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Daily Manchester United - Episode 192 - Don't Cry for Me Argentina...
11 Plays4 hours ago
Niall is joined by Kieran to discuss Argentinian players to play for the club
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Transcript
00:00:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of the Daily Manchester United podcast. My name is Niall Hannigan. I'm your host for this Wildcard Wednesday. Yes, we're back with this format because we're sick of talking about the current United team.
00:00:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm joined by Ciarán who had a little rant last night, didn't you Ciarán?
00:00:32
Kieran McGinley
ah did I did. might have slightly lost the plot a little bit, but it's fine. It's fine. it's It's a new day. It's a wildcard Wednesday. I can just put all that on the back burner for now. So we're all good.
00:00:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
We normally kind of venture into the past to make ourselves feel a bit better, but um we were struggling for a topic because we've exhausted pretty much every positive thought that that we had as a Man United fan. it's It's slowly vanishing away.
00:00:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
um We've got Chelsea at the weekend, big talking point around Garnaccio. So we were like you know what? Let's have a look at some of the Argentinian players that have played for United over the years and just have a little chat about them. I mean, let's kick off with ah Mr. Garnacho himself.
00:01:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Saw an article there that Wes Brown said we need to smash into the Chelsea star. Any thoughts on how we should deal with Garnacho? If he plays, what happens? I mean, I'm glad he's gone anyway.
00:01:22
Kieran McGinley
Yeah, if if if Wes Brown, his his thinking is anything to go by, there might be a couple of reds. But hey, yeah, what the deal with Garnaccio, hey, i it' I always think of a kind of what might have been.
00:01:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:01:37
Kieran McGinley
Definitely has the confidence of a player at the top ends of the top echelons of football, but yet to truly back it up, to truly do it.
00:01:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
I
00:01:46
Kieran McGinley
And i mean, his celebration against um the the Chelsea game was was almost as if he scored the goal.
00:01:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
think it was cool.
00:01:55
Kieran McGinley
It was Kaysera who scored it.
00:01:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was bit much.
00:01:57
Kieran McGinley
Yeah.
00:01:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:01:59
Kieran McGinley
Yeah. However, um if that means he's back in love with football, so be it. um He got 16 goals and also Pushkas award for his overhead kick.
00:02:11
Kieran McGinley
I mean, that's that's not a bad return. But in the back of my mind, it's a it could have and should have been so much more. So much more.
00:02:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:02:20
Kieran McGinley
And it's disappointing, I think is is the word I use. It's disappointing how it ended. I just will see what happens at Chelsea and we'll go from there. But it's it's it's a burnt it's a burnt bridge that will never be rebuilt, it just seems like.
00:02:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, and it's one of those ones where it's like, i'm not I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed, which is almost worse when you hear that. so it is I do have kind of similar sentiments. um I am glad he's gone. I think myself and Toluba had an episode pretty much just after a day or two after deadline day.
00:02:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
was kind of happy with any fee that we were getting for him. think some people were complaining that probably wasn't enough. I think if we sold them a year before, you'd probably get more, but just... how things ended so badly.
00:03:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
and was just a matter of of getting him out of the club and and getting what you could for him. So um another United player that has ended up at Chelsea, which brings us on to another Argentinian star. um Didn't really start at United, unfortunately. I think he was slightly ahead of his time in terms of our formation and probably suited a bit more of a three in midfield. But Juan Sebastian Verón, I mean, both of us spoke about that we hadn't seen much of him play, but...
00:03:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah fantastic footballer but just didn't really fit in with our system of playing two midfield at the time and having having a very strong midfield at that as well it would have been difficult for him to make much of an impact at United Ciarán
00:03:46
Kieran McGinley
Yeah, and again, it's sort of a kind of before our time really kind of kind of player, but he's regarded, if you look back in history, it's not treated him very well.
00:03:57
Kieran McGinley
He comes in as a, it it's harsh to call him a flop, but I think it was because he was one of the record signings at the time, is is why he was regarded as, he needed to be one of the best players in the world.
00:04:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:04:11
Kieran McGinley
And you know What have we got here for Manchester United? 82 appearances in total, 11 goals, 16 assists, which, I mean, for modern day, that's not bad.
00:04:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:04:22
Kieran McGinley
But you've got to i think as well, realise the context of which Manchester United team he was in. That is decent if you're in the Manchester United squad of today, and we'd be quite happy with that.
00:04:33
Kieran McGinley
But this is, you know, we're looking 2001 to 2003 matchup.
00:04:38
Kieran McGinley
That's the sort of period, late early 2000s. And, you know, that's that's the sort of era we're looking at. And
00:04:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
00:04:45
Kieran McGinley
Yeah, when you've got the class of 92 still knocking around, and there's there's high expectations when you are the club record signing. um You know, Cantona, you know, big shoes to fill up top.
00:04:59
Kieran McGinley
Obviously, Verón was a midfielder, but still, those are the expectations. You have got to hit the ground running or else. And yeah, I would have loved to. i think you're right.
00:05:10
Kieran McGinley
Seeing Verón in the modern game would be an absolute breath of fresh air. Yeah. But yeah, maybe 20 years too early, maybe 10 years too early, I think I'm going to say.
00:05:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no, I think it's a good point. And when you listen to the kind of ex-my United players on podcasts, which they're they're all on some sort of a podcast at the moment, and i watch every minute of it.
00:05:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
and They said that they played him quite a lot in in Europe because they tended to pack them at field a bit more. So, you know, more of ah him coming from Europe to United as well. You can see why they would have bought him because he he would have been effective in those matches. So, yeah, i agree. I think just in that 4-4-2 era, probably...
00:05:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
probably hard to squeeze him in with the competition that was there as well. So, um but yeah, definitely one that I would have liked to seen a bit more of. Gabriel Heinze. Not the beans, but right back for United. Could play a centre-half as well. Just talking before the episode around that clip of Kaka playing in Old Trafford where he kind of flicked the ball over his head and went through and slotted it home.
00:06:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Kind of one of the lasting memories um of Heinze, but just missed out on Champions League success for United, playing a couple of years before that and then leaving. the the summer before the Champions League win in Moscow um wouldn't have made our combined team that we made a couple of weeks ago with the Barcelona and Moscow Champions League winning teams but Hines I actually quite liked him as a player from from my youth memory of of watching United but went on to greater things at Real Madrid
00:06:45
Kieran McGinley
Yeah, and when Real Madrid come calling for you you, you don't normally turn that down, do you? It's just one of those things. I mean, you know getting him from ah from PSG and still turning a profit on him, I think is is is pretty good.
00:06:59
Kieran McGinley
I think it was 2 million euro profit. That's why I'm reading on TransferMarkt here. But yeah, again, a player who I don't have... a strong affiliation. i I started my sort of United worship quite late into the the childhood. So I don't really remember a lot of Heinzer. Please don't please don't attack me.
00:07:19
Kieran McGinley
But um I will take your word for it now in terms of, you know, a good player for the time. And yeah, um I will have a look at his stats and say 52 appearances in the Premier League, just the single goal and two assists. But again, if you're so if you're a defender, especially if, what is it, the left left-hand side, right-hand side,
00:07:37
Kieran McGinley
Totally different role to what the the modern fullback and wingback have to do today.
00:07:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh yeah.
00:07:42
Kieran McGinley
Totally different. So you can't really judge on goal contributions for a defender 20 years ago.
00:07:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, definitely. And the era, like you said, was different. So, you know, more... Yeah, we're kind of shifting back to it now with all these um successful teams having nearly playing four centre-backs across the back line and um you know maybe one of them inverted into midfield and playing three kind of big centre-backs across the back three. so um But definitely over the past 10 years, the flying full-backs and both full-backs up the pitch and and maybe a centre midfielder tucking in with the...
00:08:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
with the two centre-halves, wouldn't have suited that era. Don't think a bit of ah a no-nonsense defender as well, which leads us on to the Butcher. I mean, we haven't seen the Butcher in a while, to be honest. um Last time I remember, he so he scored that goal against Liverpool. haven't seen too much of him since. But, I mean, Martinez...
00:08:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do we love him just because he loves to go around smashing people? Like Wes Brown loves him, but I don't know. um I'm not sure. um I think the jury's still out on him in terms of, you know, his effectiveness and his overall performances for United. But I know that some people are big fans. so
00:08:57
Kieran McGinley
I am one of those people. i I love Litchie.
00:08:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:09:00
Kieran McGinley
I think he he does make the side better. I think it's as simple as that.
00:09:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:09:05
Kieran McGinley
um You know, he is an absolute, as you say, that he's got the nickname, the Butcher. ah You don't get that net nickname without, um you know, significant, significant...
00:09:16
Kieran McGinley
What was I say? Contribution to making sure tackles and and attacks don't go ahead.
00:09:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
You tackle?
00:09:23
Kieran McGinley
But yeah, we've sorely missed him in this United side. We really, really have. He's not expected to to be back until the new year, which, you know, it's ah it's an an MCL injury.
00:09:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Really? Yeah.
00:09:34
Kieran McGinley
So, yeah, that they take a long, long time to recover from
00:09:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:09:38
Kieran McGinley
And I hope, you know, when you whenever you have a ah ligament injury, knee injury, you know MCL, ACL, in the back of the fans' mind, let alone the players' mind themselves, are they going to be the same player they were before the injury? And I think Litcher can be.
00:09:55
Kieran McGinley
um We'll see sort of sometimes you lose some pace. If you have a major injury like that, you might lose some strength. You might have some recurring knee issues after that. I just hope we get to see the glimmers of of what Litch has showed us before the injury stole us away of what was, ah I mean, just a centre-back who loved to tackle.
00:10:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:10:15
Kieran McGinley
It's what you needed.
00:10:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that left centre-back position, it's it's probably crying out for it, um especially after the performance of Luke Shaw in the Manchester Derby, just getting caught out for a couple of the goals. So it would be nice to see that bit of bite, bit of aggression back into the back line. And he is good on the ball as well, to be fair to him. So, you know, being able to set up attacks with himself, De Ligt and Jaro or even Maguire in there as well.
00:10:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
I would be quite kind comfortable with that back three. It's just everything in front of us. But yeah, for just, yeah, just a coupler couple of tweaks here and there.
00:10:46
Kieran McGinley
Yeah, just slightly, yeah.
00:10:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But yeah, I mean, hasn't been the worst signing that we brought in and has had some good impact as well. So um yeah, definitely one of the the Argentinians that we can remember.
00:11:02
Kieran McGinley
Yeah, he's been out for 333 days, according to Transfermarkt. He's missed 43 games. I do feel like we we missed him so, so much.
00:11:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:11:11
Kieran McGinley
I mean, that's from... What's that?
00:11:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's a season. More than a season.
00:11:14
Kieran McGinley
Yeah, 3rd of February he was injured.
00:11:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:11:17
Kieran McGinley
ah So yeah, we're we're rolling over, barrelling towards the new year and still no real word about how he's going to return and when, more importantly.
00:11:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, you'd have to imagine there was a bit of a setback there. That seems very long if he's not going back into the new year. I mean, 11 months in modern day, like physio and rehab, that does seem long. I mean, I don't think Rodri was even out for a year after his injury.
00:11:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, yeah, maybe maybe a bit more, but they I don't know.
00:11:42
Kieran McGinley
No, it was, what, six months or so? Maybe not even maybe not even
00:11:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
i just That seems very long if it was February the last time. i don't know if there was. Maybe trying to bring him back a bit early. But, um yeah, I mean,
00:11:55
Kieran McGinley
Yeah, but a so ACL and MCLs are are vicious beasts as well. If you don't manage your recovery properly or or even if you, you know, exacerbate the injury in any way, that's another one or two months onto the recovery.
00:11:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:07
Kieran McGinley
is It's just, you know, knee injuries are just brutal beasts.
00:12:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:12:11
Kieran McGinley
They don't care. They just don't care sometimes. So, yeah, that's unofficial about how they're coming back to he's coming back in the new year. But the point is we still don't really have a timeline of when he could be back.
00:12:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:12:23
Kieran McGinley
And that's a concern.
00:12:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
That is. That's rough. That is rough. and But we'll take a break there and we'll be back with a few more Argentinian heroes and zeros from the time at Man United.
00:13:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, bye, Onik. I hope you're happy. um I played your ad this time as opposed to the last time me and Kieran were on. I completely forgot to play the ad. So, yeah, you get your money's worth for this one. But anyway, you thought we were done with centre-halves that love to smash opposition.
00:13:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Marcus Rojo.
00:13:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, that man never saw a ball in his life. He just saw ankles and knees. Like, I mean, i think he was he was proper no-nonsense defender. um I'd say he absolutely terrified to go near him on a pitch.
00:14:10
Kieran McGinley
Oh, for sure. For sure. And i was that a disservice? like i I love to see a defender just get absolutely stuck into a tackle as much as anybody. But I have to sort of think, was Rojo...
00:14:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:14:26
Kieran McGinley
Am I going to look back with him in fondness? I guess so. He's a cult hero, but a bit too injury prone, wasn't he he? He spent a lot of time, as far as I remember, he spent quite a bit of time on sidelines, missed crucial games and whatnot.
00:14:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:14:38
Kieran McGinley
I mean, I'm
00:14:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, I'm not surprised. They'd probably be broken coming out of some of those challenges.
00:14:42
Kieran McGinley
that's That's very true, yeah. I'm going have to remind myself of of injuries and whatnot. But, I mean, TransferMarkt has three pages of injuries, so that's that's looking good so far.
00:14:55
Kieran McGinley
um But, yeah. Yeah, I mean, there's ah twenty nineteen twenty injured in November 2019, not back until the summer. 2018, injured in December, not back until February.
00:15:10
Kieran McGinley
2018-19, the same season, injured in October back in about a month, another month out in the 2018-19 season. Knee injury, kept him out for at least two to three months.
00:15:22
Kieran McGinley
um Yeah, and and a cruciate ligament tear. That's the big one. that's That was it. I was trying to think which one. 16-17. sixteen seventy
00:15:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that'll do it.
00:15:31
Kieran McGinley
I'll do it. 209 days out with an injury. So yeah, ah and there's another page of United injuries, but yeah. yeah So as far as I remember for Rojo, a bit too injury prone for my liking, but sometimes as a player, you just cannot help that.
00:15:44
Kieran McGinley
But for the player he was, I think he was a solid squad player. Someone you could rotate in you were struggling with the the fixture congestion, which...
00:15:55
Kieran McGinley
you know As the games go on, we'll get towards January. We'll probably have no fixture congestion whatsoever by January. That'd be great. So, yeah. I think... Will I look back at him and think, what a legend? No.
00:16:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
It
00:16:07
Kieran McGinley
Will I look back at him and think, what a cult hero? Probably. Would I get a name with his shirt with a shirt with a name on his back? I'd certainly think about it.
00:16:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
would be a cheap one, it's only four ladders. So...
00:16:19
Kieran McGinley
Hey now. Hey now. He'd probably have the whole name on his back.
00:16:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, if you're getting Schweinsteiger, you'd be out of pocket. So at least Rojo is not too bad.
00:16:26
Kieran McGinley
Now there's a name.
00:16:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
But ah I just decided, you know what, I'll i'll put Rojo's name into YouTube. So I typed typed Marcus Rojo and then the first suggested result was tackle. so I am am I think we're right in thinking back on his legacy as United I think it's interesting as well as saying that he's a squad player because you know rotational because I mean you kind of have to be if if you're getting suspended a lot of the times as well so you'll be in and out of the team yeah um some of these are absolutely horrendous. So I'm sure the social media guys will have a bit of fun putting this on top of our Marcus Rojo compilation of the podcast here. A few gruesome tackles with Diego Costa, which I mean, it's all, that's fair.
00:17:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, Costa was definitely giving back as well. so But anyway, um that's Marcus Rojo. I never thought we'd spend so long on him on this and podcast, but you know what? That's the kind of um surprises and shocks that are brought up in this and this podcast over the years. And it's gone from John O'Shea, Darren Gibson, I knew I'd get him in, Darren Gibson to to Marcus Rojo. So moving on to a few more technically gifted players and some forward-thinking players. I mean...
00:17:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Carlos Tevez.
00:17:40
Kieran McGinley
Yeah.
00:17:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
but We've spoken to him before. The hero to the zero. But I mean, those seasons with Berbatov, Rooney and Ronaldo. I mean, it's absolute dreamland, isn't it, Ciarán?
00:17:50
Kieran McGinley
Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. Just part of that trifecta that was just... It felt just unstoppable at times. um Just looking back at Manchester United, his entire career, one short of 100 appearances for Manchester United in total, 34 goals, 14 assists, and then kind of betrayed us and went on to win more titles um with basically Man City now...
00:18:16
Kieran McGinley
Racked up 148 games, total, 73 goals. he improved.
00:18:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's a mad stat.
00:18:21
Kieran McGinley
That is, isn't it?
00:18:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:18:22
Kieran McGinley
It's absolutely mad. So, yeah, I mean, what a player. Deadly striker, deadly in front of goal, ruthless attacker. ah And kind of broke my heart when he ah when he moved across the other side. But, hey, that's football. It loves to be the hero and loves to be the villain as well.
00:18:40
Kieran McGinley
And tar Tevez will certainly be a villain for a little while, whilst in the back of our minds think... Wish we still had him. But those so those you know four or five extra seasons, why couldn't he have stayed?
00:18:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah yeah all would have been class to see um and we were still decent at the time too like so it would have been a lot of help for Rooney if he hung about but um i don't know if you saw him playing soccer ra a few months ago no oh that was hilarious he came on and scored like four goals in ten minutes
00:19:04
Kieran McGinley
Oh, yes. ah just...
00:19:08
Kieran McGinley
Yeah, it was incredible. he brought the It's not called the rest of the World XI anymore, is it? It's the World XI. That's showing how ah how long I've been trying to follow it. It just brought the World XI straight back into the game.
00:19:20
Kieran McGinley
i think You're right, it was three or four goals.
00:19:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it was funny.
00:19:22
Kieran McGinley
I'll have to look it up at some point. But ah kind of in those games, you think, oh, he still has it. But then I have to remember, it is Soccerade. Hang on a minute. how
00:19:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:19:30
Kieran McGinley
How accurate is this?
00:19:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Paddy McGuinness is in the Nets, like but still, like I mean, he did look good, though. He looked sharp.
00:19:38
Kieran McGinley
yeah
00:19:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
He could do a job for us in one of those number 10s. We should get him back in.
00:19:42
Kieran McGinley
Well, wasn't it... He'd only recently retired from Bokka, didn't he? I'm sure.
00:19:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah.
00:19:46
Kieran McGinley
like he wasn't long retired when he went into Soccer Aid, so no wonder he was looking so fit and fresh.
00:19:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
He looked more fit there than he did when he was in his playing days. like But um yeah, he was absolutely flying, which I just thought was hilarious because, you know, he was taking it proper serious. Like he was getting in fights with like YouTubers and stuff.
00:20:03
Kieran McGinley
Oh, yeah.
00:20:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
it was brilliant.
00:20:04
Kieran McGinley
Yeah. Was it um Angry Ginge and Tevez basically locked towards?
00:20:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah. yeah Yeah.
00:20:09
Kieran McGinley
are Amazing. Amazing.
00:20:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
This is the type of content we we need. Like, so yeah, i just thought that was, it just came to my mind actually. Yeah. He was absolutely balling in soccer, rid which was quite funny.
00:20:20
Kieran McGinley
Yeah.
00:20:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
So yeah.
00:20:21
Kieran McGinley
on On a side note, get Angry Ginge in the back line. Go on.
00:20:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Yeah, honestly. Him delecting Licha.
00:20:26
Kieran McGinley
Commanding presence, isn't he?
00:20:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:20:29
Kieran McGinley
could you imagine? Can you imagine?
00:20:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
You get him on the pod, sure. Yeah.
00:20:33
Kieran McGinley
Angry Ginger, you're listening, tell us about Carlos Tevez.
00:20:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. we need your We need your opinions on this. um We need some insight into Carlos Tevez as well.
00:20:40
Kieran McGinley
Getting the mindset, the mindset.
00:20:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah. I mean, we have two left here. um Probably the best backup keeper we've had. Would that be a fair statement? I think there was a stage where obviously De Gea was incredible and we had Argentina's number one playing cup games. So Sergio Romero, I mean, what a hero for United.
00:21:05
Kieran McGinley
Not only that, no, not just a cupkeeper. don't do Don't do him a disservice. Europa League winner in 16-17, Sergio Romero.
00:21:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
that a cup?
00:21:13
Kieran McGinley
Yeah, yeah. and And, of course, around that time, there was a lot of talk about, oh, will De Gea start the final because now Romero has brought them all.
00:21:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah.
00:21:20
Kieran McGinley
But no, he started, won it 2-0, kept a clean sheet in the final. And yeah, gets a trophy. And I am astonished at how long he sort of spent at United. It was six years he spent at United.
00:21:34
Kieran McGinley
well like Willingly being, battling De Gea for that number one spot. It was incredible. i
00:21:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
willingly sitting on 150k a week honestly that subkeeper role mean talk about Tom Heaton now Tom Heaton was on the bench for the first time I'd say he was getting a bit shaky and then we brought Le Manson and he was like oh here it fuck in la here we go we go
00:21:43
Kieran McGinley
I wasn't going to say, yeah, willingly, yeah.
00:21:56
Kieran McGinley
You could say take his Richard role at Man City.
00:21:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's like, do you know what? I, Lamont, and I saw, and I saw a comment from Tom Heaton today. I wanted to bring this up on one of the episodes. It looks like it's coming up in this one. ah Like, oh, Tom Heaton, how's Lamont getting on?
00:22:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
I was like, please just say, like, you know, he's, like, he's incredible. Like that, I've never seen anything like it. First line, he goes, he seems like a great lad. was like,
00:22:21
Kieran McGinley
Oh, don't leave with that.
00:22:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, That is not what I want to hear. I mean, I don't want to hear from any of the players. I don't want any of them to be a good lad. I mean, if you're saying good lad... ah
00:22:33
Kieran McGinley
That's under-8s talk. You say the keeper of the under-8s team is a great lad.
00:22:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Oh, he's a great lad, but, like, he also...
00:22:40
Kieran McGinley
But battling for for for the Nets starter at Man Utd.
00:22:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:45
Kieran McGinley
Yeah.
00:22:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he was like, oh, I like his fundamentals. i was like, oh, Heaton, no. Like, it's not his fault. I just hope Le Mans is better than what Heaton is saying.
00:22:53
Kieran McGinley
yeah
00:22:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
So that didn't fill me with confidence. But I mean, yeah, going back to Romero, incredible position being, I can't believe was there for six years, Kieran.
00:23:01
Kieran McGinley
Yeah, no.
00:23:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's actually madness.
00:23:03
Kieran McGinley
It is, isn't it? Yeah, joined from Sampdoria in 2015 for about €5 million euros and then left on a free to go to Venezia in 2021. Yeah, so six years at the club.
00:23:14
Kieran McGinley
Amazing. And yeah, literally, i can't think of a better backup keeper that Man United have ever had. I mean, would you put Tim Howard and Thomas Kuszak in that conversation? I just don't think we saw a lot of them in a Man United shirt.
00:23:26
Kieran McGinley
Whereas Romero, he was starting cup games.
00:23:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
No.
00:23:28
Kieran McGinley
He was in the FA Cup and i think... Occasional League Cup, if it wasn't especially Dean Henderson towards sort of the end of the 2020s era when sort of Dean Henderson took over that role.
00:23:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:23:39
Kieran McGinley
But he was a great keeper for what he was used for. Was he underused? Well, probably not because we had De Gea.
00:23:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
no
00:23:47
Kieran McGinley
And at that time in his career, the mid-2010s, De Gea was one of the best keepers in the world.
00:23:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:23:53
Kieran McGinley
one of the best shot stoppers in the world. So I think Romero was a very, very solid backup. And how we had him for six years sitting on the bench, as you say, Argentina's number one, sitting on the bench and still getting picked for Argentina and still doing a job, ah will probably go down as one of my favourite players to play for United ever.
00:24:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no, absolutely legend. I mean, like you said, winning the Europa League as well. playing the whole way through it. It's tough when you're when you're not playing um week on week to just come into a cup kind of cold as well and perform. So yeah, not brilliant.
00:24:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Absolutely brilliant. And then the final player is ah really what could have been, you know, it kind of...
00:24:38
Kieran McGinley
So you need to be watching on YouTube because I just made a visual joke.
00:24:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
uh yeah uh angel de maria i mean how exciting was this signing like
00:24:50
Kieran McGinley
The Leicester game still lives rent-free in my memory.
00:24:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
the lob like absolute audacity of the lob was it four nil or four one or something and it was like everyone was just pinging off each other it was incredible
00:24:54
Kieran McGinley
Yes.
00:25:02
Kieran McGinley
God.
00:25:04
Kieran McGinley
Yeah, and then something happened and yeah, it was just, never saw it again. But I think Di Maria was decent. I just, you know, don't think it just worked the way we all wanted it to. He was a big signing at the time.
00:25:19
Kieran McGinley
um Came into Manchester United, ah you know, weighed of expectation on him. And in fairness, you know, he... yeah I don't know if he succumbed to it because he's a great player.
00:25:31
Kieran McGinley
ah just It didn't work.
00:25:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:32
Kieran McGinley
It just didn't work.
00:25:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
No.
00:25:34
Kieran McGinley
26 appearances for him, i believe, in the Premier League. Four goals, four assists. I mean...
00:25:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
All against Leicester. No.
00:25:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's how good he was in that game.
00:25:44
Kieran McGinley
Yeah, yeah no no comment. ohco But yeah, the lob. In fact, no, it was 27 appearances, three goals, 10 assists. There you go. So, assists-wise, he was pretty decent.
00:25:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:56
Kieran McGinley
But what we know Di Maria now is, you know, he's a very, well, was when he moved to PSG after that, very potent attacker.
00:25:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:26:05
Kieran McGinley
Could assist, could score. So we're a bit early. Although were we? Because it just, it was that lull, wasn't it?
00:26:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know it was kind of like yeah and it was it was also ah kind of the start of that buying superstars and failing like that's when we always go back to you know you could ream off 10 or 12 of them since that that we've we've tried to buy maybe at just the fall of their peak on the decline and we've bought them probably overpriced and then had to get rid of them I mean I know your favourite player, Ibrahimović, is in there as well, but he was good for a year or two, but not kind of what we needed. Falcao, Sanchez, Di Maria,
00:26:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Yeah, I mean, the list goes on with some of them players as well, which is just disappointing. But it kind of felt like the beginning of that cycle that we went through with Di Maria, that it just really, really didn't work.
00:26:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Which is such a pity because, I mean, World Cup final, you know, coming up with massive moments as well, like a brilliant goal against France, wins the penalty as well.
00:27:06
Kieran McGinley
Mm-hmm.
00:27:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Yeah, just... a great player, but just didn't have his best time at United. But, ah yeah, not the first time that's happened. But, yeah.
00:27:18
Kieran McGinley
No. I mean, I'm just going to go back on my word here because I was like, are we to did we get him too early? No. Real Madrid, 124 appearances in Liga, 22 goals, 61 assists.
00:27:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:27:30
Kieran McGinley
Time after United, ah Paris Saint-Germain, 197 appearances in Liga, 56 goals, 77 assists. So no, he just didn't gel at United. And that hope that can happen as a player.
00:27:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:27:43
Kieran McGinley
It happens for most players nowadays.
00:27:48
Kieran McGinley
sad Sad to say, but hey.
00:27:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. i was wondering when you were going to correct yourself. Immediately corrected himself on that one.
00:27:55
Kieran McGinley
What can I say? I stand on integrity. Look, I subbed out Sesko from my fantasy football team and ahead of the Chelsea game.
00:28:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Kieran, I was telling everyone that you had Sesco. I was like, this man needs to like get rid of his United loyalties when it comes to fantasy football. Sesco in fantasy football?
00:28:08
Kieran McGinley
I'm above you in the league now. Settle down.
00:28:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, know. There's a couple of points in it.
00:28:12
Kieran McGinley
Although you had ah yeah had a blinding week, so yeah.
00:28:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
I had a huge week. you know what it is? I got rid of Will Rigg.
00:28:16
Kieran McGinley
That was it. Will Riggs not on fire.
00:28:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
catalyst. The catalyst, yeah. Anyway, that wraps up the Wildcard Wednesday. Somehow we ended up on Argentinian players that have played for United because Big Garnacho is playing for Chelsea the weekend.
00:28:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
um I'm sure his his brother agent will be at the game as well so there'll be plenty of content going up um over the weekend from the Garnacho family which is great. So we'll be all tuning into that and if you're interested for any content from our ourselves on our social medias GSPN Man United you can see Ciarán absolutely losing his head on a few clips that the social media guys are getting up so Be sure to tune into that, drop a comment, and get some debate going in the in the chat as well in the comment section. But Ciarán, thank you very much for joining me on this episode and we'll see you guys in the next one.