26th November, 1992. I was staying at my Grandad’s house for the night when I heard the news. ‘Fergie has signed Cantona!’ I was told. For some reason I was delighted by this, but I didn’t really know why. Sure, he had skill and class on the pitch like no other player I had seen in England, but as a striker his goal record was hardly inspiring, scoring only 9 goals in 28 games for Leeds United over the course of a couple of half seasons. Would he really be any better than Mark Hughes and Brian ‘Choccy’ McClair? Plus we had new signing Dion Dublin to come back towards the end of the season after his leg break, and promising youngster Jovan Kirowski waiting in the wings. But still, to sign arguably the Champions’ best player showed a real sign of intent and could potentially put Manchester United back in the title race after a pretty average start.
But how did the signing come about? After all, we’d all heard the names Alex Ferguson was after – David Hirst, Matt Le Tissier, Brian Deane even (!?) – but Eric Cantona had not once been mentioned. If the move for Cantona appeared in any way to be a curve-ball, that’s because it was – even to Ferguson. When Leeds United contacted the Manchester United hierarchy to enquire about the ever-reliable left-back Denis Irwin, Fergie not only turned it down, but he put in a cheeky counter-bid for Cantona. Surely he didn’t expect the response he got?
“Leeds came on the phone asking if we’d sell them Denis Irwin. It was a non-starter. But jokingly I suggested we’d swap him for Eric Cantona – and there was this pause at the other end…”
- Sir Alex Ferguson
Yet, his £1.2m offer was accepted and the rest, as they say, is history… Why Wilkinson felt the need to replace title winner and England international Tony Dorigo in the first place is beyond me, but The Dubious Goals Committee takes a look at what might have happened if ‘Wilko’ had not felt the urge to sign Denis Irwin…
With United languishing in 10th place in the Premier League part way through the season, after a seven game win-less run is broken with a victory over Oldham Athletic, Alex Fergson decides enough is enough. With Dion Dublin out with a leg break, and striker Brian McClair on a highly-unimpressive 3 goals by late November, striking reinforcements become a priority for Ferguson.
David Hirst signs for Manchester United for £3.5m
With Alan Shearer rejecting United for Blackburn, a second bid is put in for Sheffield Wednesday striker David Hirst (Ferguson’s first bid of £3m was rejected in the previous summer, leading to the signing of newly-crocked Dublin). Testing Sheffield Wednesday’s resolve, Ferguson stubbornly offers £3m again only to see the The Owls stand firm and instantly reject the proposal once more, meaning only a British record transfer fee would secure the signature of one of the best all-round strikers in the country. Nevertheless, £3.5m is deemed by Ferguson as a bargain and during a press-conference presenting his new hit-man, he describes Hirst as “the saviour of our season”. During his first game in United (away) colours, at Arsenal, a horror tackle by Steve Bould leaves Hirst with a broken ankle and out for six months. With the team absolutely devastated and demoralised at the thought of ‘Choccy’ McClair leading the line for the rest of the season, another win-less run up until Christmas leaves a title challenge miles from anyone’s mind, and the Manchester United board running out of patience with their manager. The season is summed up on January 9th in a game against ‘Spurs at Old Trafford. With the game poised at 0-0 in the 52nd minute, Denis Irwin marauds down the left flank, and beyond the static defence. The ball is rolled to Brian McClair, who attempts a delicious chip pass over the defence straight into Irwin’s feet, only for the ball to be shanked into the stands and McClair is jeered from all sections of the half-full stadium. Another chance gone begging.
However, despite the lack of flair and imagination in the side, United manage to finish 5th in the Premier League after the return of Dion Dublin in April 1993 leads to a run of seven games unbeaten, with Dublin nodding in 5 goals in the process, all from promising youngster Ryan Giggs’ crosses. Giggs’ meanwhile manages to pick up the PFA Young Player of the Year accolade from his peers, and title winning captain Paul McGrath wins PFA Player of the Year as Aston Villa pip Mike Walker’s Norwich to the first ever Premier League championship title. Fifth place, however, is not a good enough return from Ferguson, and he is unceremoniously sacked by the Manchester United board who, after seven years of patience, were unhappy to make do with one Rumbelows Cup, a Cup Winners Cup and a lucky FA cup win. With some new blood required at Old Trafford, in comes Dave ‘Harry’ Bassett bringing with him beanpole striker Brian Deane, United’s nemesis on the opening day of the previous season.
Youngster Ryan Giggs, takes the tag ‘the new George Best’ a little too literally, with Bassett turning a blind eye to his famous off-the-field partying with team-mate Lee Sharpe. Simon Tracey is brought in to replace departing goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel who demands to leave as he was promised trophies when he joined in 1992, and Denis Irwin is snapped up by Leeds United manager Howard Wilkinson in a swap deal for Tony Dorigo. Seemingly not in Bassett’s plans, Mark Hughes is sold to Chelsea for £1.5m with Bassett preferring two from the three other forwards at his disposal, Dion Dublin, Brian Deane and David Hirst. However, despite the departures, the core of the team remains and Bassett sets up the team to play direct football, with crosses and long balls being punted onto the heads of the D & D ‘goal factory’ (Dublin and Deane, obviously). Hirst never fully recovers from his injury from the previous season and becomes a bit-part player, struggling to make an impact and dislodge the two target men up front. Gary Pallister remains a rock at the back, but is found to be even more useful when thrown up front in the dying minutes to salvage draws from the clutches of defeat. The ugly football style leads to the fans staying away, with the newly-completed Stretford End only partially-filled by the ever-increasingly frustrated die-hard Reds.
Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes all leave Manchester United in the summer of 1994
United finish the season in 9th place and, after long deliberation, the Manchester United board, yearning for stability, sack Dave Bassett in May 1994. After losing both the dressing room, and the fans, his position was considered untenable.
Prior to his sacking, Bassett manages to sanction the sale of Welsh troublemaker Ryan Giggs to Italian giants Inter Milan in January 1994 for a staggering £4.5m. Other promising players from the youth ranks, David Beckham and Gary Neville, join lower-league Leyton Orient and Bury respectively, for a combined fee of £150,000.
Another youngster, Paul Scholes, is released, as he is not deemed to be tall enough to score goals at the highest level, and is picked up by hometown club Oldham Athletic on a free transfer. Blackburn Rovers start their dominance in English football by cruising to the Premier League title and continue to snap up the biggest names in football, breaking the British transfer record twice in one summer, by signing midfield pair Roy Keane and Frenchman Zinedine Zidane from Nottingham Forest and Bordeaux respectively.
The start of the 1994/95 sees Manchester United in a buoyant mood however, with Bassett replaced with an in-house appointment, Bryan Robson, who takes on a player-manager role. The Chairman and Manager are both positive that the future is bright, with a crop of youngsters waiting in the wings, and Robson sticks to his word by blooding the inexperienced Chris Casper, Kevin Pilkington, Pat McGibbon, Simon Davies, Ben Thornley and George Switzer (who was offered a long contract in 1993 as Bassett had seen more than enough in him to convince them he could make it to the very top) on the opening day of the season. The game becomes a disaster as United roll over to a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Queens Park Rangers. Upon retrospect, Robson was not the manager the board had hoped he would be, and, with United in 15th at Christmas, there is no option but to bring in another new manager. The only high-point in the season, however, is an FA Cup win against Everton masterminded by new manager Mike Walker who joined in January 1995 from the Goodison Park side, who he had lead to safety the previous year when they were odds on to go down. Finally, some silverware for the United fans to celebrate, and Walker managed to succeed in securing a 12th place finish for United, with Blackburn again winning the league, becoming the first team to retain the Premier League championship.
Arsene Wenger joins Manchester United
With all stability gone from the Old Trafford club by this time – the young team shorn of confidence and the big names long gone – United are no longer a force. 1995/96 sees a break in the Blackburn dominance, however. Kevin Keegan ‘loves it’ as he leads his attacking Newcastle United team to a spectacular title win, including 4-3 victory over Liverpool late on in the season all but sealing the Championship.
After another disappointing finish of 11th under Brian Kidd, the Manchester United board begin looking overseas for a new manager and the 1996/97 season sees the appointment of Frenchman Arsene Wenger from Grampus Eight in Japan, who instantly stamps his mark on the United team by demanding the marquee signing of Remi Garde, as well as unknown Senegal-born youngster Patrick Vieira.
Wenger takes United to a highly-impressive 3rd place finish in his debut season. Blackburn’s dominance over the Premier League was over the following season, and thanks to the signing of the likes of striking sensation Nicolas Anelka, Emmanuel Petit, and jet-heeled winger Marc Overmars, Manchester United power to a League and FA Cup double, with the attacking prowess complimented perfectly by the strong back five, including Tracey, Switzer and Garde.
The next ten years sees the title changing hands between United and Blackburn, a certain Eric Cantona becomes a movie star after retiring from football in 1994 – starring in films such as the Karate Kid 4 (Daniel in Paris) and Kung Fu Panda – and Alex Ferguson managing the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal, with little real success…
So at a base level, if Howard Wilkinson hadn’t thought to bid for Denis Irwin all those years ago, things could have been so different… However, perhaps the move wasn’t such a shock given how management saw Eric Cantona in the dressing room, throughout most of his career. At Nimes, Cantona was seen to be workshy, egotistical and disruptive. In December 1991, he threw a ball at the referee during a game, having been angered by one of his decisions. Cantona was was summoned before the authorities and forced to attend a disciplinary hearing by the French Football Federation – he was banned for a month. Cantona responded in typically anarchistic fashion by walking up to each member of the hearing committee in turn and calling him an idiot. His ban was increased to two months. Unhappy, Cantona subsequently announced his retirement from football on 16 December 1991, aged 25.
Eric Cantona retires from professional football with immediate effect (December 18, 1991)
Michel Platini, then manager of the French national team, persuaded Cantona in to a return to the game, but suggested a move to England to rebuild his career. A trial at Sheffield Wednesday came and went, Graeme Souness refused to touch the Frenchman with a barge-pole and he ended up in South Yorkshire. Despite a promising season at Elland Road, Cantona did not take long to revert to type and the Elland Road hierarchy found him particularly obdurate and naturally bullish toward the footballing establishment.
“Eric likes to do what he likes, when he likes – and then fucks off” – Howard Wilkinson, 1992
So, when Wilkinson received the counter-bid for Cantona, perhaps Leeds saw a chance to remove a problem from their dressing room, for what was essentially a £300,000 profit. If the thought of him going to Manchester United was surprisingly shocking to the footballing fraternity, it was also a surprise to the potential suitors – Ferguson has pulled off an incredible coup de grace upon the League Champions.
'King' Eric Cantona
In my opinion, Cantona, along with Peter Schmeichel, was one of the most important signings Sir Alex Ferguson ever made. Without those two players, things could have been so much different… I truly believe that without Eric Cantona, Manchester United would not have won the 1993 Premier league title. He was Players’ Player of the Year and Football Writer’s Player of the Year in his debut season at Old Trafford – a relative steal at £1.2m. I also believe that this would have tested the board’s patience with Ferguson, and without the success that the first league title brought, I do not think that United would have gone on to dominate the Premier League era in the way they have done.
Throughout, I have speculated what could have happened. But, without hypotheses or hyperbole, what I do know is what would not have happened, had Ferguson not signed ‘King Eric’… THAT pass to Irwin… THAT goal against Sunderland, Matthew Simmons would not have been a household name, seagulls following trawlers, kids all around the country would not have spent the 90s with the collar of their shirts up, Manchester United would not have won numerous Premier League titles and FA Cups. In many ways, it was a moment of sublime serendipity by Alex Ferguson in signing the enigmatic Frenchman; he could not have dreamed just how great and glorious a catalyst Cantona would prove to be for his developing team.
In 43 games over the course of 1992 (in the period before Cantona signed) they won 17 times and amassed 67 points – the following year it was 31 wins and 102 points. When Cantona arrived in late 1992, United had not won the league over 25 years; by the time he departed, just five years later, they had won four, including two doubles in five years, when only three had been won by anyone all century. Both were secured with Cantona scoring in the final. During this time, when Cantona was the eponymous Tour de Force, Alex Ferguson was slowly building himself a squad that would form the backbone of Manchester United winning an unprecedented treble in 1999.
Manchester United, Champions League Winners, 1999
Sure, Eric Cantona had long since departed Manchester United and the corridors of Old Trafford by then. He may have been absent physically, but spiritually he was always there – credited with a lead role in building the Theatre of Dreams. As Manchester United marched to their 19th League title, some would say he still is. The Premier League’s Overseas Player of the Decade’s influence and legacy lives on throughout the team that Fergie has built. A team that Fergie had time to build, all thanks to that one truly inspired signing in November 1992.
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For other insights into what might have been, see other articles in The Butterfly Effect series:
// What if Everton were relegated in 1994?
// What if Stan Collymore had blazed over in the last minute of Liverpool 4 – 3 Newcastle?
// What if Bayern Munich had won the Champions League Final in 1999?
// What if Phil Neville chose to play International cricket?
Cantona was an important signing, but I don’t agree that everything would have fallen apart without him. Your ‘alternative history’ is basically a humorous worst case scenario to emphasise how important you think his signing was. Why would Man Utd have let all their talented youngsters go without Ferguson and why would theyhave hired someone like Bassett to be their manager? It’s impossible to know what would have happened but the other player that Utd were interested in at the time they signed Cantona that you don’t mention is Peter Beardsley. Ferguson could have created the Beardsley- Andy Cole partnership before Keegan did, and still had success in the 1990s without Cantona.
Posted by James Harcourt | July 14, 2011, 2:32 pmJust as an aside, perhaps Basset wasn’t such an unlikely candidate to replace Fergie?
I found this, in relation to the 1992/93 season….
“The newly-formed League Managers Association also presented its own Manager of the Year award for the first time, specifically designed to recognise “the manager who made best use of the resources available to him”. This award went to Dave Bassett of Sheffield United”
So…
Posted by Jimmy Daniel | July 19, 2011, 11:50 am“Your ‘alternative history’ is basically a humorous worst case scenario to emphasise how important you think his signing was.”
Yep, pretty much what i was aiming for… so, thanks.
Posted by Jimmy Daniel | July 14, 2011, 2:46 pmLove it……as a United fan not quite thrilled by the initial outcomes but luckily Wilkinson was dodgy like that! I’ve alway seen football as a game of moments, and I think Best, Cantona, Giggs, Ronaldo etc were men of those ‘moments’……Be interesting to do a butterfly effect around Mark Hughes NOT equalising against Palace at Wembley in 1990……wonder where United would be then!
Funnily I’ve always thought that the only other manager in world football (other than Sir Alex of course) who would do justice to United’s FOOTBALLING philosophy AND be likely to be quite successful would be Wenger
Posted by Vishal | July 14, 2011, 4:52 pmHi Jimmy: I believed every word of it, apart from the poaching of Mike Walker. With all due deference to the man’s achievements at Norwich, I suspect he was as relieved and astonished as I was on May 7 1994. By the following Christmas, there was a sickening miasma of deja vu hanging over Goodison. Enter Joe Royle.
Posted by Mark Power | July 14, 2011, 9:52 pmNice.
Just been reading the Philippe Auclair biography Cantona – The Rebel who would be King; he outlines how United had repeatedly been asking after Cantona for some time before “that” phone-call – typically, at least since Cantona had played well against United the year before (Jordi Cruyff, Blomqvist, Ronaldo…one good game against United, and you’re there?)
It seems, just as did Cantona, the call has become somewhat mythical.
But like how you’ve worst cased it, and can’t agree more that Cantona’s stint at United carried them to the level they have occupied since. As Auclair also agrees, hi presence and attitude, as much as his ability, were his contribution and have reverberated through united’s identity ever since.
Posted by PC77 | July 15, 2011, 4:17 amThanks all for the comments.
James Harcourt, sorry, I was being a bit flippant yesterday…. I was not actually aware that Beardo was a target. As I wrote most of the article from what I could remember of the time, and then researched afterwards to back up my points, I did not come across this. However the name David Hirst is the name I continually heard and seemed to be the player Fergie really wanted and was prepared to break records to sign him (before Shearer became the most expensive player)
Vishal, totally agree RE ‘Moments’… Cantona was definitely one of those… the points United Accumulated uin the 12 monthsafter his arrival is phenemonal, and surley no coincedence?
Mark Power, true….He did a great job at Norwich, still not sure how?! But his time at Everton was poor. I should have researched more with our in hose Everton expert, @theyoungmcmahon
PC77 – think i am going to have to get that book for my holiday! Never heard of it but sounds insightful. Agree though. Canton captained ‘the kids’ and I am sure his influence had a massive impact their (hugely successful) careers
Posted by Jimmy Daniel | July 15, 2011, 8:01 amInteresting read, even if you are rather too scathing about Brian McClair – after all he was still at United when Cantoa retired, so he can’t have been that bad. And the season before he actually scored 25 goals (including a cup final winner) – more than a certain Mark Hughes and the team’s top scorer by a mile.
Didn’t Fergie sign Andy Cole in a similar way? Or was that the story about Frank Clarke refusing to take Fergie’s enquiry about Stan Collymore, so he phone Keegan in a fit of pique?
Posted by Bad Andy | July 15, 2011, 3:47 pmI think you’re spot on, Bad Andy – Choccy McClair was a cracking player. First forward since George Best to score twenty in a season in a United shirt, if i’m not very much mistaken. I think he deserves a lot better than being the butt of the joke and forming part of your alternate reality!
You’ve confused his late-era career as general Dressing Room Joker and occasional arthritic substitute with the earlier part of his career, which is a real shame as he was a favourite of mine in my youth. But then, so was Lee Sharpe, so there you go. Other than that, a cracking read – I can feel a game of Championship Manager 1994 coming on…
Posted by Jimmy Ainsworth | July 28, 2011, 7:57 pmBy selling Cantona to his great rivals, Wilkinson made the footballing mistake of the decade. Obviously there were behind the scenes issues leading to Cantona being dropped for a couple of games at Leeds, but he was obviously talented and to sell him for a pittance was only part of the misjudgement.
Leeds were having a horrible follow-up to their championship season and a devastaded Man U were not doing particularly well. It seemed obvious that Leeds needed to build a team around him, yet with a creaky defence and and aging Lee Chapman, Wiko had decided to spend the kitty on two midfielders, Roecastle and Sellers, to add to the already strong quartet of Batty, Strachan, McAllister and Speed. Wilko had clearly lost the plot, and helped his rivals to build a dynasty.
Posted by Anonymous | July 16, 2011, 4:31 amCould someone please rewrite the past without Everton buying Gary Ablett?
Posted by Anonymous | July 17, 2011, 7:21 amHi Andy
You are right, I was rather scathing about McClair, who was a great servant to United. But I guess I was trying to make the point that he was no Cantona… his goals had dried up and to be honest I was surprised he stayed at United as long as he did, although I guess Fergie had a coaching role in mind. Also, ref Cole, I do remember Fergie seemingly being more interested in Signing Sir Les, or Stan Collymore at the time… think they got the best man in the end…
Anon, Leeds did royally mess up the season after the title win….not sure what Wilkinson was thinking… the poor signings led to a long decline in the 1990′s with nothing really for the fans to celebrate after such a triumphant season in 1991/92
Anon
I’ll get @theyoungmcmahon on it quick smart!!
Posted by Jimmy Daniel | July 18, 2011, 8:38 amMcClair stayed on because he was willing to be a useful squad member and could do a job in midfield, where he ended up when Cantona arrived. He only left to finish his career at Motherwell and then ended up as Brian Kidd’s number 2 during his ill fated time at Blackburn Rovers. He didn’t return to United until 2001.
often feel he is wrongly maligned. People remember Eric’s chip against Sunderland and Beckham’s goal from halfway but these were both ‘set-up’ by Choccy, who also scored the final goals in United’s 94 & 95 seasons.
But you’re right essentially – Cantona was the success catalyst. Choccy was better than people’s memory suggest though.
Good article.
Posted by Bad Andy | July 18, 2011, 4:08 pmAbsolutely excellent piece, but I really hope you used the words “marquee signing” ironically, otherwise I must correct you. The term “marquee” is misused by all football journalists, a “marquee” is a big tent. The word you need is “marque” which refers to a brand name of some repute, which was originally used by the motor industry to describe their top of the range model, often the ones they would enter into motor races. This term was then appropriated by sports journalists to describe an exceptional athlete. Over the years due to mishearing and lazy research the term “marquee” as pronounced on radio and television by football managers has replaced “marque”. This is a disaster of language but it is not too late to salvage the term “marque”. All a thorough journalist/writer has to do is search the many online dictionaries to find and compare the two terms and then decide for themselves which is correct.
Posted by Anonymous | July 18, 2011, 11:02 amUnfortunately, I must take full responsibility for the use of the word ‘marquee’ in the article, which has been amended to ‘marque’ on your recommendation.
I stand corrected said the man in the orthopaedic shoes (cf. A. Partridge, 2001).
I found your comment very helpful and am always interested in the etymological root of footballing lexicon and their derivatives over time. It just goes to show that language is able to mutate with those ‘in the know’ having the power over others further down the ‘journalistic’ food chain. In this case, I am confident it wasn’t ‘lazy research’ as I never knew any differently. I don’t profess in any way to be a journalist or a writer, but I am evidently a casualty of such ‘disasters of language’ elsewhere.
Posted by Matt Tickner | July 18, 2011, 11:21 amAh…. hmmm, erm, well, yes it was ironic, it was (not so) obviously a joke based on the fact the Cantona always came across a bit tense (tents sounds like tense….a Marquee is a big tent….) and erm… oh forget it, you win! Amended, thanks for the tip off.
I’ll get on the phone to Marky-Mark and the funky bunch and tell them they’ve been spelling their name wrong all this time as well…
Posted by Jimmy Daniel | July 18, 2011, 11:18 amIn American English, ‘Marquee’ is a large billboard posted outside a theatre, a motel, a restaurant etc, advertising either a famous name, cheap rooms, today’s specials and the like. The term ‘Marquee Signing’ implies the arrival of a famous name (I learnt this from my American ex-wife). In English English, Marquee is, of course, a large tent.
Posted by Miles | July 18, 2011, 1:05 pmAh, yeah, this IS why we wrote ‘marquee’, as Cantona is now director of football for New York Cosmos, and therefore we thought some American English would be apt to link in with that… honest….
Posted by Jimmy Daniel | July 18, 2011, 1:15 pm“Nevertheless, £3.5m is deemed by Ferguson as a bargain and during a press-conference presenting his new hit-man, he describes Hirst as “the saviour of our season”. During his first game in United (away) colours, at Arsenal, a horror tackle by Steve Bould leaves Hirst with a broken ankle and out for six months”
David Hirst never signed for Man Utd !
Posted by Cronan | July 18, 2011, 3:04 pmoh damn, you’re right!!
hang on… Harry Basset never managed United either did he… oh balls….
Posted by Jimmy Daniel | July 18, 2011, 3:11 pmYou’re obviously a tool.
Posted by Cronan | July 18, 2011, 5:01 pmobviously….
Posted by Jimmy Daniel | July 18, 2011, 6:36 pmfacepalm
Posted by tronald | July 18, 2011, 5:25 pmWoosh – that’s the sound of the joke passing over your head!
Posted by leroi | July 19, 2011, 11:19 amIrwin was actually a right-back or centre-back when coming through the ranks at Leeds. Leeds wanted him to replace the injured Mel Sterland at right-back. Hope this clear up your mystification.
Posted by Anonymous | July 18, 2011, 6:13 pmCheers. I would have replaced Sterland too. I had so many Pro set cards of him I couldn’t give them away. I began to resent his face, and 19 years on, I still do
Posted by Jimmy Daniel | July 20, 2011, 2:13 pmYes. Denis Irwin only switched to left back when Paul Parker joined. Shame really as Irwin was by far the better of the two. But his versatility meant that he could play on either side, which Parker couldn’t.
Posted by Anonymous | July 21, 2011, 12:45 amCantona was around for 6 seasons. 5 of those, his side won the Pshi*. The other season Blackburn won while Cantona was banned. ManU were league leaders when he was banned but then lost the plot.
As far as I’m concerned, he was the best.
Posted by Anonymous | July 19, 2011, 6:55 pmSums it up really doesn’t it.. I know they continued to be succcessful and improved in Europe but I maintain that Cantona was a catalyst to all of what followed
Posted by Jimmy Daniel | July 20, 2011, 2:14 pmAbsolutely right, couldn’t agree more.
Posted by Miles | July 24, 2011, 1:07 pmwhat a brilliant article
Posted by ano | July 20, 2011, 2:10 pmThanks a lot mum!
Posted by Jimmy Daniel | July 20, 2011, 2:14 pmfunny article but way too hard on brian mcclair, who had seven good years at united and four winding-down ones.
a decent striker and always gave his best. one of fergie’s better signings of the early years.
Posted by Anonymous | July 24, 2011, 9:08 pmCronan is a legend “Hirst didn’t play for United” You couldn’t make it up genius. RAINFISHTROMBONE
Posted by Anonymous | July 25, 2011, 10:49 amCantona had a certain je ne sais quoi of course but with hindsight it’s easy to see that he was an ordinary enough player by modern manyoo standards. A [second] striker who took penalties but still only had one 20 goal season and who only ever made the PFA team of the year once. Manyoo did get 6 more points in Cantona’s first season than in the year before, but Giggs’ maturing from talent to matchwinner played a bigger part in that improvement.
He stood out at the time due to being one of the very few foreign players in the premiership, making both his skills and character something out of the ordinary, but he wasn’t remotely close to being in the class of the very best players of his time like Romario, Stoichkov, & so on, or of a talent such as Christiano Ronaldo several years later.
With the ability and willingness to splash out a British record transfer fee in any position.in the team, under a top manager like Ferguson manyoo would have started winning big trophies just as soon with or without Cantona. They’d have been in the market for signings such as Klinsmann and Bergkamp [both far better players than Cantona] or even other domestic players who could have done as good a job in their own way.
Posted by TFP | July 29, 2011, 4:31 pmA bit late, but I’d go back a bit further and suggest the classic ‘what if Forest had won THAT FA Cup 3rd round game in 1990?’ Think about it. Without the boost to their league form that the subsequent cup run gave them, United could tailspin into relegation (remember, they were only 5 – yes, that’s FIVE – points clear of the drop at the end of the season). Pressure from the supporters becomes overwhelming and Martin Edwards quickly bows to it, sacking Fergie. Finding a new manager prepared to walk into that bear pit proves extremely difficult. Desperate to get out, Edwards now looks to sell the club on the cheap and receives several offers.
Meanwhile, Forest go on to win the Cup. With Bobby Robson standing down from the England post after the World Cup, the cry goes up again for their legendary boss Brian Clough to take over. Robson successfully persuades the ever-suggestible Graham Kelly to finally give Ol Big Ead the job he’s always wanted. Events spiral from there as English football heads into a brave new era that is not unlike our own, but yet isn’t really like our own at all…
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Posted by Anonymous | December 8, 2011, 12:06 pmbrilliant post I’m a massive manu supporter from NY USA
Posted by tony | January 3, 2012, 3:02 pmA fascinating article. I agree entirely that Cantona was the catalyst of Fergie’s dominance. Another key player for me was Denis Irwin. Both players helped the emerging talented core of youth players. Being a Wednesday fan this article makes me wonder what the Wednesday of the 90s might’ve achieved if Cantona had joined. Just how good would’ve they become with Cantona alongside the likes of David Hirst, John Sheridan and Chris Waddle, maybe the Owls with Cantona would’ve been the all conquering Man United of the 90s instead of Fergie’s United?
Posted by Russell the Owl | June 15, 2012, 5:39 amWith havin so much written content do you ever run into any problems of plagorism or copyright
infringement? My blog has a lot of unique content I’ve either created myself or outsourced but it seems a lot of it is popping it up all over the internet without my agreement. Do you know any solutions to help stop content from being stolen? I’d truly appreciate it.
Posted by article | October 28, 2012, 9:33 pm�, nie widząc odpowiedzi.
- Chociażby samemu ponoszący winę, jedzie w charakterze Timothy psychol.
- podjął po sekundzie. – W charakterze na gościńcu,
co koń wyskoczy, matka jego… Do bicia się czerpie.
.. Uprzednio fachowo, skarciłem chmyza…
.
Skoczne pogląd spod opadających na oczy włosów. Przechylony furgon, łba
sałaty w błocie. Skarcony chmyz, obejmujący oblicze dłońmi, spomiędzy których
pierzcha farba. Skapuje jest dozwolone, kropla po k.
Posted by Timothy | May 13, 2013, 11:08 am