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The What if's? - How United Could Have Been Different
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Cormac looks at events that could have worked out differently at United and changed the future for the club.
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Transcript
Introduction to 'What If' Scenarios
00:00:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome to another episode of the Daily Manchester United podcast. My name's Cormac and today is a wildcard Wednesday. So I thought we would look at the what ifs of United over the recent years and scenarios that might have changed the outlook of the club if these things of had happened.
What If Ferguson Retired in 2002?
00:00:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
um So the first one I'll start with is um what if Fergie retired back 2002?
00:00:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
He'd come out that season prematurely and said he would retire at the end of the season And he ultimately changed his mind saying he regretted even making that public. um And yeah, I mean, that's a huge what if, you know, that's right before we ended up bringing Ronaldo in. So right off the bat, you're looking at probably we're not getting Ronaldo. I know Arsenal were kind in for him at the time. So you might see Ronaldo going to Arsenal. And I mean, yeah, it would, I don't know who we would have even brought in back then.
00:01:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But I don't think you would have seen, you know, The success would be hard to say because the team is still good, but you know you're looking at missing out on you know some other players. Fergie brought in after that, the likes of Michael Carrick, Evra, Nemanja Vidic, some key players during the 2010s and beyond.
00:01:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
um And yeah, you're probably maybe looking at you know that 08 Champions League win.
Ronaldo Stays at United
00:01:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
not happening, few Premier League titles not happening, it probably would have been um ah big adjustment, like we've seen when Fergie retired in 2013 and, you know, the the tragedy that really followed with Moyes and Van Gaal.
00:01:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
um So, yeah, think if he had retired back then, you know, it would have really derailed United's progress and I think we would have missed out on a few titles, you know, maybe even that Champions League title in 2008, which...
00:02:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, it's so dear to our hearts as United fans. The second one is what if Ronaldo had stayed and didn't move to Real Madrid, um you know, a world record fee at the time.
00:02:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think a big factor into why he left was that um Champions League loss. But, you know, if we had kept him, I mean, ah yeah i think you're looking at, you know, even more success. You know, 2010, I believe Chelsea won that season.
00:02:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think we would have went on and done another one. um You know, we brought in Berber around then, so you would had you know, an attack. The likes of, obviously we lost Tevez, but, you know, Ronaldo, Berber, Rooney, Nani, I mean, just a great attack. um And yeah, I would have loved to see Ronaldo and Berber self-combined.
00:02:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I think you would have seen, you know, even more success, definitely, if Ronaldo had stayed. He was, you know, around the best player, him and Messi, the world at that time.
United Wins 2009 Champions League
00:02:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, and we've seen how they... kept going for years battling each other for the Ballon d'Or but I think you know we would have seen more titles definitely Premier Leagues I think even the 2011 Champions League we lost to Barcelona I think with him in it you know we easily could have won granted you know that Barcelona team was was amazing but I think if have Ronaldo in there it's it's a different story completely um so yeah I think if Ronaldo had stayed would have seen lot more success at United and
00:03:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
maybe it might have influenced Fergie's decision to retire because, you know, if he had stayed around longer, we all know the relationship Fergie has with Ronaldo. I think it, um, he might've even stayed on a few years longer and, and yeah, it would have completely changed. I think that look of United and the, the things that followed after Ronaldo's departure.
00:03:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then piggybacking off that, um, you know, what if United did win that 2000 final, 2009 final, excuse Um, um I think, as I just mentioned, I think Ronaldo stays and you really, you know, create just that pattern for success and, um you know, Bayern won the following year, Barcelona weren't there again, or sorry, Inter Milan beat Bayern in the final the following year, but I think that was a Champions League that was very much up for grabs, um you know, possibly make a run on that and then, you know, a 2011 final, as I said, possibly, you know, might go and pit Barcelona for that, so...
00:04:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Yeah, I think that would have completely, if we had won that 0-9 final, I think Ronaldo would have stayed. um i think you know that loss was the final nail in the coffin for him leaving and you know when a bid that much came in, it's hard to say no, but I think if we had the title, back-to-back Champions League titles, I think Ronaldo would want to go for a third um and Fergie wouldn't be reluctant to to really sell a stair player then and do a bit of a rebuild up front.
00:04:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
um We'll go for a quick break and we'll come back. We'll get into more what ifs.
Signing Haaland and United's Future
00:06:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
So the next what if is a huge one and that's um what if Haaland had signed when Ole wanted him. You know obviously they had that connection at Molde in Norway so Solskjaer was well aware of him and I believe you know he mentioned about him when he was over there um you know ultimately then went to Salzburg and then Dortmund but yeah I mean if we had signed him we'd know what he's doing and City um over the years, you know, a phenomenal player, um just bagging goals left, right and centre.
00:06:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
think many players or many people, including mine's fantasy captain, you just leave him on there, he's always getting goals. But I mean, I don't think he'd have quite the same success at United. Granted, you know, he had the likes of De Bruyne and Foden and Bernardo Silva, he had very creative players all around him.
00:06:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think Pep's system suits him quite well. So I don't think we'd see quite the level of success, but I do think he'd still be, you know, bagging in the goals completely for us. um You know, I think if Ole had got him, granted the relationship they had, I think might have even saved Ole's job um with Haaland bagging in the goals. But um yeah, and maybe maybe ah the keen Alfa-Inger Haaland incident few years later Made him think, yeah, no, I don't want to go to United at all.
00:07:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But if we had him, I mean, geez, we wouldn't be, you know, in half the mess up in attack that we were. And um yeah, maybe you might see, you know, an odd title in there because we know the quality of player he is. He's that player that can completely transform a team. And, you know, recent years when we're struggling for goals, he'd be,
00:07:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
the missing links so um yeah big what if if we had signed haaland and he never went to city um obviously you know i don't think they'd quite see the same level of success either but they're so they've been such a good team over the years that they'd still be up there but um i think haaland would just give us that boost where we might have seen some um title challenges over the years and and not the misery uh we've seen the last couple.
De Gea's Potential Departure
00:08:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
um The next what if is, is another big one. What if De Gea had left for Real Madrid? um You know, the, I believe the right paperwork was faxed too late and they didn't get it till about half an hour after the window c closed or even a couple of minutes even.
00:08:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
um And yeah, if we had lost De Gea then, I mean, I don't know who we would have brought in, um but we know what De Gea done over those years. I mean, that Arsenal performance under Mourinho, I mean, that's still the best goalkeeper performance I've ever seen. You know, he really just won us that game.
00:08:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
um believe it was 3-2 or 3-1, it finished um with Lingard's score. remember Valencia scored one and then Pogba got one too. um But yeah, I mean, that performance sticks out. um Another one,
00:08:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
was Spurs, even though I believe we lost the game, but he had like 12 saves or something. And, you know, there's multiple incidents I can go through, you know, the Everton save last minute. um He really was just, you know, pulling us up to top four when we should have been seventh.
00:09:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
um And yeah, I think this is a huge one. If he had left, so I mean, it really would have, been much more disastrous. I think those those years where we were scraping in the top four, I don't think we get those at all. I think we finished like seventh um because he really was, you know, saving us nine, 10 points a season. It it was huge.
00:09:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
um And yeah, I think, you know, if the paperwork had gone on time and he had left, I think it would have been disastrous for the club and would have hurt us so much more. um So yeah, another big what situation.
Impact of Signing Ten Hag's Preferred Players
00:09:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then um this one under Ten Hag, what if he had got more of Zayac's players, De Jong and obviously De Ligt's here now, but De Ligt instead of the likes, you know, Anthony van de Beek. um I think that would have completely made the team gel so well what Ten Hag was trying to do. Obviously, you know, those the players he's familiar with.
00:10:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Key pieces too um from that 2019 Champions League run where they should have got to the final if it wasn't for Lucas Moura. um But yeah, if you have De Jong in the heart of that midfield, um you know, and a a young De Ligt who was, you know, captain Ajax on that run in the backline, you know, you have a key centrepiece in the centre backline there and a key centrepiece right in the middle of midfield.
00:10:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
um I think that would have been, you know, really season changing. And I could still honestly if that see that happening if Ten Hag, I think, would still be in the job. um You know, he...
00:10:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
the first year or two, Ten Hag came in, he'd done very well. And if he had those players, I think, you know, it would have even been better. I think even um the ah first year when we were kind of fighting for that title, I think if we had those two then, it would have been great.
00:10:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
And yeah, I think we might have, might have even seen the title that year. um so yeah, and I think Ten Hag probably kept him there a bit longer. You know, you never know if De Jong or De Ligt might want to leave after that, but,
00:11:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Yeah, another huge what if um and um yeah, could it could have saved Ten Hag's job, no doubt.
Conclusion and Listener Engagement
00:11:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Hopefully enjoyed this episode, you know, there was many more what ifs I could have went through, but kind of wanted to go to the ones I thought that really, really would have a huge impact on United's team.
00:11:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
um outlook in the recent years and more modern ones that um I'm sure more fans can resonate with um but yeah if you enjoyed the episode make sure to ah drop a like um we'll be back soon with another episode and um yeah hopefully United can keep their momentum going and get the four in a row against Forrest so and see you in the next episode episode thanks for listening