Schmeichel
VDS
Rio
Vidic
Evra
Stam
Irwin
Keane
Scholes
Beckham
Giggs
Ronaldo
RVN
Rooney
VDS
Rio
Vidic
Evra
Stam
Irwin
Keane
Scholes
Beckham
Giggs
Ronaldo
RVN
Rooney
World Class players under Alex Ferguson
- Thread starter tentan
- Start date
Who would you rather play at Left Back Maldini or Messi? Which one would be better in that position?
Mine too and I rate Evra highly. Denis was the complete fullback, very, very consistent and just as capable on either side.
The likes of Carrick and G. Neville would be in "World Class" level if they're in this era. I have no doubt.
Neville is never world class for me, never feel safe with him as our defender. Irwin is at least 1 level higher than him.
If you go by SAF's own definition in his book he only ever had 3.
4. Which is nonsense. He obviously went with Ronaldo + Cantona, Giggs, Scholes (the 3 who never fell out with him).
If it is just goat level then only Ronaldo can be there.
If it is also 1-2 levels below and Giggs, Scholes and Cantona are included, then the other players on most peoples’ list in this thread who are around the same level absolutely deserve to be there as well.
I'd say Rio and Vidic would probably qualify as world class and so would Keane and Stam and then there's the mad Dane in goal
World class during their tenure here or just overall in general? Veron was world class but left a lot to be desired in his stint with us, same with the likes of blanc and to a degree Owen who were by then past it.
If we're sticking to the former I'd like to add a seldom mentioned named,McGrath , he was class if not for his off the field drinking problems.
If we're sticking to the former I'd like to add a seldom mentioned named,McGrath , he was class if not for his off the field drinking problems.
McGrath was class at Villa after he left United
Peter Schmeichel - arguably the best all time goalie
Rio - one of the best modern centre backs in Europe
Vidic - same as Rio but completely different players
Scholes - I don’t think there’s one player that would improve on him. He may not have been better than Cavi for Barca, but I would argue that goes both ways.
Keane - because
Giggs - arguably the best left winger for several years
Ronaldo - goes without saying
Beckham
Cantona? Possibly
Honorable mentions to Rooney: Rooney was never the best striker in the PL. Even in his best season for us, RVP was better for Arsenal.
Soft spot for Evra, and he was one of the best fullbacks for three to five years.
Rio - one of the best modern centre backs in Europe
Vidic - same as Rio but completely different players
Scholes - I don’t think there’s one player that would improve on him. He may not have been better than Cavi for Barca, but I would argue that goes both ways.
Keane - because
Giggs - arguably the best left winger for several years
Ronaldo - goes without saying
Beckham
Cantona? Possibly
Honorable mentions to Rooney: Rooney was never the best striker in the PL. Even in his best season for us, RVP was better for Arsenal.
Soft spot for Evra, and he was one of the best fullbacks for three to five years.
He was great for United too if a bit inconsistencies.
Nope he left Cantona out.
Yeah I know, used to see him regularly coming out of the bookies on Chester Road and using the pay phones outside, I think he had gambling issues as well if I recall correctly
He said this a few years ago while launching one of his books and Cantona was definitely in.
He said today (i.e. a few years ago when he said it) there are only two world class players currently playing: Ronaldo and Messi.
And while he managed many great players, he would call only 4 world class under him.
Fair enough I am remembering a previous passage there then. Still think it was harsh of him.
Anyone that doesn't have Robbo in needs to go and watch him play. For a time, he was the only world class player in our side and we did very well to keep him for so long.
It's actually depressing seeing these names. What class we had over the past 30 years
Didn't Atkinson come close to selling him to Juve at one point?
Saha, really?
Also, Berbatov was a fantastic technical player but he wasn't world class. Half of his United career was spent playing second fiddle to Chicharito. Couldn't even make the 7 man bench for the 2011 Champions League final.
But he was our top scorer that season. Saha was injury prone but top classSaha, really?
Also, Berbatov was a fantastic technical player but he wasn't world class. Half of his United career was spent playing second fiddle to Chicharito. Couldn't even make the 7 man bench for the 2011 Champions League final.
Yes, and that pretty much sums up Atkinson as a manager.
I love the man but he doesn't half talk nonsense sometimes. When he said that he contradicted himself.
Being a top scorer one season shouldn't automatically qualify you as world class. Also not sure why Carrick isn't on your list when Saha is but each to their own.
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Saha is an absolutely insane suggestion. Top marks.
Love tony to bits but he is not a WC player.
I'd include Irwin and possibly omit Neville, definitely omit Carras.
Rooney was world class in his prime under Fergie, without a doubt. He was the talisman and fighter who did anything and everything on the ball and off the ball.
By scoring about half of his goals in 1 game against Blackburn. His Hattrick against Liverpool was great though.
For me
Goalkeepers
Schmeichel
Van Der Sar
Defenders
Stam
Ferdinand
Vidic
Midfielders
Robson
Keane
Forwards
Van Nistelrooy
Ronaldo
Rooney
Van Persie
Goalkeepers
Schmeichel
Van Der Sar
Defenders
Stam
Ferdinand
Vidic
Midfielders
Robson
Keane
Forwards
Van Nistelrooy
Ronaldo
Rooney
Van Persie
Mad that you're omitting Scholes. Best midfielder I've ever seen in a United shirt (I only caught the tail end of Keane's career)
Listen mate its kind of subjective just like your list. Personally I never rated Carrick( pure talent wise) that highly aldo he did well for the club. I suppose its whats makes this list so fun at the end of the day
Did you think Saha was better than Cole and Yorke?
I think he was crazy talented aldo Yorke and Cole did better for the club and they had insaine understanding
Ultimately Fergie was right in giving him the axe as someone with his unfortunately set of liabilities was bound to always be more trouble than it's worth but I always did wonder what would happen if Fergie chose to stick with him and somehow his disadvantages disappeared.
His talent was immense and im sure he'd have gone down as an all time great had he shown the restraint his innate talent deserved.
Cole.
One thing I've heard a lot in the last few year's is our players have always been shite and can't hold a candle to some of today's legends. So that must've made Fergie the absolute greatest, to win so much with rubbish players right? Wrong! He was crap as well.
I don't know why or how we won so much but he was shite and so were the players. Must've been the brown paper envelopes and refs we had in our pockets. That must be why we had 115 charges against us.
I don't know why or how we won so much but he was shite and so were the players. Must've been the brown paper envelopes and refs we had in our pockets. That must be why we had 115 charges against us.
Gary Neville is an interesting one. He pretty much is the best Premier League right back of all time right? Undisputed pretty much. Maybe Kyle Walker overtakes him when his career is over
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Why have we had such a dearth of world class right backs in the Prem?
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Why have we had such a dearth of world class right backs in the Prem?
I'd say that Robbo probably wasn't world-class under Alex Ferguson. His absolute best (when he was clearly world-class) came a bit earlier.
There's a element of truth in that though in 1986 Robbo was regarded as England's best player by his namesake manager