Which players did SAF stick with in spite of fan discontent?

[hmchan]

Welbeck.

 

[KetilOwren88]

I would choose Berbatov. He is a different kind of player. When Rooney was injured he led the line and without him we would not have scored those goals. Plus he obviously love United still. He chose us over City though he was getting a better financial deal with City.

Yes, as a person Berbatov without any doubt. Both good players obviously, but I think Berbatov never fullfilled his true potential at United despite his top scoring season. Tevez was surely never as elegant while scoring less, but a great team player who worked his socks off, and his teqnicue and vision wasn’t too shabby either.

 

[Eternitiy]

Welbeck.

Welbeck was excellent for us under Ferguson.

 

[Theo Cherry]

Cleverley

 

[hmchan]

Welbeck was excellent for us under Ferguson.

Cleverley

I've always thought both of them would enjoy a better career if SAF didn't retire.

 

[Chabon]

I've always thought both of them would enjoy a better career if SAF didn't retire.

Fergie would never have sold Welbeck.

Cleverley, however, would most likely have gone the way of Kieron Richardson and Darron Gibson. All three of them were useful up to a point (and each has more PL medals than Gerrard) but Fergie knew when to move them on.

 

[Teja]

I really liked Tevez and was part of the Tevez is getting shafted by Berbatov's arrival narrative.

My memory of it was in 07/08 we had quite a few games where we were drawing / trailing and we had to stick Vidic upfront for some aerial presence. I think we went and bought Berbatov after winning the CL to address this.

I think all of us acknowledged that he was class but the difference between workrate and desire that Rooney + Tevez brought to the pitch compared to Berbatov just seemingly coasting upfront w/o doing a lot was night and day.

Other big ones were: Fergie doesn't sign CMs, Carrick doesn't shoulder any responsibility in big games and just lays off the ball to Scholes, Wes Brown and Fletcher were shit.

 

[SirMattlives]

Ralph Milne

 

[bdspeedy]

Anderson and Cleverley. I kept expecting both to eventually switch on. Maybe Nani, too. He did just enough for us but I always hoped he would develop into a Arjen Robben type. He had the tools.

 

[Tom Van Persie]

I've always thought both of them would enjoy a better career if SAF didn't retire.

Zaha is the biggest what if for me.

 

[Foxbatt]

Anderson and Cleverley. I kept expecting both to eventually switch on. Maybe Nani, too. He did just enough for us but I always hoped he would develop into a Arjen Robben type. He had the tools.

He was weak mentally as other players have said. To accommodate Ronaldo he played on his weaker side. Then Carlos left and I said even at that time it was downhill for both Anderson and Nani. I think we disregard the contribution of Carlos Quiroz to United.

 

[Bebestation]

Yes, and I am not defending Tevez’ antics or City transfer at all. I’am only saying that it was a shame he left in that manner (fan favourite and good player) and that I still believe it could have been better handled by the club. As already mentioned, his role decreased that season and he became frustrated. SAF’s policy was great, but neither him was perfect.

I agree.

It's not Tevez'a fault that he got a better contract than United and then said so to United. It's better than keeping it hidden to some degree too. I felt he was the most underrated in that CL squad in terms of how he was treated post winning it.

 

[hmchan]

Fergie would never have sold Welbeck.

Cleverley, however, would most likely have gone the way of Kieron Richardson and Darron Gibson. All three of them were useful up to a point (and each has more PL medals than Gerrard) but Fergie knew when to move them on.

Imo Welbeck played quite well under Moyes in 13/14.

 

[Mickson]

People used to write "O'Shit" and "'O,No" about O'Shea. But I don't remember Carrick for example getting stick for too long.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Feck me. Just read the first page and not one mention of John O’ Shea. Remarkable.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

John O'Shea

Played almost 400 games, up on 40 games a season for 10 years, played in every position, scored some decent/important goals and nutmegged Figo.

Top quality professional who always gave his best. No way does he deserve to be anywhere near this thread.

The thread isn’t about poor players. It’s about poor fans.

 

[FletchTheHero]

Darren Fletcher comes to mind. In his early years, he was often derided for being Fergie's son. The amount of stick he gets is ridiculous. I would think it's because he come into the First Team with a hyped up reputation. People were comparing him to Beckham back then and when he failed to live up to the hype, the critics were licking their tongue while sharpening their pens / keyboards. It was also suggested he was one of the players who had been pointed out by Roy Keane in his infamous rant. So yeah.. Fletch is most definitely one of the players that SAF stick with in spite of fan disconent.

 

[Sparky Rhiwabon]

Probably some of the “utility players” that weren’t viewed by fans as great players in any one position but were vital squad players to Fergie - the likes of O'Shea, P.Neville, Brown, Fortune, Park to an extent.

A post Fergie equivalent would be someone like Blind

 

[pascell]

Nani

 

[USREDEVIL]

One season he was horrible. Especially playing in midfield with Fletcher. They had an almost record passing stats then found out the majority percentage was between them. He has been responsible for some disasters too especially in Europe. I remember I think it was against Bayern once he got out muscled and they scored. Again in Europe on a night if we score we go thru Berbatov gave him a chance with only the keeper to beat and he fecked up.
He was a jack of all trades but for sure much better than the lot we have now. Heck Fletcher would walk into this side. Ando( fit Ando) would waltz into this side. So would Hargreaves or Park or even Phil Neville.

True. I wasn't his biggest fan but we'd kill for a Carrick now. He'd work perfectly with Pogz and Bruno in front I think.

 

[USREDEVIL]

Spot on. We often called him a crab, now he is referred to as a metronom.

Good analogies.

 

[bugmat]

Pretty much all of them.

This really - Fletcher was one that sticks out, but there was a time many fans wanted even Giggs sold (during the middle of his career when he was injured a lot and before he discovered yoga). Nani had some tough years, then his replacement Valencia. Fergie stuck with them all. Carrick when people accused him of being unable to pass forward during the years Scholes ran the middle, DDG his first two years.

Berbatov when he usurped Tevez, Rooney etc

 

[The Brown Bull]

Ralph Milne.
Brian McClair.

 

[Wittmann45]

I don't remember anyone really being unhappy with him though, I certainly wasn't. You knew he wasn't an amazing talent but he was generally a solid backup option in multiple positions. The amount he won with us proves that "he wasn't of the required quality" isn't true, he had certain qualities that made him a very useful and successful player during a period where we were a dominant team

Perhaps the matchday forum is not the best indication, but whenever O'Shea would start, it was comical how many posters slated SAF for picking him. It became a bit of a joke around here about how negatively people responded to O'Shea, even before the match started. This was especially when he would start ahead of fan favourites like Rafael

Ditto Park actually, for a while, until about 2008-09.