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Daily Manchester United - Episode 161 - The Failed Wonderkids and Signings
13 Plays2 days ago
Cormac is joined by Tom and Dan, as they discuss players who they thought would perform and have good careers at United, but ultimately were disappointing.
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Transcript
Introduction and Manchester United Season Outlook
00:00:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome to another episode of the Daily Manchester United podcast. Today we have our first Wild Card Wednesday episode of the new season. My name is Cormac and today I'm joined by Tom. Tom, how are you doing?
00:00:22
Tom Cairns
Not too bad. Thank you, Cormac. Hello to everyone. After the disappointment of last season, can Manchester United rebound from it? With a European-less season ahead of us, but will it be one to help get the club back in the right direction?
00:00:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely. And I'm also joined by Dan. Dan, how we doing?
00:00:40
Daniel
Yeah, I'm all good, thank you. Just to add on to what Tom said, it was a very disappointing season last year, but hopefully it could be a bit better this season.
00:00:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I know. Absolutely. We're all forgetting about last season and we're hoping, praying we can. new signs in can have a much better season at Old Trafford this upcoming year. ah So
Jadon Sancho's Struggles and Future
00:01:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
today's topic, we're going to discuss and players we thought that would have been shining lights, had good careers at United of that ultimately didn't pan out. um Tom, I'll go to you first. Who's a player you can think of?
00:01:14
Tom Cairns
ah Just remember the, just remind me of the question again, please, I can't make, just so I can give myself a little think.
00:01:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, so a player you thought was... They might have had a good start, thought was going be great, and then ultimately kind of just flopped at United. didn't work out for them.
00:01:28
Tom Cairns
ah Of all the players, I have to say Sancho is up there, isn't he? You know, Jadon Sancho, I think from the moment he arrived, I thought, yeah, we were all excited about it because it was confirmed during the Euros back in 2021.
00:01:43
Tom Cairns
when Sancho had been signed on or was about to sign for Manchester United, which he ultimately did. And I was really excited to see Sancho thrive, considering that you know he's an English player, he's played in Bundesliga, he's proven himself a British dominant. I thought, great.
00:01:59
Tom Cairns
But he just no matter which system he's been able to um fit to, whether it be on the Solskjaer system or on the Ragnik system, Ten Hag or Amrim,
00:02:10
Tom Cairns
I mean, to be fair, he hasn't been given a chance within Amarim's system yet. it's being He's been a liability as Sancho. And he's allowed his ego and his his attitude to really, really ah take its toll on him.
00:02:25
Tom Cairns
And I don't really see a way back from it you United, it even though Chelsea have allowed him to go back to United now. I just don't know where Sancho fits in.
00:02:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, Dan, what's your thoughts on Sancho?
00:02:38
Daniel
um Coming in, i was one of his biggestla I was one of his biggest fans. on pre I'm pretty sure all of us were. like we At the time, we were all thinking he'd just done 20 goals, 20 assists coming off that that great season. I think only him and Messi had done that in that year. So we' were all thinking that we're going to get...
00:02:56
Daniel
and it was a position of need as well. We did need a right winger. We had Rashford on the left. We had Martial up front and it did look at it did look like something positive with Bruno just behind them. We thought we found this perfect right winger and then, you know, with him and Cristiano coming in at the same time with Varane, we were thinking, yeah, like this, I might be a bit too optimistic, but I was thinking, yeah, Varane, Ronaldo, Sancho, Pogba, I was thinking this this is ah this is a title winning seat.
00:03:19
Daniel
I thought, yeah, this team is going to win us a title and it just never really started at off. I feel like he was He was hard done by by critics very early on into his his Man United tenure. I don't think anyone really got, you know, the harsh critics that he did especially with the whole, you know, 007 stuff. I think it was a bit, he was a bit singled out more so than, a you know, if someone else like another Chelsea or like a or a men's city were to make that type of signing as well.
00:03:46
Daniel
But yeah, just like Tom said, his, his attitude going forward, everything, it's just been so poor and it's, it's's it's, it's, it's disappointing to see if things end the way it has. Like he went on loan to Chelsea, he's gone on loan to, to Dortmund. He had, he had a good loan when he went back out to Dortmund, but it's just that we've never really seen in a Man United shirt.
00:04:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no, I mean, I agree with you both. I was so excited for Santral coming in, him being, you know, a City player as well. You know, I was very excited for him to work out for us just, you know, to get one up on City even. um But yeah, what he showed at Dortmund, I mean, coming in, you thought
Paul Pogba's Decline at United
00:04:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
he was going to be class and,
00:04:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it just didn't really pan out. I mean, to be fair, the first season he had some glimpses. He scored that goal against Liverpool, um had a couple in the Champions League. But I mean, yeah, I think as he touched on the attitude, was just, you know, awful. And he did. He was kind of the first one, I think, that started to get singled out. And then you had Rashford and Garnaccio follow after him.
00:04:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
But yeah, we paid a lot of big money for Sancho. And ultimately, you know, he didn't pan out at all. And now we have Chelsea paying us five million to keep him, you know. So it's going to be interesting to see where he goes. But yeah, it is sad that unfortunately it did not work out for Sancho at Old Trafford.
00:04:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Dan, I'll go back to who's a player you can think of that you thought was going to be great, but just didn't work out.
00:05:07
Daniel
I wouldn't say it didn't work out because I feel like he did still have positive seasons when he was here. But like, Paul Pogba, how he was touted when he was coming in, obviously he was the most expensive signing in Premier League history.
00:05:18
Daniel
And to me, he was my favourite Premier League midfielder. I thought he was the best midfielder in the Premier League when he first got here. And the way it kind of ended, after the first couple seasons, I think the first two seasons were his best seasons at you United.
00:05:32
Daniel
And after that, it kind of fizzled out. I don't think it was just directly on him. I feel like the club didn't do enough to support him in terms of, you know, putting him in the position to be the best player he could possibly be. I feel like there was times where he was he was being put in positions like having to play the six. He's not six.
00:05:47
Daniel
that's not what That's not where his best abilities lie. he's ah He's a forward-thinking player. He's a good ball carrier and stuff like that. He can play the six because he is, you know, he's a big frame. He's six foot three and he can do that. But it's just, I feel he was very much misprofiled at Man As well as he had his own attitude problems that I wasn't too fond of. You know, there was times where he was he would have injuries, but we will see him going out to parties and stuff like that.
00:06:09
Daniel
So it was a a mixture of both United and him. I just feel like Man United weren't able to get the most out in my personal opinion, one of the best midfielders in the world at the time.
00:06:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah great Tom, your opinion on Pogba's time at United?
00:06:21
Tom Cairns
I like the fact that he came back, but we paid too much money for him. That was the issue. And if you remember, four years before we signed him back, we let him go to the events on a free.
00:06:32
Tom Cairns
So I think with Pogba, I do feel there were some attributes which he was able to unleash, but we didn't see enough of Pogba compared to what his price tag had suggested. And that was where it really unsettled him ah for a period of time before he eventually left.
00:06:49
Tom Cairns
um He has recently re-reported got his career back on ja a ah his career back on track a little bit by going to see where Monaco because he had that band, didn't he? um But now he's got his so career um back on in the right direction.
00:07:04
Tom Cairns
I just wish that he can actually revitalise his career a little bit now.
00:07:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, know, Pogba is an issue because, yeah, as you said, Dan, he didn't really have, you know, he was good, I thought, United and Washington, I thought we hadn't had not a player like that in a while since probably the Fergie area, you know, he could do it all on his day, you know, he'd be up there with De Bruyne almost and he did put in some good shifts, but I think, yeah, talking about the price tag, Tom, as well, you know, I think ultimately we expected a lot more of him, and he was just too inconsistent, but I definitely, you know, i think there's worse players that didn't show up for United, um and yeah, it's just a shame, you know, Pogba, he was one of our own coming up to the academy, and, um you know, he only got, well, a couple of titles when he came back, and
00:07:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know On his day, we've seen with France how good he was you know winning the World Cup, dominating with them. and yeah It's just
Adnan Januzaj's Stagnation
00:07:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
a shame, really, he you know couldn't steer us to more titles at United.
00:07:59
Daniel
you
00:08:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I thought he was definitely ah fun player to watch. um I'm going to throw it back a bit with this next player I had in mind, and that's going to be Adnan Janazaj.
00:08:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
When he first came through, you know i scored two goals on his first Prem start against Sunderland. That side volley hit, I'll never forget it. I'll say to him a light. And yeah, there was all this you know hype about him. He was given the number 11 jersey right after Giggs left.
00:08:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But you know ultimately, I think his stats ended with United. had 50 appearances, five goals, which you know isn't a great return at all. And just based off the start he had, how young he was and how he went into that Moyes team right away and was like almost one of our best players, I really expected him to you know go on and have a good career United.
00:08:37
Daniel
you
00:08:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it just didn't really work out at all for him in the end. Dan, what were your thoughts about Jan Azai?
00:08:51
Daniel
Yeah, I think I was a lot younger when Yenazade first came through. I was around probably like 15, 16. And there was a thing where like, for me, it was that first wonder kid that I saw at Man United.
00:09:03
Daniel
So I felt like I resonated with him because, you know, as a young child, you're trying to go through that, you're going through that football stuff you're thinking, okay, cool, this could be me in a few years. So it kind of, he kind of resonated with me. I wanted to be like, I wanted him to, you know,
00:09:16
Daniel
got on to do big things. I wanted him to be a Man United. Great. And when it didn't, you know, ultimately work out, I was quite sad. But I think he had so much quality when he first came through. I was thinking, yeah, like this, this could be our 10 for the next however many seasons, but for it to not work out, it was, it was quite, it was quite saddening.
00:09:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely, Tom, your thoughts.
00:09:34
Tom Cairns
and just looking through his career, actually, because he's had quite a rocky career with all the loan spells he's had. He's had loan spells at Dortmund, at Sunderland, and he went to Real Sociedad on a permanent basis. Then he left to join Sevilla.
00:09:46
Tom Cairns
He is still there, but he has been out on loan at Istanbul, Basit Shahir, and Les Palmas, where yeah he was at last season. So he still has a career of some degree, but with all this hype, it proved to be too much ah for...
00:10:02
Tom Cairns
for Adnan, which is a big shame because I did like him. I thought he was going to be not world class, but at least be a solid squad player week in, week out. But I think it's just the fact that when Louis van Gaal had arrived, I think Janisai was going to be somewhat surplus to requirements, considering that we were signing players like Angle Di Maria.
00:10:22
Daniel
Thank you.
00:10:23
Tom Cairns
I think Angle Di Maria ended up playing in that position where Adnan Janisai would have been playing at.
00:10:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no, it is a shame. um I think, yeah, as you said, you know, the managerial change didn't help him at all and he was kind of ousted. and yeah, i mean, he played a few times for Belgium as well, but I don't think, you know, from the way his career started out, I don't think the career panned out the way he thought it or did or a lot of us thought it what did in the end.
00:10:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
But
Angel Di Maria's Premature Departure
00:10:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah, another the one that that got away from us, I think, and didn't live up to his hype at all. ah We'll go for a quick break now and when we're back, we'll continue on with our list.
00:11:16
Tom Cairns
you
00:11:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I'll go back to you, Tom. Who's another player that comes to mind that didn't really live up to expectations?
00:12:01
Tom Cairns
Well, I mentioned him already, I have to say Angel Di Maria. I think with the huge price tag that he had, not as big as what we pay for Jadon Sancho or Paul Pogba, but a big, big player, hot on the back of his great performances for Real Madrid ah during his time there, and also with Argentina in the World Cup.
00:12:18
Tom Cairns
People thought he was going to be a big, big player to help Man United elevate themselves, go back to the top. He had some really good games, actually. I even remember the chip he made at Leicester. And people thought, yeah, this guy is going to be huge for United. And he did score a few more goals and a brilliant number of assists. But it fell out of love of playing for United very quickly. It fell out of love playing for Louis van Gaal as well.
00:12:43
Tom Cairns
And the fact that we let him go to PSG for a reduced fee compared to what we paid for him. um It was just a shame, but I don't have any regrets of United selling him because...
00:12:55
Tom Cairns
He's another one of those that's allowed his attitude to really kick in and e just very quickly lost interest in playing for the club.
00:13:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, Dan, what you make it dimmer here?
00:13:05
Daniel
Yeah, agree I agree. I've always been a deep rear hailer. Ever since he's after the 40 and 50 season, I've always been one of his biggest haters. In terms of how he was when he was here, I think his season that he had at United was very underrated. I feel that people, just on the basis of how you you know he left and he didn't want to be here no more, people actually forget how how good he was actually in that season. I think he had about...
00:13:28
Daniel
11 assists in 20 Premier League games or something around something silly like that so he was he was a very quality player and he showed his quality as well but yeah just the way he he went about leaving and not wanting to be a United I wasn't I wasn't a big fan of that
00:13:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no, I agree with you, but what I mean, when he came in you know, coming from Madrid was a star there and, you know, i'm really anywhere besides United he's played, he's been a star,
Angel Gomes: Untapped Potential
00:13:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
um just like other players didn't work out, but yeah.
00:13:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
As you said, Tom, that chip against Les, you know, i never forget that. And he actually had a decent start. But ultimately, I just don't think, you know, that system, Van Alla had very slow, possessive style and didn't suit him at all.
00:14:01
Daniel
Thank you.
00:14:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then he had the issues with the attitude. he just wanted to to get out. And even seeing when they played us in the Champions League, and that first night at Old Trafford a few years back where, um you know, they scored and he celebrating in front of all us United fans.
00:14:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
And yeah, you could just like tell he just wasn't a fan of the club. um at all. So yeah, definitely one who did not um live up to the price tag at all and didn't have a good career at Old Trafford. Dan, I'll go back to for another player.............
00:14:34
Daniel
I would say Angel Gomez as ala someone who used to watch that all the academy players growing up. It was a thing where, i think that there was a point in time where he was our captain and he he was just the most technically gifted black academy footballer that we had.
00:14:50
Daniel
Obviously with his height and stuff, it just didn't work out for him in the Premier League, you know being 5'4", around the around that age it it just wasn't going to work out for him in the Premier League but then seeing him go on to the French League and he did well in his first season at Lyon not Lyon was it
00:15:07
Tom Cairns
Leo. leo
00:15:08
Daniel
Lille, he did well at Lille, he did well under 21's Euros with Palmer and the rest of them winning that, so we could see that he is a quality player, maybe it was just a thing where he wasn't a Premier League player, the physicality of the league is a bit too high for him, but he is a quality player and I thought it would have been nice to see him perform in a Man United shirt, as someone I was watching growing up, it would have been nice to see perform in Man United shirt.
00:15:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's time. You know what saying?
00:15:34
Tom Cairns
I don't really have too much to say on Angel Gomez because we never gave him the chance to see whether he would get that time in the United team. But when he was there, it was Jose Mourinho who was in but it was the manager, wasn't he?
00:15:46
Tom Cairns
Angel Gomez was going to find it difficult to get into that Man United team. But yeah, we we'll never know how he would have got on. I mean, would you United go out and splash some cash on him just to bring him in as an option?
00:15:57
Tom Cairns
I don't know. ah Probably not. But... Yeah, i wouldn't I wouldn't personally put Adrian Gomez as one which I had high hopes for and not to play out. think there's other ones out there which I would definitely put before him. But yeah, it would have been nice to see if it played out for me, United, but sadly not be.
00:16:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
and I actually love that shout, Dan. He was kind of one I forgot about. But I mean, yeah, just the hype he had, um you know, a how techy he was then and even is now.
00:16:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it was really a shame he just didn't get a chance. And, you know, seeing how well he'd done at Lille and then even getting a few games for England's first team, um you know, kind of hurts seeing like a player we
00:16:34
Daniel
yeah
Wilfried Zaha's Journey Post-United
00:16:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
let go for nothing again.
00:16:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know rising through the ranks and I believe he's just got to move to Marseille I think so we'll see how he does there but yeah he's he's one so technically gifted that I would have definitely loved have seen got more game time at United and seen how he would have panned out yeah another one missed I'm going to go for a player who actually had a very good Premier League career but didn't work out United and that's Wilfred Zaha um You know, he was actually Fergie's last signing, um but he only played two prime matches for United. I believe Fergie signed him in that January window before he retired and they loaned him back out to Palace. And then he kind of had a falling out with um David Moyes.
00:17:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
um And yeah, i just didn't really, you know, pan out for United at all but he had 275 appearances in the Prem and 67 goals for Palace so you know that's it' a good return for kind of a mid-table club but he's won you know the pace, power, trickery I would have liked to have seen um you know play a bit more at United maybe it was too early in his career to make that you know big of a step um but yeah no did it did pan out for him in the end of the Premier League he's great serving for Palace, you know, and then went off to the French League and doing all right there.
00:17:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But yeah, one I would have definitely have loved to have seen on the wing for United a lot more. um Tom, thoughts on Zaha? That's
00:17:53
Tom Cairns
He also had a loan spell at Cardiff did Wilfred Zaha when Cardiff were in the Premier League.
00:17:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
all right, man.
00:17:59
Tom Cairns
Yeah, I was excited for Wilfred Zaha when we signed him. looked at his performances when he was at Palace during his first spell there. and And that goal in particular, scored in the playoff semi-final against Brighton, was like, wow. United have actually got a decent player coming in. it's just It's just a shame that he wouldn't fit into Moyes' system compared to what it would have been if Ferguson stayed.
00:18:19
Tom Cairns
But he rightly went back to Palace, where he was successful at. stayed there for as long as he felt you know the time was right for him to go. um And he's been out at Galatasaray, which famously he scored against United in the Champions League about 18 months back, when Galatasaray won 3-2. So you have to say it hasn't been too bad of a career for Wilfred Zaha, but it would have been disastrous for him if he just remained at United in a similar fashion to how it's maybe been for someone like Vyta Lindelof, because Lindelof hasn't exactly thrived at United either, which, you know, one of us may decide to go you know, discuss
Donny van de Beek's Unfulfilled Promise
00:18:56
Tom Cairns
about him in a moment. But will for Wilfred Sahar, I think for his career as a whole, he did the right thing to leave United from the moment he knew he wasn't going to be within the squad, effectively.
00:19:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I don't agree with that.
00:19:10
Daniel
Yeah, I agree of what you guys were saying on that regard. um'm I'm a fan of Zaha. think he's a good player. like Like you said, I think maybe it was um it was a move that he had made a bit too early in his career. Maybe he could have you know done a couple more years at Palace. I think they just got promoted. So like maybe that he did go back out there on loan, obviously. But maybe the move to United wasn't because...
00:19:30
Daniel
It is a heavy shirt to wear at the end of the day. It's not as it's it's not easy being a United player, the group especially in England. The scrutiny is always on you. The cameras are always on you. Anything you do is going to be overzealous in the media as well. So it is a very hard shirt to put on.
00:19:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no, absolutely. We've seen it with numerous players. It just don't work out at United. We'll go for one more player from each of us before we end the episode. I'll go back to you, Tom. who Who's the last player you can think of?
00:19:57
Tom Cairns
We've got a choice, haven't we? We're spilt for choice on this one.
00:19:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:20:00
Tom Cairns
um
00:20:04
Tom Cairns
Oh, it's hard. I think I'm going to go for Donny van der Beek. Donny van der Beek is a...
00:20:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Watch out.
00:20:08
Tom Cairns
Yeah. I think... When we signed him for Mayak, I was looking forward to see how he would get on. I thought he might actually settle into how Solskjaer sets his team out to play.
00:20:21
Tom Cairns
But he just never got enough time. And it um I think whenever he did play... He just wasn't particularly great and he wasn't consistent either with either he's off the ball or when he was on the ball, it wasn't being, you know, basically consistent when he comes through his passing or when he was like holding the ball up.
00:20:41
Tom Cairns
But it's just as a whole, Van der Beek just wasn't exactly Manchester United material.
00:20:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no, Van de Beek's a great show. Dan, thoughts on him?
00:20:52
Daniel
Yeah, I was a fan of him. Obviously, at the time, they had that little class coming through, theette um the De Ligt, Frankie, Van der Beek. So, and all of them were all going off to big clubs. All the Ziyech went to Juventus.
00:21:06
Daniel
um What's it called? Ziyech had gone to Chelsea. Frankie had gone to Barcelona and he was he had come to United the season after. So it was like, okay, cool. So let's see. We've seen how these other ones are working out at their club. Let's see how this kind of works out.
00:21:19
Daniel
For it to not really work out. I was always a fan saying that maybe he's not playing in his best position or I think he might be at A. And hip though the dynamic of him and Bruno, I wasn't too sure how it was going to work out.
00:21:30
Daniel
I think they both played the same position of where they're best at. So it was like our best player... He was kind kind of having to compete with our best player, so he wasn't really going to get the minutes that he probably wanted.
00:21:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no, I really feel for Van de Beek because, yeah, you touched on it the minutes. He just didn't ever seem to get game time. I can't remember ever getting more than two, three games in a row, you know, over his course, Korea
Anthony's Challenges in the Premier League
00:21:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
United.
00:21:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
He actually started well scoring his debut against Palace the COVID year, first game.
00:21:59
Daniel
Yeah.
00:22:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But yeah, and all the hype he had, you know, as part of that Ajax team that should have made the final, Spurs, unfortunately, bet them. um But yeah, the talent that was on show there, I believe he scored a goal against Madrid as well when they knocked them out.
00:22:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
And yeah, you just expected, you know, a lot from him and it just didn't work out. And there was a time, i think he was starting get bit run of games but he had that devastating knee injury um I forget who it was against but that just really just ended for him and yeah we had to cash in sell him to Gerona for a lot less than what we paid for but yeah he's he' really one that I feel got hair done by just didn't get the playing time and some injuries yeah just stopped him from progressing Dan last pair you think of
00:22:44
Daniel
between two i'll go i'll go with anthony i think it's a more recent one there was a thing where again i'm a big fifa player and from from the years if you look at anthony on fifa he's always been pretty a decent player and if you watch anthony's highlights you're thinking yeah this player's class i remember at the time when the signing gone through and i was thinking yeah we just got we've got our brazilian winger he's gonna be tricky he's gonna he's gonna like get the crowd off their feet and when he first came in, i think it was three goals in his first three games. And I was thinking, he's not showing me much, but the goals are coming through. So I'll take the goals.
00:23:18
Daniel
So then maybe the performances will come later, but it just never really kicked on. And then like, yeah, like the performance isn't just wasn't there. And then he kind of started to become a lot of social media meme. and It is again, like I say, it's very hard to wear the manuscript because you're going to be under so much pressure, especially on the social media, whether it's the mainstream media, you're always going to be under pressure.
00:23:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no, I mean, a very controversial um topic is Anthony. Tom, what do make of him?
00:23:48
Tom Cairns
Well, he's had that brilliant low spell at Real Betis, hasn't he? Getting them to that conference league final, which would have been nice for him to actually win that so that it would have increased his price like for and for someone to sign him.
00:24:01
Tom Cairns
But now it's, I think it's his overall career at United, it just hasn't worked out, has it? And he's the reason why Eriksen Haag got the sack, because ah said it before on a previous podcast when I was speaking to Niall after the Europa League final defeat, that Playing Anthony all the time was what got Eric Ten Hag the sack because they knew that Anthony wasn't going to be consistent.
00:24:24
Tom Cairns
He's so bad on his right foot and he always switched on knee to his left foot whenever he cut back inside and it was so annoying to see it. But now he's just got to hope that his career can get back on track and I don't really see it United. The problem is United are waiting out get the players they need coming in first before they offload those that they don't want.
00:24:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no, I think it is going to be definitely tricky moving Anthony on. As you said, he was phenomenal Betis. So, you know, maybe they'd come back in from who knows. But yeah, Anthony, I mean, as you said, Dan, that start, three goals and three games, I believe he was the only United player to ever do that.
00:25:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
um You know, phenomenal start.
00:25:00
Daniel
yeah yeah
00:25:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then he just fell off a cliff. And yeah, as you said, Tom, he just just was so annoying to watch. You know, he was so predictable. You knew... on the wing, he was going to cut left. There was no way he was going right. And I think defenders figured that out quick. and And yeah, no, it was just, we paid what, 80 million odd pounds from 85 and the return just, it was awful.
00:25:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he he pretty much became a meme. I'm glad he done well at Betis there, um you know, kind of proving some doubters wrong.
00:25:26
Daniel
yeah
00:25:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But yeah, I agree. I don't think there's really a future for him at United and hopefully we can get, we won't be getting near the 80 million for him, but if we can get half that, I'll definitely be happy. Um,
Ravel Morrison: Talent Overshadowed
00:25:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
my last player, I was kind of, I'm torn between two. um I'll mention this guy quickly, Ravel Morrison.
00:25:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Um, You know, actually, I'll go with him, Ravel Morrison, yeah, because Ferdinand said he was the best player he had ever seen at his age. And, you know, he made his debut for us at 17. um And, you know, even Fergie, I think Fergie said he was the only player that he gave a debut to that wrote him a hand letter after. yeah and he said he had a great heart. And with all those, you know, attributes, you know, and all the praise he was getting, probably,
00:26:11
Daniel
you
00:26:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know, one of the techiest players we've had come through the academy in a while. He'd never really got a chance at United, you know, obviously had off the field issues. And then I believe we just sent him on to West Ham. But, you know, his whole career, really, I think that was the last bit of Prem action he'd seen. And then it's just like, I know he was at Derby County for a wild championship.
00:26:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But yeah, just from all that hype he had as being one of Carrington's best products in how long, um yeah, it just didn't work out for him at all. And his career has just been a a real shame. One who did not live up to his potential at all.
00:26:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'll go to you first, Dan, here on Ravel Morrison.
00:26:49
Daniel
Ravel Morrison for me, obviously, again, i was a lot younger, but he's... i call these type of people, like, the idea footballer. The idea of Ravel Morrison was much better than the footballer Ravel Morrison. Like, whenever you would watch them on a football pitch, it's not it's not putting up how people talk about them. Like, people were saying this guy's the best thing since sliced bread, but when you watch him play, he just looks like an average show.
00:27:11
Daniel
So it's like...
00:27:15
Daniel
I can't really speak too much on because I didn't get to watch much of him when I was younger, but it was a thing where, i yeah, I think he's, I like the idea of Ravel Morrison more than I like the football player Ravel Morrison.
00:27:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no, I guess we're saying there, Tom.
00:27:28
Tom Cairns
It's interesting you mentioned, Cormac, that Ferguson saying that he was like, was it a hand letter or something?
00:27:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, he wrote after his debut, wrote him a hand letter and left it in his office for him. And Ferguson said that was the first time a player ever done that, thanking him for Fergie giving him the debut.
00:27:47
Tom Cairns
Well, it's interesting that you say that because when he was over at West Ham, when Allardyce was the manager, he was difficult to contain. and And I think he mentioned as well, Sam Allardyce, about his ADHD, which I think contributed to the way he was behaving.
00:28:03
Tom Cairns
So it's not completely all Ravel Morrison's fault by any means, but it certainly didn't help his mentality to focus on his football career. Because obviously when you're performing, when you're playing for a club like West Ham, ah you get a lot of people around you.
00:28:18
Tom Cairns
You know, you are scrutinised so much by so many different people. You know, people see you on the streets, people note you on social media and all that. And I think he allowed his public affairs the right thing to say. i think he allowed what we he was going on off the pitch to really override his career. And that's what let Ravel Morrison down. Do we know what he's doing nowadays, Ravel Morrison?
00:28:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Not too sure. Have a quick look and see where he's at.
00:28:48
Tom Cairns
I'm looking on his profile now. He's playing for a club called Precision ah in Dubai.
00:28:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, Debuy's second division, I see that. Yeah, big fall for Graves. He also did have 20 games played for Jamaica, um which isn't too bad.
Conclusion and Reflections on Unfulfilled Potentials
00:29:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But yeah, no, definitely a player that did not... um live up to the hype at all um well lads thanks for joining me um dan and tom and we had a good chat there about you know we could have spent an hour on this episode there's so many united players that didn't live up to the hype um but thanks for joining me and before we go just a quick shout out to another of our sponsors zencaster here at global sports podcast network we spend a lot of time selecting our delivery platform and zencaster came out the clear winner
00:29:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
With 4K video recording from your phone and AI editing that automatically removes all those ums and ahs, it's super easy to start a podcast that sounds great and is delivered efficiently. If you're ready to tell your story, check out the link in the show description to learn more about Zencastle.
00:29:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
And thanks for me as well, Cormac. We'll catch you very soon for another episode of Daily Manchester United Podcast. Be well.