Na surely not, he owes a massives debt to us for keeping so much patience with him.
He should really retire from International football to prolong his club career.
Owen Hargreaves | 2010/11 Performances
- Thread starter SharkyMcShark
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Na surely not, he owes a massives debt to us for keeping so much patience with him.
He should really retire from International football to prolong his club career.
Probably not.
why stop there?
I think he's the best player that's ever played for United. His 36 games were hands down better then anything anyone has ever done for us.
This is what I don't get. Before he signed for us, he never looked to me like anything more to me than some bloke with German hair who ran around a lot, and who was nearly always injured.
If anything he's lived up perfectly to his own precedent.
He's got a bit of the Ribery factor about him, in that he can spend years doing literally nothing, and somehow gains a reputation as being a world class footballer, as if his name was just drawn out of a hat.
Nothing against him, and I hope he comes back and proves himself to be a useful player (which he's capable of doing if the fitness thing gets sorted out), but he's overated to ridiculous proportions. Even still.
To think that Capello was "allegedly" gonna take him to the World Cup, until Fergie pretty much said "you can feck right off - he owes us not the national team.."
Midfield formation miss him, badly... Not to mention, he was always helping defence so much.
Damn... What a great player he was and I hope he still will be.
Damn... What a great player he was and I hope he still will be.
God let him be fit by next year. Would be a huge boost for the latter parts of the Champions League games...as long as he keeps his form.
The longer he's been out the better he seems to have become. I honestly believe that if he were to retire without ever playing another game he'd go down as the greatest player we have had. He's a good player, but some here would have you believe he was the best in the world when he was cruelly struck down (he wasn't) with injury.
Maybe some of us over remember his qualities - especially when it comes to playing for United. Maybe in the limited games he played for us - he wasn't Mr. Fantastic but, then again having played limited number of games could explain why he never became great for us.
Still, can't understand why people don't think he is a quality player and liken him to just a person that runs around a lot. Capello was looking to take him on the back of his reputation to the WC, SAF chased him for a couple of years - if they didn't think he was absolute quality - you think they'd have bothered?
If he does manage to make it back for us, I think it will be a huge boost to the team in terms of options both in how we line up against strong teams as well as having another option at the troublesome right back spot or even on the right wing with Valencia's injury.
Glad to hear the news - for now though going to get mildly excited. When he plays for more than 30 seconds for the first team ... then I'll have to change my pants.
Still, can't understand why people don't think he is a quality player and liken him to just a person that runs around a lot. Capello was looking to take him on the back of his reputation to the WC, SAF chased him for a couple of years - if they didn't think he was absolute quality - you think they'd have bothered?
If he does manage to make it back for us, I think it will be a huge boost to the team in terms of options both in how we line up against strong teams as well as having another option at the troublesome right back spot or even on the right wing with Valencia's injury.
Glad to hear the news - for now though going to get mildly excited. When he plays for more than 30 seconds for the first team ... then I'll have to change my pants.
lets see if he ever gets on to the pitch for a 1st team game....
something i doubt but I stand to be corrected
something i doubt but I stand to be corrected
Mr. Fantastic winning You a title in 2008 
He won't do that.
I don't think there was an "allegedly" about it was there? He sent the team doctors to check him out before naming the provisional squad.
He was definitely thinking about it which is fecking insane.
I think all this is a bit off. I don't think he's being overrated in his absence, in fact I'd say the opposite might be true - people here have forgotten a bit what he offers in the middle of the park and seem desperate to play him out of position in defense or on the wing.
He was injured a lot for Bayern but he still had a great career for them - played more games than some make out and performed consistently well in the latter stages of the Champion's League for them.
He's never given up in the face of massive problems - 2 years without a game must hurt when your career is going to be short anyway and you're approaching 30.
Cant see the need to have a go at a guy who's more than once shown a ferocious desire to play for United, and shown it again here in coming back...
To be honest I was like that, until Steadman himself came out and was so positive.
Coming from Fergie and our physios is one thing, coming from Steadman is another.
Yeah, I was kind of shocked when that came out. The guy doesn't talk a whole lot but he came out and spoke positively about Hargreaves. That was extremely positive. And now, just on time for a change, he's back training.
We have to be cautious. But there's nothing wrong with a bit of optimism...
His best games came for Bayern. No argument there. But he wasn't massive or brillant for us in midfield. This is where I have a problem with some of you revisionists. You make it seem like he played there and made that position his. He didn't.
Hargreaves wasn't convincing for more then a few games in the center. He was actually better on the wing. But unfortunately the myth people have created is hard to get past. The fact some of you think a man who has been out 2 years can come back and play in the middle of a 442 is laughable.
Feel free to quote my post where I said that.
I never said any such thing - I said he was a quality player for Bayern in that position.
My actual thoughts on Hargreaves in terms of United are that he never quite had the time to adjust his game to the Premier League after a career spent in the Bundesliga - he needed time which he didn't get due to injury. I hope he lasts long enough when he's back to finally get to grips with English football as he has shown he has the potential to be very effective in it.
I have no idea why that would be "laughable", strange comment to say the least.
Well said.
It's laughable because I've read some people actually suggest that Hargreaves can come back and displace Fletcher in the midfield. They actually think he's going to come back a better player.
Just a look at some of the comments here prove my point. People actually believe he was our best midfielder (some may even think he still is). It's all a bit ridiculous.
i find it strange that a lot of fans slate hargreaves in terms of ability
he put in some brilliant performances for us - games against roma, arsenal and the CL final stick in the mind
he was brilliant for bayern for years before we signed him and was first choice for england....
in the season he played he was better than fletcher and you know how high we rate him
he put in some brilliant performances for us - games against roma, arsenal and the CL final stick in the mind
he was brilliant for bayern for years before we signed him and was first choice for england....
in the season he played he was better than fletcher and you know how high we rate him
I said some...I didn't say you.
Perhaps he didn't have time to adjust. I wouldn't rule it out, and bear in mind I've never said he was a bad player. He's not. I'm just saying he's not the best midfielder we have like some have suggested. He's played just a handful of games for us, and he was fortunate at the time to play alongside some of the best players we have had in over a decade.
He's good, but because people have poor memories they have mythologized just how brilliant he was. When and if he returns to full fitness and gets a run I would rather remember him as a good player then some of you who believe he's this god.
Chances are he will need a long time to get back into the groove so i'm fairly comfortable tempering my expectations of him. I expect very little from him at this point. If he makes 90 minutes on the field and doesn't shrink away from a tackle i'll be very happy and consider it a success.
Hargreaves was a better player than Fletcher, he might no be any longer but none of us will know anything about that until a few months down the line.... suggesting anything otherwise is "laughable".
Some people think his career started at Manchester United and that he never won a young EPOTY award, a Champions League and numerous Bundesliga titles at another of Europe's top clubs... weird?!
You very clearly implied it:
Where have you read any of that? I've never seen him 'mythologized' or described as a God on here... He's a United player who's had a horrendous time with injuries and people are happy to see him back - that's all I've seen.
I base my opinion on what i have seen today, on what i've seen last week. You're basing it on what you saw two yeas ago. It's laughable that you believe a player who has been that long 'might not be better then someone who has gotten better and played consistently for 2 years'
But hey, you're free to keep believing whatever makes you happy. I'm not going to change my view on Hargreaves till I see him play a full game. Right now all we've heard is a lot of talk, and talk is cheap.
So strange!
Don't you remember him playing in the CL-final in Moscow? Owen was a giant that night and covered the right wing from box2box. Remember the penalty. Bang in the corner under huge presure. That's quality for me.
He was without doubt one of our best players in season 07/08. Even if he didn't play every game.
I really look forward to see Owen again. We need his character and energy in the squad, a perfect cover for Fletch or Carrick. If Hargreaves can play +- 20 games a season it's a great boost for United. He will never be the same again but can he come back a little close to Owen Hargreaves m/2008 it will help us a lot.
Good luck to him! Some of you have short memory...
Don't you remember him playing in the CL-final in Moscow? Owen was a giant that night and covered the right wing from box2box. Remember the penalty. Bang in the corner under huge presure. That's quality for me.
He was without doubt one of our best players in season 07/08. Even if he didn't play every game.
I really look forward to see Owen again. We need his character and energy in the squad, a perfect cover for Fletch or Carrick. If Hargreaves can play +- 20 games a season it's a great boost for United. He will never be the same again but can he come back a little close to Owen Hargreaves m/2008 it will help us a lot.
Good luck to him! Some of you have short memory...
You've not been talking about how he'll come back from injury though - you've been talking about how he was for United before his injuries and the fact that he's been overrated by United fans while out injured.
We all know he might struggle after 2 years out - doesn't change the fact he was a class player before beset by injury.
Exactly. If he does this...he'll be a huge success.
All this talk about him being the best this or that is rubbish...I hope he comes back, I hope he can cover for Fletcher, Carrick and perhaps even on the right wing. Some of you have some wildly optimistic expectations of what sort of player will be returning to us. I'll just be happy if we can get 10-15 games out of him.
And that's how I feel. He's been talked about more after he got injured then when he was playing. Every year his importance seems to have grown. I'm not saying he's not a good player, or someone we don't need. But the constant gushing over his importance is just silly. We did win the league when he was injured. We reached the finals too.
But hey, lets all pretend otherwise.
Good player. Yes.
Great player. Not even close. Maybe if he comes back and helps us win #19 i'll consider him for that sort of praise.
Quoted, for then.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came back after nearly two seasons out.
The commentary always annoys me on Hargreaves penalty he says "Oo, just." It was smack bang in the top corner! Just my arse.
I remember when the fans used to support the players and look for them to overcome obstacles placed before them...
Owen Hargreaves is a red!
I will be cheering for him when he steps on to the Old Trafford pitch in the very near future.
Owen Hargreaves is a red!
I will be cheering for him when he steps on to the Old Trafford pitch in the very near future.
ok, so from: "Hargreaves was a better player than Fletcher, he might not be any longer but none of us will know anything about that until a few months down the line"
You reply:
I base my opinion on what i have seen today, on what i've seen last week. You're basing it on what you saw two yeas ago. It's laughable that you believe a player who has been that long 'might not be better then someone who has gotten better and played consistently for 2 years.
You are a strange fella.
Just like the oldies. You remember the goals and the successful dribbles, not the bad moments, the misplaced passes, the misses, the runs that led into a blind alley.
How many times have we seen Hargo's goal against Arsenal over the last two years? Dozens. So somehow the myth is he had a great game. I don't remember that at all. I don't remember anyone having a great game that day. We were poor in the first half, improved in the second - especially after Anderson and Tevez came on, from memory - and got a win. He wasn't brilliant, though.
He's a useful player. That's what he was that season. Had it not been for the injuries that damaged his first season and ruined his career ever since, he may have been more. I really like his abilities, they can be of use to us. But his role in 2007/08 is often being exaggerated. He played a part. I definitely wouldn't say we'd have done it without him, but he just wasn't a major player for us that season.
well said there.
poor lad, i feel so sorry for him, i just hope he comes back as good as ever, as he's such a good player, and a new strong midfielder is just what we need!
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