10 Man Utd Players Who Should Fear For Their Future
2. Anderson
''Martin said: Alex, hes better than Rooney. For Christs sake, dont say that, I told him. Hell need to be good to be better than Rooney. Martin was adamant. At that stage, Anderson was playing off the striker. - Sir Alex Ferguson, October 2013.
One would wonder how much trust the former Manchester United manager placed in his chief scout during the years following his glowing recommendation of Brazilian teenager Anderson. Then a Porto wonder-kid, playing as a playmaker, the teenager was lighting up the Portuguese league with imaginative flair and silky skills. The club would sign him as a 19 year old in 2007, with many touting him to be the next Ronaldinho. Its seven years later, and Anderson is 26 years old, and fighting for a new contract at Old Trafford. The omens dont look good for the Brazilian. His time in Manchester could be summed up as a stint ranging from a disappointment to an unmitigated disaster. With every season, things seems to get worse for the Brazilian midfielder. Having been farmed out on loan to Fiorentina last season, he has been relegated to the background under Louis van Gaal, playing just 20 minutes of league football this season. Having thoroughly unimpressed in the Capital One Cup defeat at MK Dons, Anderson did nothing to show his new boss that he was worthy of a place in his plans. With his contract ending at the end of the season, what has he possibly done to merit a new one?
Recent Journalism & New Media graduate. Insatiable thirst for all things football, and hopes to break into the field of sports journalism in the near future.
Have made a significantly insignificant playing career out of receiving several slaps around the head for not passing the ball.
