2000
May Fabien Barthez (G) Monaco (? 7.8 Million)
2001
Jun Ruud Van Nistelrooy (F) PSV Eindhoven (?19 Million)
Jul Juan Sebastian Veron (M) Lazio (?28.1 Million)
Jul Roy Carroll (G) Wigan Athletic (?2.5 Million)
Aug Laurent Blanc (D) Internazionale (Free Transfer)
2002
Jan Diego Forlan (F) Independiente (?7.5 million)
Jul Rio Ferdinand (D) Leeds United (?30 million)
Aug Ricardo Lopez (G) Real Valladolid (£1.5 million)
2003
Jun David Bellion (F) Sunderland (£2 million - fee set by tribunal)
Jul Eric Djemba-Djemba (M) Nantes (?4.2 million)
Jul Tim Howard (G) NJ/NY Metro Stars (£2.3 million)
Aug Cristiano Ronaldo (F) Sporting Lisbon (£12.24 million)
Aug Jose Pereira Kleberson (M) Athletico Paranaense (£5.93 million)
2004
Jan Louis Saha (F) Fulham (£11.5 million)
May Alan Smith (F) Leeds (£7.05 million)
Jun Gabriel Heinze (D) Paris St. Germain (£6.9 million)
Rooney 25mil
2005
Van de saar
Park
vidic
Evra
2006
Carrick
The players who I would say are/might be bad signings:
David Bellion
Eric Djemba-Djemba
Jose Pereira Kleberson
Diego Forlan
Lopez
Evra
Veron, in hindsight was a bad signing but I dont know how anybody can say that any manager would of known how much a flop he would be. At the time united paid 30mil for the best midfielder in the serie A and the argentine captain. Yes he was a bad buy eventually, but if fergie paid 30mil for lampard/gerrard today, most people would agree that its value for top quality and only after a season of failure would they slag him off.
2003 was our worst season for signings, no doubt fergie dropped the ball that season. But apart from that, his signings have been good IMO. Forlan proved that he was in fact a good player, that just didnt suit the EPL. But in my opinion 2004 signings made up for that one.
Ferdinand was a good signing, just bad business, but fergie doesnt decide what united spend on a player. He says to the chief exec who he wants and prioritises them in preferance. The club negotiates based on what it can afford and what it values a player in terms of importance to the team.
Evra doesnt look great, but I think its only fair we judge him after the season.
Pique and Rossi look like two quality youngsters coming through. Where they at arsenal they would get a run in the team because they have no squad and cant afford anybody. As such the youngsters at arsenal play with less pressure and expectation which allows them to flourish. United youngsters are victims of the past glories of teams and youngsters before them.
Fergies record isnt exactly perfect, but if you compare it to his nearest rivals, I would think that its certainly up there with the best of them.
The biggest problem is Chelsea. We would of won the league last year had it not been for them. As far as I am concerned, finishing second in the league to a team that buys anybody, even players who arent for sale (obi mikel!), is as good as anybody could expect.
I look forward to this season because despite chelsea and Livepools insistance on playing the most boring formations with no need for strikers, we at least will be reverting back to our tried and trusted 4-4-2 and will at least be worth watching. Pool for all their defencive qualitis will again be looking at uniteds ass when the final points have been doled out in May. Unless Arsenal hold onto the players they have or sign another, i cant see them making up 17 points.
My prediction for the season is Chelsea, united, and then liverpool, arsenal & Tottenham to battle for 3rd and 4th again.
For people who say that this is a bad season for united in the league, then I say that you are just unrealistic. United doesnt have the money to compete with chelsea, nobody does. We made over 24mil in transfers between obimikel and ruud deals yet have only spent 17m.
For those of you demanding a striker, look at the world cup, liverpool, greece, porto, milan, juve in the last 4 years. The only good striker between these things was Shevchenko for Milan. IN the world cup no striker has reached their potential, even Henry goes missing in big games for france. I think united have enough up front in this day and age.
i could go on, but one of my favourate southparks is on so must dash. I will write more later if I remember anything else.
May Fabien Barthez (G) Monaco (? 7.8 Million)
2001
Jun Ruud Van Nistelrooy (F) PSV Eindhoven (?19 Million)
Jul Juan Sebastian Veron (M) Lazio (?28.1 Million)
Jul Roy Carroll (G) Wigan Athletic (?2.5 Million)
Aug Laurent Blanc (D) Internazionale (Free Transfer)
2002
Jan Diego Forlan (F) Independiente (?7.5 million)
Jul Rio Ferdinand (D) Leeds United (?30 million)
Aug Ricardo Lopez (G) Real Valladolid (£1.5 million)
2003
Jun David Bellion (F) Sunderland (£2 million - fee set by tribunal)
Jul Eric Djemba-Djemba (M) Nantes (?4.2 million)
Jul Tim Howard (G) NJ/NY Metro Stars (£2.3 million)
Aug Cristiano Ronaldo (F) Sporting Lisbon (£12.24 million)
Aug Jose Pereira Kleberson (M) Athletico Paranaense (£5.93 million)
2004
Jan Louis Saha (F) Fulham (£11.5 million)
May Alan Smith (F) Leeds (£7.05 million)
Jun Gabriel Heinze (D) Paris St. Germain (£6.9 million)
Rooney 25mil
2005
Van de saar
Park
vidic
Evra
2006
Carrick
The players who I would say are/might be bad signings:
David Bellion
Eric Djemba-Djemba
Jose Pereira Kleberson
Diego Forlan
Lopez
Evra
Veron, in hindsight was a bad signing but I dont know how anybody can say that any manager would of known how much a flop he would be. At the time united paid 30mil for the best midfielder in the serie A and the argentine captain. Yes he was a bad buy eventually, but if fergie paid 30mil for lampard/gerrard today, most people would agree that its value for top quality and only after a season of failure would they slag him off.
2003 was our worst season for signings, no doubt fergie dropped the ball that season. But apart from that, his signings have been good IMO. Forlan proved that he was in fact a good player, that just didnt suit the EPL. But in my opinion 2004 signings made up for that one.
Ferdinand was a good signing, just bad business, but fergie doesnt decide what united spend on a player. He says to the chief exec who he wants and prioritises them in preferance. The club negotiates based on what it can afford and what it values a player in terms of importance to the team.
Evra doesnt look great, but I think its only fair we judge him after the season.
Pique and Rossi look like two quality youngsters coming through. Where they at arsenal they would get a run in the team because they have no squad and cant afford anybody. As such the youngsters at arsenal play with less pressure and expectation which allows them to flourish. United youngsters are victims of the past glories of teams and youngsters before them.
Fergies record isnt exactly perfect, but if you compare it to his nearest rivals, I would think that its certainly up there with the best of them.
The biggest problem is Chelsea. We would of won the league last year had it not been for them. As far as I am concerned, finishing second in the league to a team that buys anybody, even players who arent for sale (obi mikel!), is as good as anybody could expect.
I look forward to this season because despite chelsea and Livepools insistance on playing the most boring formations with no need for strikers, we at least will be reverting back to our tried and trusted 4-4-2 and will at least be worth watching. Pool for all their defencive qualitis will again be looking at uniteds ass when the final points have been doled out in May. Unless Arsenal hold onto the players they have or sign another, i cant see them making up 17 points.
My prediction for the season is Chelsea, united, and then liverpool, arsenal & Tottenham to battle for 3rd and 4th again.
For people who say that this is a bad season for united in the league, then I say that you are just unrealistic. United doesnt have the money to compete with chelsea, nobody does. We made over 24mil in transfers between obimikel and ruud deals yet have only spent 17m.
For those of you demanding a striker, look at the world cup, liverpool, greece, porto, milan, juve in the last 4 years. The only good striker between these things was Shevchenko for Milan. IN the world cup no striker has reached their potential, even Henry goes missing in big games for france. I think united have enough up front in this day and age.
i could go on, but one of my favourate southparks is on so must dash. I will write more later if I remember anything else.