Young talent falling into the wrong hands

In 2003 Manchester United bought a relatively unknown Cristiano Ronaldo from Sporting Lisbon – who 5 years later became the best player and the most expensive player in the world. Three years earlier Barcelona relocated a kid called Lionel Messi from Rosario, whom a decade later is one of the ten greatest footballers the world has ever seen.

People like to think that Barcelona and Manchester United discovered Messi and Ronaldo. They didn’t – they made them. They worked on them. They built them physically and psychologically. Later they built teams around them. Ronaldo had previously gone through another great academy at Sporting.

Freddy Adu, like Messi, was also discovered as a child. He got a Nike contract & agents who began moving him to different clubs. Robinho came to Real Madrid with similar talent to Cristiano Ronaldo.

Because talent is like an entry exam to a good university. But I am sure that when choosing a doctor we will all prefer the physician that actually graduated from a good university to someone who just did well in the entry exam.

The moral of the story is completely missed on Ravel Morrison and Paul Pogba – two talented young players who want to leave Manchester United because they believe their talent commands more respect and more money. Two players who have achieved nothing at senior level football. They are flirting with the idea of moving to clubs with no track record at all in development of world class players.

Unfortunately nothing can save them from the wisdom of their advisors and agents.

Contributed by Ronen Dorfan from Soccer Issue.

More Stories Barcelona Cristiano Ronaldo Freddy Adu Lionel Messi Manchester United Paul Pogba Ravel Morrison Robinho

16 Comments

    1. Agreed. It will be shocking if we lose out of Ravel due to somebody dragging him into the wrong direction. Although, he’s already walking a thin rope judging by his behavior record.

    1. Agreed. It will be shocking if we lose out of Ravel due to somebody dragging him into the wrong direction. Although, he’s already walking a thin rope judging by his behavior record.

  1. Absoloutely bang on the money! Nothing more needed. If the reports are true about wage demands. I’d simply laugh them out of the club and wish them well on their slippery slope to the life of an average footballer! If Giggs didn’t get a club car at 17-18, then who the hell do they think they are wanting 30k+. Traversty and a sorry vision of how youth footballers see themselves and how agents need to be binned completely. UNITED TILL I DIE.

  2. Absoloutely bang on the money! Nothing more needed. If the reports are true about wage demands. I’d simply laugh them out of the club and wish them well on their slippery slope to the life of an average footballer! If Giggs didn’t get a club car at 17-18, then who the hell do they think they are wanting 30k+. Traversty and a sorry vision of how youth footballers see themselves and how agents need to be binned completely. UNITED TILL I DIE.

  3. Shame a lad of Morrison’s ability is playing Russian roulette with his career, but ability is all he’s got. How many gifted young footballers have we seen over the years who’ve ballsed up their careers due to a bad attitude and a leeching agent ? The attitude he’s got is a pretty toxic one around Old Trafford/Carrington, sooner he’s gone, the better.

  4. Shame a lad of Morrison’s ability is playing Russian roulette with his career, but ability is all he’s got. How many gifted young footballers have we seen over the years who’ve ballsed up their careers due to a bad attitude and a leeching agent ? The attitude he’s got is a pretty toxic one around Old Trafford/Carrington, sooner he’s gone, the better.

  5. The Cause:MAN SHITY
    PSG
    ANZHI…WHATEVER
    MALAGA
    keep that oil money with u n let ther be more great players than useless businessmens

  6. The Cause:MAN SHITY
    PSG
    ANZHI…WHATEVER
    MALAGA
    keep that oil money with u n let ther be more great players than useless businessmens

  7. Spot on. Unfortunately we are in a world were stupid money is thrown at players so you have agents in their ears saying I can get you thi if you go there. Still no excuse Ravel and Pogba are the captains of their own ships and ultimately the choice is for them to make, the agent only puts the choice in front of them but ups ultimately the decision is them to make.

  8. Spot on. Unfortunately we are in a world were stupid money is thrown at players so you have agents in their ears saying I can get you thi if you go there. Still no excuse Ravel and Pogba are the captains of their own ships and ultimately the choice is for them to make, the agent only puts the choice in front of them but ups ultimately the decision is them to make.

  9. Whoever we sell to we need to input a buy bk clause cos hopefully one day they grow up and realise what they cud achieve at man utd

  10. Whoever we sell to we need to input a buy bk clause cos hopefully one day they grow up and realise what they cud achieve at man utd

  11. it’s a shame beacause look at mccharachan or what’s his name, the player with chelsea who went on loan to swansea. He is also one of the potential english world beaters alond with wilshere. He didn’t want more money instead he went on loan. Same was with wilshere and i think ramsey too. So what’s wrong with our players, this is my question,

  12. it’s a shame beacause look at mccharachan or what’s his name, the player with chelsea who went on loan to swansea. He is also one of the potential english world beaters alond with wilshere. He didn’t want more money instead he went on loan. Same was with wilshere and i think ramsey too. So what’s wrong with our players, this is my question,

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