Premier League 
/ Michael Lintorn / 27 June 2011 / Leave a Comment 
Rio Ferdinand has set a high standard for new arrival Phil Jones to match
"There is something incongruous about Carrick’s duel role as a fairly frequent starter for the reigning Premier League champions yet struggle to even make the England squad, where the likes of Scott Parker and Gareth Barry are favoured."
Manchester United's decision to spend in excess of £15 million on both Phil Jones and Ashley Young was a rather significant show of faith, given that the Red Devils have only spent such sums on four English players in the past. How did those guys fare? Michael Lintorn investigates...
Rio Ferdinand
The Red Devils paid around £30 million to sign Ferdinand from Leeds in 2002 after he excelled for England at the 2002 World Cup. While there have been a few rough patches in the nine years since, such as his eight-month ban in 2004 for a missed drug test and his hefty demands when negotiating a new contract a year later, his contribution to their performance in that period, which has included five Premier League titles, cannot be underestimated.
Success of signing: 9/10
Wayne Rooney
Rooney was also purchased after a star showing in an international tournament, netting four times in four games at Euro 2004 to earn a move to Old Trafford for a fee in the region of £27 million. Early on, he played second fiddle to first Ruud van Nistelrooy and then Cristiano Ronaldo, but delivered when anointed the main man in 2009-10. That was the sole campaign in seven though in which he scored 20 in the Premier League and averaged more than a goal every two matches.
Success of signing: 6/10
Michael Carrick
There is something incongruous about Carrick's duel role as a fairly frequent starter for the reigning Premier League champions yet struggle to even make the England squad, as the likes of Scott Parker and Gareth Barry are favoured. However, while his impact if often underappreciated, a record of four titles in five seasons under Sir Alex Ferguson's guidance can't be knocked, and has more than covered the £18.6 million shelled out to take him from Tottenham.
Success of signing: 7/10
Owen Hargreaves
Of the quartet, Hargreaves is the one most will judge the biggest flop, despite being the cheapest at £17 million, having made just 18 top-flight starts in four years prior to his release this summer, but he was integral in his debut campaign. He fired the fantastic free-kick that saw off Arsenal in perhaps the decisive match in arguably the toughest of their 12 Premier League triumphs and shone in their only Champions League win this century, to ensure that he will be remembered fondly by fans.
Success of signing: 5/10
Will Jones and Young achieve as much as Ferdinand and Carrick? Manchester United are [3.0] to finish first in 2011-12.
Gone are the days when it was solely the Manager who decided which players his club should sign. Ralph Ellis looks at which Premier League Chairmen and Board Members like to meddle when it comes to raiding the transfer market....
Chelsea could improve offer for midfielder this week while United monitor Bale and Milner contemplates Villa return. Meanwhile, if you've heard a rumour let us know at the bottom of the article....
Thiago Alcantara, the man of the match as Spain overcame Switzerland in the European Under-21 Championship Final, has allegedly attracted the interest of Manchester United....
No comments:
Post a Comment