mancunian_matt84:

basically simply put I think it would be good for the forum if we discussed our opinions on MUFC transfers because there does seem to be a myth about how we conduct ourselves here in Manchester

To start I would like people's opinions on which players we have signed who can be classed as Galactico's,

For me Juan Sebastian Veron was a Galactico, regarded at the time as one of the finest central midfielders in world football and who commanded a fee befitting one

Who else do you think? And Also be good for some of the older heads to discuss some of the signings from pre premier league and how they feel those players were regarded in world football

Matt, I think a thread called "define galactico" could have been opened prior to this one getting into deep discussion because I think there are too many opinions on it. My starting opinion was "great talent coupled with large transfer fee plus huge ego", that's why i picked Cantona. I've seen lots of other opinions here though, some disregarding Cantona for Papin for example so it's clear that we are all discussing something we are not clear about.

Am I wrong or were the original galactios all World Player if the Year winners? Zidane, Figo, Ronaldo (fenomeno). Maybe price tag and those other factors don't really come into it. If this is who a "galactico" is, then there's only 2 choices - CR7 or Messi - and don't worry, United ain't gonna buy either of those two.

mark.k.:

jasper99:

frank stapleton,gordon maccqueen,ray (my goodness) wilkins were all signings i got excited about,i think they come into this,,jesper olsen,gordon strachan??.

"My word" dont you mean?

Haha, love hearing Ray say that. It's been a while since I heard it. Ah well, I have to go to YouTube to catch a glimpse of that now just for the laughs!

jasper99:

frank stapleton,gordon maccqueen,ray (my goodness) wilkins were all signings i got excited about,i think they come into this,,jesper olsen,gordon strachan??.

"My word" dont you mean?

I wouldn't go into "Galactico" signings. I'll classify signings as big signings or not.

If I remember correctly, we made many signings during the first few years of the Sir Alex era. The likes of Bruce, Pallister, Ince, McClair, Parker, Kanchelskis etc., were some of the signings I remember. Then, we made probably a big-ish signing in Schmeichel, seeing as we bought him after his Euro 1992 heroics. Cantona was the same: not really big, but something of note. I think our first big signing was Roy Keane. He would be equivalent to us getting M'Vila, for example. Next came Andy Cole, who wasn't a big signing considering we were linked with Shearer. Then there's Ole Solskjaer, who was in no way a big signing. Same with Yorke. The Poborsky signing was a big signing, considering he impressed at Euro 1996. Stam was a big-ish signing as well, just something of note, nothing big. van Nistelrooy is equivalent to us getting the Cavani of last season: a really promising player who has world class potential. Then Ferdinand was a big signing. Veron was an obvious world class signing. The Rooney signing was another big one, equivalent to us getting Hazard or Muniain. C. Ronaldo was not as big a signing as Rooney, but was very notable, like us signing Ramsey or Oxlade-Chamberlain. Berbatov was a big signing as well. Don't forget, we also had signings like Nani and Anderson who were promising players for the near future at that time.

Going back to what Matt said about us attracting more young players, I think the reason we went for those transfers so much at that time was because our academy was not producing much talent back then. The best that was coming out at that time was probably Richardson and Eagles. And we only had O'Shea and Fletcher make it at that time, too, which wasn't much. That's why we went for such players, as we didn't have much good talent for the future. Now, we have Cleverley, Welbeck, Pogba, Petrucci, Will Keane, Fryers, etc., looking promising.

That's my view, though. I'd still think we can get some big signings if we wanted. However, Sir Alex has learned his lesson about buying established players who aren't suited for his system, as he already has had failures with Veron and Berbatov, both of who didn't fit into this system, and so he is more careful about getting established players.

rooney was defintly a galitico, certinly bigger than any name where been linked with this summer.

we'llbeback:

For me Rooney was definitely a major signing. The most exciting signing I think we've made in recent times. He had not long burst onto the scene. He was scoring in the big games. He had attitude, and he scored a hat trick on his debut. Great transfer saga.

Some good comments, and I think micahel hits it on the head we seem to bring youth through, buy up some of the best talent in england and occasionally bring in an established world class talent from abroad. That is in my opinion a fair reflection of 1992-now

Rooney did have a big impact at euro 2012, and probably considered as one of the best young world talents so I see why you are saying this. We also paid a huge fee and showed our financial clout.

This leads me onto another aspect of this, has our position now changed?

Are we no longer the front runners to buy up the best talent in england with the likes of city about

An example would be if Rooney had emerged in 2011, would we have been able to sign him?

I think we would have struggled a lot more for his signature, but he may have come considering he spoke about Sir Alex's history of developing and protecting players as a reason to come

But I do believe that 10 years ago we found it easier to attract the best talent in england, and now we are not necessarily the first choice especially when wages come into it

As a club reliant on buying up the best talent in england, that has been our major source in recent years, this could prove a big threat to us

For me Rooney was definitely a major signing. The most exciting signing I think we've made in recent times. He had not long burst onto the scene. He was scoring in the big games. He had attitude, and he scored a hat trick on his debut. Great transfer saga.

dan87:

Would RVN be included? Injury aside he was a good player in Holland but joining us probably showed his best years and made his name in world football.

In the last twenty years it is probably only Veron and Rio that could be called our "Galatico" signings. Players with big reputations that could get into nearly any team in the world

i wouldnt have payed veron daywage...

Would RVN be included? Injury aside he was a good player in Holland but joining us probably showed his best years and made his name in world football.

In the last twenty years it is probably only Veron and Rio that could be called our "Galatico" signings. Players with big reputations that could get into nearly any team in the world

I think, the truth of the matter is, that whilst we have broken the British transfer record a fair few times, it was rarely for a player who you would class as a "Galactico". This club has a long tradition of youth development, and a national identity. We've always tended to place a high value on British players. All English clubs were somewhat oblivious to the fact that foreign players even existed... The Premier League era is really the first time in history that we had such an influx of foreign players.

And I don't think that we will ever set the sort of records that Madrid have, and I'm glad about that. That is no sort of way to run a club. I get more pleasure out of watching academy youngsters coming through the ranks, than I ever have, or ever will, out of big money signings.

mancunian_matt84:

jasper99:

frank stapleton,gordon maccqueen,ray (my goodness) wilkins were all signings i got excited about,i think they come into this,,jesper olsen,gordon strachan??.

You see when we start to go this far back, we have to take into account that football was a lot more nationalistic in the sense of How many foreigners played for english clubs, and did this mean we were more excited by the best british/irish talent because we didn't really see much of what else there was in europe and also did we accept the probability was very low for PELE to come to England.?

well you asked,,but to be honest as you said,there really werent that much foreigners playing for us then,never was,up to about the mid eighties,we mainly did buisness with the jocks,welsh and irish,so we have to base the galactico theory on the transfers that commanded the biggest fee,and who captivated us the most,,who"s pele???

jasper99:

frank stapleton,gordon maccqueen,ray (my goodness) wilkins were all signings i got excited about,i think they come into this,,jesper olsen,gordon strachan??.

You see when we start to go this far back, we have to take into account that football was a lot more nationalistic in the sense of How many foreigners played for english clubs, and did this mean we were more excited by the best british/irish talent because we didn't really see much of what else there was in europe and also did we accept the probability was very low for PELE to come to England.?

frank stapleton,gordon maccqueen,ray (my goodness) wilkins were all signings i got excited about,i think they come into this,,jesper olsen,gordon strachan??.

Cantona I don't believe he was a galactico. when you compare him to some of the signings in world football and the prestige those players had. Good Example is to compare him with his international teammate Papin, who was signed for a world record £10 million..........the same year we signed Cantona

Keane, I think had a really good reputation in England with Nottingham forest and at 22 years old was one of the best up and coming talents in england. But I would be interested to know what his prestige in Europe was at the time........surely this would be like us signing Hazard now, would he be classed as a galactico?

Andy Cole, again a gr8 talent in England but surely Ronaldo was your galactico? Or am I just over-ating foreign players and should be thinking that cole had more world prestige?

galactico isnt just about price but their stature in football world. veron i agree there arent many other there. rooney was a great talent not a galatico yet but 1 in making. van nistelroy an amazing striker but not an galatico untill he came here. contana was an great and probley 1 galactico. the terms galactico must mean world famous.likes of figo,ronaldo(both),zidane,beckham(commercial galactico),messi,xavi,rivaldo,ronaldinho(at his best), van basten, maldini,baresi, maradona, shearer(on of the best forwards england produced knowen all over the world). andy cole just dosent cut it as galactico! berbatov would definetlig not be galatico, just an over priced player who is talented but not enough drive in him any more.