Not just a game: U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard has the ability to play for Manchester United, but now he must learn to deal with the pressure of being on England's most high-profile club

Soccer Digest, August-Sept, 2003 by Marc Connolly

Just in case Howard was shocked or hurt by such coverage even before a deal was penned, Man U goalkeeper coach Tony Coten called him to let him know that those within the club thought the news stories were absurd and not to worry about anything.

As McAleenan told Howard, don't be surprised at all by it. "That's par for the course for the tabloids," says McAleenan. "That's how it is there. They have to find angles, and they aim for the masses. They throw lightweight stuff at people because there are five or six papers fighting it out They go for the lowest-common denominator."

In other words, any means of selling papers will be used. The more personal the information, the better. Look no further than how departed star David Beckham was covered. His personal life with his wife, Victoria a.k.a. Posh Spice, and crazy hairstyles were front-page items on hundreds of occasions. Beckham was able to handle such coverage, which vaulted him into the worldwide spotlight and made him well into the nine-figure region from endorsements as well as his salary. But others have faltered--Barthez, for one, according to many--and let the attention affect their game.

Being an American certainly won't help Howard. The fascination' he'll inspire will be unlike what Friedel experiences at Blackburn or Keller goes through at Tottenham. And the venom will be that much greater should he falter or handle himself in the wrong way when pressured.

Luckily, Howard is media-savvy. He is also someone who usually seems to keep his thoughts close to the vest He also doesn't appear to have any skeletons in the closet. "When they go looking for dirty laundry, they won't find anything," says McAleenan. "That's the best thing about him--he has a balanced lifestyle and is a solid all-around guy. And he will adapt. He adapts to whatever environment he finds himself."

Butterfingers

LONGTIME GOAL TENDING FIXTURE PETER Schmeichel left Manchester United following the 1999 treble-winning season and the club bas been searching for a solid replacement ever since. Here is a look at the six men who have tried to fill Schmeichel's considerably large shoes over the past four years:

Fabien Barthez (139 appearances)

France's World Cup and European Championship winner started brightly with Man U after a 7.8-million [pounds sterling] move from Monaco in 2000. Barthez's once sure hands and cavalier decision-making both began to fait him over the past two years, and a series of egregious errors forced him to the bench.

Raimond van der Gouw (61 appearances)

For years the Dutch keeper was a reliable No. 2 behind Schmeichel, but never going to be more than a reserve for United, and as his age crept closer to 40 wasn't even considered a viable option for the bench. He was released after the 2002 season.

Mark Bosnich (34 appearances)

The former Australian international made a name for himself at Aston Villa and then moved to Man U on a free transfer in 1999. Bosnich was tipped to be the successor to Peter Schmeichel, but the arrival of Barthez unsettled the situation. A series of poor performances and public rows with coach Alex Ferguson limited Bosnich to 34 appearances with the Red Devils before his contract was terminated in January 2001. He moved to Chelsea and was given a long-term suspension after failing a pair of drug tests before again being released.