very funny interview. The guy is a character, yes he never fulfilled his potential so what ? He contributed a lot to at 2 Pls and the Champions League in Moscow.
Andy Mitten article about Anderson in ESPN
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And beer. Or most probably fanta.
Interesting how LvG seemed to kill everything and made everyone want to leave whilst Moyes was seen as being too nice.
Our mentality against Arsenal was "let's kill Arsenal." 
Some of you can hate him all you want.
Not me! Love everything about this dude, chose to live how he wanted. Had fun, won trophies. Article was a blast to read. SAF loved him, and I'll fondly remember him just for heat he did to Arsenal.
Not me! Love everything about this dude, chose to live how he wanted. Had fun, won trophies. Article was a blast to read. SAF loved him, and I'll fondly remember him just for heat he did to Arsenal.
He was extremely talented, but didn't give enough of a feck. He was great to have around, true, and he was an extremely likeable character, but his career here was extremely underwhelming given his ability. Could/should have been amongst the best in the World in his position.
Loved Ando, never fulfilled his true potential.
Love him even more now.
That was great. Gem after gem.
Love Anderson. One of the few players that you can't be mad at for not fulfilling his potential. Because he's just so lovable. He'd still be here if Fergie was.
Great interview
He never got close to his potential but he still had a few great moments for us and important contributions. Not sure Ferguson ever had a player as good at driving the ball through midfield as him, at least when he fancied it.
He never got close to his potential but he still had a few great moments for us and important contributions. Not sure Ferguson ever had a player as good at driving the ball through midfield as him, at least when he fancied it.
What did he say that annoys you so much?
Don't get the love in for him. Couldn't get himself fit and looked lazy and fat after first few seasons. Thank you for the penalty in Moscow but he was a failure here.
Yup, exactly my sentiments. He has a weird cult following around here. His transfer, overall, was a massive failure.
Odd that Sir Alex kept him around with his dire attitude? I’d question your knowledge on the subject if you believe Sir Alex suffered any attitude issues.
Yup. It's strange that he is overall remembered more fondly than someone like a Welbeck. Both of them weren't good enough but at least one of them gave it all when he played for United.
or making faces at the goalie while lining up at the wall during freekickOur mentality against Arsenal was "let's kill Arsenal."
Where is he blaming anyone really? In fact, when the interviewer alludes to his career going down the drain at United, the only thing he really says is that he doesn't regret anything. Doesn't sound like he's blaming anyone really.
Difference being, Anderson looked like real class in his first season. Welbeck was always decent at best, never looked like he'd be a worldie. 07/08 Anderson looked like he could go on to do great things, which he never did in the end.
Reading the bit about the aftermath of Fergie's exit confirms everything we already thought. Even the players knew it wasn't the same anymore. The breakup of that team and the building of a new one was necessary if we wanted to get back to the top, even if it has taken a while.
Lot of funny quotes in that interview. Love how he portrays it like he's had a massively succesful career wherever he has gone
I'm one of those who thought he was unprofessional during his period here but looking at his character and background I think it's understandable. He grew up extremely poor like most Brazilians. After being to Brazil a few times and hanging with the locals it's easy to understand why money and "early retirement" is the most important thing.
I'm one of those who thought he was unprofessional during his period here but looking at his character and background I think it's understandable. He grew up extremely poor like most Brazilians. After being to Brazil a few times and hanging with the locals it's easy to understand why money and "early retirement" is the most important thing.
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Good interview, enjoyed that. Very popular guy around the club. Mitten has also done an interview with Rodrigo Possebon, lesser known but would definitely recommend.
what a bizarre statement. Because I'm questioning Anderson's attitude it somehow means I'm questioning SAF's too? Bugger off.
" I jumped. [Nemanja] Vidic jumped at the same time. His teeth went in my head by accident. Aaah, that hurt! " Aaah
AaahAnderson scored a penalty in Moscow. Welbeck didnt. Probably why Anderson is loved to this day. Plus we all gave up on Anderson long before he left while Welbeck only became an annoying shit when he joined Arsenal.
Anyway can never get enough of reading about Moscow. Loved that part.
Very good interview, he doesn't have any regrets on his career which was surprising. Then again he won lot of trophies, so he thinks he had very successful career.
Pretty bizarre revisionism.
He made over 150 appearances during the most successful period in this club’s history – Made 38 appearances for arguably our best side ever. He’s a part of that success and wouldn’t have been if he was the fraud you’re suggesting. What - you think he just managed to hide his total incompetence in front of the world’s best manager?
In 2008 and 2009 United fans were clamouring for him to play even more than he did. He impressed in nearly every appearance he made in his first season – His driving runs in midfield a common feature. He was an especially big part of our success in League Cups when we would rest players – His performance with Tevez vs Blackburn a particular highlight of mine being at the game. He also had some pretty fantastic big games and as he mentioned himself, seemed to always show up against Arsenal.
Yes it was too often just flashes – I won’t disagree, especially after injuries slowed him down. He was also clearly quite unprofessional in his approach which deserves the ridicule he did receive. A lot of Brazilian players have fallen to the same fate for whatever reason – He’s not even the worst signing we made over that period let alone in club history.
But the golden boy alone was evidence enough of how his talent was pretty obvious and I suggest you go back and watch his early performances if you couldn’t see how clear it was – He never lived up to the potential but to deny its existence is asinine. Your opinion of his time here is far too harsh – He had plenty of good games.
Never the world beater he had the potential to be and I can see why others hold so much disappointment with him but he was a player I personally enjoyed watching play. Always positive thinking and wanting to move forward with the ball.
When I think back to the tedious, sideways football we played under Van Gaal it only makes me think we could have done with a player like Anderson to get the ball and drive us forward, taking risks. Whether that player could have actually been him we'll never know.
When I think back to the tedious, sideways football we played under Van Gaal it only makes me think we could have done with a player like Anderson to get the ball and drive us forward, taking risks. Whether that player could have actually been him we'll never know.
I said he had good games, but there weren't many at all. I don't need to revisit, I remember him well, I remember thinking he was supposed to be a mercurial talent and never really seeing it at all.
Seriously, exactly what was Anderson really good at? Can you tell me? I would argue his only "good" trait was his ability to pick the ball up in midfield and drive forward. But his passing was erratic (his Hollywood balls usually misfired), his tackling was poor, he couldn't score a goal to save his life, his fitness was dire (hence he was always subbed). He ran around a lot for a half hour a game to be fair to him. Anything else?
What exactly was so good about him compared to say.. Nani, who had a wicked shot, could finish, had a great cross, could play a through pass, could beat his man with ease. That's a real talent right there, a real waste, because apart from 18 months it never quite transpired for him due to his often poor decision making and injuries.
I don't doubt Anderson must have been really talented as a teenager to win the golden boy, but when he got here, apart from a few good games, he never really looked like he had that talent, maybe the leg break at Porto ruined him, maybe retraining him to be a CM didn't help, or maybe he was just a poor trainer and lazy (which many have said).
There's obviously enough to keep making appearances in an incredibly loaded squad. You could go back and check out the general opinion of him and his overall popularity back in the period I mentioned. It wasn't for nothing - He was playing well. It only really started to shift after the 2009 final, where he was (along with everyone else) abysmal. But keep in mind that he was chosen to start a Champions League final. Not for nothing.
Before his injuries he was incredibly dynamic for a central midfielder -. Strong, powerful and quick with some flair to go with it - He could quite often carry the ball 20 yards and make it look easy. He had a sort of Yaya/Dembele/Pogba ability to drive through the middle of the field which he lost after his knee injuries/weight issues took that explosiveness away. His passing was erratic but not bad and there would quite often be some brilliant to go along with the bad. I'm not saying he was Paul Scholes but he did have his qualities.
I really liked Nani so not going to put him down - He's one of the most naturally talented players I've seen - He could do anything - Positive and negative. Not really comparable as players - Nani just seemed to lack something mentally - He was far less popular among our fans than Ando was for their first two seasons and I think Ando was better in that time.
Again I disagree. I think the talent was obvious. He was only 19 and playing regularly for the best side in the world without looking badly out of place.
You keep mentioning this but you're ignoring that fact that our midfield wasn't exactly well stocked in that period. Scholes was well past his prime, Fletcher had injruy problems. We regularly had to play players in midfield who weren't even central midfielders (Park, Giggs, even bleedin' Rafael and Fabio!). Hell, Darren Gibson and Tom Cleverley got plenty of games for us in midfield too. Anderson was bought for big money to play in midfield as the successor to Scholes so obviously SAF was going to stick with him for a few years to try and make that happen, but as the years went on he played a lot less and it came to a point where he was behind a 37 year old Scholes (who even came out of retirement), 39 year old Giggs, Park, Cleverley etc. in the pecking order, which clearly indicates that SAF had had enough of him.
Plenty of average or not overly talented players have made loads of appearances for great Man Utd sides, it doesn't mean much really.
if I'm underrating him I think you're definitely overrating him, so maybe the truth is somewhere in the middle. Either way the simple fact is Anderson never came anywhere close to fulfilling his supposed potential for us and that's why I'm so critical of him now, because a lot of it seems to be due to his laziness as a player.
If God had spent less time talking to him about food he would've been twice the player.
I’m mainly talking about the 08 and 09 seasons where most of our success and his good performances came – Our midfield was far from awful. Scholes was not “well past his prime” by any stretch and Hargreaves, Carrick and Fletcher were all good options. The next season Hargreaves was done but Fletcher emerged even more as a force and Giggs was rotated into the midfield effectively. I never suggested he was much used beyond 2010 other than the odd good spell – Injuries had ruined him at that point, which I’ve already pointed out.
Really – Our great sides? Name them.
I’m not overrating him. I'm not suggesting he was ever an outstanding, key player – I’m just not inclined to agree he was a “waste of space” for 7 years. His last 2/3 years perhaps but he was essentially the team mascot at that point. I don’t think our sides could possibly have been as good as they were in those first three seasons if they were carrying a waster on a pretty weekly basis – It’s just not really possible. He contributed to those sides and deserved the trophies he won.
Simply pointing out Sir Alex didn’t put up with players with questionable attitudes and you go and get all precious. As you’re very much in the wrong, I’ll let it pass.
No you're twisting my words to claim I said things I didn't. I don't think I'm in the wrong, I guess that's the beauty of opinions though. Personally I think anyone who flat out claims that someone is in the wrong without expressing their own opinion is a gimp.
Maybe waste of space is OTT, but seven years, seven feckin' years! His best two seasons, as you said, were his first two, and he got worse and worse and worse from there on.
So eh, waste of space... for maybe 75% of his time here? More fair?
What a great and fun read. Will always have fond memories of him.
Yes mate, insult me as you're in the wrong. Saying you don't think you're wrong doesn't make you right. If you missed my opinion and from what actually happened during Sir Alex's tenure at United, he did not retain players with attitude issues. Feels bad having to explain plain English to someone who just resorts to insults for replies.
you saying I'm wrong doesn't make me wrong either, though, it just means I've a different opinion to you. I don't claim to be right on anything I say here, it's a forum, it's all opinion anyway isn't it? If someone is giving their opinion then you can disagree with your points but just telling them they're wrong is daft and gets you nowhere.
Anderson quite clearly had training and weight issues, I mean it's shown through numerous pictures of him looking hefty, and players at the club saying he was a really lazy trainer, what more do you need? Fergie, as the years went on, obviously ran out of patience with him too saying as his minutes at the club deteriorated vastly, to the point where he couldn't get near the team over a 38 year old Scholes and 40 year old Giggs. For me that's inexcusable for a professional footballer getting paid huge money. The least I would expect from a player at Man Utd is 100% effort in training and becoming as good as you can be. Sure, he was a lovable character and always had a smile on his face but that doesn't excuse his lack of effort.
Btw I think there's a difference between "attitude" and not making enough effort.
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Probably my favourite paragraph from any footballer ever.