I would say that I am one of the happy ones that is actually happy that we didn't sign Pedro. I mean, we are so flushed with midfielders and attacking midfielders, that the last thing we need is another midfielder. I would rather see Januzaj and Herrera play week in week out in the team than another Di Maria. Plus Pedro is not exactly a marque player. If Pedro were an all out striker, I would have been gutted to see him go to Chelsea, but given what we really need in the team being defender and a solid striker in mold of Benzema, I am definitely happy that we didn't spend that money on him. Use the money toward some else and hopefully younger too.
he is yet to be proven in tougher english football.. reached his peak , not a striker. many issues that make him a gamble .. let us see how he will perform with cheslea
The feeling is that if United (LVG ) truly wanted Pedro they would have offered the asking price and got him. But obviously at the very least there was some hesitation and given the ADM fiasco I can see why LVG wanted to be sure instead of disrupting his whole team. I refuse to believe that even Woodward could mess it so badly if United/LVG really wanted him. He should be booted out if that was the case.
I long for days when young players came through and sustained success that are built on back of strong English core. I would much rather see Harry Kane than Pedro in United shirt.
He's good but not worth crying over. We haven't just missed out on Messi ffs. Chelsea will hope he's more of a Hazard than any of their other failed wide players or indeed the last two wide men to come from Spain...
Kane would cost about 2.5 times as much having had not even one complete season. Albeit, several years younger. The price of English players is too ridiculous for them to be the majority of a team aspiring to win things. What would a player with Pedro's record be worth if he was English? £40m?
Depends. If he played for United we would sell him for 3 curly wurlys and a bottle of Throwback Pepsi (once just called Pepsi). If it were Chelsea then 800billion and 4 virgins. If Liverpool or City were buying, gazillions.
Agreed I can understand the longing for a strong English core but few that you buy are much different to a foreigner these days. If we want an English core I'd rather he came through our youth system. I would love it to be Wilson but he needs to cut his teeth in the domestic cups and league cameos first.
I agree that I would love to see the youth system thrive, but sadly, that wouldn't work in today's game where millions is being spent by rivals. That system would get you 6th, but it wouldn't stand a chance against a team full collected experience players.
Is this like the time you were glad that you didn't get Robben? Or like the time you were glad you didn't get Hazard, you know, because Kagawa was better I can understand views of, "oh well **** him, he wasn't vital". But views of "Wah I never wanted him anyway Wah!"
Can't say I'm glad we didn't get him, he's a quality player. I do think though that him not jumping at the opportunity as soon as showed interest means we might have dodged a bullet. If the extent of his ambition is to join a club because a former team mate's wife told him London is great then he can **** off and join you with my blessing. He joined you because you're in London, not because of the club you are.
Or the time we didnt get Mikel. Thank fck You win some lose some. I remember we missed out on Ronaldhino and ended up buying a young 18 yr old from Madeira that just happened to give us 6 yrs of glorious service, not turning into a fat partying slob of Brazilian lard instead. Too much happens to have any regrets over not signing a player. What matters to me is our overall approach to transfers as a club and imo that's lacking.
I remember the huge explosion in the press and the media when Mikel went to the chavs instead of United. It was like they had snatched Messi from under United's nose. 10 times the fuss now over Pedro. The reality is unless you get a player of the calibre of Ronaldo, or Messi who can change the whole team's outlook, then it is always going to be a gamble. Pedro has been a bench warmer most of his career at Barca. How well he will adapt to the premiership is uncertain. He might do well but will he be the game changer everyone thinks he will be? It is about what you need and how well the player fits in. Key also is the hunger and the ambition of the player.
Not sure how many of his appearances were from the bench tbh. I don't watch dog **** Spanish football. But his League appearances since breaking into Barca's main squad have been: 09/10: 34 apps 12 goals 10/11: 33 apps 13 goals 11/12: 29 apps 5 goals 12/13: 28 apps 7 goals 13/14: 37 apps 15 goals 14/15: 35 apps 6 goals So he has had plenty of games at Barca. Doesn't really look like fringe player stats to me.
6 goals in 35 appearances for a team like Barcelona ! Not such an impressive record and if truth be told even a donkey like the current Falcao would have scored more than that. And trust me Chelsea is no Barcelona. In playing style, it will be like someone moving accommodation from Knightsbridge to White City
I wasn't even looking at his goal scoring record to be honest, more his appearances. I have no idea what type of player he is, how many of those appearances were off the bench etc. More commenting on how his appearance record would suggest that he doesn't just "warm the bench".