“I would say Bristol City is an outstanding, great partner at the moment for Radek”
Gerhard Struber has been impressed by Radek Vitek’s performances at Bristol City(Image: PA Wire and Rogan/ Bristol City)
Gerhard Struber and Manchester United are in a “really good exchange” over Radek Vitek, the Bristol City boss has confirmed, with the Robins head coach addressing questions on the goalkeeper’s future at Ashton Gate beyond the January transfer window.
Vitek has started all of the Reds’ first 15 Championship matches this season, having made the temporary move to the West Country in the summer transfer window. The 22-year-old has already managed to keep five clean sheets and has cemented his place as City’s number one, even with Max O’Leary once again fit and available.
As a result of his impressive performances between the posts, the United loanee has quickly become a popular figure amongst supporters. Naturally, therefore, one or two concerns have been raised about the fact that the Red Devils are able to recall Vitek from his BS3 loan during the January transfer window.
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While Struber accepts that the inclusion of such a clause in the deal means an early return to Manchester cannot be ruled out, he remains of the opinion that a full season at Ashton Gate remains the best option for the goalkeeper’s development – something he feels the Premier League giants recognise as well.
“I’m in exchange with Manchester United,” the head coach explained when asked if he’d had any indication that Vitek would be recalled in January. “We have also here, a really good exchange, and they also have a high appreciation about him.
“At the same time, I think all parties realised how important it was for him to have gametime. Only the game time brought him, right now, in this direction. I would say Bristol City is an outstanding, great partner at the moment for Radek and also, when I go and exchange with him, his feedback is also that he has a really high appreciation that he can play here.
“He has outstanding fun to play in Ashton Gate for our fans. In more directions, of course, we have a contract with the one or other clause, but in the end, the reality at the moment speaks so much more that he stays here like some contract clauses.
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“This was not a conversation with Ruben [Amorim],” Struber added. “This was a conversation with the management from Manchester United.
“They follow, of course, his development very closely and they are very happy about it, but they realised also, how good is it, that they have, in the end, a goalkeeper in a development at a club like Bristol City.”
Perhaps the only blight on Vitek’s otherwise exemplary record as a City player came during the Robins’ heavy 5-1 defeat to Stoke City last month. While the United loanee could do little about the majority of the Potters’ strikes, he played a crucial role in Divin Mubama’s second of the afternoon.
Having left his line to collect what looked to be a regulation pass, the 22-year-old was unable to gather possession and spilled the ball onto the foot of the Stoke forward, who was able to tap into the empty net.
Vitek was clearly frustrated with himself in the wake of his error, but he quickly bounced back in impressive fashion against both Blackburn Rovers and Watford, helping the Robins secure an excellent point at Vicarage Road ahead of the November international break.
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Although Struber was keen to focus on his goalkeeper’s more positive interventions this term, he felt the Czech stopper’s response since the mistake at the bet365 Stadium served as a demonstration of his mental strength.
“In this direction, I like a little bit the American view about mistakes,” the City boss smiled. “Here in Europe, it’s always, ‘Oh, mistakes, it’s a problem.’ I would say it’s completely normal that, when something happens like that – what he did – it was a mistake, he knows it, everyone knows it, but the reaction after the mistake showed me his personal quality.
“When players are ready to make mistakes, they have trust in themselves, they believe, and then something happens, mistakes come, and then he is learning and growing. In this direction, I can see that he is not only a really good goalkeeper, but he is also a goalkeeper who can deal with mistakes.
“He can handle this very simply, and I would say that I would make a big mistake if I went into a really big discussion with him about one mistake. Absolutely not, we go in our normal process, we train really hard with him, and also, he is ready to train really hard, and we shouldn’t think about mistakes much more [than] how important he was in all the games right now for us.”
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