The man expresses all I would've said about Veron if I'd had the patience - good balanced article.
Veron's big chance
Gordon Strachan says Argentine can easily fill Roy Keane's boots
Sunday April 7, 2002
The Observer
If there was a survey among all the managers in Britain to reveal the player they would most like to see in their team, I have little doubt that Roy Keane would top the list by a mile. No footballer is as important to his team as Keane is to Manchester United. His injury in last week's 2-0 quarter-final first-leg win over Deportivo La Coruña has to be deemed a major blow to United's chances of getting their hands on the trophy.
In my experience as a player, the only footballer who could rival Keane as an inspirational figure was my former Manchester United colleague, Bryan Robson. The closest equivalent today would probably be Arsenal's Patrick Vieira. Like Keane, he has enough technical strings to his bow to stand out as a top performer in any outfield role. But whether he has Keane's personality, Keane's aura, is another matter.
Perhaps the best indication of Keane's influence is that even Juan Veron, Britain's most expensive player at the £28.1million United paid Lazio for him, and one who is a more gifted ball-player than the Republic of Ireland midfielder, has tended to be overshadowed by him.
In the United set-up, I honestly cannot think of anyone in the world who would not be overshadowed by the Irishman - and that, of course, sums up the tremendous challenge facing Veron, if and when he recovers from his own injury, to take on the task of replacing United's captain.
It seems incongruous to suggest that a footballer of Veron's stature has anything to prove, but when he does return to the first-team fold - which Sir Alex Ferguson is understandably hoping will be the case for this week's second leg against Deportivo at Old Trafford - the United fans (not to mention the media) might well make him feel that way.
To an extent, the perception of Veron as a player who has under-performed in England is correct. As one of the world's greatest playmakers, he has certainly not dictated the play at United as consistently as one might have expected.
But he has long been one of my favourite players, ever since I first watched his performances on television at the start of his career in Argentine club football, and I still think he has been a wonderful acquisition.
When Pele talked of football as being the 'beautiful game', it was with players with the vision and ball skills of Veron in mind. But it can take time for even the best players to adjust to different football cultures. At Manchester United, one aspect of this was seen with Holland's Jaap Stam. He became the world's most expensive defender when United bought him, but it was difficult to accept him in that position in his first few months at the club, as he struggled to come to terms with United's zonal marking system. The culture shock for Veron has been equally pronounced. The pace and physical intensity of English football are greater than he will have experienced in Argentina, and even Italy.
The game in most European countries has become more frenetic in recent years, but when it comes to teams putting pressure on the opposition all over the field, perhaps only those in Spain can be compared to the leading English sides. That pressure inevitably makes it difficult for players like Veron to settle on the ball and fully express their creative skills. In Veron's case, it did seem that he would get all the scope he needed to concentrate on his attacking ability, through being used in a five-man midfield. But the 4-5-1 system did not work as effectively as United hoped and they have looked better since reverting to 4-4-2.
The difficulties Veron has experienced were brought into sharp focus recently when his mistake in losing possession against Middlesbrough led to the goal that brought United a 1-0 defeat, and with it, a big setback to their Championship hopes. I must say that I had mixed feelings about the criticism he received over that incident, because his willingness to use his imagination and try different things were partly the qualities he was bought for. As a manager, I obviously take a dim view of players who are too casual or self-indulgent. At the same time, if I encourage players to be creative - which I do - it is difficult to lambast them on the occasions it misfires.
When you have as many world-class players as United do, the difference one more can be expected to make is relatively subtle. I also have to make the point that by increasing the competition for first-team places, Veron has almost certainly improved the team just through his presence at the club.
As far as United are concerned, one player who could have benefited from the signing of Veron is David Beckham. Many have attributed his sharp recent performances - and especially his scoring form - to the first-team rest Fergie inflicted on him after the World Cup tie against Greece. Maybe it has also had something to do with the fact that during this period, it was Veron who filled Beckham's right midfield position.
In view of Keane's absence, the thought of how Veron has helped stimulate other United players is as good a reason as any for arguing that they can keep going in the European Cup.
Veron's big chance
Gordon Strachan says Argentine can easily fill Roy Keane's boots
Sunday April 7, 2002
The Observer
If there was a survey among all the managers in Britain to reveal the player they would most like to see in their team, I have little doubt that Roy Keane would top the list by a mile. No footballer is as important to his team as Keane is to Manchester United. His injury in last week's 2-0 quarter-final first-leg win over Deportivo La Coruña has to be deemed a major blow to United's chances of getting their hands on the trophy.
In my experience as a player, the only footballer who could rival Keane as an inspirational figure was my former Manchester United colleague, Bryan Robson. The closest equivalent today would probably be Arsenal's Patrick Vieira. Like Keane, he has enough technical strings to his bow to stand out as a top performer in any outfield role. But whether he has Keane's personality, Keane's aura, is another matter.
Perhaps the best indication of Keane's influence is that even Juan Veron, Britain's most expensive player at the £28.1million United paid Lazio for him, and one who is a more gifted ball-player than the Republic of Ireland midfielder, has tended to be overshadowed by him.
In the United set-up, I honestly cannot think of anyone in the world who would not be overshadowed by the Irishman - and that, of course, sums up the tremendous challenge facing Veron, if and when he recovers from his own injury, to take on the task of replacing United's captain.
It seems incongruous to suggest that a footballer of Veron's stature has anything to prove, but when he does return to the first-team fold - which Sir Alex Ferguson is understandably hoping will be the case for this week's second leg against Deportivo at Old Trafford - the United fans (not to mention the media) might well make him feel that way.
To an extent, the perception of Veron as a player who has under-performed in England is correct. As one of the world's greatest playmakers, he has certainly not dictated the play at United as consistently as one might have expected.
But he has long been one of my favourite players, ever since I first watched his performances on television at the start of his career in Argentine club football, and I still think he has been a wonderful acquisition.
When Pele talked of football as being the 'beautiful game', it was with players with the vision and ball skills of Veron in mind. But it can take time for even the best players to adjust to different football cultures. At Manchester United, one aspect of this was seen with Holland's Jaap Stam. He became the world's most expensive defender when United bought him, but it was difficult to accept him in that position in his first few months at the club, as he struggled to come to terms with United's zonal marking system. The culture shock for Veron has been equally pronounced. The pace and physical intensity of English football are greater than he will have experienced in Argentina, and even Italy.
The game in most European countries has become more frenetic in recent years, but when it comes to teams putting pressure on the opposition all over the field, perhaps only those in Spain can be compared to the leading English sides. That pressure inevitably makes it difficult for players like Veron to settle on the ball and fully express their creative skills. In Veron's case, it did seem that he would get all the scope he needed to concentrate on his attacking ability, through being used in a five-man midfield. But the 4-5-1 system did not work as effectively as United hoped and they have looked better since reverting to 4-4-2.
The difficulties Veron has experienced were brought into sharp focus recently when his mistake in losing possession against Middlesbrough led to the goal that brought United a 1-0 defeat, and with it, a big setback to their Championship hopes. I must say that I had mixed feelings about the criticism he received over that incident, because his willingness to use his imagination and try different things were partly the qualities he was bought for. As a manager, I obviously take a dim view of players who are too casual or self-indulgent. At the same time, if I encourage players to be creative - which I do - it is difficult to lambast them on the occasions it misfires.
When you have as many world-class players as United do, the difference one more can be expected to make is relatively subtle. I also have to make the point that by increasing the competition for first-team places, Veron has almost certainly improved the team just through his presence at the club.
As far as United are concerned, one player who could have benefited from the signing of Veron is David Beckham. Many have attributed his sharp recent performances - and especially his scoring form - to the first-team rest Fergie inflicted on him after the World Cup tie against Greece. Maybe it has also had something to do with the fact that during this period, it was Veron who filled Beckham's right midfield position.
In view of Keane's absence, the thought of how Veron has helped stimulate other United players is as good a reason as any for arguing that they can keep going in the European Cup.
