When Man Utd face off against Rosenborg in 2026, they’ll have to live with the fact that they failed Radek Vitek, who was sensational against them in 2024.
The second pre-season game for Man Utd takes them to Norway to face Rosenborg, a repeat of the 2024 friendly between the two sides.
Back then, Rosenborg emerged victorious 1-0, but that scoreline could have been a lot uglier had it not been for Radek Vitek.
Vitek was sensational that day, and when United face Rosenborg again, they’ll do so in the backdrop of a critical mistake they made with him.
Which player from Manchester United’s starting XI against Rosenborg in 2024 has surprised you the most?
Erik ten Hag named this starting XI in the 1-0 defeat to Rosenborg two years ago…
Radek Vitek showed Man Utd his potential
The rise of Vitek didn’t just happen overnight after a remarkable loan spell at Bristol City last season.
From Accrington Stanley to BW Linz in Austria, Vitek has impressed and managed to stand out in each loan spell United have thrown at him.
All those successes led to him getting a chance to showcase his qualities in that 2024 friendly game against Rosenborg.
Vitek was a wall in goal, using his tall frame as an elite shot-stopper, and commanding his box with a presence that belied his young age.
United promptly sent him on loan to BW Linz in Austria, where he stood out again. It was ironic, considering they struggled in the goalkeeping department that season.
Therein lies a critical mistake United made with Vitek, because instead of rewarding him for his successful loans and good pre-season, they sent him to Austria.
The decision has aged like milk because of the upheaval in United’s goalkeeping department since then.
Man Utd should have challenged Andre Onana with Vitek
Not giving Vitek a chance this summer makes sense, because Senne Lammens has established himself as a force to be reckoned with, and he’s very young.
What should Man Utd do with Radek Vitek in 2026/27?
The same couldn’t be said back in 2024, when Andre Onana was struggling with the pressure of being in goal at Old Trafford.
The errors ultimately snowballed to make the situation unsalvageable, but there was no reason why Vitek couldn’t have been kept and trusted to challenge Onana.
Onana always knew that Altay Bayindir was nothing more than a backup, and not a very good one at that.
A few good performances by Vitek in the minutes he received would have seen him immediately leapfrog Onana in the pecking order.
That’s a butterfly effect scenario, where United then wouldn’t have felt the need to buy Lammens, but also saved themselves from many horrible losses Onana’s errors inflicted on the team.
The gate was open, but United closed it in Vitek’s face. Today, Vitek is far too good to walk through that gate again.
Their game against Rosenborg will be a reminder of what could have been after that summer day in 2024.
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