Although such a statement was not made publicly, it was felt that Staněk was not coming to Eden on the bench. The 27-year-old goalkeeper was presented as a great help in the title fight with Sparta and the fulfillment of other goals. At the same time, his engagement pointed to new possibilities that opened up for the Vršovice club with the entry of billionaire Pavel Tykač.
But the start of the new season turned into suffering for him. At first he couldn’t train properly due to health problems, he missed the first two preseason games, and when he was finally able to catch, he got injured again. Of course, that’s part of every sport, it’s not something to complain about. Slavia is ready for this situation.
Autumn number one Mandous will start the spring in goal, a unique opportunity lies before the native of Nekmíra. According to the current time forecast, Staněk will not be available for the first five to six league games, including the Sparta derby (to be played on March 3) and one or both of the round of 16 games in the Europa League.
Mandous could hardly feel good when he perceived the aura with which the club was buying him a competitor. Now it will be up to him. He can drastically improve his position. When he’s catching well and the team is getting results, the coaching staff will be loathe to make a change, no matter how odd Staňka’s role as a backup would feel.
An example is the situation of Czech goalkeeper Jiří Pavlenka in the Bundesliga’s Bremen. Although he dominated Werder’s goal for several seasons, he was injured in the autumn and after his recovery he has had to bite the substitute position for a long time. Michael Zetterer has proven himself between the bars and is not letting Pavlenka back.
Photo: Vlastimil Vacek, Law
Slavia goalkeeper Aleš Mandous during the match in Pardubice.
Back to Slavia. Of course, the situation in it and the decisions of the coaching staff can be different. Mandous will be under pressure, but if he withstands it, Staněk does not have to push his way into the goal. When the acquisition from Pilsen recovers, the head coach Jindřich Trpišovský and goalkeeper coaches Radek Černý and Štěpán Kolář will probably have thoughts swirling about when and how to use it.
Stanek as Neuer. Contribution from the program PřímákVideo: Sport.cz
But a lot will depend on Mandouse’s performances and the confidence he receives in case of hesitation. In any case, the fight for a place in the goal of Slavia and the national team can affect perhaps even more than he himself expected.
