analysis

Liverpool’s legendary forward Ian Rush observed: “A striker can miss five, score the winner and be a hero. A goalkeeper can play a blinder, then let one in and he’s a villain.”

His words reflect the precarious nature of the number one’s role.

Quality, reliable keepers are rare and valuable indeed.

United seemed to have found one in Cammy Bell, who was made club captain last season and grabbed the attention of the wider football world with his three penalty saves in one half against Dunfermline.

However, off he went back to Kilmarnock last week following the “mutual termination” of his contract, leaving the gloves on the hands of Harry Lewis, a 19-yearold relatively unknown quantity from Southampton.

Lewis is showing he is up to the job, though, and after being the derby penalty shoot-out hero against Dundee in the cup, he produced another solid display against Inverness in the league on Saturday.

Indeed, in the closing stages, as Inverness piled on the pressure, Lewis engendered a rare feeling among those of us who had covered United in recent years – confidence that every cross would be caught, every shot saved.

As Rush pointed out, a goalie is only one mistake away from being the “villain”, but keep this up and there will be few United fans bemoaning Bell’s departure.