Manchester United, Ruud van Nistelrooy, and bloody tears
Where were you when Old Trafford worshipped Ruud van Nistelrooy?
It’s a pity that Real Madrid never came up against Manchester United in Europe this season - if only Real had beaten Bayern and then negotiated the impossible against Milan, we would have enjoyed an incredible double leg feature against David Beckham and Ruud van Nistelrooy.
As the season rolls to an end, Manchester United are the Premiership champions and few would find faults with Sir Alex Ferguson at this point - tactical defeats in the FA Cup final and Champions League semi-final apart. Manchester United have gone so far beyond media expectations that for everyone, it’s more a case of waiting for them to fall so that the buggers can laugh again.
But this team, this club, they could always win the league. They showed it last season when an injury-riddled squad pushed to 2nd place. The same spirit, plus a midfield anchor, and fewer injuries could have won them the title. And it did this season.
So it’s all good at Manchester United, especially after the news that Owen Hargreaves is on his way. Big signing, big ambitions and already bookies will be putting United’s name as title contenders next season, genuine this time instead of the bogus 4th / 5th place slot biased columnists were giving them before the start of the season.
But while we celebrate, let’s not forget the one problem that still remains in the squad - the lack of a world-class goal-poacher a la Ruud van Nistelrooy.
When Ruud was being sidelined at Manchester United last season, it was shocking to see United fans turn on him. Here’s a player who you could give the ball and trust 100% that he would get you a goal, or help you create it. He may not have Thierry Henry’s skills but his effectiveness was never in question, nor was his passion for the game.
Look at the top clubs this season (or any season) - they have star players they can, in moments of crisis, pump the ball to and hope for a goal. Chelsea have Drogba, Arsenal have had Henry for so many years, Newcastle had Shearer, Milan had Shevchenko and now Kaka, Liverpool had Owen, and Manchester United had RVN.
This season, Manchester United relied on Cristiano Ronaldo - an ironic option given the circumstances RVN left Manchester United. He’s got the goals but ultimately you’re asking a winger / attacking midfielder to do a striker’s job. He’s going to do it in the bulk of games, but when it comes to the biggest stage, it’s asking a 22-year old winger a bit too much.
Manchester United have missed RVN this season - it doesn’t show in the results but we’ve missed him. Mind you, we’ve also got some of the greatest wins in recent memory - the comebacks against Blackburn and Everton, the Fulham and Roma massacres - classic stuff.
Ok, so I’ll be dead honest - I’ve missed Ruud scoring for Manchester United. There was a time when you look at the players on the United lineup and say - yes, these are legends, I can trust my team with them.
I trust the current bunch, but if Fletcher and Smith are what we get for selling RVN and David Beckham, you’ve got to own and say that Fergie bottled those two.
Yea, I know, let it go…
Ruud Van Nistelrooy Goals
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Indeed,he averaged about 30 odds goal per season back in his heydays…
United selling him was like Milan & Shevcenko or possbly Arsenal & Henry or Barca & Eto even Chelsea & Drogba,well u get the point…
Ruud Van Nistelrooy, if you’re reading this, know, always know, as long as you ain’t destroying for us, yous hould know, you’re one of our best strikers EVER!
I think it’s more complicated than that. Don’t you remember the first 10 games of the season, when Saha was fit and firing? United were playing superb free-flowing football, and everyone accurately remarked that United were attacking far more effectively than they had ever done with Van the Man at the head of the forward line.
Get over Ruud. He was hurting our style. Despite his goals. and he hurt our team spirit by getting on Ronaldo’s case. I don’t miss him. He is where he belongs. A club where strikers are spoon fed with chances. United could’t survive with such a forward anymore.
I think our football is far more dynamic and effective without him in the team. Became a distruptive influence in the dressing room and it probably was the right time for him to go.
2 be honest, i was happy to see ruud not playing in some games in his final season with us, he lost it after the injury. i remember many games where he just fell over and lost the ball. hopefully we’ll now get that central striker we need.
With RVN Man Utd played like Wimbledon. There is no doubt he was a great goal poacher but it hurt the way we play. We would not see the kind of dynamic, fluid, free flowing attacking football we have produced this season if RVN was still at Old Trafford. It was always very one dimensional.
The problem with Man Utd is we miss Saha (Who is very underated in my opinion) and we lack the technical ability and disciplined defending and attacking AC Milan and as much as it hurts to say Liverpool.
Admittedly Smith and Fletcher aren’t in the same class as RVN but atleast they are not causing dressing room bust ups!
He lost it sam? Hahaha, maybe he did. I think he found it again though.
£10m for RVN - one of the buys of the season. Cheap at twice the price.
lost it?
omg.. He is a legend. Fans shouldn’t be so fickle and should remember and appreciate the man.
Even in his “bad” season and the injury season he still averaged more than 1 in 2.
Yes we are playing more dynamic football without him. BUt never forget the man’s contribution.
I don’t see how Ruud is ‘responsible’ for the decay in United’s style of play in the last season (there was no decay, thank you media for creating another myth) when United were missing key personnel in other areas, not up front.
A team doesn’t play long-ball because their striker likes it - they play long-ball because they don’t have the players in midfield to take the ball from defence to attack.
So, please, some perspective here.
And its impolite to turn this into a discussion of whether United are better off without him or not. United are better off regardless, but that’s because of the signings we made and the tremendous form of some key people. Linking the two is as ridiculous as it is linking his presence to the problems we faced when he wasn’t the source of them.
I’ve written a lot about what happened between Ruud and Fergie - this isn’t the place to discuss it, so check out the archives.
Dammit, can’t even get nostalgic without you guys beating down on it
what a striker..the videos got me so nostalgic!
Yeah, never forget the contribution RVN made to the team during his stay in MU. He’s one of the best strikers in the world.
However, I must agree that our current style of play does not suit RVN. Saha suits our game better, though his injuries are a bit too much for the club to handle.
About what happened btw Ruud n Fergie, it doesn’t matter anymore. We should be grateful that RVN helped us so much during his stay and wish him all the best. Hope Real Madrid is indeed the right place for him.
he’s a legend..one of the top strikers in europe..no body was complaining about “hurting the team style” in his first couple of years..he may not have the skills like henry (and isnt cocky at all) but he does wat a striker’s supposed to do..score goals and lots of them..saha fit but firing?? he misses 20 gud opportunity before scoring 1!! ruud is my 1st choice ANY DAY!!
Ruud is a great striker.
* Those that say he caused dressing-room bust-ups - how do you know? How do you know what really went on? Most of it is speculation…
* Those that say our game is more “free-flowing” - what happens to free-flowing when we’re up agains great opposition? Is that not where we need someone like him most?
* Those that say Saha is better - …get real…
* Those that say he need to get “spoon-fed” - Our current team have proved to only score when they have a cazillion chances. Check the amount of misses this season of Rooney, Ronaldo, Saha, Giggs, Scholes, Smith.
I trust SAF in his decisions and know that he did what’s best for the team (and perhaps his own ego sometimes). Selling Ruud was most probably good business for the club, BUT, saying that he is not one of the best finishers???
How about doin an article on EVDS..? Im actually one of those who want Ben Foster to really push him hard and maybe even replace him next season.. EVDS, great keeper tho he is (was?), lost his legs for the last 2 months of the campaign. Some of the goals United let in, could have been saved by a better shotstopper. Its his positioning which is the best in the business.. but EVDS’ shotstopping is in decline. He virtually had no spring in his legs left.. look at the replays and you’ll see what im talkin about.
Oh and yea.. RVN was THE MAN back in the day, but lets look ahead now.. you guys think we got a chance with Eto’o? Unless Henry goes to Barca i think he’s goin to be impossibly expensive.. I heard Torres referred to as the White Saha a while back somewhere, and personally i’d prefer him to come to United, if not Eto’o.
How about doin an article on EVDS..? Im actually one of those who want Ben Foster to really push him hard and maybe even replace him next season.. EVDS, great keeper tho he is (was?), lost his legs for the last 2 months of the campaign. Some of the goals United let in, could have been saved by a better shotstopper. Its his positioning which is the best in the business.. but EVDS’ shotstopping is in decline. He virtually had no spring in his legs left.. look at the replays and you’ll see what im talkin about.
Oh and yea.. RVN was THE MAN back in the day, but lets look ahead now.. you guys think we got a chance with Eto’o? Unless Henry goes to Barca i think he’s goin to be impossibly expensive.. I heard Torres referred to as the White Saha a while back somewhere, and personally i’d prefer him to come to United, if not Eto’o. Wotchya think?
I highly recommend you take a look at the goals he’s scored for Real Madrid this season.
You just have to look at the fact we’re being linked to Berbatov to see that we still miss Ruud. Such a shame he left, especially for the money. With the chances we’ve created this year he would have had a field day.
Anyone who says we played Wimbledon style and he was a simple poacher - watch Berbatov, Ruud is almost an identical player but I would strongly argue better.
When we had no fit second strikers Ruud struggled because he was effectively double or triple marked out of the game, and we had no midfield helping him. Selling him was right up there with Becks as Fergie’s largest mistakes. Oh and the 4-5-1 in big matches. Pity SAF doesn’t learn…
A few Berbatov comments have made me think.
Funny how all the players we “allegedly” wanted we let go elsewhere then sign for stupid money.
Hargreaves:- Contract running out so let him sign another one and pay £17m
Carrick:- Let spurs sign him for 2.5/3.5m then sign for 14m+
Vidic:- Let Fiorentina agree terms then pay more than his minimum release fee . that’s just madness although even at the price it’s a bargain.
Berbatov.. Spurs sign for £10m we chase when he’s worth more. okay i know we spoke to him b4 spurs but you get the idea,
Our scouting network needs to seriosuly look at itself.
Kaka went for 5.5m one or 2 seasons before klebfoot cost 6.9m
Diego is in Germany and was bought for £5m. He will soon be another £15m player
the list is endless really. we seem to watch teams buy young good players cheaply then let them have a good season or 2 then pay stupid money
doh.
btw Ruud was god. End of. Saha better? LMFAO. Saha (when fit) is totally unpredictable and too much of a confidence player (celtic & “I dont feel ready”) . All i will say is imagine Saha clean through on the last day of the season needing to beat Petr Cech to win the league. Would you back him cos I wouldn’t.
Stephen I feel the same way at times about my club although occasionally we do get players at very good prices. The general tendency, though, is for clubs to raise prices as soon as they learn of the interest a big/rich club has in their player.
In Spain, Sevilla get a lot of credit for buying relatively unknown players for small amounts of money, and while I give them deserved credit for building their current team, it is unfair to compare them to larger clubs. If Real Madrid were to go after the exact same players at the exact same time, within a matter of hours or days, as soon as any word got out - and sometimes it doesn’t even have to have any basis in truth! - the players cease to be both unknown and cheap.
Having said that I can think of several players who I think we made excellent deals for, including Cicinho (~£3m), Higuaín (£8m), Diogo (even though it didnt work out the first and only season he was with us, he’s turned out to be an excellent player, and cost us about £2m), the subject of the article on this page, and several others including what in my opinion was on of the best purchases ever: Roberto Carlos for £3m.
On the other hand we’ve paid well over the top for several players, such as Cassano, Baljic, Prosinecki, Julio Baptista, and many others, and probably could have paid less for players such as Robinho, Gago…although these last two I do not regret signing.
In the end though, a players transfer fee is only “good” or “bad” well after he is signed, and his performance can be judged. £50m for Zinedine Zidane seems to me one of the cheapest signings we’ve ever made…
Ruud will forever be a United legend, however his style of play hurt us despite his goals and therefore we don’t need a goal poacher like him in out team again. When you look at United teams over the years, we’ve never really had the sort of player who will get you 30 goals a season.
Ruud slowed our play down and we relyed up on him way too much. We’ve played much better, free flowing football this year, with goals from all over the pitch. We’ve played the United way, something we havnt done for a while.
Ruud will never be forgotton, but his time has gone and we’ve been much better for it.
Ruud is a legend! He is so much better then Saha. I don’t understand our bondscoach because he puts Kuijt in the team and not ‘Van the Man’. This season you can also see he is so good. I doesn’t matter which team he scores his goals…topscorer from Spain. A fenomenon!
Stephen : Mate…
I guess you got most of the things absolutely wrong.
Hargreaves:-
Welcome to earth! We let him SIGN an extension? Anybody with two gray cells would say thats absolute bollocks. Bayern had already lost Ballack to Chelsea and thy didnt want to lose their priced midfield player too soon. And how d you possibly assume “we let him” ?
Carrick:- Scholsey/Keano/Gigsey and a promising set of academy players and you wanted Carrick then? And bench Whom? Scholsey? Keano? Come on mate he went to Spurs as a step-up and in search of better “FIRST TEAM FOOTBALL” not chances.
Vidic :- How on earth did you assume the Russians had agreed terms with the Fiorentina?
Berbatov :- Agreed somewhat. But Berba was NOT the immediate requirement then. A CM/CDM was the absolute requirement. And United is not a team which cannot takes risks now with unknown signings.(Guess Fergie learned from Klebfoot and Djemba Djemba). And there is no unlimited financials . 25M hard cap. Who will you sign? Most needed CM or a good striker when we can just afford with the existing squad?
Kaka : Playing too much FM/CM? How many Brazilians were successful in England? Klebfoot came with a huge repo : WC Winner. and after the Kleb incident, i guess Fergie dint want to take a chance. Fair nuff for me.
Well, though still a legend to Man U,RVN style could have affected Man U performance. Right now, Man U has proved that it can do without RVN.However, RVN is still a greate striker!!!!!!!
Hargreaves:- If he HAD been the target at that point we would have moved for him. We didn’t
Carrick:: The promising players that were sold.. Jones etc…. hmmmm..
Vidic: Both Fiorentina and Spartak Moscow issued statements annoucing the agreement
Kaka,: My point was £5.5m.. Everyone knew he was the best player in Brazil… again £5.5m…. Yeah he 99% wouldnt have signed as they alweays do better in spain/italy but you see the point. If you don’t here it is again £5.5m!!!
My point is not that we should necessarily have signed all or any of these. The point is that our outlook seems to be shortsighted, random. Are you happy to pay £12m more than you could have one season before for Carrick etc? Okay they may earn us more than their fees by providing the impetus to win things etc. But I still think that the major point that we show no interest in players, let them have one good season, claim we were always after them then pay stupid money is nothing more of spin. Fans arent that stupid. “We were always after carrick” Hmmmmm riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. If you believe that then you obviously believe everything the plc and Glazers have ever told you…
avrv
£50m for Zinedine Zidane seems to me one of the cheapest signings we’ve ever made…
i’d totally agree.
PURE genius.
Stephen : If he HAD been the target at that point we would have moved for him. We didn’t
There is a thing called the Club LETTING GO! and its different to a player wanting to LEAVE!
Ruud, is a brilliant striker in Europe…,,,he can do all things..
Just wondering why everyone is so ‘on’ about the prices of the players. At the end of the day, why should we care if ManU paid 5.5 or 50 mil for a player like Kaka? Do you share in the profits? The important thing is that we get him regardless. The only way we get affected is by the perofrmances on the field…’whether it is pleasing on the eye?’ People moan about 18 mil for Carrick instead of 2.5mil…if we paid 2.5, which portion of the 15.5mil would the Glazers have sent us? United has never bought players because they had the money…they bought because they needed the specific players.