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What if...? Biggest Sliding Doors Moments for NUFC


kingxlnc

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Wasn't it also reported that Liverpool were interested in Shearer again in 2004? Could have been Shearer out and Rooney in that window. Getting Rooney either way is a fascinating sliding doors moment. No idea how you could possibly manage Shearer, Rooney, Bellamy and Kluivert at the same time though.

 

18 minutes ago, kingxlnc said:

Luis Boa Morte and Anelka over Luque and Owen? 

 

There were lots of interesting links that summer. Daniel Van Buyten was one that kept getting mentioned (got Craig Moore instead), also Robbie Keane

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Had Keegan only been allowed to sign Brad Friedel when we had him on trial all that time instead of all that finicky red-tape, we'd have been sorted for two titles.

 

He had Sami Hyypia (and someone else iirc) on trial too, which would have gone a long way a few year later

 

 

Edited by Jonas

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17 minutes ago, joeyt said:

 

Mpenza turned out to be pretty rubbish though didn't he?

 

He had problems with injuries, so it's difficult to tell how things would have gone for him. What I'm sure Sir Bob was looking at was his pace. He and Bellamy together could have been a real handful - worth the gamble, let's say.

 

Whatever, allowing Shearer to effectively choose his own time of departure was a costly strategic error. 

 

 

Edited by Cronky

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17 minutes ago, Big Geordie said:

Kluivert was a real disappointment. A real genuine world-class centre-forward, but I just think he'd fallen out of love with the game by the time he came here.

 

Maybe my youth blinded me but wasnt he still pretty bloody good for us when given the chance? I remember a fair bit of talk he and Bellamy would be our best first choice pairing over Shearer. 

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Rafa knocking on our door, March 2016. An absolutely colossal moment in our history because it was the beginning of the end of Ashley. It took a lot longer than it might've done but I genuinely don't think we'd be anything like the club we are now if that didn't happen. We had absolutely no right being able to appoint a manager that good in the situation we were in. 

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11 minutes ago, wormy said:

 

Maybe my youth blinded me but wasnt he still pretty bloody good for us when given the chance? I remember a fair bit of talk he and Bellamy would be our best first choice pairing over Shearer. 

Pretty bloody good is a bit strong - he says himself nowadays he was physically past it when he joined us - but there was an argument for that, yeah. Not least from Bellamy himself.

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40 minutes ago, Rafalove said:

Not sure I agree. Those last few years he had here really cemented his legacy, which has been integral for the clubs identity. Especially wouldn’t have sold him for M’penza.

Unfortunately our identity for the past twenty years has been "loser idolators" :lol:

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53 minutes ago, wormy said:

 

Maybe my youth blinded me but wasnt he still pretty bloody good for us when given the chance? I remember a fair bit of talk he and Bellamy would be our best first choice pairing over Shearer. 

 

 

That talk came from Bellamy himself from what I remember. :lol:

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Gates and Gabbiadini plus the shittest pitch invasion in football history see us lose in the playoffs in 1990 (if we go up that season, there’s a high probability that there is no KK rescue)

 

Ned Kelly’s goal vs Portsmouth 1992

 

Cantona’s mishit volley vs us in 1996

 

Gullit dropping Shearer and Ferguson for the derby before blaming them for defeat in 1999

 

Iliev levels the tie for Partizan in 2003

 

 

Edited by TheBrownBottle

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I'm delving back further in our history and the career-ending (essentially) injuries to two of our greatest players.

 

Len White's ankle ligaments were torn asunder after a violent tackle from specialist leg-breaker, Dave Mackay of Spurs. Len was by far our best player and, without him, we were relegated. He never really recovered.

 

Tony Green suffered unfortunate knee ligament damage during a match early in season 1972-73 that ended his career aged 25. United had some seriously talented players - with the brilliant and consistent TG seemingly being the final piece of the puzzle to help make us likely challengers at the top of the table; without TG that team became hopelessly inconsistent and mid-table.

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I always thought Souness benching Robert against Sporting Lisbon robbed us of a trophy [emoji38] Don't know exactly why I thought we were certs looking back now.

 

Also I think Bellamy got injured one season when we were shit hot. All a blur now.

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5 minutes ago, Beren said:

I always thought Souness benching Robert against Sporting Lisbon robbed us of a trophy [emoji38] Don't know exactly why I thought we were certs looking back now.

 

Also I think Bellamy got injured one season when we were shit hot. All a blur now.

Was gonna say if dyer hadn't of limped off with a hamstring injury, we wouldn't of lost, think we would've got pass AZ Alkmaar in the semis and beat CSKA Moscow in the final

 

 

Edited by GavMcEl

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1 minute ago, TomYam said:

I'm delving back further in our history and the career-ending (essentially) injuries to two of our greatest players.

 

Len White's ankle ligaments were torn asunder after a violent tackle from specialist leg-breaker, Dave Mackay of Spurs. Len was by far our best player and, without him, we were relegated. He never really recovered.

 

Tony Green suffered unfortunate knee ligament damage during a match early in season 1972-73 that ended his career aged 25. United had some seriously talented players - with the brilliant and consistent TG seemingly being the final piece of the puzzle to help make us likely challengers at the top of the table; without TG that team became hopelessly inconsistent and mid-table.

Good shouts, especially White

 

If we’re going back before I was born - Charlie Wayman finds a peg in the dressing room, doesn’t throw a strop and remains as our centre forward, with Jackie Milburn remaining as a right winger

 

Jimmy Richardson is ruled to have crossed the line before his cross for Jack Allen in 1932

 

The final day hammering off Luton in 1938 is much worse and we drop to Division Three on goal average

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1 hour ago, Yorkie said:

Rafa knocking on our door, March 2016. An absolutely colossal moment in our history because it was the beginning of the end of Ashley. It took a lot longer than it might've done but I genuinely don't think we'd be anything like the club we are now if that didn't happen. We had absolutely no right being able to appoint a manager that good in the situation we were in. 

Was also thinking along these lines.

 

But more Rafa finally walking away, then Ashley appointing Steve Bruce being a sliding doors moment and a long term positive compared to if Rafa had stayed or Ashley had appointed somebody even slightly competent after him.

 

Yes it was a terrible time short term, but it was going to be the end for both Ashley and Bruce. Crowds walking away, us sliding towards the championship, there being nobody with a brain who would come in and replace him and Ashley clearly not having the stomach to fix his own mess again, hence being desperate to cash in. 

 

Really not sure the takeover would have happened if we'd kept Rafa instead and we'd limped on. Or if Bruce hadn't been so completely and utterly awful at absolutely everything.

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7 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

If we’re going back before I was born - Charlie Wayman finds a peg in the dressing room, doesn’t throw a strop and remains as our centre forward, with Jackie Milburn remaining as a right winger

 

Jimmy Richardson is ruled to have crossed the line before his cross for Jack Allen in 1932

 

The final day hammering off Luton in 1938 is much worse and we drop to Division Three on goal average

Anderlecht

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It's absolutely Dalglish not adding to the quality side we had, letting Les go to Spurs and Ginola. Beardsley, Tino being sold, 

Why the twat then added absolute shite including his son to the ranks. Some of the worst Nufc signings in history, think he only got Speed and Given right.

 

Had we kept our stars and added possibly one maybe two real quality signings we could have gone on to win something with the side Keegan had built.

 

 

 

 

Edited by mighty__mag

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