Liverpool: What Victor Valdes Could Bring to the Club

After a disappointing start to the season, Victor Valdes may be exactly what Liverpool need to turn things around. The Spanish international, recently linked with a move to Anfield, has been looking for a new club since his split from FC Barcelona last season. An ACL tear has sidelined the veteran goalkeeper since March, forcing him to miss the World Cup. However, if healthy, Valdes is a major asset. 


Currently, Liverpool sit at ninth place in the Premier League table. With only 10 points in the first seven games of the season, Brendan Rodgers and the Reds have faced harsh criticism for their strategy on and off the pitch.

Mario Balotelli, their marquee signing this season and supposed replacement for Luis Suarez, has not scored a single one of Liverpool's 10 Premier League goals. Albeit, offensive problems could be because Daniel Sturridge, who scored 21 Premier League goals last season, has been out the last four games with a thigh injury.

Having also given up 10 goals, Liverpool have seen their share of problems defensively. Martin Skrtel and Dejan Lovren are not the central tandem the Reds hoped for. Miscues and miscommunication at the back have aided in Liverpool's disappointing start. Simon Mignolet, who has played somewhat timid and whose job as a goalkeeper is to captain the defense, could be one to blame.

Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher, who was the defensive leader for Liverpool until his retirement at the end of the 2012/13 season, have even called out the Belgian goalkeeper. Carragher told Sky Sports:

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Up until now in his Liverpool career he hasn’t made those big saves. If it continues I can see Liverpool looking for another goalkeeper.”
 

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This "another goalkeeper" Carragher mentions could be Valdes, who has definitely made "big saves." Having played his entire senior career with European giants FC Barcelona, Valdes has garnered plenty of valuable experience alongside some of the world's best players. Lionel Messi, Xavi and Neymar are a few of these players. He has also worked with fellow World Cup champion center backs Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique, experience which could help with Liverpool’s current defensive issues.

In terms of statistics, Valdes is also among the world's best goalkeepers. In 26 total appearances last year, Valdes recorded 13 clean sheets and a 0.81 goals conceded average, per Squawka. Mignolet on the other hand recorded only 10 clean sheets in 38 total matches last year with a 1.32 goals conceded average, also per Squawka. For a team that doesn't seem like they will score as many goals as they did last season (101), Liverpool could definitely use a goalkeeper that concedes less. 





To top it all off, Valdes has the hardware. With FC Barcelona, Valdes won six La Liga titles and three Champions League titles. His goals-to-games ratio with Barcelona was so low that Valdes won the Ricardo Zamora Trophy, given to the Spanish league goalkeeper with the lowest goals-to-games ratio each season, five times. He was even part of the Spanish team who won the World Cup in 2010. Now, the trophies won't do much for Liverpool, but the experience in big games surely will, especially now that Liverpool are back in the Champions League. 
 


During his short tenure at Liverpool, Mignolet has not felt the pressure of losing his starting spot. Even though Mignolet seems calm about this potential move, the idea of a goalkeeper like Valdes in the locker room would force Mignolet to raise his level of play. And maybe it's just the idea that could be the spark for Liverpool to turn things around.