Average/decent players who repeatedly excelled against us

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

From childhood memory alone

- Danny Murphy
- Morten Gamst Pederson
- Brad Friedel (bit harsh calling him average)
- Kevin Nolan
- Jussi Jaaskaleinen (Bolton keeper)

in more recent years Gylfi Sigurdson when he was at Swansea would turn into prime Ronaldinho against us. Danny Welbeck seemed like a man on a mission any time he came up against us when he was at Arsenal.

Freddie Ljungberg was always mustard against us too but it would be a bit ridiculous to call him just a “decent” player.

 

[dinostar77]

Paolo Wanchopp for derby county

 

[Bratone]

Ward-Prowse always scores the odd free kick against us

 

[MrMarcello]

Murphy was my immediate thought.

Blackburn Friedel wasn't average/decent, he was easily in the top 3-5 keepers in the league each year for a good number of seasons.

 

[Fivehotchillies]

Can never shake the feeling that Craig Bellamy turned into a world beater every time he played us

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

I have nightmares of Gaizka Mendieta.

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

Can never shake the feeling that Craig Bellamy turned into a world beater every time he played us

Oh god yeah him at Newcastle terrified me as a kid.

 

[Riz]

Tom Heaton’s played a blinder on a few occasions leading to some very frustrating dropped points.

The younger Longstaff brother for Newcastle also scored against us in separate games albeit only twice I think.

Xhaka has had a few good performances against us as well in recent memory.

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

That West Brom forward, Berahino I think he was called, looked great against us in a few games too.

Also maybe Fellaini in his Everton days?

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Darren Ambrose - one of the most unremarkable footballers to have every lived - somehow managed to scored 3 goals against us in 6 games. Which is quite impressive really

However the only time he actually beat us was when he scored this incredible goal for Palace vs. us in the League Cup (Maybe the best oppo goal i've seen at Old Trafford?)


Incidentally "assisted" (though not really) by Wilf Zaha... who also likes to turn up vs. us I think?

 

[Solius]

How long have you got?

- Brad Friedel
- Mark Noble
- Phil Jagielka
- Ward Prowse
- Agbonlahor
- Pienaar

I have a theory that most of these players watched the team they supported get smashed by United for years and we won't be rid of half of these game raising teams until the likes of Noble, etc.. have retired.

 

[SalfordRed18]

Though I do think there's an element of truth, more often than not, I do think United have a habit of making shit/average players look good.

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

Came here to say Morten Gamst-Pederson.

 

[dcrompton]

Steven Gerrard springs to mind

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

Darren Ambrose - one of the most unremarkable footballers to have every lived - somehow managed to scored 3 goals against us in 6 games. Which is quite impressive really

However the only time he actually beat us was when he scored this incredible goal for Palace vs. us in the League Cup (Maybe the best oppo goal i've seen at Old Trafford?)


Incidentally "assisted" (though not really) by Wilf Zaha... who also likes to turn up vs. us I think?

If memory serves, didn’t he get the Newcastle goal in the game Rooney scored that memorable volley? He was one of the Ipswich lads Robson brought in wasn’t he? Along with Dyer & Titus Bramble I believe.

 

[Ali Dia]

Kevin Phillips
fellaini
Stan Collymore

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

Was it Mourinho’s first season where we kept making shit keepers look like world beaters? I remember one season where the likes of Heaton, Grant, Randolph, Krul, Boruc, and a few more were all man of the match against us. It basically became a running joke on here which journeyman keeper is going to go full Buffon this week. The Hull keeper too, Myhill or something. I remember Jose even talking about it in a press conference it was that frequent.

 

[Barnslig]

Shelvey

 

[Hoof the ball]

Darren Bent.

 

[Lewnited]

Definitely feels like Ward-Prowse either scores a free kick or loops a corner over DDG's head every time we play them. Going back a few years Fellaini and Bellamy are both good shouts that I remember

 

[Annihilate Now!]

If memory serves, didn’t he get the Newcastle goal in the game Rooney scored that memorable volley? He was one of the Ipswich lads Robson brought in wasn’t he? Along with Dyer & Titus Bramble I believe.

Yep he did. Seem to recall we were struggling a bit that day and we really need that Rooney strike out of nothing to get us going.

The other goal he got was an equalizer for Charlton (we went on to win 3-1).

Just think 3 goals against us across 3 different games is quite remarkable for someone as unspectacular as Ambrose... the man only scored 12 Premier League goals in his life!

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Big Duncan Ferguson is another one... 7 goals vs. us in 16 league games (though again we did win most of those games).

 

[TrustInOle]

Danny Murphy, Craig Bellamy and Aaron Lennon definatley come to mind. In more recent years, Ward-Prowse, Shelvey and Shaqiri.

 

[norm87cro]

Dirk Kuyt

 

[MadDogg]

Danny Murphy, Craig Bellamy and Aaron Lennon definatley come to mind. In more recent years, Ward-Prowse, Shelvey and Shaqiri.

Good old Lennon. Other than his speed he really didn't have anything else, but he was the one winger who gave Evra nightmares everytime.

 

[TrustInOle]

Good old Lennon. Other than his speed he really didn't have anything else, but he was the one winger who gave Evra nightmares everytime.

This, exactly.

 

[11101]

Shelvey
Bellamy
Noble

The entire Burnley team always put their rugby boots away against us and turn into prime 1990s AC Milan.

 

[KeanoMagicHat]

Was it Mourinho’s first season where we kept making shit keepers look like world beaters? I remember one season where the likes of Heaton, Grant, Randolph, Krul, Boruc, and a few more were all man of the match against us. It basically became a running joke on here which journeyman keeper is going to go full Buffon this week. The Hull keeper too, Myhill or something. I remember Jose even talking about it in a press conference it was that frequent.

This was true but also if you look back at some of those games there was some awful finishing. Ibra could be a particularly bad culprit.

 

[FrankDrebin]

Good old Lennon. Other than his speed he really didn't have anything else, but he was the one winger who gave Evra nightmares everytime.

I thought Lennon had excellent dribbling skills, personally. His issue was his final ball, practically being one footed and general consistency but he was a good player.

 

[Glorio]

That West Brom forward, Berahino I think he was called, looked great against us in a few games too.

Also maybe Fellaini in his Everton days?

Oh definitely Fellaini - nightmare!!

 

[Oranges038]

Les Ferdinand

Edit: Also Darren Huckerby

 

[Foxbatt]

Oh god yeah him at Newcastle terrified me as a kid.

He did at City too. He skinned Rio and scored.

 

[Bebestation]

Was Tim Cahill good against us?

 

[#07]

He's been mentioned but Gamst Pedersen. Those couple of years when Blackburn had a number him, Friedel and David Bentley always seemed to show up against us.

Schneiderlin looked really good for Southampton against us and then went to pot as soon as we signed him.

 

[Vidyoyo]

Kirk Duyt.

Always plays a blinder when you accuse him of being a Liverpool fan.

 

[Big Ben Foster]

Pretty much everyone who played for Bolton or Blackburn in the 2000-2010 decade.

 

[eire-red]

Andros Townsend anyone? Remember him scoring a fair few against us throughout his career.

 

[anant]

The Longstaff brothers

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

Sigurdsson.

 

[poleglass red]

that cnut at West ham Mark Noble always seem to do well against us.