Not along ago, Sir Alex Ferguson claimed Paul Gascgoine wouldn’t be facing the troubles he is had he signed for Manchester United. With Fergie shielding our young players from the limelight, enabling them to have long footballing careers rather than burning themselves out with partying, he believed he could have steered Gazza away from the alcoholic lifestyle.
“Around 1987, when Newcastle were bobbing above the relegation zone, we played them and my three central midfielders that day were Bryan Robson, Norman Whiteside and Remi Moses. All great footballers and he just tore them apart,” said Ferguson. “Robbo and Whiteside were chasing him up and down the pitch and they couldn’t get near him. We spoke to him the night before I went on holiday. He says ‘Go and enjoy yourself Mr Ferguson, I’ll be signing for Manchester United’. So I went on my holidays but Martin Edwards [then chairman] rang and said ‘I’ve got some bad news – he signed for Tottenham.”
Ferguson believes we had a good set up at United which would have ensured Gazza had a stable future. With his alcoholism eating him away, Fergie believes that his decision to sign for Spurs, after the London club bought a home up in the North East for his parents, was a mistake.
“I think it was a bad mistake, and Paul admits it,” Ferguson continued. “We had Bryan Robson, a Geordie, Steve Bruce, a Geordie, Gary Pallister, from Middlesbrough. We had a structure of players who could have helped him and it could have given him some discipline.”
The Sun have printed an article today by Terry Venables, comparing Gazza to our Wayne, painting a favourable picture of our number ten.
Seeing Wayne Rooney destroying Belarus the other night was just like watching Paul Gascoigne all over again. But there is one crucial difference between these working-class geniuses … Rooney can cope with all the hype and expectations created by his talent.
I didn’t really get to know Wayne that well during my recent time as England coach but I always found him to be a polite, respectful young man. He’s not the sort of bloke who seeks the limelight. You’ll never see him courting publicity or willingly volunteering to talk to the media. Yet he’s relaxed and confident when he’s with his pals and can be the joker in that group.
Gazza was very similar in many ways, but much more of an extrovert. He hogged the whole show … on and off the pitch. He wanted to make everyone laugh and be loved by everyone. Rooney is happy just being accepted by his colleagues. He has handled his fame very well and, though he is more than capable of expressing himself in the papers and on TV, that’s not what he’s about.
A lot of really special talents believe they don’t have to put in a shift for the team because they are supplying the magic. Wayne’s work ethic is not just impressive, it’s startling. In fact, some people believe he works too hard, particularly in areas of the pitch where he’s not supposed to be. But the fact is he can handle that workload and it doesn’t detract from his effectiveness. He’s not happy unless he feels he’s pulling his weight.
Like Gazza, he has that schoolboy’s enthusiasm for the game. Watch him in training and he’s like a little boy in the playground. His current form for England is the best we’ve seen since Euro 2004. The reason for his resurgence is because he’s fit, healthy and enjoying a regular run of games. Because he’s built like a boxer — short and stocky — it’s more important for him to be the right weight and have proper fitness. Taller, leaner players tend to come back from injury quicker.
Right now, Rooney is banging them in like there is no tomorrow. But he would honestly be just as happy not to score as long as the team is winning. And that is what makes him so special.
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Gazza always says it was his biggest life changing decision when he went back on the agreement to sign for United and went to Spurs instead.
He also knows that under the guidance of SAF he would have gone on to be one of the greatest players ever for England, and wouldnt be in the mess now..
What a bad decision it was to sign for Spurs… all for the sake of Spurs buying his parents a house… bad bad move..
With Wazza, he has been guided, and disciplined under SAF, and it shows, yes he does have fire in his belly when he is on the pitch…. and i wouldnt change that for a milisecond…
His conduct off the pitch is pretty much fantastic for a 22 year old who has £100k in his pocket each week..
There is similarities in Gazza and Wazza, both raw footballing talents, unpredictable, and score some sublime and amazing goals..
The difference is that Gazza will be remembered for his pissed up antics, being arrested in hotel rooms, known for beating his wife, and basically gone to pot..
Wayne Rooney under the guidance of United and SAF will be remembered as a pale faced scouser that lit up the OT stage everytime he graced it… and also for England…
I honestly believe that by the time Wazza hangs up his boots in about 16 years… he will be up there with the likes of Sir Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore, Duncan Edwards… as an all time England Legend…
With regards to him becoming a United legend… well … in my eyes and majority of other reds… this kid is already a United legend.
I wonder just how envious Gazza is of Wazza… time for another whisky Paul to take away the pain of never becoming a united legend !!
Not sure if Robbo, Whiteside, McGrath and so on would be the perfect role models for a young Gazza. Not exactly teetotalers.
Whiteside and McGrath had gone by the time we bidded for Gazza… and as for Robbo… was still a model pro… even though he is a beer monster..
Apparently the hardest trainer you will ever come across…plus was England Captain… and my boyhood hero when it came to footie.. so i cannot ever say anything bad against Robbo.
That is diverting off the subject… Gazza must be wondering just what might have happened… just how good he could have become if he had made that move to OT.
McGrath and Whiteside left in 89. Gazza joined spurs in 88.
I don’t think this is off the subject. For a young impressionable footballer, Robbo could have been seen as proof that it could be possible to drink and be a great footballer.
Lee Sharpe is also proof that sometimes players refuses to listen to sense – how good could he have been?
My point is that Gazza would still a manic depressive, and not even Fergie can cure that. His illness has probably been worsened by alcohol, but it would still be there.
Dino, i can grab where ya coming from mate… but i really do think Gazza’s career and life would have been a lot different under the guidance of SAF.. .
Lee Sharpe was good yeh, but was never gonna be a “World Beater”… where Gazza had everything in his locker to become a “World Beater”…
I do honestly believe that part of Gazza’s problems are down to the fact that he never signed for Man u…
Yeh depression is an illness, mental illness… but if he is looking at the likes or Rooney, seeing and reading these comparisions, coz they are very similar footballers in my eyes… surely this must be causing Gazza to have a lot of envy, which in turn must be causing more depth of depression..
We will never know just how good Gazza could have been… little bit like Georgie Best… he retired very young… missed a lot of his career due to alcohol… and we all know how good he was… no doubting it… but just how good could he have been…
I am taking your views on board Dino and agree with them pretty much, but can ya see what im getting at… I wonder if Gazza is looking back and thinking what could have been, and if he is thinking would things have worked out better for him.
Failsworth Devil what kind of United are you. Man U? Only glory hunters call us that
Ste what kind of twat are you?? Im an M35 “Man U” supporter… prick