bayindir and Tom Heaton uncertain, there’s a clear opening.
Letting Vitek fight it out with Senne Lammens next season could bring out the best of both, especially if United are back in Europe, as is expected.
United have seen the difference a competent goalkeeper can make when Lammens took over the gloves from Bayindir.
They are now seeing the reverse of that happen at Bristol City, which will only see Vitek’s stock rise further.
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