The year that Leeds were relegated from the Premiership, we played them in the 3rd Round of the League Cup. This was a day when our flops got the last laugh.
United went a goal down at Elland Road just after half time, before David Bellion equalised with ten minutes to go.
With nine minutes of extra-time played, Diego Forlan but United in front, only for Leeds to pull themselves level with six minutes of time remaining. The game looked certain to go to penalties, before a certain midfielder from Cameroon won us the game with three minutes left on the clock.
This was Djemba-Djemba’s highlight in what was otherwise a woeful eighteen months with Manchester United, who were desperately seeking a future replacement for Roy Keane.
United were looking to cut our losses, happy to recoup any money we could on the waste of space midfielder. When Aston Villa offered us £1.35 million for him, we bit their hands off!
Things have gone downhill for him since then, being loaned out to Burnley two years in to his Villa career, after starting just four games, before his contract was terminated.
It now looks as though Djemba-Djemba might be returning to the Premiership, with West Ham apparently showing interest.
“I am having a good season. I lost my way a bit when I signed for Manchester United,” Djemba-Djemba said. “However, I am a good player, you don’t play alongside Roy Keane and Paul Scholes if you are a bad player. I heard West Ham is interested and that means I am having a good season. I have unfinished business with the Premier League, so who knows? It would be good to go back there and prove myself.”
I named my dog Djemba.
One of the worst players we’ve had at United, but i loved him none the less haha
he only played alongside keane and scholes once didnt he?
he is the best of the Crop of bad player. he’s better than barthez, taibi, klerbeson.
Sorry lads i lost track of him. Where’s he playing at the moment? In France?
Diego has certainly made a name for himself in Spain. He just never got a chance with us in all fairness. He was always going to be one of those players who needed a good run of games to find his feet and to know that he was in the team no matter what. The formation and tactics we played back then was probably the worst time to have the guy at United.
Bellion is looking like a decent-good French league striker. I always felt with him that he was ok in a lot of aspects but there really wasn’t that spark which would take him unto the next level and be United quality. But the guy is certainly having a good career for himself.
Djemba-Djemba I’m not sure about. I think that he just might have had the Kleberson issue with the both of them thinking they had made it and then completely losing their way for a few years. It happens to some good players.
I don’t think our”flops” were ever as bad as we remember them. They just weren’t as good as they could have been (and with some their potential might not have exceeded United squadies).
Hes currently at Odense in Denmark, and he played against Villa in the Intertoto Cup
I don’t remember Kleberson being as bad as people make out, he had a shoulder injury in one of his first games for us, and then never got a chance to shine. Hes at Flamengo now and has 6 goals and 6 assists in 46 games, which is pretty decent.
Bellion and Forlan never really got a chance either, and both have proved they are decent players, especially Forlan.
Same with Tim Howard, although none of them were good enough for United.
Imagine Djemba back in England though, I can’t wait til we play West Ham!
Looking back at the squad its no wonder we went a few years without the title but at the time i never felt we had a below par squad, barthez blanc kleberson djemba djemba forlan fortune! and does anyone else remember leon mike (mike mike)
But to be fair they just never settled Forlan mind you as bad as he was most of the time he scored some important goals and made the scousers cry, i cant actually remember djemba actually doing anything for us bless him.
I liked Djemba, too bad it wasn’t to be.
I remember Ronaldo and Kleberson being presented together
and some people were fairly chuffed at having a World Cup
winner in the team. Funny, isn’t it?
He was arguably the worst player I have ever watched since Ralph Milne.
He played well against Arsenal I thought, well I say well, he was dirty and it’s always nice to see them get hurt
Stephen, Ralph Milne! There s a name I had forgotten about.
Graemme Hog was my favourite Tard!!
I used to piss myself laughing when Keano would be absolutely ripping into Diego on the pitch, and Diego would just smile and run away. haha it made me laugh every time.
Didn’t he pretty much squander all the money he made and go bk?!? I think playing for United and all the stuff that goes along with that screwed him in the head and he really couldn’t cope. Almost sad…the I remember that we paid him all that money for …….
Ahhhh Bellion, Kleberson, Forlan, Roy Carroll…the manager losing the plot…he’s past it…must be put out to pasture…them were the days!!
red manc… fortune was quality mate!!!
i’ll always remember fortune missing a sitter against AC milan, i’ll never forgive him!
the best of the worst- forlan, Djemba-Djemba, fortune.(don’t think they are bad to that extent , just that not used to english football)
the worst of worst – taibi, barthez ,kleberson.
They were all bad…lets face it…they werent good enough and couldnt cut it. That was a time where we did lack quality…
As for djemba x 2. the best game he had for us was the charity shield…where he was everywhere and the commentators were drooling. But everything after that went down hill. Kleberson 2 stone was toooo lightweight and a very average brazilian. Bellion all pace no brains.
Fortune was poor…but he did give a proper shift of work when he played.
Forlan was class….he just didnt suit the prem…class act as la liga is testament to