What have you changed your opinion on?

[Solius]

It feels like we currently live in a time where everyone has the most entrenched opinions and nothing can ever change them. Your side versus theirs. Facts, stats or performances never seem to alter someone's view after they've made their mind up.

So let's check that at the door of this thread.

Instead, is there is anything that you are willing to admit you were wrong about? Any time where you changed your mind about a player, manager, club, transfer, etc... ?


I'll start. I maintained for about a year that Mateo Kovacic was crap and was just an average midfielder who did the basics. Having watched him a lot more recently I'm now happy to admit I was wrong about this and he's actually really good. The way he passes and moves is very intelligent and I thought he was excellent for Chelsea after they went down to 10 men against Liverpool.

Your turn!

 

[altodevil]

I thought we should have hired Mourinho right after Fergie retired.

 

[Paxi]

Since Ronaldo went back to United, I’m convinced he’s the GOAT. Before that, I thought it was George Best.

 

[Mike Smalling]

I was on Team Messi for a long time. After his move to PSG, and not least Ronaldo's move back to us, I have been forced to make the switch.

 

[Eric_the_Red99]

A year ago I genuinely thought DDG’s time at the club was over, given his decline in form over previous seasons and the presence of a replacement in Dean Henderson.

But Dave’s performances lately have been pretty much faultless, and have won us games, West Ham being a prime example.

But this does still leave us with the problem of what to do with Henderson when he’s available again.

 

[Paxi]

I was also of the opinion that Rashford was as good as Mbappe, now after that Euros that Mbappe had, I’m convinced Rashford is actually way better.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

A year ago I genuinely thought DDG’s time at the club was over, given his decline in form over previous seasons and the presence of a replacement in Dean Henderson.

But Dave’s performances lately have been pretty much faultless, and have won us games, West Ham being a prime example.

But this does still leave us with the problem of what to do with Henderson when he’s available again.

I’ll co-sign this one.

 

[Siorac]

I thought Depay was mismanaged by Van Gaal and Mourinho but now I think he simply wasn't good enough and probably still isn't.

I rated Anderson highly for far too long.

 

[Paxi]

A year ago I genuinely thought DDG’s time at the club was over, given his decline in form over previous seasons and the presence of a replacement in Dean Henderson.

But Dave’s performances lately have been pretty much faultless, and have won us games, West Ham being a prime example.

But this does still leave us with the problem of what to do with Henderson when he’s available again.

Well we sell him for at least as much as Ramsdale went to Arsenal for. Tom Heaton is a very good back up.

 

[jamesjimmybyrondean]

Thought Fred was good enough to start and just needed the right partner. He was actually at a time but he has been wildly inconsistent for a while now

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I thought Depay was mismanaged by Van Gaal and Mourinho but now I think he simply wasn't good enough and probably still isn't.

I rated Anderson highly for far too long.

Woah? Really? Surely his form over the last season or two endorses your former opinion, rather than disproves it?

 

[iHicksy]

I thought we should have hired Mourinho right after Fergie retired.

Me too - but I haven't changed my opinion on that. At the time he was the closest thing to Fergie around. He was a winner he had style and his teams had that same mentality. That United squad was absolutely perfect for him. This was before Madrid had broken him of course. We got the bitter, angry unsure Jose.

 

[ThinkTank@Cafe]

1. Ronaldo vs Messi. Ronaldo is the GOAT, no doubts for me now.
2. De Gea. World class when in mood. Long may it continue.
3. Lingard.
4. Summing up. Psychology makes the difference. More important than anything else in top football. Footballers are human beings first of all. They need an atmosphere to succeed. For everything else there is MasterCard.

 

[The Boy]

I thought we should have hired Mourinho right after Fergie retired.

I still think you should have done!

 

[frostbite]

Arteta. I have the suspicion he may not be elite manager...

 

[The Boy]

On a non united front, I thought we were mad to sack Chris Hughton after he got us promoted and kept us in the premiership for two seasons. With hindsight and having watched his nightmare at Forest and Potter's frankly fantastic development of our squad, my opinion has changed quite dramatically.

 

[MayfieldsFinest]

Anthony Martial....... unfortunately.

 

[Siorac]

Woah? Really? Surely his form over the last season or two endorses your former opinion, rather than disproves it?

Maybe. We'll have more of an idea after this season. Playing well for Lyon guarantees nothing - to me he still looks like the perfect 'second tier' player, the kind that Europa League wins are built on. But I'm open to changing my mind about him again!

 

[Deery]

After watching a CL match about a year and half ago I was convinced Cristiano Ronaldo was finished because he had a calf injury and wasn’t moving at all, thought that’s it for him time and injuries have caught up with him.

6 goals in the 4 games I’ve watched him and top scorer at the Euros, safe to say I was massively wrong.

 

[roonster09]

I used to support the view that big PL clubs should have B team playing in lower league, which would help development of young players. Someone on other forum explained me why that's not good for lower leagues and how it's a shit idea (Around 10 years ago).

Now I don't support that view at all.

 

[BD]

So many things. I used to think Kane was a pure donkey, especially after seeing him play for Norwich in one or two games in the premiership. I can still hardly believe/accept how good he is.

Edit: And now I just realised I misread the thread as 'what were you wrong about'. What an idiot

 

[Zlatan 7]

Luke shaw

 

[Moby]

The title should have been Why do rigid opinions still exist.

My main one surely has to be Messi and that changed quite early on around 08-09 season. Before that I used to think he was a talented player but would be injury Leone as he used to get injured a lot. In the same time Ronaldo was killing it and was the best player in the world. So for those couple of years I didn't think he would be able to achieve similar status but around the middle of 08-09 season and especially after they won the treble with him being so great to watch I had to hold my hands up and say he's managed to become the best player in the world.

 

[OL29]

I thought Harry Maguire was a waste of money throughout his first season but he’s a lot better than I realised.

 

[Deery]

Anthony Martial....... unfortunately.

The is Martial a Man Utd number 9 would be embarrassing to revisit for some..

 

[Paxi]

Luke shaw

That’s a good one. I’m the same.

 

[Solius]

That’s a good one. I’m the same.

Yeah I think I'd also reached a point where I thought it was best to replace Shaw. Delighted with his turnaround though.

 

[Jezpeza]

Aside from the VVD injury etc last season, I thought Salah and Mane were headed over the hill but have 7 goals between them so far this year and Liverpool are looking good again.

 

[NasirTimothy]

Arteta. I have the suspicion he may not be elite manager...

This. I thought he was the one to get them back to the top. Now it all appears to be in tatters. If he stays in the job though he may redeem himself. Anything is possible.

 

[Siorac]

top scorer at the Euros

I wish people stopped saying this. While clearly, Ronaldo doesn't look finished, scoring three penalties in an international tournament says nothing about whether he's still good enough.

 

[Jezpeza]

Yeah I think I'd also reached a point where I thought it was best to replace Shaw. Delighted with his turnaround though.

I really wanted us to sign Telles off Porto for the quoted £55m the summer before Mourinho was sacked. Bought into the hype around him. Shows you how much prices can be inflated above the actual quality of the player

 

[pierrethesnack]

to me he still looks like the perfect 'second tier' player, the kind that Europa League wins are built on.

Agree. Same category as Zaha, for me.

 

[Bertie Wooster]

Having admired him since his Chile U20 and Udinese days, I always wanted us to sign Alexis Sanchez and was delighted when it finally happened. That didn't go well.

Having seen Daniel Opare with Ghana U17 at the 2007 U17 World Cup I thought he'd be his generations best attacking right back and when he quickly joined Real Madrid I thought 'here we go'. But he's ended up having a pretty average, underwhelming career.

I thought Mario Balotelli had every physical and technical ability needed and, while a bit of a nutter, was a flawed genius who, at worst, would have a Ronaldinho type career - truly world class for a few years but, if he didn't become more professional, he'd burn out by late 20's. But he never reached those levels and has seriously underperformed given his potential.

 

[Solius]

I really wanted us to sign Telles off Porto for the quoted £55m the summer before Mourinho was sacked. Bought into the hype around him. Shows you how much prices can be inflated above the actual quality of the player

Remember the clamour for Alex Sandro? Think he's not doing so well these days.

 

[Deery]

I wish people stopped saying this. While clearly, Ronaldo doesn't look finished, scoring three penalties in an international tournament says nothing about whether he's still good enough.

And his 6 goals in 4 games?

Let’s just not reward penalties anymore they’re pointless now as you pointed out how silly of all of us.

 

[AgentSmith]

Declan Rice. Kind of. This one is still in the resistance stage.

David De Gea. Thought there was no way back after the Europa League final.

Scott McTominay. Had a real downer on him towards the start of his career, mainly because I probably conflated him inextricably with Mourinho’s reign. Has developed into an excellent squad option with the potential, given how ‘young’ he is in terms of the CM position, for more.

 

[Polar]

Happy Lingard stayed. He definitely adds something to our offensive play.

Lost faith in Fred and VDB. Have realised both of them are way to slow.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

So many things. I used to think Kane was a pure donkey, especially after seeing him play for Norwich in one or two games in the premiership. I can still hardly believe/accept how good he is.

Edit: And now I just realised I misread the thread as 'what were you wrong about'. What an idiot

Yeah, the Kane one is a biggie for me. I just couldn’t accept he was any good until long past the point it was obvious I was completely wrong.

My all time classic would be “Richard Dunne is like Vidic, with pace”. I was very drunk when I posted that. But still…

 

[Jezpeza]

Remember the clamour for Alex Sandro? Think he's not doing so well these days.

Yeah. Think maybe everyone dreams that these brazilian guys will be the next Roberto Carlos

 

[Siorac]

And his 6 goals in 4 games?

Let’s just not reward penalties anymore they’re pointless now as you pointed out how silly of all of us.

They aren't pointless, obviously, but even at 45 I'd back Ronaldo to put away a penalty. A player can be finished for all intents and purposes but still be deadly from the penalty spot.

The way he took his second goal against Newcastle said a lot more about how good he still is than scoring penalties ever could.