Looking at our midfield last season, I can't say it worked that well either. We had problems there in 2009/10, it got far worse last season. You could say Fergie put trust in some players that didn't justify it. Fine, but Fergie himself would admit the buck stops with the manager. He let the midfield deteriorate to a situation we're quite desperate for reinforcements. And Inter know that.
Wesley Sneijder
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Looking at our midfield last season, I can't say it worked that well either. We had problems there in 2009/10, it got far worse last season. You could say Fergie put trust in some players that didn't justify it. Fine, but Fergie himself would admit the buck stops with the manager. He let the midfield deteriorate to a situation we're quite desperate for reinforcements. And Inter know that.
It doesnt matter. But the 2 can play together which is rather exciting
The same point applies about Anderson and Hargreaves last season too. No doubt Fergie was hoping for more of a contribution from both of them. We didn't fall far short as it was.
Good to hear he is looking at other things.Hopefully a midfield enforcer.And as he says forget about Sneijder
Could there be any interest in Ganso? Or do we think SAF would try for Modric should Spurs decide to cash in?
To be fair, he's spent his fair share on midfielders over the past decade or so, Anderson, Hargreaves, Carrick, Djemba, Miller, Veron et al.. are proof that it's(midfield position) been Sir Alex's Achilles' heel - with Carrick being the exception...but only just.
I'd say keepers have always been his major Achille's heel.
The thing is up to now, we've been lucky to have always had a world class midfield with the likes of Keane, Scholes, Butt Giggs, Beckham and co being there for much of his tenure. Its only now we've been seriously lacking in players of that position. (Ok it wasn't bad as the Smith - O'shea partnership, but you'd hope he'd learnt his lesson.)
I agree there's a problem at the moment, but I'm not sure signing Sneijder 2 years ago would have necessarily been the best solution.
United are well sorted for years into the future in every other department - goalkeeping, all across the back four, wingers and forwards.
Might be too much to expect him to miraculously achieve this kind of set up for EVERY department in the squad - if there is a problem it will be interesting to see how he fixes it, it's hard to see who there is that he can buy that will really do the job for United in the PL straightaway, so maybe he'll promote from within.
Fergie doesn't do sentimentality, as in allowing it to cloud his judgement with regards to replacing players that he doesn't believe can cut it anymore.
Going into the season with just 4 midfielders would be fecking mental.
John stop wumming, it's beyond ridiculous.
What about Roy Keane? It took him walking out before we finally replaced him properly. We never really replaced what Scholes offered to the team when his contribution started to deteriorate, we might do it now that he's retired. I don't know where this idea of Ferguson as this ruthless manager comes from, he's as sentimental as any manager in my view.
Tell that to Berbatov.
Only God knows the Pain of a TM 
Or Ince, Hughes, Robson, Kanchelskis, Stam, Beckham, Butt, Phil Neville etc. etc. Some short memories on here.
feck it, never mind seasons gone by. It's only a few weeks since O'Shea was forced out and people are accusing Fergie of being too sentimental?!? Ridiculous.
It's not an opinion, it's a fact.
Why on Earth would they have valued him higher if we had been interested? Do they have an irrational hatred for us, or what?
I don't know what that proves, he had to pick a squad and he did, Berbatov missed the cut. Is there anything to suggest Ferguson had greater sentimental ties to Berbatov than Owen?
The first 4 I can't comment on as I was too young. Stam and Beckham's departures had everything to do with sentiment though, personal arguments between them and Ferguson, in Stam's case over his book, in Beckham's case over his lifestyle and the boot incident. You might say they're just rumours, and they were sold for footballing reasons, but I sincerely doubt that, it certainly wasn't because they couldn't cut it any more, or because they needed replacing, if anything they left too soon. Butt and Phil Neville wanted to leave didn't they?
Prove it then.
Oh shut up.
no but it's business. His valuation would increase because if United showed interest, Madrid would have leverage to value him higher in an attempt to reduce the fee
There's definitely been countless times Fergie's shown himself to be ruthless - can't believe anyone could argue that.
There's a difference between showing loyalty to players and being sentimental/lacking ruthlessness - once SAF loses faith players have been shown the door in record time, but when he decides to back a player he can show more patience than most.
There's a difference between showing loyalty to players and being sentimental/lacking ruthlessness - once SAF loses faith players have been shown the door in record time, but when he decides to back a player he can show more patience than most.
It proves that he had no qualms in leaving our top scorer out of the biggest match of his career. Leaving him a tearful wreck, by all accounts. Does that sound like something a "sentimental" manager would do?
If you still aren't convinced, have a word with Jim Leighton.
You really don't know where this idea of Ferguson as this ruthless manager comes from?? Do you know anything about our manager at all?
Surely the point is that he can show sentimentality without being a sentimental person in general? That would explain the odd moment of heart which is drowned out 95% of the time by the ruthless mind.
Yeah, I know he has kept players on when they're past their best, Roy Keane being the best example, and I believe he has got rid of players who could still do a good job for us because of sentimental reasons. Whoever was left out of the Champions League Final squad would have been upset about it, Berbatov had played in two already. I think it's a stereotype about him which doesn't stand up to much scrutiny, he occasionally makes sentimental decisions like the one I already mentioned, bringing Scholes on in the Champions League Final.
I'm not saying he's too sentimental or extremely sentimental, and that he doesn't sometimes make ruthless decisions, but he's hardly immune to sentiment. He's not a machine.
I'd say that's fair, I can't think of any manager at a high level who makes a lot of sentimental decisions off the top of my head.
Gasperini's latest on the Sneijder saga.
If I recall correctly, Madrid were quite desperate to get rid of him as he became surplus to requirements with Kaká and Xabi Alonso arriving. Our involvement might have raised the fee a little - to, say, £18M instead of the £13M he actually went for - but that still would have been only about half of what we'd have to pay for him now.
Fergie decided to trust Anderson and Scholes; our midfield did an adequate job but we could have done even better had we signed Sneijder and we wouldn't be as desperate for reinforcements right now. As it is, we should to bite the bullet and pay them what they want - but it appears we have no intention of doing so while Inter do not intend to reduce their price and why would they? The player isn't desperate to leave.
The man himself only towards the end of last season emphasized how sentimentality just can't come into the equation when making calls regarding players that need to move on and now people are saying he is too sentimental?
He's loyal that's for sure. But, end of the day if he doesn't think you are good for the team or would be a detriment to the dressing room, he moves you on. Wes Brown was here since he was 11 was it? What about O'Shea.
It wasn't sentimentality that kept him from springing for Sneijder 2 summers ago. It was based on the fact that we had quite a few options in CM. Buying Sneijder two years ago when you had a Scholes that was performing well, Fletcher becoming one of our best CM, Carrick who until Rome final had performed very well, Anderson was still coming through as was Gibson and then the plan was for Giggs to be playing through the middle some more as well. Where would he have fit Sneijder at that time - a player who would have probably wanted a regular playing role and at the same time keep all those options happy? This is not even talking about Hargreaves - who IMO is the biggest reason we've not bought anyone. I think SAF was convinced Hargreaves would come back and when he did, then he'd be a regular starter
He has to recognize we are thin in CM area due to the loss of Scholes, Hargreaves, most likely Gibson and possibly even Fletcher for who knows how long. But, I don't think he is as upset about our midfield options as a lot on the Caf to just go out and buy for whatever price. He'll spend the amount he thinks is right for the club. Sneijder would fit into what we need now at the club but, am sure he is also not ready to pay over the odds for him unlike most of us. Certainly not the 250k per week or even 200k per week. So if things aren't progressing then it's probably because of that - I don't think he's scared to pay the 35m for a player of Sneijder's quality.
He's loyal that's for sure. But, end of the day if he doesn't think you are good for the team or would be a detriment to the dressing room, he moves you on. Wes Brown was here since he was 11 was it? What about O'Shea.
It wasn't sentimentality that kept him from springing for Sneijder 2 summers ago. It was based on the fact that we had quite a few options in CM. Buying Sneijder two years ago when you had a Scholes that was performing well, Fletcher becoming one of our best CM, Carrick who until Rome final had performed very well, Anderson was still coming through as was Gibson and then the plan was for Giggs to be playing through the middle some more as well. Where would he have fit Sneijder at that time - a player who would have probably wanted a regular playing role and at the same time keep all those options happy? This is not even talking about Hargreaves - who IMO is the biggest reason we've not bought anyone. I think SAF was convinced Hargreaves would come back and when he did, then he'd be a regular starter
He has to recognize we are thin in CM area due to the loss of Scholes, Hargreaves, most likely Gibson and possibly even Fletcher for who knows how long. But, I don't think he is as upset about our midfield options as a lot on the Caf to just go out and buy for whatever price. He'll spend the amount he thinks is right for the club. Sneijder would fit into what we need now at the club but, am sure he is also not ready to pay over the odds for him unlike most of us. Certainly not the 250k per week or even 200k per week. So if things aren't progressing then it's probably because of that - I don't think he's scared to pay the 35m for a player of Sneijder's quality.
Who told you that?
None of which fits with your opening comment.
He's a manager that's been renowned throughout his career (seeing as that career that goes back before you were born, you may want to read up on it) for being absolutely ruthless when it comes to cutting players that don't fit with his plans, no matter how long they've been at the club or how highly rated they are. The fact he's got this reputation isn't because of some strange media plot to portray him as something that he's not.
I agree that he has been sentimental at times, bringing on Scholes, as you say, is one example. There are others. Show loyalty to him, and he will reciprocate.
However, it was your "I don't know where this idea of SAF as a ruthless manager comes from" comment that I take issue with. He is easily one of the most ruthless managers ever, IMO. Cross him, and you're gone. Get in his way, he will run right over you. The evidence of this is overwhelming.
It is the reason for the massive success he has enjoyed.
Latest being 3 days old.
Ferguson has basically confirmed what I had suspected after his recent press conference, that we are interested in Sneijder. It also sounds like we're trying to do something about it although it's not proving easy.
That's good enough for me, I hope we get him but at least we are showing a bit of ambition in the market after a couple of economical and uninspiring years with Hernandez being the only real highlight.
Honestly, ruthless is probably not the best word. I don't think he's quite that harsh. Webster's defines it as "having no pity; Merciless, cruel". I don't think that Fergie dealt with Berbatov, O'Shea, Butt, PNev, etc. with "no pity" or "cruelly", regardless of how some of them might have taken it. He does what he feels needs to be done in order to give the team the best chance of winning. That's it. Ruthless would be NOT letting players like O'Shea go by telling them that they'll play a big part just to get them to stick around, all the while knowing that he'll only use them if we face an injury crisis.
But of course he's certainly not so sentimental as to jeopardize winning by playing guys that aren't the best option available.
Examples for ruthlessness and sentimentality can both be pointed out here and there, but by and large, he's really somewhere in between.
But of course he's certainly not so sentimental as to jeopardize winning by playing guys that aren't the best option available.
Examples for ruthlessness and sentimentality can both be pointed out here and there, but by and large, he's really somewhere in between.
These are just his earlier quotes, means nothing.
3 hours old quotes.
Me? I am not on a wind up, I simply do not rate Sneijder as a world class player, and I would be disappointed if we spent a huge amount to sign him.
Okay, perhaps I was too adamant in stating that Fergie would be wrong to sign him, but I firmly believe that Sneijder is not his preferred option. Modrić would be the ideal signing for our system of play, and Fergie has stated that he was the best player in the Premier League last season. Sadly, he looks to be impossible to sign at this point in time.
I don't get how people think it's all over from Fergie's latest quotes. They seem to suggest more that it's still on as opposed to the opposite.
You all should really stop specalutation about Fergie's comments - it makes your life easier
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