no idea how you can think that. go back and look - just as an example -- the Treble season. just see how many goals and chances he created
Fergie - "I only ever had 4 world class players"
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I think Beckham is a United legend and was a great player. I just don’t think he was ever world class
Why is this quote brought up every few months. Fergie was bullshitting, he knows he was bullshitting, we know he was bullshitting, he knows we know he was bullshitting. Bullshit.
Big Pete not world class give over Fergie
Well there's nothing to disagree with. If he means Ballon D'or material (which is like prime Figo, Zidane, Nedved, Ronaldo 9) he's right, cos it's group of maximum 10 players in generation. So from this point of view - to have 4 of them in 20 years it's like to have every 1/5 wc player of his time, which is not bad.
I agree with you, but Rooney had a lot of ups and downs. But my point is that even though Fergie only had RVP for one season, he's arguably one world class player that he coached at Man. Utd.
Rooney also deserved a mention, in one particular season he was the best player of the world for six months or so...
The reason why I mentioned RVP is because he hadn't been mentioned at all in the thread. Like I said, one season only, but would you say he was not world class then?
I guess the fact that he was only there for a season may have been a reason he wasn’t world class in Sir Alex’s eyes. Who knows.
Some people define world class as a world 11 in which case you could argue Ageuro would start upfront on his own and neither Rooney or RVP would make it. Again I have no clue why he didn’t say RVP or Rooney weren’t world class
I personally think a fully fit RVP was world class and if he had stayed fit throughout his career playing for a proper club would be up there as best of the generation
C'mon Fergie I once heard you say when we brought Veron here, that he was best in the world. He never managed to show it here but you still managed him. Pete and Keano have to be named there also, and what about Robbo. Wouldn't mind having any of them here now.
Senile
Along with your mother
Along with your mother
Except Becks and Keane finished higher in ballon d’or ratings than Scholes and Giggs ever did (2nd and 6th)
I'd love to see his all time United 11 during his tenure.
I'd go with
I'd go with
Van der Sar
Irwin Rio Stam Evra
Beckham Scholes Keane Ronaldo
Rooney
Van Nistelrooy
feck me. That team wins the league every season since the premier league began...Irwin Rio Stam Evra
Beckham Scholes Keane Ronaldo
Rooney
Van Nistelrooy
Absolutely! And the only player we have now that can be compared to them is De Gea.
Probably meant in the team, at one time.
I suspect he ranks attitude as what makes up a world class player and counts out anyone he ever had a falling out with - Keane, Pete, Becks, Rooney (probably)
This thread should really be called "Sir Alex Fergie has a different definition of World Class from the majority of Caftards".
Clearly, longevity and leadership and attacking output are the things that he values most. That's not that unusual. Everything else is arguing the toss.
Clearly, longevity and leadership and attacking output are the things that he values most. That's not that unusual. Everything else is arguing the toss.
Lol
Irwin was a LB but yeah he could play RB as well, probs edges it on the right ahead of G Nev.
I would play Rooney just in front of Cantona possibly, instead of RVN.
Maybe Ronaldo on the right and put Giggs on the left.
Or could play 433, Scholes Keane Robson in midfield.
Rooney Ronaldo either side of RVN .
Fergie - "I only ever had 4 world class players" [... that I did not fall out with]
Well, we could also count the longevity and the minimum performance levels during the career to the mix, and I'm sure that it would make it look like he was thinking about it. But what do I know...
A front 3 of RVP, RVN and Ronaldo won't need too many chances to score would they?
World Class here probably means they could play for any of the Europe big teams in their respective league and still excel.
But defining world class is always subjective. For example, how many world class players are there in serie A in the 90s?
Baggio , Del Piero , Zidane , Ronaldo, Zanetti , Maldini, Totti , Cafu , Bastituta and maybe a couple more.
But their fans will probably argue Vialli, Inzaghi ,[URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciro_Ferrara'] [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Davids']Davids , Thuram , [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diego_Simeone']Simeone , [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iv%C3%A1n_Zamorano']Vieri , [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sini%C5%A1a_Mihajlovi%C4%87']Mihajlovic, Boban , [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dejan_Savi%C4%87evi%C4%87']Savicevic , Crespo , Rui Costa etc are all world class too. [/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL]
But defining world class is always subjective. For example, how many world class players are there in serie A in the 90s?
Baggio , Del Piero , Zidane , Ronaldo, Zanetti , Maldini, Totti , Cafu , Bastituta and maybe a couple more.
But their fans will probably argue Vialli, Inzaghi ,[URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciro_Ferrara'] [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Davids']Davids , Thuram , [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diego_Simeone']Simeone , [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iv%C3%A1n_Zamorano']Vieri , [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sini%C5%A1a_Mihajlovi%C4%87']Mihajlovic, Boban , [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dejan_Savi%C4%87evi%C4%87']Savicevic , Crespo , Rui Costa etc are all world class too. [/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL]
It's back to the argument about what is an accepted definition of being World Class! Once people can agree on that, then the real argument can begin.
SAF obviously believes those four players are by his definition capable of being in any team, anywhere in the world at any time... if that's what he means by WC?
SAF obviously believes those four players are by his definition capable of being in any team, anywhere in the world at any time... if that's what he means by WC?
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By World Class I guess he means TOP TOP Players (his own words).
I disagree completely, he forgot to include Schmeichel, Keane, Stam, Beckham, Yorke, Blanc, Verón, Ruud Van Gol, Van der Sar, Evra, Rio, Vidic, Rooney, Van Persie.
He's just being radical.
I disagree completely, he forgot to include Schmeichel, Keane, Stam, Beckham, Yorke, Blanc, Verón, Ruud Van Gol, Van der Sar, Evra, Rio, Vidic, Rooney, Van Persie.
He's just being radical.
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I love how everyone here is mentioning all these players and i do agree with alot of them. But does everyone forget he also managed Bryan (captain marvel) Robson. And if he is talking about players changing games he did that almost better than any one.
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world-class clubs he played for might think differently
a lot of good players have played at multiple world class clubs, that doesn't make said player world class. i didn't say beckham wasn't a good player, i even called him great
and i disagree.. as have managers of top clubs
that doesn't make sense
we are literally in a thread were the arguably GOAT manager doesn't rate Beckham as ever having been world class.and you're free to disagree, hell, our exchange began when i disagreed with you, and since then you've been making these comical appeals at "top clubs".
name me a better winger then = and if you say Giggs I'll just fall about laughingthat doesn't make sense
and you're free to disagree, hell, our exchange began when i disagreed with you, and since then you've been making these comical appeals at "top clubs".
Ferguson is talking shit on this one. For me as a Liverpool supporter I would have to concede that Fergie had top class players all the way along at Utd. Robson, McGrath, Schmeichel, Keane, Irwin, Giggs, Scholes, Van Der Sar, Van Nistelrooy, Stam, Ronaldo, Vidic, Rooney, Ferdinand and De Gea.
I starting watching United since 92. My memory isn't the greatest and cant be bothered to google. However i really strugge to find worldclass left wingers during Gigg's playing career. Overmars, Ginola, Recoba are a tier below. Hagi i watched in glimpses... anybody i missed out?
He set the bar so so high that he only counts best of the best as worldclass.
If so, Schmeichel is definitely more qualified to be labelled as worldclass as compared to Cantona who didnt really impressed both internationally or European club competitions.
giggs was an absolute freak man. A world class player means allot of things not just ability in which he had in abundunce. But it also includes work rate durability etc and Ryan giggs had it all
Goal keepers were never treated the same as outfield players, not in that era anyway.
I'd tend to agree. A few others were close.
It's funny cause I'm pretty sure this term world class wasn't used in the same way its banded about now. Our barometer of world class has changed and for me and it sounds absolutely stupid (when I think who they are) but there are players that I didn't particularly consider as world class at Utd, that I would do now. For example Yorkie, when I watch the old games, the lad could do everything and showed it against the top teams in Europe. Also we let RVN, Becks and Stam walk out the door in their prime and I'm pretty sure there's was quite a few that didn't think that's those were 3 world class players that left the club at the time?
I think if you make a bracket of elite players like Ronaldo, Messi, Ronaldinho, Brazilian Ronaldo, Henry Xavi, iniesta, Scholes, Zidane, Giggs, Cantona, Puyol, Nesta, Maldini considered to be best of the best the game has ever seen and term this bracket as world class then Fergie has managed 4 of them in his entire career.
The barometer of defining world-class has obviously changed now.
For those bringing in Rooney, he would never come in the World class category. He was nowhere near good as the 4 mentioned nor was he consistent.
I was looking for someone to add Beckham.
I can understand he may not have been the most technical player on the ball and for that reason maybe can't drag you to a win, but he could pass from anywhere and make it land on a strikers head in the box. Best crosser of all time by absolute miles.
No one has touched him since.
His shooting and free kicks also won plenty of games.
But to not acknowledge the crossing is ridiculous. Can you even name another player playing now who has half the consistency or quality of Beckhams crossing. I cant think of one since Beckham. Figo would be up there in the same era.