No Thanks. I'll Pass.
This topic contains 50 replies, has 17 voices, and was last updated by banjo_chuckers 7 years ago.
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February 16, 2017 at 8:40 am #1436058
Watching Arsenal getting ripped a new one (again) by Bayern Munich yesterday had me fuming with rage at the grossly negligent decision made by one David Moyes a few years back. For those who don’t know, David Moyes was “unsure” of Thiago Alcantara’s talent and dilly dallied over a decision to buy him for 18 million when Woodward made the money avalable; Moyes’ delaying left the door open for Guardiola to sneak under his nose and secure him for Bayern who paid the same price we paid for Ashley Young; later that month Moyes signed Fellaini for 28 million. David Moyes – what a nincompoop.
This got me thinking, which transfer decisions vex you most in hindsight? I am referring to when a manager decides not to buy an available player who could improve his team. I remember SAF didn’t want to match Chelsea’s offer for Eden Hazard and then boom, Manchester United sign Kagawa instead – horrible business that we are still paying the price for today.
On the flipside of the coin there are also instances when a manager shows good judgement by passing on a player before getting a better one: van Gaal passed up the chance to buy Pedro and then pulled a rabbit out of his hat with Martial.
Any stories of managers saying “no thanks, I’ll pass” fellas?
February 16, 2017 at 8:53 am #1436064Not being funny but Pedro has been a better signing than Martial, so far.
Ferguson decided not to bring in Zidane for 3m as he had Beckham. lol
Newcastle had Alan Shearer on trial, played him in goal. Oops. He then signed for Southampton
February 16, 2017 at 8:53 am #1436065Think you got the story wrong mate – Thiago chose Bayern over Man Utd and Pedro chose Chelsea over Man Utd. Martial was a panic buy given the sum of money it cost United to get him
February 16, 2017 at 8:55 am #1436066Hasn’t Wenger stated at some point that he had the chance to sign Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, Bale, Pele, Maradonna, Best?
February 16, 2017 at 9:05 am #1436071Quite a few players actually but to name one I’m going for Gareth Barry and the whole saga with Alonso that followed.
The club dillidallied over the Barry deal, sold Alonso and bought Aquilani instead.
I would have fancied our midfield if Rafa had just got to buy Barry and have the makeshift midfield of Masch, Alonso, Barry and Gerrard. With Lucas as backup but somehow we ended up with Aquilani, Lucas, Poulsen, Gerrard and Adam as backup.
Other names that spring to mind, Cantona, The big Dane and Ronaldo. Sanchez and Laudrup.February 16, 2017 at 9:09 am #1436078@Johnny. Pedro is 30 this year and Martial is 21. I disagree with your opinion on which is a better signing so let’s leave it at that.
@amz. The prices players go for these days mean that Martial will either be sold for more money than we paid or he will be a club legend. Either way you are missing the point of the thread.
“United were willing to pay clause 4 Thiago. But Pep believed in Thiago. Moyes not so much (will his football work in PL? Moyes wasnt sure)” tweet from Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) July 14, 2013″. United were in for him but Moyes messed it up.
It seems SAF had his fair share of mess ups but at least he got a few right, a hell of a lot more than Wenger did!
February 16, 2017 at 9:09 am #1436079Millwall famously turned down the chance to sign a young Kevin Keegan
February 16, 2017 at 9:10 am #1436080Manthistle – you are correct, Wenger does often state the amount of players he could have signed, very much in the Harry Redknapp mould
February 16, 2017 at 9:12 am #1436083Hatters, I did say ‘so far.’ If this was a who is younger thread, then yes, Martial has clearly been better at not being fired out of a vagina until a later date lol
February 16, 2017 at 9:12 am #1436085@bingo. Good shout on missing out with Gareth Barry but it must be said that pushing Alonso out is one of Rafa’s biggest mistakes.
February 16, 2017 at 9:14 am #1436087@johnny. Sometimes I wish I could clip you around the ear for your continued mischief.
February 16, 2017 at 9:20 am #1436093I don’t see Alcantara as one that got away. Moyes did dilly dally but the player was also stalling and waiting for Guardiola to make a move. He wasn’t totally sold on moving to Old Trafford and in fairness to Moyes he probably picked up on that.
I’d never argue about his talent either as he’s clearly got bags of it…but I would say he looks exactly the sort of player who would get drowned in the Premier League. Especially in the downward spiral of the Moyes reign…”kick it long Tiago. Put the boot in. Chase back you lazy wee shite.”
Excellent use of the word nincompoop though.
February 16, 2017 at 9:32 am #1436104wasnt Martial £58m? or am i dreaming that? at that age and price youd expect more than he has delivered, Pedro not set the world alight but for the cost has prob done more, that said in a few years Martial could be something real good…until then he slightly worse a buy than pedro…but feck all in it at this stage really
February 16, 2017 at 9:47 am #1436121@stevosnakeeye. Martial was an initial 35 million. The rest is all performance based which eliminates a lot of risk. Expensive but still an exceptional young player with huge resale value. Besides, who cares about the money, Manchester United can piss it away in every window.
February 16, 2017 at 9:50 am #1436124@ts7. Fair enough that Thiago was also guilty of some delaying tactics but something tells me a manager like Mourinho would not have been “unsure” of Thiago’s talent and would have convinced him to sign.
February 16, 2017 at 10:10 am #1436147ah cheers hatters thats not bad in this day an age for a player of his talent and age and possible future (if he sorts his head)
ive previously stated if he did leave your lot id love him at our club (just not under AW)
February 16, 2017 at 10:31 am #1436158I believe Rafa passed up the chance to sign a young Kun Aguero because he couldn’t justify spending (or rather ‘risking’) £15 million or so on an unproven unpolished player. Even Torres when at Liverpool later on said it was ‘clear’ Aguero was going to be a top class player. As ever with us, we always fall back on the ‘safe’ option and pay the price.
February 16, 2017 at 10:41 am #1436162@steveosnakeeye. I suspect that the party will be over for people like me at the end of the season. I expect Wenger to leave and to be replaced by a more forward thinking, tactically astute manager who will most likely get better performances out of the talent at Arsenal’s disposal.
Either way, I am sure Mourinho wouldn’t sell Arsenal a virus.
February 16, 2017 at 10:45 am #1436164@mikus. Now that is a big miss by Rafa, looks like he’s had his fair share of misjudgments.
February 16, 2017 at 10:47 am #1436167Dele Alli almost signed for Liverpool, he went up to meet his hero, Gerrard, but he was asleep and they wouldn’t wake him. He then signed for Spurs.
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