Beckham, in 8 seasons since leaving Utd, has had one good half season for Madrid. Anything greater than that being claimed is merely the Beckham spin machine.
RVN I'll give you, but he was far younger than Ferdinand is when Fergie shifted him and he's still had the most awful injury problems since leaving anyway, however good he might have been when fit at Madrid.
Where have I said let's replace all of our players with old players? Where has Harry said that? Parker and Ferdinand would improve us, so would Drogba. I'd take them all if they improve us. It wouldn't mean we'd lose all of our young players.
I'm not grasping at anything, just saying I'd be happy for us to sign anyone that improves us. I want us to be successful. If that means signing Parker and Ferdinand then fine, if it means signing some unknown youngsters, then fine, if it's players from on the continent, then fine. If it's a mix, that's fine. I don't care who the players are if they improve us.
I could understand some of the attitudes when Distin was linked, or if we did heaven forbid, sign Carlton Cole like people joke, but Rio Ferdinand is still one of the best centre backs in the league! It's laughable that firstly, people are saying they wouldn't want him, I can understand reservations about his fitness, but if he was fit enough, it's a no brainer. Secondly, that some ITK saying Harry wants Rio is somehow a negative thing on Harry. I'm not specifically saying you, though it has seemed like you are anti-Harry, but how is Harry wanting to improve the team a bad thing?
Where have I said let's replace all of our players with old players? Where has Harry said that? Parker and Ferdinand would improve us, so would Drogba. I'd take them all if they improve us. It wouldn't mean we'd lose all of our young players.
Drogba is still a world class striker and he has a good fitness record, he has struggled this season but that is because of malaria which is a very demanding illness, next season he will be top notch again.
The main reason I don't want Ferdinand is his fitness record over the last 2 seasons and with his age that won't get any better, I don't see a massive case for needing a new CB but if we get one we should get someone at the top of his game who can put in a few years someone like Cahill not a man approaching his mid 30's who has hardly kicked a ball in anger the last 2 years.
No way was Pique getting infront of the best CB partership in European football, and J.Evans was seen at that time as a better prospect.....
I'm not going to get into the age old Beckham discussion because this is not the place, and you said you agree with my point anyway so that's enough for me, but he really was dross. Barca would've been in hysterics by the end of it for missing out on him and ending up with their second choice Ronaldinho.
You just said age doesn't matter if they're better than what we have! Look I'm not going over this another 75 times, just look at what signing Gallas has done to Bassong, then apply that logic to the rest of the 30+ers you and Harry are happy to stack the club with. You sign Neville and Ferdinand then Walker and Kaboul won't stick around, 3 years time we're left with no one and 2 positions to fill but alas we've pumped all of our money into their pockets.
No way was Pique getting infront of the best CB partership in European football, and J.Evans was seen at that time as a better prospect.....
Ferdinand is an excellent defender and if he comes to us, gives us 10-15+ more clean sheets then everything's fine. However if he comes over, get's injured then we've paid out a transfer fee + massive wages for X years + image rights payments, shirt sale payments and who knows what else then the club has spunked a serious wad of cash it won't see again.
And Ferdinand isn't the odd one out. Distin, Neville, Parker, Bellamy, etc, etc.
Harry has said he wants experienced players, all he talks about is buying experienced players. Regardless of what you, I or Brett thinks about it, that is his policy and the club will rise or fall with it.
You just said age doesn't matter if they're better than what we have! Look I'm not going over this another 75 times, just look at what signing Gallas has done to Bassong, then apply that logic to the rest of the 30+ers you and Harry are happy to stack the club with. You sign Neville and Ferdinand then Walker and Kaboul won't stick around, 3 years time we're left with no one and 2 positions to fill but alas we've pumped all of our money into their pockets.
Pique, like Bassong, did not want to hang around and had a desire to go back to his home town club. Besides Utd have really missed him have'nt they as they have only won 2 of the 3 PL titles since he has left and reached 2 of the 3 Champions League finals...Still shows that SAF can make the mistake of selling players to soon as well. If ferdinand goes now it's because fergie wants to move on with smalling and vidic the main partnership, however i think rio can have a good 2-3 seasons of top football still, and there's no doubting his class.
Fergie sold Stam to soon, he went on to have a good few years. He didn't want to keep Tevez, he's still top quality. Phil Neville, who we are linked with, was allowed to leave, and he's been a mainstay for Everton since.
Personally i'm with nic, if we can get Rio, on wages in line with our top players, i think it would be a good move.
In all likelyhood, Woodgate is off, Bassong is off, King will be limited to 5-10 games again next season and Gallas is injury prone.
That leaves Daws and Kaboul as dependable, as Caulker should probably go on loan to a prem club next season and gain some experience.
When I have ever say I had a problem with it? And it was always clear that Sherwood worked with the academy.
However if Redknapp delegates buying youngsters to Sherwood and Sherwood effs-up then it is still Redknapp's responsibility.
Pique, like Bassong, did not want to hang around and had a desire to go back to his home town club. Besides Utd have really missed him have'nt they as they have only won 2 of the 3 PL titles since he has left and reached 2 of the 3 Champions League finals...
Stam, live RVN, was sold because of a fall out. Do you not remember the fuss over Stams book?
And Fergie did want to keep Tevez, and stated as much, but Tevez barely played and didn't want to stay after seeing Berba usurp him despite not playing that well after Tevez previous magnificent season, and the Glazers refused to shell out 30m a year after spending it on Berba.
:grin: I do maintain that he was NO WAY getting ahead of Rio and Vidic when everyone was fit.....fair play on both of those, but i have my pique point and i'm keeping it. :razz:
You are absolutely right with your Pique point and he would waltz into their defence now (though he does look shaky when without Puyol and has thus not had his best season), but I think that's an exception to the rule that generally, Fergie knows when it's time to go (don't anybody say Forlan, good though he is he's not as good as any first team striker they've had since selling him). By the same token, Gallas is an exception to the fact that Wenger knows when the end of a players peak has been reached, as none of Henry, Vieira, Campbell, Petit, Overmars, A.Cole have ever been as good, while the likes of Bentley, Upson and Larsson have clearly never been good enough for them since they've left.
Rule of thumb, if a player is rejected by Fergie or Wenger, don't sign them.