Was Veron a flop?

Jeppers7

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No. He just could not fit into what was an outstanding team. His arrival resulted in moving the team around, and we had a case of 'square pegs, round holes.' with Scholes moving further upfield, sometimes playing off a lone striker. It did not really bring the best out of either Scholes or Veron. But he wasn't a 'flop', not at all, and as a big club, we should be trying to sign great talented players and working them into the sqaud. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but that is not neccesarily a bad thing.

But what a talent... check out his performance away at Juventus (Giggs also scored another fabulous goal btw.... ). That's the sense of ambition I want to see in our team (and what we have lacked for a few seasons now....).. of course we (nor many other clubs...) have those talented players at their disposal, but we should retain that sense of theatre, expression, ambition, and desire to win by making things happen.
I was at that game. Great day and great performance. Loved Veron could watch him all day. I actually think he’s far more Pogba than Fernandes.
 

UnrelatedPsuedo

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Of course he was a flop. Perhaps a ‘Qualified Flop’ is a better term.

We had a great side that he didn’t fit into.

It could be argued that a team built around Keane, Scholes and Seba as a midfield 3 could have hit incredible heights.... but we didn’t go in that direction.

Phenomenal player though. Truly world class.
 

ifightdragons

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He was, unfortunately, a flop for us. Yet he was a fantastic footballer elsewhere, and made Pogba look like a cheap prototype version.
 

90 + 5min

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So I saw Gary neville compare Brunos performance to what 'Veron used to do for United' , in his words. And it got me curious.

I was a little young during those days but I've seen highlights and some talk highly of him. But then you see a lot say he was underwhelming or constantly attacked by media.

So, what's the reality of the man? How was he?
One of the most gifted playmakers. His passing was top class. Long range passing was masterclass. Absolutly brilliant.
Unfortunately, he kind of flopped in ManUtd looking at his reputation. Problem with him was coming to a team already in prime. To play him in our midfield we went from traditional 4-4-2 to 4-4-1-1 with Scholes just behind striker. If I remember well, Fergie wanted more international style because lot of teams in south Europe (mostly Spain) started experimenting with tactics and filling midfield with one more player in expense of one forward.
 

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He struggled with the tempo at times. You never saw Keane or Scholes struggling with that, so he was a tier below them.

I remember some games when he was ran over and just looked perplexed by the tempo.

But when in control he was class. Just not as good as Keane or Scholes.
For United. What he did with Sampdoria, Parma and Lazio and Argentina rightfully placed him as the foremost playmaking central midfielder of the late 1990s and early 2000s period.
 

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For United. What he did with Sampdoria, Parma and Lazio and Argentina rightfully placed him as the foremost playmaking central midfielder of the late 1990s and early 2000s period.
Yes, it was in premier league he struggled at times. Was very good elsewhere
 

Hughie77

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Agree with most on here, premier league was tough for him, he was looking in need of some extra pace at times, but did score in our 3-5 win at Spurs, after 3 nil down, what a turn around that was. Not bad at set pieces, but his playing days were better else where than with us.
 

Leftback99

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For our level at the time, yes. Now he'd be our best player.
 

Reditus

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At the time he certainly was. But really I only ever really learnt what the word meant after Di Maria, Falcao And the number 1 flop Sanchez

With Veron I was ecstatic when he was signed. But it just never happened for him at Utd. He was not able to adapt to the league or our side.
 

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Saw this on Youtube and it got me thinking. Searched for a suitable thread which I bumped.
What a player! I wouldn't call him a flop. Happy we had him. Pity it didn't last!
 

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If we had bought Veron after 2006 he would have been a success. It was very unfortunate for him as we played with 8s than two pivot 6/8 players.
 

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I remember him well. An incredibly talented footballer with an amazing first touch. The problem he had was the pace and physicality of the prem. it ended up really surprising him and he struggled. He was used to having time in the ball in Serie A (off memory Lazio and Parma I believe) but in the prem he just struggled in some games which surprised a few. He cane with a massive reputation.

we shuffled him off to Chelsea as soon as they got their money.

should’ve stayed in Italy or moved to Spain, would have suited his style. Great technique and skill, scored a great goal from around 30 yds chipping keeper in European game (if I remember right) but ultimately he struggled in the premto have anywhere near the impact he had in Italy or for Argentina.

it ain’t the toughest league in the world for no reason.
 
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Of course he was a flop. 100%

he had some moments, and was a talented player, but that’s nowhere near good enough. He had 2 years, and couldn’t cement a place in the first 12.

he was one of the best players in the world, was a huge transfer fee - and we made a 50% loss. It was only because Chelsea suddenly got rich that we got £15m for him, if it wasn’t for them, we might not have got £10m for him.
 

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Yes. There's been alot bigger flops since might I add.

He's similar to Pogba is today, probably slightly better..

Highly talented midfielder could pull off moments of brilliance, oozed class. He just didnt adjust well to the pace and ferocity of the Prem. Displacing world class players in Keane and Scholes and cementing his place in the first team was tough

With hindsight you could say we went for the wrong Lazio player. We should've gone for Nedved.
 

AFC NimbleThumb

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Came with a huge reputation but struggled to find his place in the team. The frustrating part was I remember watching pre season the year Beckham left and Veron looked unbelievable for us. A few days later he was sold. Probably the right decision ultimately but a shame as he seemed to want to rise from Beckhams shadow somewhat only to be flung out.
I don’t remember the opponent but my memory swears I was watching a pre season highlight on Sky News & he played a ridiculous through ball for an assist then was sold days later.

Might just be a false memory but I remember thinking he was about to settle as well.
 

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Probably in the same way Mata was a flop. You can see he has quality, we just didn’t provide the most fertile place for him to show it. Still a great player.
 

Niall

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Didn’t Fergie say Vernon scored the greatest goal he’d ever seen? I think it was on some pre-season tour, possibly during training or behind closed doors. A backheeled volley or something like that.

I always wish I could have seen that but I don’t think it was caught on camera.

I was so excited when we signed him. Thought he’d take us to new levels at the time and help us win another European Cup. Fantastically talented but not the right time for him to be at United. He had great moments so not a flop by any means, more unrealised potential.
 

Ecstatic

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He is injured.

We need to let him recover from his injury. @Michaelf7777777

He will be back soon but need to play with quality players like Thierry Henry and CR7 IMO @P-Nut
 

MrMarcello

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  • And crucially the problem was that Veron never returned to the heights he had reached in the previous five years in Serie A. He didn't get a proper pre-season at United and started on the back foot. It was a position he never recovered from. And there is a clear difference to the physicality he showed in Serie A where he used to go toe-to-toe with some real midfield warriors like Edgar Davids and often come out on top. There are plenty of match compilations on Youtube that are worth a watch to show he had all the necessary tools to boss midfields at any level. After 2001 he was no longer in his physical prime and it was fairly evident when he moved to other clubs and returned to Serie A. He always oozed class, but had lost an edge by that point in his career.
What do you mean by this? He played in every preseason match in 2001 bar the Bury match (6th exhibition that summer). Same for 2002 and 2003.
 

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What do you mean by this? He played in every preseason match in 2001 bar the Bury match (6th exhibition that summer). Same for 2002 and 2003.
That was part of the problem. As he said himself:
Veron said:
I'm not making excuses. It was a new thing for me, even if I’ve always faced change with ease. My family was happy, I was happy.

The real change was the physical aspect. I regard fitness training as a very important thing.

I moved from a country with intense pre-season training to another where football matches are the only way they train. In England they play the whole year: Christmas, New Year, non-stop.

“The first six months I coped with it well – really well. But after December, it was very difficult for me to keep up.

“I would suffer from the lack of a fitness base, I wouldn’t be able to last the whole game, and I would pick up injuries.
Veron signed in mid-July and went straight into games. He was an impressive physical specimen in Serie A who went toe-to-toe with athletes and workhorses like Davids, Gattuso and Di Livio. He lost that edge in his late-20s and never really recovered it thereafter. He probably needed the pre-season conditioning and work in the gym more than most to perform to his best.
 
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Possibly the most disappointing signing ever.
he’s up there deffo. He’s not like a Sanchez or Shevchenko who you look back on and can see the red flags. This was one of the best players in the world, in his prime going to a great team.

so disappointing.
 

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he’s up there deffo. He’s not like a Sanchez or Shevchenko who you look back on and can see the red flags. This was one of the best players in the world, in his prime going to a great team.

so disappointing.

Yes and he was the first superstar player bought from the Serie A at the peak of their powers. Disappointment isn't even the right word.
 

No Spring Chicken

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I think he was just out of his time really. He was a deep lying playmaker at a time when no-one in England knew such a thing. Most teams put a heavy tackler at the base of midfield and an attacking midfielder at the front of midfield. The idea of a player dictating from deep was just weird when he arrived, and all but impossible in an old fashioned 4-4-2. It sounds laughable now, but switching to a 4-5-1 to accommodate him was so unpopular that the crowd used to chant "4-4-2" at Old Trafford for a while.

You can't help but think that these days, when even midtable teams will swap between 2 or 3 formations per game, he'd be much easier to accommodate and that his amazing passing range (evident even at the time with us) would shine through.
 

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He is injured.

We need to let him recover from his injury. @Michaelf7777777

He will be back soon but need to play with quality players like Thierry Henry and CR7 IMO @P-Nut
Everyone rates him based on his time here, in which case he was obviously a flop. Brought in as an expensive option to make us more flexible in the European games, but never really cemented himself, albeit the fact we did have a formidable midfield already.

I don't even know which position I would have played him in to suit him best.
 

Josh 76

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Yes and he was the first superstar player bought from the Serie A at the peak of their powers. Disappointment isn't even the right word.
It was probably one of the most exciting signings in the club's history.
 

Ecstatic

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Everyone rates him based on his time here, in which case he was obviously a flop. Brought in as an expensive option to make us more flexible in the European games, but never really cemented himself, albeit the fact we did have a formidable midfield already.

I don't even know which position I would have played him in to suit him best.
My joke was obvioulsy a flop like the picks I am making these days!
 

DCP

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At the time yes, however I do think he went some way to paving the way for players like Carrick and the gradual modernisation of the EPL.

incidentally he’d fit in quite nicely in a 433 as the deepest midfielder to dictate the game in modern day football.
 

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I wouldn't say a flop per se but yeah it didn't work out and he never found his place in the team.

I remember some very entertaining interplay at times with Giggs and he performed better in the CL.

I seem to remember him playing better with Phil Neville biting ankles beside him when Keane was injured. Himself, and Keane never really seemed to be able to gel and I don't know how much time Keane had for him at all.
 

izec

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I wouldn't say a flop per se but yeah it didn't work out and he never found his place in the team.

I remember some very entertaining interplay at times with Giggs and he performed better in the CL.

I seem to remember him playing better with Phil Neville biting ankles beside him when Keane was injured. Himself, and Keane never really seemed to be able to gel and I don't know how much time Keane had for him at all.
Keane was the boss, too dominant and influential here.
 

Irwin99

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I wish United had bought more of a combative player with an eye for goal (Ballack maybe?) to partner Keane instead as Veron's skillset didn't seem necessary with Keane around. I can see why he was bought to help us in Europe but it didn't work in the league.
 

204Red

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He had his moments!
His performance in this game was epic and the game itself was a significant match in reclaiming the title in 02/03.... and like someone else has pointed out, it is infuriating that this game finished 2-0 to United, not 2-1 as the video is labeled.

Much like Berbatov (as many have pointed out) Veron blew hot and cold, and ultimately his inconsistency led to his exit, but make no mistake - when he was on, he was on. He was a significant contributor in our 02/03 title so that alone elevates him above the "flop" category - I'm not saying he was our best player that season (that would have clearly been RVN) but Veron made a significant contribution in the season (which should nullify the "but bit part players like Kieron Richardson, Mike Eagles, Luke Chadwick, Quinton Fortune won league titles" counter argument - Veron was in no way a bit part player in 02/03). Anyone who watched Veron destroy Juve over two legs in 2003 would see that the boy could play football and that he should not be included in the same category with names like : Alexis Sanchez, Di Maria, Memphis Depay, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mark Bosnich, Klebberson DJDJ, Gary Birtles, Andy Goram, Terry Gibson, Jim Leighton, Karel Poborski, Jordi Cryuff.