Erm.. The Number 7 shirt..

The Original

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Sandikan said:
Who said anything about character?

The poster said it was a badly thought out signing.
And it clearly was.
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Sorry, the person I quoted argued along those lines subsequently

Sandikan said:
How?
Because everyone knew he didn't want to come here, and then we messed about with his position when we did have him.
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In response to this I would say him not wanting to come initially is not necessarily an issue one should overly be concerned with. It is not as though he was dragged here against his will. And as to messing about with his position, that is squarely on the coach.
 

Copa Mundial

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There's definitely something iconic about the no.7 shirt and this goes back a number of years.

If I remember correctly, in addition to those Utd legends that have worn it, I believe both Keegan and Dalglish also wore it when playing for Liverpool.
 

Sandikan

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The Original said:
Sorry, the person I quoted argued along those lines subsequently



In response to this I would say him not wanting to come initially is not necessarily an issue one should overly be concerned with. It is not as though he was dragged here against his will. And as to messing about with his position, that is squarely on the coach.
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In fairness, the burglary was a massive issue too. Which no-one could have foreseen.
 

Mainoldo

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SER19 said:
Can't be blamed for giving it to di Maria but other recent choices were poor. Can't say I care much about shirt numbers but can appreciate some people recognising that we've had some greats wear it. Think the next great in it should just be a natural emergence instead of putting any expectation on the shirt itself
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Aye? Alexis and Memphis was poor??
 

Mainoldo

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Copa Mundial said:
There's definitely something iconic about the no.7 shirt and this goes back a number of years.

If I remember correctly, in addition to those Utd legends that have worn it, I believe both Keegan and Dalglish also wore it when playing for Liverpool.
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I think it’s more of a United iconic number than a worldwide thing to be fair.
 

fps

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MadDogg said:
You forgot Beckham.

We had a golden run of players in that shirt which is why it really became such a big deal. The latter two became the most famous footballers on the planet while wearing it.

It's been cursed since Ronaldo left though.
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It hasn’t been cursed, it’s just been given to players, except Valencia, who don’t deserve to play as flair attackers for Man Utd! Sancho will come in and own it, I’m certain.
 

Red00012

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My brother just spent over £100 buying the new kit and Greenwood 26 on the back!
 

In Rainbows

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Mainoldo said:
I think it’s more of a United iconic number than a worldwide thing to be fair.
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Yep. I've watched a youth tournament with Italian commentators and they've mentioned how the 7 shirt is the most prestigious with United as opposed to the 10 shirt being the most prestigious for other clubs.

Think Sancho should get it. He's already #7 so it's not like he's changing to the 7. It will be business as usual for him. Greenwood to me is a future #9. He idolized Brazilian Ronaldo so I'm sure he wants the 9 shirt in the future. Right now he should just make the 26 shirt his own, and then in a few years become our #9.
 

SER19

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Mainoldo said:
Aye? Alexis and Memphis was poor??
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Yeah I suppose hindsight is easy but certainly didn't think depay had shown enough to be adorned with anything if that's what people see the 7 as. Sanchez made sense I guess, but now it looks like an ageing and failing player under a negative coach
 

Walters_19_MuFc

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Sancho. Give Greenwood number 11. I know he's two-footed, but it's more natural for a left-footed player to have 11.
 

Mainoldo

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In Rainbows said:
Yep. I've watched a youth tournament with Italian commentators and they've mentioned how the 7 shirt is the most prestigious with United as opposed to the 10 shirt being the most prestigious for other clubs.

Think Sancho should get it. He's already #7 so it's not like he's changing to the 7. It will be business as usual for him. Greenwood to me is a future #9. He idolized Brazilian Ronaldo so I'm sure he wants the 9 shirt in the future. Right now he should just make the 26 shirt his own, and then in a few years become our #9.
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Greenwood looks like a prefect 8. It’s also nice to freshen stuff up. Martial isn’t letting go of that number anytime soon.

Yeah #7 is definitely a United thing. But I’m happy about that. Abit of culture.. I mean Ronaldo has pretty much adopted the number where he’s been and will do nothing but increase its prestige.
 

Bastian

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Said it in the Greenwood thread (which turned out to be a super unpopular view) but he'd be my choice.
 

cptkeane1993

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Bruno Fernandes 7
(Jadon Sancho 11)

Fernandes has the personality to carry that responsibility. All the successful 7s were not only technically gifted but also leaders in their own right - Robson Cantona Beckham Ronaldo. Owen Di Maria Depay were not leaders. Valencia just did not have the ability (his captaincy only due to seniority I’d argue).
 

redshaw

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I wonder if Sancho wants it to be fair. It's Beckham's and Ronaldo's in the modern era and has been a travesty since. I could understand Sancho would want to make his own mark with another number. Almost seems like a distraction for a player but if there's a player who can manage it's probably Sancho.

I'd just let him decide and wouldn't push him to take it on.
 

RoyH1

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I think you should have played in United for a couple of seasons before you can be given it.
 

wolvored

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crossy1686 said:
The number 7 is only a poisoned chalice if you sign shit players and give it to them. We could say the same thing about any shirt number that's consistently had shit players wear it over the last 10 years
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You have hit the nail on the head. Did Valencia vastly improve when he stopped wearing it? Is Depay a world beater now? etc etc etc. It is a marketing icon, but its only shit if shit/ordinary players wear it. Best, Robson, Cantona, Beckham and Ronaldo were superb players and if they had have all wore No 6 the marketing arm and fans would have all been hailing that number as something special.
 

Web of Bissaka

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Fingeredmouse said:
In those 15 years it's been primarily worn by a collection of run of the mill players.
The no 7 shirt was not a thing in the 90s.
It seems to have become one due to the Cantona to Beckham (who only wore 7 because he played on the right of midfield and that was the standard practice) to Ronaldo chain.
When I say 15 years ago, I mean that's the first time anyone started mentioning it and, subsequently, no player who wore it after Ronaldo left was in anyway special.
It's not an institution. It's a meaningless rewriting of the past to create a significance about a coincidence that meant nothing at all at the time that the actually great players who wore the number were actually wearing it.
No-one discussed the significance of the number 7 shirt as Beckham or Cantona wore it.
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Yeah, the chain Cantona->Beckham->Ronaldo solidified it.

Disagree with the bolded parts.
Beckham is the one that made the number cool and "majestic" really. Football fans are influenced by him a lot. He is special and a huge football icon. Ronaldo is similarly like that and had the same impacts continue making it special. Since Becks in early 2000s, people make a big deal out of it even attributing #7 wrongly with Best, his number is more #11.

That said, #7 is no doubt special in our history and current's football since late 1990s onwards, seeing how many of our best players arguably wear the shirt. United fans, the players themselves and even football fans in general felt fond of the numbers, so we can't ignore it's implications and big significance right now. Not just our fans, but even non-fans are affected by our #7's players influences.

Steve Coppell
----
Bryan Robson
Eric Cantona
David Beckham
Cristiano Ronaldo

Those are players who wear the number with pride -- Cantona maybe don't care much about numbers, Becks initially prefer #10 and made the #7 a lot more special ironically, CR doesn't really care but since wearing it, he is fond of the number, Robson definitely like the #7 number and many older United fans adored the #7 Coppell. The rest that come after them don't see it as important nor influential.

Owen
Valencia
Di Maria
Depay
Sanchez

Fans want to be like their #7 heroes, by wearing the same number and seeing it as a sacred number.
 

Bondi77

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I would have no problem with it going to Bruno and then going to Mason when Bruno takes the #8 when Mata departs.
 

iHicksy

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I like the idea of keeping it on the wings. Ronaldo, Beckham, Kanchelskis, Valencia (when he was good at attacking). It just feels like a right sided players number for me. It'll be part of the deal to get Sancho here that he'll get the 7 I;d wager.
 

Jazz

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I personally think the next No 7 needs to earn it. Consistent great performances and leadership needs to be shown for more than a season.

Don't agree with it being given to anyone just yet.
 

ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg

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iHicksy said:
I like the idea of keeping it on the wings. Ronaldo, Beckham, Kanchelskis, Valencia (when he was good at attacking). It just feels like a right sided players number for me. It'll be part of the deal to get Sancho here that he'll get the 7 I;d wager.
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If you were Sancho, you would be staying it’s a requirement to have the no 7 shirt as part of the deal.

If we buy him, I’m 100% sure he will get that number.
 

Mainoldo

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iHicksy said:
I like the idea of keeping it on the wings. Ronaldo, Beckham, Kanchelskis, Valencia (when he was good at attacking). It just feels like a right sided players number for me. It'll be part of the deal to get Sancho here that he'll get the 7 I;d wager.
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Kanchelskis?!!
 

iHicksy

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Mainoldo said:
Kanchelskis?!!
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Erm yes? He wore it for three seasons with us in between wearing the number 14. I believe it was his favourite shirt number too. He only took 14 because it was a multiple of 7 when others had it (e.g Eric)
 

Snuffkin

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romufc said:
Because he is happy with his number.
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not his decision, but if they are offering it to Sancho as a perk then so be it, personally I'd give Sancho no 11. But with no Sancho, I'd give 7 to Bruno and 11 to Greenwood
 

Pablo76

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Fingeredmouse said:
Since when? I don't recall it even being a thing until about fifteen years ago.
Robson, Cantona, Ronaldo. That's it. Best mostly wore 11. It's bollocks.
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Are you sure? A little bit of a reality check for you mate, the most recent of those, Ronaldo, joined us 17 years ago!
 

Mainoldo

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iHicksy said:
Erm yes? He wore it for three seasons with us in between wearing the number 14. I believe it was his favourite shirt number too. He only took 14 because it was a multiple of 7 when others had it (e.g Eric)
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So he had it for a season and when we played in Europe and Eric couldn’t play because of EU ruling?

Just trying to make sense of it as Eric was our number 7 and Andrei was only here a year before he came.
 

Chesterlestreet

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It's been extreme at United, of course. But in general #7 has been a bit of a thing in English football over the years (not just at United).

Both Keegan and Dalglish wore it for Liverpool.

Beardsley wore it for 'em too later on.

Le Tissier is a very apt example: if he'd played outside England, you'd expect him to wear #10.

None of those players were wingers (which is the "traditional" position associated with the number, world-wide - Garrincha always wore it, for instance).

ETA In short, you could say that in English football there have been multiple cases of the talisman, or the main playmaker, or just the best player in the team, wearing the #7 shirt (rather than #10).
 
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