'Almost faultless' Radek Vitek can single-handedly win Boro a lot more points

Radek Vitek is an 'almost faultless' goalkeeper who could win Middlesbrough a number of points this season - says someone who watched him closer than most last season.

Vitek is expected to make his Middlesbrough debut on Saturday against Lincoln City, having joined the club in an initial £7m deal from Manchester United.

It's perhaps harsh on Teessider Sol Brynn, but the big Czech was identified by Boro's recruitment staff to strengthen their goalkeeping department this summer, after Brynn's first season as first choice produced mixed results.

Vitek joins on the back of an excellent season on loan at Bristol City. Encapsulating his success at Ashton Gate, he ended the season as being voted: Player, Young Player and Players' Player of the Year.

"You can say that again," Bristol Live's Robins reporter tells Teesside Live when asked if that suggests he was a success in the south west. "In all honesty, no one was quite sure what to expect from the United loanee, given that his only other experience in English football had come with Accrington Stanley a few seasons earlier.

"Having saved a penalty in his first start, a pre-season friendly win over Real Valladolid, Vitek never looked back. On the first weekend of the season, he pulled off several incredible stops against Sheffield United as City ran out 4-1 winners.

"He ended up keeping an impressive 12 clean sheets over the course of 41 Championship appearances - many of those games saw him start behind a backline hamstrung by injuries.

"Outside of one bad day at the office away to Stoke City, on an afternoon everyone in City colours struggled, he was almost faultless.

"Without his work between the posts, the Robins could have found themselves a lot closer to the bottom three than anyone at Ashton Gate would have liked."

Vitek is highly likely to be number one this season. In Brynn, Boro already had a keeper who could be effective with his distribution and very commanding of his area.

But the decision to sign a new keeper this summer came as one too many high profile errors were ultimately made, particularly when it came to shot-stopping.

In what to expect from Vitek, Daniel continues:"It is really hard to sum Radek Vitek up, because he truly has a bit of everything. Naturally, his height means that he is a bit of a beast in the penalty area.

"Prior to his arrival, Max O'Leary had come in for some criticism for the way in which he commanded his box; something Vitek could never be faulted on, as he showed a willingness and confidence to claim crosses, often with ease.

"While he is very good at doing the basics, Vitek is the sort of goalkeeper that has that all-important ability to pull off the spectacular. I would urge Middlesbrough fans to look up saves he made against Charlton Athletic and Hull City at Ashton Gate early last season, an acrobatic stop away to Ipswich Town in January, and, of course, they will likely remember the string of saves he made at the Riverside in March.

"Vitek is a keeper that can win you games and save you points. At times, he was just as valuable for City as a 15-goal-a-season, or more, striker would have been at the other end of the pitch."

As for areas for the 22-year-old to focus more on, Daniel continues: "I'd be amazed if Middlesbrough have ever had a goalkeeper who can kick the ball as far as Vitek. Both from his hands and from goal kicks, he has quite the range.

"But at times he maybe didn't look the best with the ball at his feet. That is, however, with me being hyper-critical.

"Shot-stopping and commanding his area are perhaps Radek Vitek's biggest strengths.

"For a man of his size, he is able to get down incredibly quickly to deal with shots from close range - again, as Boro fans will have seen at the Riverside in March.

"He seems, with my limited knowledge of goalkeeping, to read strikers very well and therefore very rarely makes the wrong decision when left one-on-one.

"When commanding his area, his height means that he is very rarely beaten to crosses. There was a spell last season, upon his return from injury, when he seemed slightly nervous when doing so, but after a couple of games back between the posts, he had returned to his usual self."

Given how well he did, and how popular he proved, it's perhaps a little surprising that Bristol City didn't make attempts to re-sign him.

It's also another example of how Boro adapting their player trading model a lot earlier than a significant number of other Championship clubs has left them in a far healthier financial position.

Daniel says: "It would have definitely been considered. Prior to his sacking, Gerhard Struber expressed a desire to explore any potential deal this summer, whether that be another loan or a possible permanent deal.

"There was, however, an acceptance that Radek Vitek would likely be keen to move up another level; most expected that to be the Premier League or a move abroad, rather than a permanent switch to another - albeit much higher up the table - Championship side.

"The fee Middlesbrough have paid this summer may have been manageable for City, but it would have restricted their ability to do further business - something that was vastly needed, especially at the top end of the pitch.

"In Sam Tickle, the Robins feel they have got a Championship-ready number one and somebody who can step into Vitek's shoes well for a much lower price."

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