My god no. Some people excel and embrace pressure. He totally strikes me as one of them.
Retiring the number 7 is akin to blasphemy.
Adnan Januzaj
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Retiring the number 7 is akin to blasphemy.
A shirt with 'Januzaj 7' on the back seems more natural to me than 'Januzaj 11' although either number for him will be a huge honor.
I can see Januzaj selling a lot of shirts in his career, especially when he reaches the age of around 22-24 (assuming all goes to plan of course) so I think the number 7 will be better as it is a natural shirt seller.
I can see Januzaj selling a lot of shirts in his career, especially when he reaches the age of around 22-24 (assuming all goes to plan of course) so I think the number 7 will be better as it is a natural shirt seller.
I don't think Januzaj should get the no 7 just yet as I'd like to think that with our lack of real worldclass quality on the flanks we will be bringing in a player within the next 2 windows who can instantly come in and handle the burden of that shirt. There is no telling how it will effect an 18 year old still adjusting to the demands of first team football.
I also don't believe in retiring numbers for legendary players, that's almost a statement that the player transcends the club and that there won't one day be a player who will possibly dwarf that players achievements. Clubs should always send the message that no matter just how great one player is, there may one day be a player who eclipses that greatness.
I also don't believe in retiring numbers for legendary players, that's almost a statement that the player transcends the club and that there won't one day be a player who will possibly dwarf that players achievements. Clubs should always send the message that no matter just how great one player is, there may one day be a player who eclipses that greatness.
Goetze?`
I am sorry but retiring numbers is just a silly notion to me. It might be okay in US sports or basketball but the idea of Manchester United going through the rest of its years without having a number 11 or 7 just because of individual players, no matter how great he is, goes against everything a club is supposed to stand for.
We had Bryan Robson as 7 and Cantona took over and became as big a hero as Robson was. Cantona retired and David Beckham did justice to the number. I don't need to mention Ronaldo do I? Players come and go. We remember our greats in other ways than silly gestures like retiring numbers.
In regards to what matters, on the pitch. If he plays tonight, it's a massive test from him. We need all our players to perform is we are to win. At home, hopefully he gets a touch more space on the ball and he can really hurt their defenders, especially if he gets a run on them, I can see him causing real damage.
Give Draxler 7
I hope we continue to play him in a wide role, it seems to be a great way to bring young talented attackers into a team.
Ronaldo, Messi and Reus, for example, took this route, and they're been successful being pushed more centrally and further forward as they improve.
However, it seems to me that there are a lot of players, like Rooney, who aren't able to be nearly as influential from wide positions. So if you do have one of those rare players who is nearly as productive wide as centrally, I would think a manager would want to take advantage of this and continue to play that player wide.
Considering we have van Persie and Rooney who both need to play centrally to be at their best, I'm excited to see Januzaj nail down the typical #7 role. If he progresses as we hope, he can take over Rooney's spot in the formation in a few years when age catches up with Rooney.
Ronaldo, Messi and Reus, for example, took this route, and they're been successful being pushed more centrally and further forward as they improve.
However, it seems to me that there are a lot of players, like Rooney, who aren't able to be nearly as influential from wide positions. So if you do have one of those rare players who is nearly as productive wide as centrally, I would think a manager would want to take advantage of this and continue to play that player wide.
Considering we have van Persie and Rooney who both need to play centrally to be at their best, I'm excited to see Januzaj nail down the typical #7 role. If he progresses as we hope, he can take over Rooney's spot in the formation in a few years when age catches up with Rooney.
It may sound silly to you, but it's only a number and people attach far too much significance to it and pressure. I'd be quite happy if Adnan continued to wear 44 for the rest of his United career. The whole notion of a shirt number being so significant seems a bit silly to me.
I agree that retiring numbers is silly. For some players the significance of a special shirt number drives them on and elevates them.
Why would it appease fans?
People lap up all that 'I've always supported the club', 'I want to follow in the steps of all those players who've worn the no 7' etc.
Ronaldo spoke about the significance of being given the number 7 for him just last month:
And Albert Morgan said this about Beckham: “I can remember David Beckham when Eric left – he was desperate for that number 7 shirt, absolutely desperate, and he did very well in it when he got it."
Not every player wilts under the weight of a significant shirt. I'd bet Adnan wouldn't either. That shirt was special to a young Beckham and Ronaldo because they felt privileged to get it because of who had worn it before and the history of it. Retiring shirt numbers is silly it can drive a player on. Plus our club would probably only have really high numbers left given the amount of great players this club has had over the years.
Beckham probably wanted it for the branding opportunity. Ronaldo has always been very press savvy with United fans too.
Personally, it seems strange that a shirt number would drive a player on. If anything it seems more of a burden of late, let Adnan and whoever else comes in choose their own number and make their own history.
Just because it burdened Antonio Valencia doesn't mean it will be the same for everyone. Beckham as a youngster was a crazy United fan and I'm sure the significance of seeing players he idolised in that shirt would be far greater than what he thought he might make from it. They all looked up to Cantona. And as for Ronaldo I don't see why he would have asked for the #28 in that case.
They added to the history of the shirt and I'm sure whether Adnan gets the 7, 11 or even the 10 eventually it'll be the same.
Is it only City that have retired a number? Haven't they said no one would play in Foe's old number? I'm not adverse to the idea, but we'd not be able to field a 1-11 by now, had retiring shirts been the done thing.
Yet, giving it to Ronaldo had a significance for SAF. If only something to do with out with the old, in with the new on that occasion.
Lots of players are superstitious. Ronaldo may only have learned its history for us later, but Figo was a #7 and so was Raul, and he'd have seen that in the number, and of course, it's the number of a starter. I bet he was chuffed to bits when he got it.
Agreed with those who say to give him the number 7, I said as much in the summer.
I would love to see a united youngster come through the academy and make the number his own following the likes of ronaldo and co.
I would love to see a united youngster come through the academy and make the number his own following the likes of ronaldo and co.
Janu7aj.
@datura you're talking total shite man. Everone disagrees with you and once you start suggesting retiring numbers because someone was rather good in it you need to reassess you're argument.
What number would DDG have then? He couldn't be No1 cos the pressure of following on some of the greatest keepers in history wearing it is too much. Carrick shouldn't have 16, We'll never have another 11, or a 9. I could keep going really.
Such nonsense.
What number would DDG have then? He couldn't be No1 cos the pressure of following on some of the greatest keepers in history wearing it is too much. Carrick shouldn't have 16, We'll never have another 11, or a 9. I could keep going really.
Such nonsense.
If we retired legendary numbers, we wouldn't have been able to sign van Persie last year as 20 would be well gone.
Eh? It was a discussion point as it happens in other sports.
As for the rest, I think a bit of self analysis is required before you start accusing other people of talking total shite.
Retiring numbers is the most ridiculous debate, it's not even a debate worth having.
beckham grew up as a united fan and he idolized bryan robson. i am sure branding is not the first thing on his mind back then. he deserves a lot of respect for what he did at united all those years.
I've never disrespected his time here?? He was always pretty savvy about his own marketing even early on in his united career. That's no reflection on his performances.
I'm sure most here play football as kids and remember some of the arguments over who gets what shirt numbers. Its a football thing. You're probably overstating how much significance people place on shirt numbers but to say numbers have zero meaning in football (and other sports) is to look at things in an unromantic fashion. And Manchester United are nothing if not romantic.
I think Milan retired Baresi's number 6, and Maldini's number 3 is reserved for his sons, should they make the grade for them.
When I was a kid it meant a bit more as you didn't have your own shirt, you'd get the number relating to where you were starting or a sub number. In the days of squad numbers the number is more used for branding it seems. You could have a starting 11 with no numbers between 1-11.
I would have thought the romance of the 7 shirt would have been totally gone with Owen been awarded it!
Yeah. Kinda cheapens it somehow huh? Michael fecking Owen. I would have given it to even John O'Shea before seeing Owen in it.
Even John O'Shea? Even John O'Shea?
But yeah, the number 7 is meaningless now.
Should embarrass Walker enough times today, looking forward to it. 
SAF had a proper hard on for Michael Owen, didn't he?
His comments on Owen in his book had me going wtf. Still, maybe he likes Owen because he really is genuinely nice, and not because of their shared passion for horses.
You're right. A legend like O'Shea obviously deserves something much better. Like number 10 in Brazil colours.
How the hell can the number 7 not mean anything just because Owen wore it? What A load Of cobblers .
Michael Owen isn't a bad name to add to the list, I know he was well past his best when he came here and is an ex-scouser, but he's a former European POTY.
It's too early yet to give him the number. I think he's creating a new number at the moment with his 44. If you look at some of the numbers out there recently it suggest it's fine to have a high nice number. Ronaldinho with his legendary #80 in Milan.
One number that is in the risk of being retired is of course #11. I mean, what else could you do? Perhaps a statue or a rename a stand?
One number that is in the risk of being retired is of course #11. I mean, what else could you do? Perhaps a statue or a rename a stand?
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