Feb 27
Sir Alex Ferguson ruins young talent, apparently.
Journalist Samuel Luckhurst yesterday published an article entitled ‘Gareth Bale Was Right To Reject Sir Alex Ferguson And Manchester United’
What do you make of what he has to say about the development of Bale at Spurs rather than if he’d joined United? Luckhurst also has his say on Wayne Rooney, Shinji Kagawa and Phil Jones to name but a few. In the case of the latter pair, myself and @BusbyMUFC believe it’s a weak argument to use players who have both suffered more than their fair share of injuries since joining the club to suggest Sir Alex stifles a players progress.
Have a read for yourself and leave your thoughts at the bottom.
Eight seconds after Gareth Bale had been sent flying to the ground for the umpteenth time at Upton Park, the ball was swirling in the West Ham net. In just over a tenth of a minute, he had got up, demanded the ball, shifted his frame and lashed in a sensational 25-yard winner in the 90th minute. Eight of Tottenham’s last 10 goals have been scored by the Welshman, who has won the Lilywhites 10 points since his central surge and swerving drive against Norwich in late January. While his teammates have looked laboured he has never looked so lithe, emerging as one of Europe’s best attackers not just left, but right and centre.
It could have been so different had Bale not ignored Manchester United’s interest to move to London when he departed Southampton as a 17-year-old in May 2007. Although he passed on the chance to work with a manager famed for his nurturing of prodigious players and has deprived himself of trophies, it is difficult to argue Bale made the wrong decision. Like Paul Gascoigne, Alan Shearer, Zinedine Zidane, Patrick Kluivert and Ronaldinho he could be remembered as another of the great Sir Alex Ferguson ‘what if’s. Ferguson was “not happy” about him choosing Tottenham and not Trafford.
Coincidentally, Bale made his Tottenham debut at Old Trafford in August 2007 when Martin Jol started him on the left wing. Upon joining Tottenham, he was regarded as a left-back but Jol sensibly decided against deploying him in a defensive capacity and he was excellent in his first top flight appearance, as the experienced Wes Brown struggled to shackle the marauding winger.
Ryan Giggs, Bale’s idol, started for the hosts but experienced an anodyne afternoon and was heckled by Spurs fans to the sound of “You’re just a s**t Gareth Bale.” Despite his season’s crescendo, the 2007-08 campaign is one of Giggs’ worst and glimpsing Bale in full flight was a cruel tease for the home supporters, despite Nani settling a contest United did not deserve to win.
Had Bale joined United he would not have enjoyed the first-team opportunities he was afforded at Tottenham. Patrice Evra was Europe’s best left-back and, Giggs aside, Nani had just arrived from Sporting Lisbon that summer. That Nani’s signing occurred after Bale had joined Spurs is not an indication the Portuguese was a Plan B purchase, but that Ferguson more likely identified Bale as someone to offer back-up for Evra, with Mikaël Silvestre surplus to requirements.
Ferguson has also arguably failed to get the best out of a number of promising acquisitions. Wayne Rooney should become the United’s all-time top goalscorer and has won everything bar an FA Cup, but it is incontestable that he has not emerged into the player he promised to be at Everton and Euro 2004. Ferguson has played the 27-year-old off the striker, as a lone striker, on the wing and in midfield. He even conceded after Ronaldo left in 2009 he had yet to work out Rooney’s best position.
Phil Jones joined as a central defender who could play in midfield, yet has played in four different roles at Old Trafford, and although an important squad player is descending into a jack-of-all-trades but master of none, similar to John O’Shea’s drastic downfall. Shinji Kagawa has had his debut season with United interrupted by fitness issues but is another example of Ferguson’s uncertainty as to where to deploy a player.
The flip-side is Bale’s Tottenham career did not hit the heights of his auspicious start for another two-and-a-half-years. Injuries hampered his progress and he did not play in a Premier League win with Spurs until the 25th time of asking, when he emerged as an 85th substitute against Burnley in September 2009 to end one of football’s quirkiest jinxes.
One myth to debunk is Harry Redknapp’s role in Bale’s emergence as a Premier League force. Redknapp was open to selling Bale to Nottingham Forest in the 2010 January transfer window, yet the then 20-year-old stayed and worked his way into the Tottenham first XI again to score crucial goals against Arsenal and Chelsea as the club qualified for the Champions League. Redknapp would still however occasionally demote Bale to left-back when, as he displayed on his debut years earlier, he was a winger.
Bale celebrates his first goal for nearly three years against Arsenal in 2010
At Tottenham, Bale is indisputably the club’s best player and has been for over two years now. His importance can be measured by André Villas-Boas allowing him to roam and how high Spurs finish is dependent on the 23-year-old’s form and fitness. United, a bigger club, boasted Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tévez in Bale’s first season of top-tier football and have since bought Dimitar Berbatov and Robin van Persie, as newer talismans have arrived.Whoever Bale joins when he departs White Hart Lane he will be surrounded by bigger fish. He has voiced his enthusiasm about potentially moving abroad and it would be fascinating to see whether he eviscerates Spanish defences with the ease in which he does in England. However Ferguson, who mistakenly referred to him as “Christian Bale” earlier this season, will just have to make do with Robin rather than Batman.
The article can be found here.
In August Luckhurst wrote another article entitled ‘Sir Alex Ferguson’s Recent Banning of Journalists Suggests the Tyrant Is Out of Control‘. Do you think think this guy has a problem with Sir Alex per se?
Luckhurst touches on something I mentioned a few months ago when I compared Phil Jones to John O’Shea and how he (Jones) needed to find his position sooner rather than later before he becomes ‘Mr Utility Man’ like O’Shea or others before him like Phil Neville and to some extent Wes Brown. Knowing what happened to those allows me to lend a little weight to this particular point.
Bale really may not have played the same number of games at United as he has with Spurs and yes that can hold a player back (see Rafael last season when in-and-out of the side rotating with Jones and Smalling compared with Rafael this season thanks to a prolonged run of games) but that is not proof at all that Bale would not have become the same player he is now had he chose Old Trafford over North London. In fact, the argument isn’t even worth exploring further.
To question the ‘man management skills’ of a man who’s spanned three decades as the manager of the biggest club in the country….and won a few things along the way……is laughable at best. There may be one or two examples of players not reaching their peak, but there are far more examples of players reaching or exceeding theirs.
Sir Alex needs to be respected for that NOT derided.
Related items from Red Rants:
Tags: Manchester United · Opinion Piece
The_Philosopher (397)
Redrich (215)
Opti (203)
Moscow (147)
Stephen (144)
What utter nonsense,
How old is the guy who penned this?. I remember Ryan Giggs as a precocious teenager, Sir Alex (Or just plain Fergie as he was then)nurtured him so closely that he wouldn’t even allow him to do post match interviews. Just look at Giggs’s stats today unequaled in any other premiership team. and how about C Ronaldo, came to United as a petulant kid spent time with them and left as arguably one of the current top five players in the world, said to be harboring a longtime wish to return to United.
As to Gareth Bale, would he have been more or less successful had he joined United? who can say. It would be pure speculation which IMHO renders the whole article redundant. Bale is clearly a talent and I wish him luck wherever he plays.
One final quote regarding Sir Alex and his ruining young talent.
“You’ll never win anything with a bunch of kids”
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@MPG: well for every Giggs & Ronaldo theres also the case of a Rooney or a Forlan. Rooney was tipped to become the very best but he hasnt (so far and is less likely to improve really).
One can also add the likes of Nani, Anderson, etc to the list of young footballers who couldnt realise their potential under SAF. I would even add Chicarito’s name to this list. The guy is bloody awesome and should have been first choice (he can be as good as Inzaghi or even Mueller) but he will stagnate at OT due to lack of play time. Quite inexplicably Welbeck has been preferred to him this season (this despite him having 20+ goals+assists in whatever limited games he has had).
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@jos: So true Jos.
Playing under Ferguson as a youngster isn’t always a bed of roses.
There are also many players who refuse to sign for United because of Ferguson.
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@jos: But Welbeck runs around more than Chicha. That’s what counts more in England.
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@AndyCR7: @<a Ronaldo and Messi just stand there don't they
, typical lazy ant England post, Hernadez does more running than anyone, Welbeck gets played rightly or wronggly because he defends better from the front and is more physical.
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@AndyCR7: Chicha needs games bottom line.
I don’t mind him coming off the bench either. But he needs to do that more often as well.
We could have played Chicha in the final minutes against Real madrid when Welbeck started cramping. . . but Ferguson didn’t.
Why not?!?!?
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@AndyCR7: do you want more running or more goals? what wins you games in football?
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This must be the joke of the century.
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absoloute rubbish article, is this honestly a United fan who wrote this crap?
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Well no, no one said he was. He’s a journo that’s all we know.
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it is quite possibly bale might not of become the player he is now if he had joined united. However that is due to more competition at united rather than fergies inability!! in truth bale looked very raw so for me to see the player he has become has really surprised me.
To rubbish fergie is ridicules as he proved his man management with, becks, scholes, giigs etc
However………. There is truth in the wayne rooney situation. He should be known as a world class striker but fergies rotation of his positions has really hampered rooney, and I fear it is irreversible. You want an example….. well against real madrid he opted to play rooney on the flank!!! This is a top class striker and he is asked to do a dog job on the wing ( disgusting and frustrating ) and what makes it worse he gives the lightweight kagawa the central role. In fairness for me that really annoys me. I would rather watch rooney come off the bench than to be asked to play wide
So my point really is although fergie does not ”destroy young talent” he certainly has a reputation of being a bid lacking in common sense regarding postions these days.
All the rooney haters will jump on me after this, but those you know the capabilities of rooney and arent blinded by his past mistakes will know how frustrated i am
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@ash is the man: Ash, Rooney is a victim of his flexibility and his selflessness. Most players would throw their toys out of the pram if they were not played in their proffered position. Rooney just gets on with things, unlike Tevez ect. Fergie makes players play for the club rather than themselves, most players want sides built around them rather than the team succeeding. Fergie puts the team before players hence the fact we have competed for the league for over 20 years which no other manager has done.
Gareth Bale is a very good player, he is the current media darling. But to say he is now the third best player in the World is typical lazy British journalism. The solely deal with what is under their noses, they see themselves as the stars, appearing on Sky Sports and Talk Sport spurting bile. He is on a good run of form, Richard Keys said he is a “shoe in” for player of the year, forgetting what RvP, the Scouse Rat and Michu have done all season. To say he is better than Iniesta, Xavi, Ibrahimovic, Pirlo and RvP is simply laughable, but that is the press
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@Stephen: I agree with you regarding the press jumping the gun.
But Gareth Bale is well on his way to being no.3 in the world.
If he keeps playing like he has there will be little arguing it.
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@The_Philosopher: Radamel Falcao has scored 26 goals in 27 games, last season he 36 in 50, he currently he far better than Bale.
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@Stephen: @The_Philosopher: Falcao may very well be better than Gareth Bale.
But I would still much rather have Bale than Falcao.
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@The_Philosopher: Wasn’t what I was saying, for me Xavi, Iniesta, Falcao, Suarez, Ibrahimovic, RvP, pos Rooney, Neymar are all arguably better thathan Bale.
We don’t really need Bale, spending £50m plus and for us it would be plus, would be a waste, sepnding £25m on teo midfield players would be money better spent.
If we had that sort of moeny to spend on a British player, then Wiltshere would be money better spent.
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@Stephen: its a pity he has been miss used so often, i really hope at old traford he gets a central role against madrid, kagawa is a poor signing, regardless of his potential or past performances for dortmund it is criminal for him to play in rooneys role at united
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@ash is the man: I don’t think he has been mis-used, he has been utilised by the manager. Kagawa hasn’t pulled up any trees, but he needs more time. The Premiership seems too quick and physical for him currently, but I won’t right him off. Fergie should never have played him in front of Rooney against Real, lets hope he doesn’t make the same mistake again.
I wouldn’t say he is a poor signing, for his shirt sales alone I think he has been fiancially very good for the club!
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@Stephen: I would take Bale over Neymar, Falcao, Suarez and Ibramhimovic any day!
He is that awesome LEFT FOOTED left winger we need to complete the squad.
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@The_Philosopher: Me too. Bale can sort that left wing for next 12-15 years. Your Neymar, Falcao etc will always be hankering for a move. Not good for me. And Ibra is so over rated. Worst “great” player ever
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On the subject of Gareth Bale I agree with Samuel Luckhurst.
I have my doubts as to whether Ferguson would have allowed Bale to play as an attacking player. I can’t shake the sense that Sir Alex would have forced him to languish in mediocrity challenging Evra for a place in the team.
Look at whats happening with Fabio. Isn’t Fabio’s career being stifled by mindlessly forcing him to play at left back when he clearly would do better as a right back? Or right winger?
Nani is versatile enough to play anywhere. But his heart is set on the right flank. So what does Ferguson do? He benches him and plays a less talented but perhaps more soldierly Valencia in his place. Valencia was even given the no.7 jersey ahead of Nani!
If Nani was given his desired position on the right instead of being forced onto the left flank to ACCOMMODATE Valencia, he would be a different player. Maybe Nani’s irratic form can be pinned down to his lack of regular opportunities on the right?
Nani is the best winger in the team. Why is it that he is not allowed to just play where ever the heck he likes?
I think that some people will agree with me that Anderson hasn’t been utilised properly either.
Welbeck is being taught to be an all round attacker. Ferguson plays him everywhere but up front. Meanwhile his biggest need is to first develop his ability to be an out and out striker. Thats where he’s gonna get his confidence from. He can learn to be well rounded at a later stage. Welbeck should go out on loan and just learn to put the ball in the back of the net.
As far as I can see Ferguson is trying to teach him things that will augment his game later instead of teaching him the bread and butter leasons of being a striker.
If my son was a budding football talent I would never send him to United to up-skill. Arsenal would be my first choice. Not United. Wenger and his crew have a great appreciation for the finer details of the game. Its the same way I feel about Jack Wilshere and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. “Go learn how to play football at Arsenal and when you’re ready to win trophies come to United”
Sir Alex Ferguson has many talents. Although he has successfully developed many players to be world beaters I don’t believe him to be the best developer in the world.
He is a great pipeline manager, however. He is great at bringing players into the team at the right time. But he sometimes lacks the subtilty to tailor his development furnice to the benefit of his players. Ferguson does everything for the benefit of the club and many times thats at the expense of the individual player.
Did Ferguson get it wrong with Pogba? Pogba is a first team regular at Juve. Ferguson told him ‘you’re not ready’ but Pogba felt differently. Who was right?
Ferguson is by no means perfect. He’s just really good.
Some people come through Sir Alex’s production line unscathed and much improved for sure. But others don’t.
Its very possible that Gareth Bale would have become the awesome player he is today if he had come to United.
But in my opinion its also easily believable that Ferguson would have forced him to stay at left back.
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@The_Philosopher: Like Ryan Giggs, who was in the first team playing left wing a 17?
Learn your trade at Arsenal? What like Walcott, who certainly hasn’t developed as he should have.
Anderson is useless and was a waste of money, the greatest coaches in the World cannot make up for a lack of ability and a player who simply cannot apply himself.
Nani is inconsistant and still makes poor decisions, Vally was our player of the year last season, he played 40 games last season and 49 the season before, hardly a lack of opportunities.
Rafael, Cleverley, Rooney, Welbeck, Evans, Smalling and Jones are all young and “learning their trade” quite well at United, oh they are winning a few trophies along the way too….
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@Stephen: Anderson was not “useless” when we bought him as 17 year old. He was one of the most exciting young players in the world and touted as the next Ronaldhino. He had a specacular U17 world cup where he won golden boot. Fergie tried to turn him into a Davids and has failed spectacularly. In a way, Fergie totally destroyed Anderson.
Its not just Fergie really. Lot of coaches try these type of experiments. Most fail, some or rather very few pass (like Henry at Arsenal or Bale at Spurs). Barca have also bought lot of fantastic youngsters and destroyed them (e.g Affelay, Kerrison, Alexis Sanchez etc).
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In all honesty, as much as Sir Alex has contributed to many a world class players development, he as also failed several players. Personally i have always believed Sir Alex skill is developing girt , determination and drive (Giggs being the exception) I do not believe harnessing flair is Ferguson’s strongest suit. There are several examples. Nani, Anderson, Veron, Forlan. et.c Before anyone sites Ronaldo as an example of flair that Sir Alex successfully nurtured, i believe Ronaldo would have made it anywhere he went, the boys character, attitude and skill was just too much to. I think managing the flair continental players was Carlos Quieroz job and its why they worked well as a one and two, where as Mike Phelan seems to be a “yes man” rather than an assisitant that actually contributes and offers a different opinion.
Having said all that i would be the first to commend Sir Alex for his ability to manage the hard workng players that have brought us so much success, sapping every single drop of talent and potential in them. Only fergie could have brought the very best out of Beckham, Scholes, Butt, Keane and the Nevilles.
What i’m trying to say is the article is not completely bullshit and neither do i believe is it is the truth. What i do know for a fact is Gareth Bale would not have blossomed to such an extent competing with Ronaldo, Nani, Giggs, Evra, Silvestre, Tosic for a place. For players to develop, players need games and Bale wouldnt have gotten the amount of games needed. I maintain we do everything in our power to bring in Bale and like “the philosopher ” would happily contribute if the club needed the fans to but of course thats unlikely to say the least.
As for Wellbeck, all he needs is games in his natural position and he will develop a la bale, bringing in Lewandowski will only kill his chances as bringing in Sneijder would have apparently killed Pogba.
We just need to decide which we style we need to [play and develop it properly) if we are sticking with a 4-5-1 having 4 strikers is already too much, the only reason why its working now is because Rooney is playing as an attacking midfielder. ideally Kagawa should be playing in the hole! if we are reverting back to 4-4-2. and intend on bringing in Lewandowki, a striker still needs to be sold! and what does that do to kagawa. He is already suffering with the way we play him.
As long as we are winning, i cant really complain!
In summation chances we bring in Lewandowski are 0. Chances we sign Gareth Bale are slim because of the 50 million pound asking fee.
I would sign Wanyama (i think it was Jos that made the argument about the big teams not needing midfield enforcers, well instead of having phil jones as the man marker, i would have Wanyama, sometimes you need a player to nullify the threat of an oppositions tactic be it man marking or be it sitting deep to protect your team against counter attack or even an Ariel threat! i would also sign Tarrabt, i love the look of him, the talent and potential he’s got is unbelievable, Gareth Bale (i need not say anything) World class, Phenomenal and just 23 .
However Bale for 50 mill or Di Maria at 20 mill. who would you have?
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@One United: Bale for 60mil
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@One United: Redknapp a couple of seasons ago would have sold Bale, it is the player who has pushed himslef forward. How would have Tosic who never started a game, Silvestre who left us 6 years ago, if he had the desire and abilty I am sure Fergie would seen that, he didn’t do bad with Ronaldo and Giggs did he?
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@One United: So well said! Fergie can develop grit but he can’t develop finesse.
And Kagawa should be playing more regularly in his prefered no.10 position.
Tarrabt would be great as well but he’s a number 10 in my books and we already have a number 10 headache.
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Pretty sure Jones, Rooney, Rafael, Wellbeck, and countless other youngsters would play any position to be given the opportunity for racking up the silverware.
Would you rather be a superstar with nothing to show for it but a load of headlines, or a member of a winning team who has so many medals you find them at the back of drawers when housecleaning?
As for Gazza and Shearer as mentioned, in terms of “what if’s”, I think it’s them that wonders that, not us.
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@Canada: Totally agreed, oh and Rafael always seems to keep Bale warm in his pocket, he will also win trophies this season.
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Bale even being considered in the top 20 players in the world is laughable. What a joke the British media are.
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@Moscow: I would put Bale in the top 20 easy.
And soon he will be top 5.
Watch this space. . .
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@Moscow:bale is top class and will only get better. he is definitely a contender for any award going
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Has RVP ceased to exist or something? What is this nonsense about Bale winning Player of the Year?!?!
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@Moscow: short-term memory… sells better
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@Moscow: Bale is a contender.
Michu has also done well. . .
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Jos, of course Fergie has ruined Anderson
Change the rcord Anderson is still over weight and has not progressed. This is his fault not the greatest manager in the clubs history, change the record all this Anderson “potential” “Fergie ruined him” rubbish is pathetic nd boring. It is Anderson fault why he has failed, no one elses.
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@Stephen: I absolutely agree that those are Ando’s faults and he cant be excused for them but Fergie also cannot be excused for trying to transform an attacking midfielder into a defensive one! Totally destroyed him in the process.
Heck, Fergie tried to transform Alan Smith into new Keano!!! Now what about that!!!
Why cant SAF buy proper people in the first place rather than trying to transform people into what they are not.
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@Stephen: And the Anderson experiment failure notwithstanding. Fergie still stands tallest as the greatest manager of all time.
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RvP should be player of the year, if not it would be a joke.
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@Stephen: Though you have to admit he is in a slump, as relative as that is.
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@ash is the man: Kagawa is not a poor signing. We have just not been able to utilise him well. And dont forget that Silva and Mata had similar difficulties in their first seasons. As for Rooney, he has never been a play maker and has a very poor on-the-ball technique for a player of his caliber.
PS. The no.8 Rooney was so much better.
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@slowshow:well thats my point really, rooney should just be allowed to play upfront and partner rvp with no extra team duties, only then would he become a wold class striker, but i would always have him ahead of kagawa
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@ash is the man: I think when Kagawa picks up the English game he will prove to be a decent substitute for Rooney (or no.10 whichever way you choose to look at it)
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Jos, I have to agree with the point of Fergie being obsessed with square pegs in round holes, David May at right back. But he was successful in playing Scholes in midfield when he was a striker, Beckham as a right midfielder when he was a centre mid, Wes Brown at right back and made Ronaldo from a show pony right winger to a monster.
Anderson as an attacking midfielder is an oxymoron, he can’t shoot so how can he be a attacking midfield player? He is over weight, crashes cars drunk, sleeps around and has lost focus in football, him not succeeding is his fault.
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@Stephen: Stephen almost all coaches try those sort of things. Evra started as a striker and is now a top LB. When people are young they are shifted around all over as that helps coaches evaluate their strengths/weaknesses and also helps players become better (they gain insights in position play etc). Players who are intelligent benefit tremendously by this.
Thats why a player like Scholes or Ronaldo became better. They apply themselves and they have brains.
Anderson is a unique case. He was good at scoring when he was young. He won the golden ball at U-17 world cup playing for Brazil and was compared to Ronaldhino as an exciting attacking midfielder. Of course then he came to OT and got messed up playing in defense. That is an experiment gone wrong, just like Alan Smith.
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@jos: Thoroughly agree you. Anderson lack of development is due to Sir Alexs mismanagement. I often ask what would have happened had barcelona turned Ronaldinho into a deep lying playmaker when he was bought. Its the same with Rooney and O’Shea. We all expected them to develop into better players than they are now. I hve been shouting for years, PLAYERS NEED CONSISTENCY IN BOTH PLAYING TIME AND IN A SINGULAR POSITION!
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@ Moscow @ the Philosopher @ Stephen..Top 20 footballers in the world is debatable because there are defenders, midfielders, strikers involved. For instance Falcoa and Cavani would be included but they are strikers, Ronaldo and Messi would be included… well they are geniuses, Iniesta and Yaya Toure , they are midfielders, Kompany, Pique and they are defenders. Neuer, Hart- Goalkeepers. Catch my drift? Baring Man Utd players
Question….. is when you say wingers in world football, wouldn’t you say Gareth Bale would be there, in fact wouldn’t you go as far as to say on current form he is in the Top 5 of wingers in the world (ON CURRENT FORM!- and he is YET TO PEAK BY THE WAY) Which ever rank you put him, he is rising fast and at this rate he will be TOP 5.
No one is taking anything away from the impact RVP and Michu have made in their respective clubs. However they are both the star STRIKERS for their respective clubs, they are expected to score and make an impact. However Gareth Bale is a left winger that has scored ( 9 crucial, phenomenal goals in his last 10 games). That has to count for something!
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Very rarely post here, but like all United junkies feel compelled to read everything on United anywhere I can
Couldn’t help commenting on this one. My 2 cents:
1. The development of a player depends on the player himself more than the coach and the club. David Beckham and Ravel Morrison. I rest my case.
2. Fergie is the only guy who ALWAYS thinks of Manchester United, and Manchester United alone. Not any particular player. Not anything else at all. Along the way, there are some prices to pay, and sadly, some players may end up becoming pawns. So, Ando being converted into a less attacking midfielder, or Phil Jones being asked to stick it in midfield is not about Ando or Phil Jones, it’s ruthlessly about Manchester United in Fergie’s mind. Pogba being shown the door is not necessarily about Pogba, but about how Fergie evaluates the situation insofar as how it will impact Manchester United not just today, but over the longer terms. It’s probably a bit Darwinian, but who would argue that such a mentality lies at the heart of our success? You could debate, sure, and maybe there are coaches who are better than Fergie at bringing in young talent and taking them to full potential, but surely Fergie is no muppet in this regard. Most importantly, it’s important to understand where he is coming from – it’s a single minded all consuming desire to see Manchester United succeed. Sometimes it doesn’t work, but bloody hell, I wouldn’t have anybody else in the world taking those terrifying calls.
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@Jeet: I dont think anyone here is questioning whether Sir Alex is the right man to take Manchester United forward. Furthermore not one manager in world football is perfect, Mourinho doesn’t play attractive football, Benitez tinkers too much, Wenger relies a bit too much on potential rather than the finished articles and is too arrogant to see his philosophy is flawed, Guardiola seems to be extra meticulous and seems to suffer from OCD.. with some even suggesting he cracked soon as the pressure got too much from Mourinho. To think he took a sabbatical after 3-4 years of management and Sir Alex has been in charge for 100 years. Point is, its not really a slight on Sir Alex if he can’t manage and develop flair players properly. It just proves he’s human.
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@One United: Mourinho doesn’t play attractive football? His team set La Liga scoring records and just the other day they thrashed Barcelona, with Ronaldo and Di Maria ripping Pique and Puyol a new one respectively. Mourinho plays winning football, the same as we do.
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@Moscow: Winning football?!
aren’t Real 3rd in La Liga 16 points behind Barcelona? If he weren’t the self proclaimed special one mate, he would have been sacked by now….
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@One United: Love your comment on Wenger.
Spot on mate.
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In all honesty,United rarely produces quality youngsters like Porto and Dortmund currently do and how Sporting Lisbon used to do.That said,it can’t be put on Fergie’s shoulders-he is in charge of nuturing players-the United system is in charge of producing them.
With regards to Fergie ruining young talent,absolute rubbish,how are Giggs,Beckham,Scholes and P.Nev all still playing football at the highest level?Because Fergie nurtured them and showed them the direction.He’s bound to get some wrong(a human being after all!)
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I don’t buy all this Rooney could have been better under another manager crap. Rooney has consistently played in a number of positions (which should make him a more complete player) since his arrival. He is almost always on the team sheet.
Rooney has not reached his potential due to his lack of commitment and work ethic. Look at the physical specimens that are Gareth Bale and Ronaldo while Rooney smokes, drinks, and sleeps with prostitutes in the off season.
The manager has an effect, but a very marginal one, on world class players truly reaching their potential. For every Ronaldo you get a djemba djemba.
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@ZAHA7: Rooney reached for a star at an early age and he caught one, in both hands. Problem for him now is that he no longer has the same goals as he did then.
Once in a while we see a snippet of what he’s capable of, but the passion and the love is gone from his game. So what we see is him trying hard to not let us down. Truth is, Wayne, try a bit harder not to let yourself down!!
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