I was devastated when he left and he was simply phenomenal for us at the time and we were not as good without him for a couple of seasons but Fergie obviously felt having a pop star/supermodel doing endless photoshoots in g-strings while prancing around the place dolled up like a barbie doll every day was having a negative effect on the dressing room. So I think it was right for everyone that he left. He never did the business at real though with them having a few galactico free kick takers in the team to share free kick duties which put unbearable pressure on him to produce from frees. He was bang average for Real
Did Sir Alex Ferguson make a mistake selling David Beckham???
- Thread starter Red4Life_#7
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
Apart from the baffling decision not to buy any centre mids in the last few years of his management, Fergie did good every step of the way for 26 years. Whenever we lost a top player, he always managed to rebalance the team well enough to win more titles. Its a real testament to his ability.
Long run - no
Short term - probably.
We didn't sell Beckham because we knew Ronaldo would be purchased and eventually turn into one of the best players on the planet. We sold Beckham because he was getting on Fergie's tits. Looking at it simply in terms of its impact on the team it did deprive us of one of our most prolific assist makers and a midfielder who could always bag in a few goals a season. The fact we later signed Ronaldo who later became 10X the player Beckham was doesn't really have a bearing on the question the OP poses.
Short term - probably.
We didn't sell Beckham because we knew Ronaldo would be purchased and eventually turn into one of the best players on the planet. We sold Beckham because he was getting on Fergie's tits. Looking at it simply in terms of its impact on the team it did deprive us of one of our most prolific assist makers and a midfielder who could always bag in a few goals a season. The fact we later signed Ronaldo who later became 10X the player Beckham was doesn't really have a bearing on the question the OP poses.
He was a world class player who'd helped you win 4 out of the last 5 league titles and you didn't win a league title for 4 years after. Yes I'd say it was the wrong decision. Beckham doesn't seem to get enough appreciation from United fans.
The only issue would be if CR7 would have got as much game time with Beckham, Scholes, Keane and Giggs?
The only issue would be if CR7 would have got as much game time with Beckham, Scholes, Keane and Giggs?
Agree with this. Really liked Becks but we had his best years already and there was a lot distractions I remember around his off field stuff - Spice girls etc. I think SAF put the team above any single player and hence his success. What a great player though.
Not really. I think his biggest mistake was getting rid of Stam, fergie even admitted to that!
Oh and recommending Moyes of course
Oh and recommending Moyes of course
Considering how difficult it was for Fergie to part with Scholes and Giggs afterwards and replaced them, which probably hurt us in the long term, it was a good decision to sell Beckham when we had.
Yeah that's it, and I can see both sides to be honest. Fergie had every right to look at the building of Brand Beckham that was going on at the time and worry that the player's mind was drifting from football and from the team. On the other hand I always saw Beckham as a great professional first and foremost, belying his 'show pony' persona, and he went on to be pretty great for Real Madrid. It's also worth remembering that Fergie made some mistakes in his time, mostly when it seemed he felt challenged personally as well as professionally (Beckham, Stam, Rock of Gibraltar).
That all having been said it can certainly be that even great players reach a point where their time is up at a club even though they have plenty more to give elsewhere. I'm loath to hold the transfer against Fergie as while at the time I was disappointed to see Becks leave it worked out fairly well in the end.
The worst of all by a mile given the consequences for the club.
Yes, it cost us some titles in the following years.
It was the right time, and I totally agreed with Fergie. Beckham's celebrity at that point had started to become a distraction and i've always been of the belief that Victoria wanted to move abroad to push 'Brand Beckham'. When he milked the stitching on his eye from the boot incident that was the final straw for me (and Fergie it seems).
Plus him leaving allowed the signing and development of Cristiano Ronaldo, Our best player of the last 30 years, which wouldnt of happened if Beckham was still in the team.
Plus him leaving allowed the signing and development of Cristiano Ronaldo, Our best player of the last 30 years, which wouldnt of happened if Beckham was still in the team.
I always felt like it was a statement to the rest of the players. Basically, I'm in charge and no one will challenge that otherwise you're gone. He's done that a number of times with a number of players, so I don't think it was wrong to sell him.
Should have gotten more on the transfer fee thats for sure though.
Should have gotten more on the transfer fee thats for sure though.
Really? I don't see Beckham making up the difference between us and the Invincibles and then Mourinho's first Chelsea.
I always felt that we sold Beckham a little too soon, he had a couple of years service left in him, and I still say he would have been a reasonable option for us centrally.
It wasn't as though we were offered an incredible sum of money that couldn't be resisted either.
Not getting Ronaldinho costed us some titles right after. Still it worked out well for us upbringing Cristiano...
Think we got rid of him a year too late in hindsight. His performances during his last season were, if you were being kind, average. He only picked up towards the end presumably after he knew he was off.
Don't think he ever got anywhere near back to his best after leaving either. He went from being someone who could win you the game, but also had good decision making and great work rate, to someone who was only interested in playing brainless Hollywood balls. He was absolutely terrible for England in particular from that point onwards
The mistake wasn't getting rid of him, it was some of the other decisions we made shortly afterwards. Fergie had a bit of a mad year or so. We had games where Roy Keane would be at centreback and we'd have a centreback playing in midfield. He also bought Djemba Djemba.
I do still like him though. Just think he lost sight of what he was good at and never really found it again. Then in his later years when he realised he didn't have the legs anymore, kind of rejuvenated himself in a different role.
Don't think he ever got anywhere near back to his best after leaving either. He went from being someone who could win you the game, but also had good decision making and great work rate, to someone who was only interested in playing brainless Hollywood balls. He was absolutely terrible for England in particular from that point onwards
The mistake wasn't getting rid of him, it was some of the other decisions we made shortly afterwards. Fergie had a bit of a mad year or so. We had games where Roy Keane would be at centreback and we'd have a centreback playing in midfield. He also bought Djemba Djemba.
I do still like him though. Just think he lost sight of what he was good at and never really found it again. Then in his later years when he realised he didn't have the legs anymore, kind of rejuvenated himself in a different role.
He was moved to centrally to a make shift DLP/DM to accomodate Zidane/Figo if I remember rightly.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. At the time I was only 8 years old, but were United fans really happy selling one of their best players and buying a young, unproven kid to replace him? Gladly it turned out well. 
I remember not being sure he was good enough for that Real team based on his last season with us, and don't remember him setting the world alight there. Think he started off well and maybe did ok for a season.
At his best for United he'd be almost unplayable. That definitely never happened anywhere after he left.
I was excited about Ronaldo (and Ronaldinho, until it turned out we weren't signing him)...but I wasn't happy about selling Beckham. I wasn't happy with Beckham's performances either, but I wanted the old Beckham back. Hindsight just tells me that would probably never have happenedHindsight is a wonderful thing. At the time I was only 8 years old, but were United fans really happy selling one of their best players and buying a young, unproven kid to replace him? Gladly it turned out well.
It was the correct decision, everything was always about Beckham and not Manchester United.
The boot incident was a pure accident but Beckham used this to push his brand and keep name in the limelight. Once he did that the writing was on the wall and there was only ever going to be one winner. If I remember correctly around that time for a match going fan like myself it appeared Beckhams heart was not in it.
The best thing about that whole incident was the following game against Juventus when Becks kicked the ball against the advertising board and the ball bounced back to hit him in the face and the Stretford End singing Are you fergie in disguise.
One side note, from earlier comments - I have read that Managers should not slate players in public etc and then people sticking up for Beckham saying he should show the world. What is it to be you cant have one rule for managers and one rule for players on this front.
The boot incident was a pure accident but Beckham used this to push his brand and keep name in the limelight. Once he did that the writing was on the wall and there was only ever going to be one winner. If I remember correctly around that time for a match going fan like myself it appeared Beckhams heart was not in it.
The best thing about that whole incident was the following game against Juventus when Becks kicked the ball against the advertising board and the ball bounced back to hit him in the face and the Stretford End singing Are you fergie in disguise.
One side note, from earlier comments - I have read that Managers should not slate players in public etc and then people sticking up for Beckham saying he should show the world. What is it to be you cant have one rule for managers and one rule for players on this front.
It gets largely overlooked that during the season of Invincibles we were actually ahead of them until late January when Rio started his ban. They moved ahead of us then and after the gap grew we did not find our way back into the race, maybe it wouldn't have grown in the first place if we were able to keep winning after Rio's ban.
1-0 loss at Wolverhampton was the tipping point that changed the dynamics of that season.
Yeah I remember all that, as you say it was losing Rio that fecked us then, doubt having Beckham would have helped much.
Indeed but maybe it would have won us a few points over the tough period when the gap extended. That said, games like the one against Middlesbrough at Old Trafford (2-3, Juninho got them 2-0 up, we equalized but then Job got a winner 10 minute from time - how the feck do I remember this?) would have still been lost.
Somehow the 2003-04 season is the one I remember most games from. I have great recollection of that season and some of the next 4-5 seasons but hardly remember most of the stuff that happened between 2010 and 2015 for example.
We did not sell Tevez
If SAF really wanted him to stay he would IMO.
The only 'real' mistake he made was appointing Moyes as his successor, instead of creating a more modern structure for running the club (DoF, bigger scouting network, improved academy etc.).
All the other things are nitpicking because he always made up for a 'mistake' by doing something amazing.
All the other things are nitpicking because he always made up for a 'mistake' by doing something amazing.
Did Sir Matt Busby make a mistake using aeroplanes as the method of transport for European games? Discuss... 
Can we just all stop being hindsight engineers and leave OUR OWN legends with their respect and luster? Honestly some of you lot shouldn't even be allowed out in public... Leave the past in the past.
Can we just all stop being hindsight engineers and leave OUR OWN legends with their respect and luster? Honestly some of you lot shouldn't even be allowed out in public... Leave the past in the past.
Although Becks was a very good player, our performances and record after he left shows it was no 'mistake'. We moved on.
I think it was the right time. Beckham had outgrown his place within the club.
Fergie's only real mistakes were Stam and Moyes.
Fergie's only real mistakes were Stam and Moyes.
For all Fergies leadship skills he showed a stunning lack of leadership when it came to succession planning.
He should have had his replacement by his side for 2 or 3 seasons to blood him, instead he retired and there was nobody to take over from within.
Re Beckham - I would have liked him to stay longer but trophies and results after he left didnt seem to dip - that and the commercial side went from strength to Strength so no miss there.
I think Beckham was always destined for the continent and the USA anyway.
The bigger issue for me was the price and the team we sold him too. Also, we did it without securing Ronaldinho, who was our main target that summer. Not to mention Laporta had promised to bring Beckham to Barcelona as part of his campaign.
Never make business personal.
Never make business personal.
After reading and hearing many accounts of the shoe incident. 100% Becks needed to go.
Plus we ended up with a true world class player replacing him, so was a win win all round.
Plus we ended up with a true world class player replacing him, so was a win win all round.
Not really. Fergie was an authoritarian figure could not tolerate Becks celebrity footballer status. No other reason.
I don't think I ever thought about it at the time as anything like a mistake. He wasn't quick enough to be played wide for Madrid so he converted into some kind of a deep play-making midfielder. Not a role we really had for him either. And the media hype surrounding him was a distraction.
Great player during his career for us but more of a name than a talent after leaving IMV.
The major mistake is obviously Pogba who we then broke our transfer record to re-sign. And quite possibly Stam. (I'm not opening up the debate about Ronnie).
Great player during his career for us but more of a name than a talent after leaving IMV.
The major mistake is obviously Pogba who we then broke our transfer record to re-sign. And quite possibly Stam. (I'm not opening up the debate about Ronnie).
No.
We sold him to what at the time was a lesser club. The mistake was not getting more money for him.
However, the thought of peak Beckham crossing to striker-mode Ronaldo...
We sold him to what at the time was a lesser club. The mistake was not getting more money for him.
However, the thought of peak Beckham crossing to striker-mode Ronaldo...
Simply
SAF > All manager
Without selling Becks we maybe don’t get Ronaldo.
SAF > All manager
Without selling Becks we maybe don’t get Ronaldo.
The only reason Fergie agreed to sell Becks was because he had Ronaldinho lined up as his replacement, yet the deal failed to materialize due to Barca outbidding us at the last minute. Funny thing is they would never have bid for Ronaldinho if we had kept up our end of the bargain. Originally Becks was supposed to join Barca, and Laporta, Barca president at the time, claims he signed a document with Becks' agent securing the deal, but United decided to go over their heads and sell him to arch rivals Real Madrid instead. In what could only be described as a revenge mission, Barca stole Ronaldinho from under our noses. The player went on to become one of the games true greats. It's not all bad because we pulled off the coup of the century when we signed Ronaldo in his place. The rest is history as they say.
Sky Sports had a Beckham's best moments in La Liga which I stumbled across recently. He certainly seemed a lot better than I remembered with some quality goals, assists and involvement in goals.
Should we have kept Beckham? Given he was still excellent for many years after, yes we should have.
We could have still signed Ronaldo, they played on different sides of the pitch anyway.
We could have still signed Ronaldo, they played on different sides of the pitch anyway.
No, he did not made any mistake. He had what he had to do.