Pedro said: “It’s hard. It’s very different to what I’m used to [at Barcelona]. "But, little by little, I’m integrating more, adapting with my team-mates and the team and that’s the most important thing. “Everything is different, very different to the football I’m used to. I think there are a lot of differences, very physical football, very strong. “A lot of players attack and it’s always complicated. All the games are competitive and very balanced.” --------------------------------- Does anyone remember Pedro? And the fact that we "apparently" botched that deal due to Jose's amazing pulling power? And to make matters worse, we went on to spend $36m on some foolish "unknown" French boy. I for one was always happy we didn't buy another 28year old midfielder. We had enough in that space. But after the first 9 games, I still wonder how many feel about the Pedro drama. Still early, yes! But still indicative of how well our summer spending went.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, eh? So many experts out there who seem to now know how this was all going to pan out. At the time, we needed pace and guile out wide and Pedro was available at a good price. Decent proven winner, if we'd signed him not one of us would be complaining right now. Whether we'd have then also signed Martial is an unknown, at this moment it all looks to have panned out very well for us. I would challenge anyone on here to say they'd head of him and knew that he would be as good as he is. There's one or two on here rewriting the history of this forum.
I said at the time on here and on the Chelsea board that I was glad we didn't get Pedro, hes overrated, and is past his peak. He's a yard or 2 slower than he was when he was younger
This is definitely bull talk. This has nothing to do with hindsight. http://www.not606.com/threads/glad-we-didnt-get-pedro.308950/ - There is my post asking where Pedro would fit that it was best not to get him. That was months ago. To me, we simply had players in the squad that played in Pedro's position and I felt they could offer more than Pedro would give us. Herrera especially! Ironically, Barca now want him according to rumours.
No, it's hindsight. You may well have been glad we didn't get him but you or anyone else did not 'know' that he would struggle to adapt. You said you didn't want him because you think we didn't need him, not because you knew he'd struggle with the English game. If that's not the case then don't use his quotes in your OP. Herrera doesn't play in the same position so not getting how that fits in. If anything we still lack some width but signing Martial instead is certainly looking good. Had you posted a thread suggesting we sign him instead?
This seems to be a recurring theme with several players recently brought in from Spain and Southern Europe failing to adapt to the intensity of the PL (not counting Torres who was just a pratt to begin with). It must have something to do with the intense heat dictating the tempo of their games - most of us can just about manage a brisk stroll to the bar in the early evening Spanish sun, so that same heat and humidity must have an affect on the tempo of their game. Imagine plucking the likes of ADM and Pedro off their sun lounger and putting them in the team on a cold January afternoon for an away game in some backwater like Newcastle- to them it must seem like they are up against the All Blacks n- and playing the game in a fridge. They just aren't used to the climate or the physicality and tempo of the PL game. Some adapt - most of them youngsters, but the older players seldom do.
Pedro is quality. He's played at the highest level in every competition. Playing for Mourinho is a far cry from playing for a manager that understands the attacking skillset of a player like Pedro. Put him in a side managed by Pep, Wenger or Ancelotti for example, and he'll flourish. Ofcourse that has no bearing on Van Gaal, so all in all it's probably best for him and us, that we didn't sign him.
I cant recall whether I wanted us to sign Pedro. I suspect I was apathetic based on the fact that I hadn't seen him play much as I don't watch a lot of Spanish football. In general I don't have an opinion on players outside the PL unless they are the likes of Bastian or Di Maria who are so visible that it's difficult not to have an opinion on them (I was pro signing both of them). I do think I queried whether Pedro was any better than what we already have and now that I've seen him play a few times I'm not sure he is. It was definitely an odd signing by Chelsea though. He is so not a Mourinho player. I can only assume Chelsea thought they had got one over United by signing a player who United were undecided about. Score! I'd be lying if I said I was pro the Martial signing. I had never heard of him. I am now a big fan of that £85million deal (that one's for you Deidre) as he looks ridiculously talented.
and when I doubted he may not be as good in PL, some jumped on me saying how classy he was in Barca...etc sure he is good but PL and la Liga or Bundesliga are totally different football the guy is not young tbh we dogged a bullet ... buying Martial from the hand of chelsea and letting them have Pedro .. hahaha funny how Chelsea fans were taunting us on that at the end of transfer day...
As Chief says, hindsight (and the ability to wait until we don't buy a player and say "thank god we didn't get him") is a wonderful thing. Wasn't personally sold on Pedro - like I said I think he's great as a support player for world class attackers like Messi, Eto'o and Henry, but that's not a role which is as easy to play in the PL. Also agree that we are well stocked enough in that position, and Martial is obviously a more talented and promising player. Obviously wouldn't take him now, but I wouldn't have been complaining if we'd bought him - who knows how much better he'd have done in our line up with support from Herrera and Mata rather than stuck in a Chelsea team waiting for the defending side to make mistakes.
Pedro hasn't turned into a bad player over night. I still think he'd have been better off at your club where traditional wing play (what Pedro is good at) is encouraged. Horses for courses. Pedro was a bad fit at Chelsea which I thought at the time. I think Fabregas had a lot to say in that deal.
Fabregas is unlikely to say much. It's grunts and growls mainly. He's a werewolf ffs, a throwback to the canine race. Unless Pedro turned up with a tin of pedigree chum, i doubt fabregas would have glanced up from licking his balls.
tbh Fabregas is not having his best moments too either in chelsea, may be he passed his peak .. the Genius the special one .. sold Kevin De Bruyne and kept Oscar and Cesc?
