10 Players Sir Alex Ferguson Was Completely Wrong About

10. Mark Bosnich

Following the departure of Peter Schmeichel in 1999, Manchester United spent a well-documented six year spell searching for an adequate replacement for the Great Dane before landing on Edwin van der Saar in 2005. Their search took in a number of flops before then, including Mark Bosnich. Bosnich actually had two stints at United. He graduated from the club's youth academy in 1990, and made three appearances before his registration with the club was cancelled the following year. The Australian shot-stopper spent time at his native Sydney United and Aston Villa over the following years before getting the call to return to Old Trafford in 1999 as Schmeichel's replacement. However, as with the majority of his goalkeeper signings during this period, Sir Alex Ferguson got this one wrong. Bosnich's second spell at the club was a disaster and would last just 12 months before United turned to Fabian Barthez, and he quickly found himself as third choice at the Theatre of Dreams. His performances were called into question, as was his attitude and even his weight. Ferguson said of Bosnich in his explosive 2013 autobiography:

€˜Mark Bosnich was a terrible professional. We played down at Wimbledon and Bosnich was tucking into everything: sandwiches, soups, steaks. He was going through the menu. I told him, €œFor Christ€™s sake, Mark, we€™ve got the weight off you, why are you tucking into all that stuff?€

Bosnich only lasted a season at United after returning to the club and moved to Chelsea in 2001. However, he developed a $5,000-a-week cocaine addiction and became a recluse, going into semi-retirement until re-emerging in 2008 with Australian side Central Coast Mariners.