Anderson - is he the 'real deal'? | Retires age 31

Catt said:
The patience this guy got from portions of the fan base was incredible.
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I think it was partly because people saw how good he could be in that first season, but we should have given up on him long before we did.

I think it's the same mentality as Rashford and freekicks, people just kept giving it one more go and hoping for the best.
 
I don't think he ever recovered properly from that nasty car accident in Portugal.

Great shame, because I thought he would be more than good enough for us for quite a few years more until that happened.
 
Art Vandelay said:
I think it was partly because people saw how good he could be in that first season, but we should have given up on him long before we did.

I think it's the same mentality as Rashford and freekicks, people just kept giving it one more go and hoping for the best.
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Rashford is being written off by some already. Anderson had some decent to good performances in his first season, after that is was a complete joke.
 
Catt said:
Rashford is being written off by some already. Anderson had some decent to good performances in his first season, after that is was a complete joke.
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He still had short spells where he looked great, but they were few and far between. I vaguely remember him starting a season like a house on fire looking like he was getting back to his best, which with him being Anderson lasted about 2 and a half games. I think it was the season we beat Arsenal 8-2.
 
Art Vandelay said:
He still had short spells where he looked great, but they were few and far between. I vaguely remember him starting a season like a house on fire looking like he was getting back to his best, which with him being Anderson lasted about 2 and a half games. I think it was the season we beat Arsenal 8-2.
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That was Anderson and Cleverley for about 4 games :drool:
 
duffer said:
Injuries or being an unprofessional waster?
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The latter unfortunately. He admitted himself he felt he’d made it at United after his first (excellent) season and let himself go and stopped working hard, which naturally he says he regrets now. He got fat and very unfit at the end of his stint here. Shame because if he’d had more professionalism, I’m sure he’d have become one of the best CMs in the World.
 
He was a very good player at his top level, fit into the 08 side with Ronaldo etc and didn't look out of place at all. Could run with the ball, pick a pass, was a very strong midfielder - much better than the likes of Pereira currently for us for example.

Unfortunately a very flawed footballer, who let himself go and amongst other things couldn't shoot to save his life. I do wonder how he'd have turned out if he joined us around 2003 at the start of the rebuild like Ronaldo did rather than at the height of of our success.
 
marktan said:
He was a very good player at his top level, fit into the 08 side with Ronaldo etc and didn't look out of place at all. Could run with the ball, pick a pass, was a very strong midfielder - much better than the likes of Pereira currently for us for example.

Unfortunately a very flawed footballer, who let himself go and amongst other things couldn't shoot to save his life. I do wonder how he'd have turned out if he joined us around 2003 at the start of the rebuild like Ronaldo did rather than at the height of of our success.
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To this day I remain baffled how a professional footballer can be so bad at striking a football. He was technically very good, yet as soon as he tried to shoot it all went to shit. Half his shots barely reached the net.
 
thepolice123 said:
Nani, Anderson and Hargreaves.

In the end it turns out only Nani had any form of a meaningful career in football.
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People have short memories. The 2007-08 season was the second best season in the club's history and those 3 all played there part in that season.

Anderson will always be welcome back at OT as a hero for just scoring that penalty (shootout) in the CL against Chelsea.
 
Josh 76 said:
People have short memories. The 2007-08 season was the second best season in the club's history and those 3 all played there part in that season.

Anderson will always be welcome back at OT as a hero for just scoring that penalty (shootout) in the CL against Chelsea.
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Yes their trophy cabinet will say otherwise but you can't deny now that they are retired (Nani near retirement) that their careers could have been so much better. The hype that they came with was tremendous. One of our best transfer windows in the modern era. I thought Anderson and Nani would the future.

After the 07-08 season it was a steady decline for both Anderson and Hargreaves. Even Nani became sort of a journeyman player after he left us at 28.
 
Josh 76 said:
People have short memories. The 2007-08 season was the second best season in the club's history and those 3 all played there part in that season.

Anderson will always be welcome back at OT as a hero for just scoring that penalty (shootout) in the CL against Chelsea.
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Hear here....

Would you trust Pogba or Rashford with a penalty of such magnitude ?

Not sure I would....
 
One of the gravest mistakes of SAF.

He tried to turn a free Brazilian spirit into an anglosaxon efficient machine. It worked with Ronaldo but Anderson was different, he wasn't meant to be tamed into a center midfielder to control operations.
 
Avocado said:
One of the gravest mistakes of SAF.

He tried to turn a free Brazilian spirit into an anglosaxon efficient machine. It worked with Ronaldo but Anderson was different, he wasn't meant to be tamed into a center midfielder to control operations.
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The mistake was buying him. He was just another overhyped Brazilian.
 
Avocado said:
One of the gravest mistakes of SAF.

He tried to turn a free Brazilian spirit into an anglosaxon efficient machine. It worked with Ronaldo but Anderson was different, he wasn't meant to be tamed into a center midfielder to control operations.
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When he played in that free role behind the striker for Porto he was so good.

17 year old phenom. Remember a Brazilian friend of mine saying they had huge hopes for him back home.
 
Was actually thinking about how successful his early career was the other day.
  • Golden ball in U-17 World Cup
  • Copa America winner
  • Olympic Bronze
  • Brazilian second tier promotion (scoring winner play off when team down to men)
  • Primiera Liga winner
  • Primiera Liga winner again
  • Portugese cup winner
  • Portugese super cup winner
  • Premier League winner
  • Champions League winner
  • Club World Cup winner
  • Golden Boy
All before turning 21, and 2 years younger than (say) McTominay.
 
Avocado said:
One of the gravest mistakes of SAF.

He tried to turn a free Brazilian spirit into an anglosaxon efficient machine. It worked with Ronaldo but Anderson was different, he wasn't meant to be tamed into a center midfielder to control operations.
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Ferguson tried a number of experiments with certain players and played them in that central midfield position. I always thought that he did this to find the "next Roy Keane" or somebody who could do that sort of job that he did. I would have loved to have seen more of a Fletcher-Anderson midfield with both of them at their peak and injury/sickness-free.

Nobody can take away the things that Anderson has won at the club, that's for sure. He sounds like a character! Aside from the first few seasons, he never quite did enough for me, though. 9 goals in 181 games is pretty underwhelming.
 
For 2 seasons I was always VERY pleased to see him in the team.

I suppose a lot of success at a young age followed by a steep decline is quite a regular career path.
 
Converting him to a central midfielder was always a weird call.
 
DatIrishFella said:
When he played in that free role behind the striker for Porto he was so good.

17 year old phenom. Remember a Brazilian friend of mine saying they had huge hopes for him back home.
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thepolice123 said:
The mistake was buying him. He was just another overhyped Brazilian.
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He had a very sought upon set of attributes such as balance, strength, acceleration, technique and plenty of flair. Was lacking in finishing and obviously needed work in the tactical side of the game but never to put him on the leash limiting his attacking game.

He still had some memorable games and on his best be could control a match by his strong control of the ball. I remember United beating us in Porto 1-0 after a 2-2 draw at OT. We didn't have much chances in that second hand and he was MoM for me.

How much would a player with his raw skills cost today? Mbappe is much more mature in his game, more pace but both very powerful with the Brazilian edging in terms of technique and fantasy.
 
B20 said:
Converting him to a central midfielder was always a weird call.
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They only thing the fat feck could finish was his dinner along with the rest of the teams. Pushing someone deeper because they can't shoot the ball for shit is hardly weird.

One of the biggest jokers I've ever seen wear the shirt.
 
Full bodied red said:


Hear here....

Would you trust Pogba or Rashford with a penalty of such magnitude ?

Not sure I would....
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Rashford who has scored every penalty bar one which narrowly hit the post. Who last season stepped up and calmly slotted home a penalty in the biggest game of the season in the dying minutes of the greatest comeback in the season. Yea, I'd trust him.

I'd also trust him to actually do something as a player other than score one penalty that one time.
 
thepolice123 said:
Nani, Anderson and Hargreaves.

In the end it turns out only Nani had any form of a meaningful career in football.
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Ignorant comment.

Hargreaves won the CL twice and was sensational up to 2009. He was a key player in our 2008 CL win.

Anderson chose not to live the life of a top level footballer for long. But won 4 PL titles and a CL. The overwhelming majority of players would kill to have a career as meaningless.

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I always liked Anderson. I believe he could’ve been world class if he’d truly wanted. But it wasn’t in his nature. As it was he was a useful player for a few years and the manager and rest of the squad clearly loved him. He was part of our best ever era at the club, so will be remembered fondly. Nevertheless will always have a shade of the “if only’s” about him.
 
We have his substitute in Jones, but Ando was always funnier than him.
 
It all began when He shat on Fabregas
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Then He went on to win the Premier League
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After that, the Champions League
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But not everything is glitter and gold. When life gets tough, dance your problems away
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And end up getting slapped by Wayne Rooney
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