Gazza / Paul Gascoigne - I Sometimes Think 'What If' I Had Signed For Man United

[@rowley2219]

Cracking player, spot on in what he says, no one knew how successful Man U would become under Ferguson, back in 88 it was 21 years without a title, hard for the current fans to understand.

[@gerardjames9971]

He gave his word and went back on it. Karma is a bitch

[@divinity176]

I always wondered if Ferguson would have survived in the job long enough to benefit from the youngsters coming through if Kenny Dalglish hadn't resigned after Hillsborough and Liverpool hadn't imploded. Liverpool were clear at the top with no signs of slowing down.

[@Laptopdog78]

@@divinity176 I never thought that Man Utd would stop being the best in the 90s and 2000s either........ get over it.... it had nothing to do with Hillsborough, or Kenny dalglish leaving!!

[@divinity176]

@@Laptopdog78 Get over what? Not a Liverpool fan. The idea that Liverpool collapsing from top of the league as soon as Dalglish resigned had nothing to do with his leaving is rather bizarre. Just a huge coincidence...

[@Laptopdog78]

@@divinity176 What are you saying? You don’t make sense?

[@TheAashiq786]

SAF would've gave Gazza more discipline which would've made an impact to how he's become today

[@hugodrax71]

like he did with Lee Sharpe?

[@michaelahern9883]

AHR SoccerPerformance He'd have been gone out of there in a few weeks....

[@michaelahern9883]

AHR SoccerPerformance Fergie thanked his lucky stars he never signed him....

[@danielcowan8673]

Addiction and mental illness doesn't respond to discipline.

[@nigelnyoni8265]

@@danielcowan8673 addiction might. And mental illness MIGHT'VE been better addressed

[@Voodootiger]

Fergie should have Said: “ lad its Tottenham”

[@DirtyJamesUK]

Back then Tottenham were decent. Gazza, Lineker, Hoddle, Waddle, Walsh. I was about 8. Didn't even know who Man United were lol

[@natureclips5849]

At the time Spurs were a big as United united hadn’t won the league for 25 years

[@supunghz]

Russel Brand being in this video is the weirdest thing ever. Brilliant. But completely out of nowhere. Amazing.

[@youtubewts]

Weirdest thing ever?! That's a bit far fetched.

[@mattc7191]

He's a big west ham fan so not that surprising

[@jinz0]

because they were both addicts, and he is big west ham fan, at that time he was more famous, pre katy perry marriage

[@DirtyJamesUK]

Russell Brand is a TOP BLOKE. I probably didn't like him back then lol but he's kind of matured into an amazing human being.

[@4OrCE1on]

He's massive football fan and a west ham fan..

[@chris060372]

As a United fan, what happened to my team after 1990 was more than I could ever have wished for... but I would've loved to have seen Gazza wear the Red White and Black.

[@The_Unintelligent_Speculator]

Gazza thinking about everyone before himsef. What a footballing legend. I am so fortunate to watch him play at Rangers.

[@mickhend1916]

Sounds if he fell down they stairs to

[@tim3198]

Poor Gazza. His antics and troubles with alcohol certainly didn't help him, but his career was ultimately ruined by the press and family greed. Just look at him at 0:30. While others are laughing next to him, he's serious about it. He still holds a great deal of resentment towards his family for what they did to him.

[@NC2871926]

Imagine this, Beckham, Keane, Scholes, giggs, gazza, Cantona

[@NC2871926]

Gazza didn't go for the same reasons Shearer never went to United. Imagine Keane, Scholes, Cantona, Giggs, Beckham, Gazza, Shearer

[@Matthewgoff1996]

He definitely regrets it, you can see it in his face... but as a United fan it is a shame :/ no paul ince and a Keane-Robson-Gascoigne midfield OMG

[@kabirsardana1282]

Keane came after Robson as his replacement not to play with him. so the midfield would have been scholes-keane-gazza.

[@laoch5658]

Robson was there for a season with keane​@@kabirsardana1282

[@ashunknown9728]

Rio he took big chance go man u . gassgoine Is real legend even he went spurs He was never greedy n his name still here even he won nothing much. He made england proud in world cup .Ferdinand did shit for his country

[@Del-yv1qy]

Gazza,what a wonderful player,sad that he had so many problems like alot of gifted people.

[@thecollector427]

Only a coach like Sir Alex could fix a troubled player like Gazza.

[@koll]

Ya...it was a bad decision. I'm sure he would have scored some amazing goals in a red shirt and maybe become a Manchester United legend.

[@TheIkaraCult]

Paul is the most talented English player of my lifetime. Imagine if it all unfolded differently. But we still love you Gazza

[@imranhaa]

This has now been replaced with Jack Grealish as the most talented English player of your lifetime

[@daviddraper3871]

This has now been replaced with Harvey Barnes as the most talented.English player of your lifetime 😊

[@andy218]

well done mate....loved my football at that time. Legend!!!!

[@Baresi-Unico-Capitano]

It wouldn't have changed a thing. The issue wasn't the clubs. The issue was the demons in Paul's head. He just wasn't a professional. He had the chance to go to Italy, which was by a mile the best league in the world. At Lazio, he had players like Signori around him who was 3 times serie a top scorer. Injuries cost him, but most of his injuries were attributed to his horrendous lifestyle and the lack of a professional mindset. Whilst Ferguson made success of many players, he also was not scared to banish players who were disruptive. He ruined his own career.

[@michaelahern9883]

Roz Sa Well said man ......he pissed hs career down the drain...ask Glenn Hoddle about him....lol

[@danielcowan8673]

Whilst I agree that the issue were the demons in Gazza's head, mental illness and addiction make it difficult to be professional.

[@rainman11985]

The saddest thing about Gazza is he was all but finished after he turned 30. His legs were gone. THAT was the result of lifestyle. I very much doubt he would have had as many injuries as he didn't if he drink\drug and let his weight balloon. We often talk about 'demons' and I do think it's fair to say that Gazza def has some sort of 'over-excitability' issue (manic episodes, OCD etc he had a nephew who committed suicide because of OCD symptoms so clearly it runs in the family) but that can be managed if you put your ego aside. Gazza didn't do that. People without talent have mental health issues too, they have to discipline themselves and sacrifice some of their 'sense of freedom' so they don't go off the rails, it's called 'taking responsibility'. If Gazza had gotten married by the time he was 21 and sworn off drink and drugs, stayed out of the tabloids and worked with a top Psychologist he could have had a very different career. He had problems but he also liked to party and liked the attention from being outrageous and pulling pranks etc.

[@Nhnhnfk]

He was once injured whilst playing for Lazio. The manager told him to take it easy. Gazza begged with him to be given something to do, training or something. The man just said take it easy. He spent the next month drinking and ice cream and came back weighing about two stone heavier. The man was and still is a child. But even so, a child could have been made a man had he been given the mental health help that is available to players nowadays. Maybe.

[@stewartross5216]

well said he wouldn't put the drink away for anything. left his children his wife and EVERYTHING behind lucky he is still alive. he couldn't stop drinking for England then he wouldn't have for United

[@paddydamien8437]

Ferguson would’ve insisted with his landlady, make sure he’s in his digs and bed by 21.00, whilst Venables was he’s a lad been a lad.

[@danielcowan8673]

Karma for Fergie shaking hands with the Spurs Chairman to go to Spurs in 1984 and going back on it.

[@divinity176]

Easy with the benefit of hindsight but Man U had done nothing for 20 years at the time he signed for Tottenham.

[@assassinsunite3434]

There's only one Paul Gascoigne

[@leehargreaves7473]

He would have looked great in the United shirt, and I think he would have been in better physical shape then, and now, with Sir Alex guiding him. It's hard to imagine United being any more successful than they eventually were though. Quite possibly he may have been a distraction. We'll never know. "The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long".

[@DavidTaylor-rk3du]

Tottenham should of won everything with the players they had.They had a top class coach aswell but venables was upto his neck in dodgy dealings.Not anyones fault but venables.He should of stuck to coaching rather than getting his stubby fingers in all the pies.

[@markyruss]

He wouldn't of lasted at Man Utd... Fergie wouldn't of let him carry on drinking, fergie was brutal and he wouldn't of been able to allow him to bend the rules or he would if risked losing the mentality of the rest of team.

[@sodthong]

Of all his fuck ups, not going to United was the biggest by far..

[@honeybeebadger]

Can't understand such a strong accent!

[@CMEAGAIN]

Gazza has always been flawed he would have ended up the way he is even if he had signed for man utd

[@Baggamuss]

I don't know, Fergie was great at getting the most from young players and may have kept him on the straight and narrow. We'll never know...

[@boycie2.099]

@@Baggamuss but if fergie thought he couldn't change there lifestyle he would eventually get rid he did it with Sharpe

[@Stephenhendrys]

@@boycie2.099 this is true. Plus had a reputation for ruthlessly selling players who undermined his authority, no matter how big they were. If Gascoigne got involved in too much 'funny business', he'd be out just like Stam and the rest. But to think what it could have been. Tragic we will never know.

[@Comewithmeifuwant2live]

@@StephenhendrysTo be honest, I don't think it would've went that way even if Gascoigne got out of order. I think Fergie looked at him like he did Cantona; a flawed genius. Probably would've defended him at every turn. Sure, some players got the boot but the fact that Fergie is still annoyed about it even though he knows what happened to him gives you some idea of how he felt about him. Fergie still wishes he could have signed him.

[@JohnJones-rj6vd]

I bet Alan Shearer thinks that exact same thing

[@Bigbaz86]

Gazza with robbo, McGrath, Whiteside in 88....🍺

[@DamianBrown]

So many comments saying SAF would have cleaned him clearly forget SAF couldn't deal with THE legend Paul McGrath, who had fairly similar problems, and had him shipped off tout suite.

[@geemachine666]

gazzza was still amazing at rangers though

[@daveclark3337]

Scottish football is shit though

[@leethistlethwaite4381]

Was great seeing him in a Boro shirt, was past his sell by date by then but let's be honest he was still probably the best player in the team lol, UTB

[@MrMiD.Life.Crisis]

I forgot how genuine, funny and yet child-like Gazza is. I would love to have a beer with him Or ten.

[@muntari82]

As a Spurs fan and someone dat idolised Gazza I now look at him as a turncoat, he had no problems wearing an Arsenal top for a charity match and most of his best friends were gooners, people say he turned into an alcoholic at Spurs but the truth was he hated all his Tottenham team mates and once training was done he was at David Seamons house drinking with Mersin, Adams, perry Groves and Parlour

[@w1lf1ewoo]

wow you sick self-indulgent, small-minded twisted idiot...you have zero compassion or understanding of human nature...you sound like the scousers in the 60's who called the beatles turncoats because they didn't want to hang out in Liverpool once they were famous

[@ahuman9864]

Gazza at Spurs is where he belonged

[@laoch5658]

And won nothing

[@robertdawson7460]

Tottenham fan..saw him pre world cup was simply most gifted ever seen in real life. Ferguson would of been great for Gazza needed that father figure to guide him . Then the cruciate ligament injury never happened cup final 91 , robbed of his genius and full potential.

[@terrybunch7313]

Fergie couldn't save from Paul McGrath from alcoholism.

[@imranhaa]

Unfortunately gazza is an example of English football at that time. Lager louts with no diet, discipline or sense. Thankfully foreign mangers like Wenger, guillet, vialli etc came and changed the whole culture. But even now it's only ever the young England footballers getting into trouble. You don't see this with talented footballers from Europe. It's the culture here or should I say lack of it

[@johnclegg4993]

Spurs were actually better than Man Utd at that point to be fair.

[@clairemcmahon9392]

I think Alex Ferguson would have given Gaza a bit of structure no messing about. Not saying of course that he wouldn’t have went a different path as he is an addict but possibly Fergie would have looked out for him more.

[@garybarnes6657]

All IFS.. Fergie didnt uo with shit and with Pauls conditions he would've lasted 5 mins.. The only player i know who took the piss was Wayne Rooney. Sir Fergie was weak with him

[@caeserromero3013]

You never know, buying Gazza could have actually sunk Fergie if it hadn't worked out. Big fee would have been added pressure, plus I'm not convinced Gazza would have responded to Fergie harsh discipline. He could have easily been another McGrath/Whiteside as Gazza's issues ran deep. If Fergie had gone into the Forest game in 90 with the added pressure of a team entirely dependent on Gazza who was not performing and at huge financial cost, he could have been toast. Not to mention that funds for people like Hughes and Wallace, Webb and Pallister may not have been available if Gazza signed etc.

[@cousinleigh1470]

The issues were not there in 1988, were much later

[@caeserromero3013]

@@cousinleigh1470 I have to disagree. Even Gazza himself admits it and you can see the facial ticks even in the early days. He categorically states that he was seriously affected by the death of friend hit by a car and the depression and emotional damage it caused has been with him ever since. There's an interesting video interview with Glen Roeder and Gazza from the early Newcastle days which is quite revealing. Roeder was almost having to act as a parent for him at times. The move to London was not great for his mental well being, as it led to isolation and anxiety and self destructive coping mechanisms.

[@greghall6950]

Fergie would have treated gazza like a son, i think man utd would have won everything with gazza in the team.

[@leonatleisure7856]

I wish Gazza's life had turned out differently, but Fergie took zero shit from Ince, Jaap Stam even Beckham was considered too disruptive and shipped out. No chance Gazza would have lasted.

[@Rojata19]

In some alternate reality he signed for united.... Never got addicted to the booze.... Won the best player more than Messi and Ronaldo.... And is heralded as the best player ever!

[@artygunnar]

sometimes you can't put family first. sometimes you have to be a little bit selfish, and tough, especially when its for the greater good,

[@diabeticfridge2930]

He would have been looked after. His life would have been very different.

[@gazof-the-north1980]

Gazza would have fulfilled his full potential. Fergie would have sorted him out and he wouldnt have got into alot of the trouble that he did.

[@rickyred001]

gazza wouldnt have hit the bottle if he had gone to united, fergie would not have allowed paul hitting the beer all the time

[@ProfRogers]

Potential 1996 Man Utd Midfield/Attack Line up 3-5-2 (if Gazza & Shearer had signed) ..... Roy Keane (age 25) & Paul Scholes (age 22) DM, Ryan Giggs (age 23) LW, David Beckham (Age 21) (RW), Gazza (age 29) (AM)..... Strikers .... Alan Shearer (age 26), Eric Cantona (age 31).

[@robertsmith6818]

Did nobody else hear Gascoigne say the F word in this interview.Love the guy,my all time favourite player.

[@KINGMJ1990]

Which accent is he speaking in? Difficult to understand it fully

[@chrisbirch4150]

​@@KINGMJ1990He's speaking fluent Gazza

[@jm7326]

If he had signed for united he would now been known as true football legend and not a waste of talent that he is known for .. imaging being that good but prefer to get drunk and act like a superstar than play like a superstar .. wasted a career

[@seanjosephhayes]

Don't quite buy into that reasoning... Did he really think United wouldn't pay for all that stuff as well? Course they bloody would... They'd have done anything Spurs did and more.

[@seanjosephhayes]

Fair enough I suppose but I have a feeling they still could have paid for those things at the same time, mate :)

[@supahdupahguy81]

+sbaker12 Spurs were equally if not more successfull than Man Utd during the 80's..

[@jaredc1987]

Maybe add subtitles? I can hardly understand what he's trying to say.

[@englishgoordie]

As a Newcastle supporter I’m pleased Gazza didn’t go to Man U

[@miniroll32]

Imagine Gazza, Scholes, Becks and Giggs... Phwoar

[@sacred1827]

When Bosnich developed an addiction and had weight issues, Fergie binned him off sharpish and slagged him later on in one of his autobiographies with absolutely no empathy. I think those suggesting we'd have saved Gazza might be a bit naive.

[@danielcowan8673]

Well said. Gazza would have turned out the same at Man U because his issues were in his head and Fergie wouldn't have been able to help him with that.

[@Butterpants1987]

signed for united and he could have bought his family a house AND won trophies.

[@lengthmuldoon]

Wouldn't have lasted a season under SAF's authoritarian regime. Only Cantona got a free pass because his professionalism rubbed off on younger players, Gazza was the complete opposite

[@stevemuffin8505]

Chose wrong path wrong friends

[@elizafitzgibbon2274]

just imagine lads,,, imagine what fergy would have don't to this young lad

[@ruthwilliams8169]

Gazza had a chance to sign for juventus or Roma after the 1990 world cup

[@maxtache]

Probably the best player ever to wear an England Shirt. Just watched his Documentary. Players today couldn't lace his boots. No player had more skill or Passion. Put aside this problems and you'll not see a better player. Class.

[@mudabudda]

I would have loved to see gazza at United i think he would have gone on to be as good as george best

[@bro89174]

He would of been sober and a bigger legend

[@benrichards399]

When did gazza turn into looking like gary glitter?

[@borisspider3985]

Ben Richards WANKER

[@ldanzamariastile3536]

thats what alco hol does to you it makes you age

[@russo10]

i think gazza and fergie would have been a match made in ...they would have driven each other down to the driveway, which never quite reached... the wide awake club? jokes aside, no. he'd have got' the team drinking again and sir alex would have sold him to spurs anyway.

[@Asaint100]

Would have lasted 3 years tops at united before Fergie got fed up of him.

[@viewer3091]

Fergie would have put up with a lot if you were as good as Gaza and Gaza probably would have been better behaved under Ferguson. Gazza’s hangers on would have come under some serious Ferguson Pressure.

[@colinweir3204]

Up there with the best live seen at Rangers. He'll always be loved at Ibrox 😍

[@synthesizerpatel7405]

So much fucking bullshit in the comments about how "Fergie would have saved Gazza" or how Man United would have put him on the right path. Go on ask Paul McGrath if Fergie saved him. Did Man United put George Best on the right path? It comes from the same deluded United fans who harp on about how many more Ballon D'ors, World Cups and Nobel Peace Prizes Alan Shearer would have won if he'd joined their club. Players turn clubs down, even Manchester United. Get over it.

[@mattcast44]

I'm not sure that there are many comments saying that Man Utd as a club would have been a miracle cure. There are probably more using this thread as an opportunity to say unpleasant things about the club, to be fair. The point, which you seem to be largely missing, is that Ferguson got the best out of players and it's not beyond the realms of possibility that a no-nonsense character like Ferguson could well have helped to keep Gascoigne on an even keel. It would definitely have been an interesting combination.

[@synthesizerpatel7405]

mattcast44 I’m not missing the point at all. I think you’re missing my point. I specifically acknowledged the claims in the comments section that Ferguson would have put Gazza on an “even keel” and suggested that was by no means a given, referencing two of the players he failed to keep calm. Ferguson’s man management was good and people understandably have a very high opinion of him,but he wasn’t a miracle worker. Ultimately we’ll never know how different things may have been, but Gazza’s problems are and were pretty deep rooted.

[@mattcast44]

No, no, I'm not missing any points here. It's just that in your first message you seem more interested in having a go at United fans than in talking about Ferguson/Gascoigne. There aren't many people at all saying that United as a club would have 'saved' Gascoigne. There aren't even many saying that Ferguson would definitely have made things radically different for Gascoigne. I would tend to agree, though, that a mere football manager, however good, would probably not have been enough to turn things around for him.

[@synthesizerpatel7405]

mattcast44 then what point am I meant to have missed here? The main point I was making in my original post was that Fergie, (rather than Man United), would not have saved Gazza. Whilst I never claimed that to be “out of the realms of possibility”, I didn’t agree with such claims as a foregone conclusion, which I found to be quite arrogant.

[@mattcast44]

The point you seemed to be missing, but which you have since clarified, is that it is because of Ferguson's qualities as a manager and a disciplinarian that people think he could have significantly helped Gascoigne. It is not just "deluded United fans" assuming that their club and anyone associated with it has miraculous qualities, there is some reasoning behind it. By saying things like 'fucking bullshit', 'deluded United fans', 'harp on', or 'get over it' you seem to be making this more about being quite aggressive towards United fans than about the genuine prospect of Ferguson being potentially a positive influence for Gascoigne. (And no before the inevitable question/accusation comes, no, I'm not a United fan).

[@Maryonpark]

If he'd signed for Utd, he'd have been able to buy a house for his mum and dad in next to no time anyway. Seems a bit strange?

[@michaeljenkins7024]

This was 1988 and a good few years before the wage-explosion. Average top flight wage in England was £1,300. I doubt Gascoigne was on more than double that. A lot of money, yes, but after tax and what with a player's career being short and potentially very short with injury, a normal house was still a very big investment for a top flight footballer in England in those days.

[@DJmonAtomic]

classic business acumen by a certain north london based ethnic groups spurs chairman lol - even his name is Scholar

[@theunvaccinator]

It's boredom that gets him bck on the booze he needs t keep busy

[@damianclarkeed6683]

If only Gazza had gone to United

[@ldanzamariastile3536]

Gazza would have won at least two premership medals if he had signed i rekon he kicks himself for that decision to this day

[@russb5867]

Gazza was destroyed by people closest to him!! They just wanted to bleed him dry.

[@guitarreilly]

moral of the story: Alcohol ruins lives

[@michaeljenkins7024]

*Too much alcohol too often ruins lives.

[@richiemason3938]

Well Ferguson wouldn't of allowed u to be a drunk for starters. Youd of won something as well

[@MichaelWilliams-fd7nj]

Russell Brand the only good thing about this clip

[@ciaranhegarty6585]

What would have happened is he'd have been found out even quicker for being the bang average shaper with no substance that he proved to be in the end anyway!

[@Conici_AU]

He wouldn’t be looking back and saying what if I signed for Tottenham that’s for sure

[@weemark18]

if only, sir alex would literally have kicked all that booze and drugs out of him :( what a player

[@danielcowan8673]

Like he did with Lee Sharpe and Bosnich?

[@M4rloww]

I'll tell you what would've happened if he'd gone to Man U. Through boozing and injury he'd have never got in the team and would've eventually pissed Fergie off too much and been sold off. Just look over the years, hardly any fucker managed to settle and do well at United, so you think unreliable over emotional ol Gazza would've done? no chance!!

[@tomkelly338]

ruined his career

[@welshhibby]

Hardly

[@tomkelly338]

How did he ruin his career? Are you dumb?

[@Matthewgoff1996]

+Mark Sesum Ltd 1991 FA Cup Final and Alcoholism

[@honeybeebadger]

Not a great a player look at his goal scoring rate.

[@Captain_Rhodes]

damaged his career. didnt ruin it.

[@bengraham4232]

The fact he chose Tottenham says a lot about Gazza.

[@wolfbandits2549]

It's family's fault actually.

[@stefmgf8739]

What do you mean? In a good or in a bad way?

[@dpj1]

Remember Ferguson offered Paul McGrath £100,000 to retire, at the height of Paul troubles with alcohol (and injuries). McGrath declined the offer and went to have another 10 years...

[@Red-Red-Red-Red]

Gazza should have signed for Liverpool. Can you imagine - Laudrup, Cantona (from Nimes), Barnes and Gazza in midfield. Souness and Peter Robinson and Dalglish all screwed up

[@Stratboy999]

How many English medals has Gascoigne got? One.

[@creasemason6347]

Fergie could have helped him somewhat... But Gazza was always going to go off the rails...

[@laoch5658]

London corrupts the soul

[@andypac7]

What relevance does Bland bring?

[@andrewomahony9260]

I legit cannot understand a single word he said.

[@bobbydazzler1780]

He should have kept the bonkers beard

[@1968keithh]

It’s so painful to listen to Paul the noises he makes with his mouth between words I can’t click on anything with him on it now! WTF is Russell Brand doing on a football show!

[@jeanferguson9063]

That was a really dump decision not signing for manchester united... 🤷‍♂️

[@uydudanbak]

Which lingo is this

[@whatif-s4v]

Booze.

[@rickgrimes120]

Paul - poor choice. Had you used your intelligence (for which you have none) then you'd realise United would have bought you a house or given you a huge signing on fee for this sort of thing.

[@BallersLife]

Their laughs were exaggerated.

[@Kimbururu]

Jeez, I don't understand a word....

[@robw8173]

What if I’d not battered my wife!!!!