Duncan Edwards - The One True United Legend

I'm sure there are some who would think it was insensitive but have you considered trying to interview him through a medium? I think interviewing dead players might give you the break you're looking for

Originally Posted by DakotaFredsBigShoe

The trouble is if januzai for example had died in an accident over the summer, people would be saying he was going to be x y or z. When young players die it is tragic, but we don't know how they would have progressed.

Originally Posted by DakotaFredsBigShoe

Imagine Torres after Liverpools first season then.

jesus £#%&!ing christ.

Originally Posted by DakotaFredsBigShoe

Great point, that Foe gag has me in stitches, you need to pm some of the lads that one, £#%&! KFC and that. Genius - keep them coming.

Paranoid much? I wasn't having a go tbh.

I think you have a point.

Originally Posted by DakotaFredsBigShoe

The trouble is if januzai for example had died in an accident over the summer, people would be saying he was going to be x y or z. When young players die it is tragic, but we don't know how they would have progressed.

Lots of players never full potential. I really struggle with people saying he would have been the best etc. maybe he would have, but you get my point.

Originally Posted by forzagarza

I'm sure there are some who would think it was insensitive but have you considered trying to interview him through a medium? I think interviewing dead players might give you the break you're looking for

'Duncan... Duncan... your opinion on Fellaini please'.

Ignoring wums for a second, as the Goldbridge pointed out, a couple of months before Duncan Edward's death here was the list for the top five players in the Ballon d'Or at the end of 1957.

1. Alfredo di Stefano, Real Madrid. 31 years old.
2. Billy Wright. Wolverhampton Wanderers. 33 years old.
3. Duncan Edwards, Manchester United. 21 years old.
= Raymond Koppa, Real Madrid. 26 years old.
5. Laszlo Kubala, Barcelona. 30 years old.

Pretty decent company. I'd say given Edwards' age (he'd only turned 21 a couple of months before) maybe virtually everyone who saw him play and rated him while he was alive might have been on to something. As perhaps had been Matt for giving him his debut at 16.

As Mark points out, he was among the best players in one of the best teams in Europe, at 19.

Originally Posted by MarkG

A blind man never sees how good Ronaldo is but he listens.

Originally Posted by MarkG

Had quite a few people say it's only because they died young in a plane crash that they are remembered as legends.

What insensitive ignorance. Anyone who does their research will know that team were set to dominate European football for the next 5 years after the tragedy. As for Edwards, countless people who saw him play said he was the best they'd ever seen. And Sir Bobby said he was the only player that ever made him feel inferior on a football pitch.

That's as may be. Sir Robert is a charming, modest individual.

Nevertheless, to describe Edwards as the defining player in United's history is based largely on what could have beens.

Charlton survived Munich, captained the first English team to win a European Cup and won a World Cup Winners medal. He is renowned legend worldwide for being a gentleman (excluding the most unfortunate ticket touting incident). Case closed.

Your cloying, "heartfelt" romanticism is misplaced - you should be focussing on getting Pure, Marlo and Throb for a "Tourettes Battle Royale" on your frankly moribund little TV channel.

Regardless of what all the reliable witnesses say, the definitive proof for me comes from Sir Matt when he was asked who was the best player he ever had.

Busby simply said "Edwards was incomparable".

Edwards was that far ahead of all other players, that it wasn't worth comparing him even to Charlton, the other Babes, Best and Law.

IMO he would have been the star at the '58 World Cup alongside Pele, and gone on to dominate the footballing world, just like Pele did.

Originally Posted by Neo

Regardless of what all the reliable witnesses say, the definitive proof for me comes from Sir Matt when he was asked who was the best player he ever had.

Busby simply said "Edwards was incomparable".

Edwards was that far ahead of all other players, that it wasn't worth comparing him even to Charlton, the other Babes, Best and Law.

IMO he would have been the star at the '58 World Cup alongside Pele, and gone on to dominate the footballing world, just like Pele did.

I can never get past about one minute in these vlogs but what Mark Lynam says is that "Duncan Edwards is the most defining player in Manchester United's history." Now I realise the sentence per se does not make any sense at all but you get the overall gist.

He may well indeed have been the best footballer ever at United - which is different.

I am with the big shoe on this one.

Its all theoretical, second hand if, buts & maybe's. Dealing with facts Charlton is by far the top boy.

Originally Posted by Neo

Regardless of what all the reliable witnesses say, the definitive proof for me comes from Sir Matt when he was asked who was the best player he ever had.

Busby simply said "Edwards was incomparable".

Edwards was that far ahead of all other players, that it wasn't worth comparing him even to Charlton, the other Babes, Best and Law.

IMO he would have been the star at the '58 World Cup alongside Pele, and gone on to dominate the footballing world, just like Pele did.

Perhaps, but my main issue is when people, not including obvious wums, act like he was just emerging potential. Like people enhance or exaggerate his qualities because he died, when several others died too, including England's prolific centre-forward Tommy Taylor.

Fact is he was voted third best player in the world at 20/21, which was highly unusual at that time.

I echo what Charles said about Charlton, though.

Originally Posted by Charlestown Rouge

Your cloying, "heartfelt" romanticism is misplaced - you should be focussing on getting Pure, Marlo and Throb for a "Tourettes Battle Royale" on your frankly moribund little TV channel.

Some may consider Mark’s invocation of the Busby Babes and Edwards in particular as a rather crass and distasteful attempt to recapture some goodwill on the forum, after his failure to get marlo, pure etc onto his show.

great to have an overgrown 12 year old from notts defining utd's history and so many replies. real scene.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

Perhaps, but my main issue is when people, not including obvious wums, act like he was just emerging potential. Like people enhance or exaggerate his qualities because he died, when several others died too, including England's prolific centre-forward Tommy Taylor.

Fact is he was voted third best player in the world at 20/21, which was highly unusual at that time.

Oh, I agree with you entirely, pol. Anybody with even a basic understanding of the history of United and English football at the time can appreciate that Edwards was a lot more than emerging potential.

He was the stand-out player of a sensational United side that had won back-to-back league titles by huge points margins, and had gone very deep into the European Cup two seasons on the trot, even giving the great Madrid side a run for their money.

He had become a first-team England regular, and was tipped to shine at the World Cup. The fact he was 3rd in the Ballon d'Or in 1957 given the company he was surrounded by is astonishing. He was a lot more than potential - he was an established genius, who was still far from his peak.

Originally Posted by The Watcher

Some may consider Mark’s invocation of the Busby Babes and Edwards in particular as a rather crass and distasteful attempt to recapture some goodwill on the forum, after his failure to get marlo, pure etc onto his show.

Perish the thought. I am rather taken with Forza's suggestion of a live seance whereby MarkG attempts to communicate with dead United legends.

Imagine the scenes if Big Dunc actually did make contact!

Originally Posted by MarkG

Irrelevant comment. My point is he's the most important player in our history to me. You don't have to agree with that but mocking my view because I didn't see him play is flawed.

A blind man never sees how good Ronaldo is but he listens.

World class Brent

Midlands Mark telling us how to be top reds.
Never seen him play, so I can't really fight a good case for him being the greatest united player of all time. Those who saw him play can though.

Originally Posted by Neo

Oh, I agree with you entirely, pol. Anybody with even a basic understanding of the history of United and English football at the time can appreciate that Edwards was a lot more than emerging potential.

He was the stand-out player of a sensational United side that had won back-to-back league titles by huge points margins, and had gone very deep into the European Cup two seasons on the trot, even giving the great Madrid side a run for their money.

He had become a first-team England regular, and was tipped to shine at the World Cup. The fact he was 3rd in the Ballon d'Or in 1957 given the company he was surrounded by is astonishing. He was a lot more than potential - he was an established genius, who was still far from his peak.

The only other players to have featured on the shortlist at 20/21 during the '50s-60s are Eusebio and Gianni Rivera

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

The only other players to have featured on the shortlist at 20/21 during the '50s-60s are Eusebio and Gianna Rivera

Gianna's brother Gianni made it, too.

Edit: you bastard.