The fabled Manchester United number 7 shirt
- Thread starter SDF
- Start date
When you consider Ronaldo, Beckham and Cantona held the shirt for the bulk of the previous 20 years, United have had some utter dross since who have taken it on.
TheLeatherKagool
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't categorise Beckham as a "great", or put him anywhere near the bracket of Cantona and Ronaldo!
TN8
Well-Known Member
No, but he's probably the most iconic player of his generation and was still a very very good footballer.
prenzlauerbear
Well-Known Member
I always forget they paid a record fee for Di Maria. What an odd transfer.
Big Buff
Well-Known Member
We don't really, but this is a cool article on the history of our shirt numbering:
https://www.squadnumbers.com/2018/10/07/Rangers/
TheLeatherKagool
Well-Known Member
A guy who played and won things for Man Utd and Real Madrid isn't iconic?
He also played for AC Milan and PSG.
Beckham was a great player who done far more in the game than many other English players who would definitely be considered iconic.
SDF
Well-Known Member
332 league goals over the past 10 years (the period Utd's number 7's have hit 15)
Think he's talking about the amount of Goals Ronaldo has scored in that same time period.
aldo78
Active Member
Don't let his celebrity status fool you Beckham was a great player for a few years late 90s early 00s and arguably should have been named FIFA World player of the year in 99 ahead of Rivaldo.
TheLeatherKagool
Well-Known Member
My comment was regarding him as the No.7 for Man Utd and I wouldn't put him in the same bracket as Ronaldo or Cantona. I didn't say he wasn't a decent player.
I also wouldn't put him anywhere near Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard or Steven Gerrard and they didn't win anything for Real Madrid?
I'm interested to know the players he was better than that you would class as Iconic??
AyrshireBear72
Well-Known Member
Seen something the other day that he scored 82 for them a always thought it was more than that
TheLeatherKagool
Well-Known Member
Jimmy the Gent
Well-Known Member
Beckham was a phenomenal player, he would have been a starter for any club side in world football, Barca tried everything to sign him, he opted for Madrid an played alongside Zidane, Raul, Figo etc, he also played for Milan and PSG.
Tremendous footballer.
Tremendous footballer.
SecondBestIsNothing
Well-Known Member
He's definitely a Man Utd great, his 2 corners in the CL final earn that tag alone.
Also Owen earned the number for his goal against Citeh
TimzRFudz
Well-Known Member
Half decent article which gave me the pure fucking rage due to the guy continually using the term "tectonic". Just naw.
Realger34
Well-Known Member
wee bud's pit boots
Well-Known Member
I just have to say the number 11 shirt by George Best, knocks 'seven' shades of sh1t over the number seven any day.
TheLeatherKagool
Well-Known Member
That’s no probs fella, hopefully we can agree to disagree!
In no world was Beckham ever the best player on the planet. No chance should he be winning a player of the year award. He was a good player and a world class specialist. Top clubs signed him because, whilst he was good and obviously brought something to the team, he was also a global brand, and whatever money they had to pay for and to him, was being made back tenfold.
servicepoint
Well-Known Member
Everyones entitled to their opinion but without checking their stats I reckon Beckham achieved much more in the game than Cantona who I reckon was pretty over rated (my opinion). Beckam played for the biggest clubs in football for a reason.
Cantona could be a right lazy B when it suited him where as Beckams workrate was exceptional.
TheLeatherKagool
Well-Known Member
Barryhopez
Well-Known Member
I know it's the second time in 2 days I have disagreed with you, but David Beckham, in his role on the pitch, was a great and he is an iconic figure in football as well as a celebrity.
True he's not on the same level as Cantona and Ronaldo, but he is still a 'great' IMO.
SDF
Well-Known Member
You could argue Beckham performed better at a higher level for Man Utd and country than Cantona ever did.
el bandido
Well-Known Member
Cantona shouldn’t be mentioned in the same breath as Best or Ronaldo.
TheLeatherKagool
Well-Known Member
Fair point mate, but for a couple of seasons at Manchester United, Cantona was the first name on that team sheet. I don't think you could say the same about Beckham at any stage in his career, for any club he played for. Albeit he did play at great clubs, we'll disregard PSG and AC as he played about a dozen games each for them.
TN8
Well-Known Member
I think plenty of Man Utd fans would disagree with you.
omegaman
Well-Known Member
I think phenomenal is a bit OTT - I’d personally reserve that for the likes of Messi, Zidane, both Ronaldos, Ronaldinho, etc - but tremendous, definitely.
I think the problem he had was that his celebrity began to outstrip his abilities as a footballer, so that despite being arguably the most recognisable footballer in the planet (certainly the most photographed), he was far from being its best.
el bandido
Well-Known Member
Alex Venters
Well-Known Member
Never mind Best!
Boab4
Well-Known Member
He was a winger back then though didn't play the same.
I'd have him ahead of the likes of Shearer, Ian Wright or the likes.
Lampard and Gerrard too, and that's not to play down their ability. He achieved more than them overall, which really is the difference in this regard. It's why Totti won't be considered in quite the same bracket as Pirlo for example.
Your comment was that he wasn't an iconic footballer, but a celebrity. This is a player who won 6 Premier League titles, La Liga, Ligue 1, a Champions League, was runner up for the Ballon D'Or, Real Madrid player of the year in 2006, UEFA Club footballer of the year in 99, England player of the year in 2003.
That's an iconic footballer. Maybe he didn't have the ability levels of some you mention, but it's about far more than that.
TPB90
Well-Known Member
Alex Venters
Well-Known Member
George Best is the best player to have played for Man Utd.
Imagine watching him alongside Law and Charlton every week!!
