Dion Dublin leg break?

Watching the season review earlier, Ferguson said that Cantona only came into his head while on the phone to Wilkinson, it was a split second decision.

As I recall it, SAF asked half jokingly about buying Cantona and there was a pause at the other end of the phone - from that pause he knew that Eric was available.

comment by Vidicschin (U3584)


posted 4 hours, 44 minutes ago

It would have depended on how well Dion had done.

Personnaly I do not think Dion was ever going top be a prolific striker.

Top quality bloke though, by all accounts.
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^ This.

Elvis, that can't be right. The way Fergie told it, it wasn't him who was on the phone. He said he wrote Cantona on a napkin and showed it to the chairman while he was on the phone.

I'm not sure I 100% believe this story anyway so I wouldn't be surprised if Fergie has told more than one version!

Redmisty

“Leeds came on the phone asking if we’d sell them Denis Irwin. It was a non-starter. But jokingly I suggested we’d swap him for Eric Cantona – and there was this pause at the other end…”
- Sir Alex Ferguson

It is a bit unclear as to who was actually on the phone.

Weird! I've seen an interview with SAF where he clearly said that he wrote down 'Cantona' or 'ask about Cantona'. Really makes me wonder whether the whole story is BS!

There was an interview he gave at the time when a journo asked him "Really? It just came about by chance like that?" Fergie looked to me like he was trying to be casual in responding "yeah" but he looked to me at the time like he was holding back and trying not to smile. I have been suspicious about this story ever since...

It is funny because I've heard 3 or 4 accounts of the story. I think SAF is a bit of a WUM to be fair. I'm sure I've read a book in which Houllier talks about SAF being interested in Cantona before he even had his trial at Sheff Wed and that he had actually enquired with Leeds a couple of times about his availability before the deal actually happened.

Houllier claimed SAF asked him whether he should sign Cantona, and Houllier replied that he just close his eyes and sign him.

I even heard one version where SAF phoned to enquire about Chapman and Wilko said it was no-go, but we could have Eric!

Having had a bit if a dig, it looks like Fotherby called Edwards to ask about Irwin and SAF, who was in the office, said no chance. Then handed Edwards a piece of paper telling him to ask about Cantona, which he did. Fotherby said he'd ask Wilko and call back and 30 mins later he called to say it'd cost £1.3m, which was negotiated down to 1.1m.

I think SAF is a bit of a WUM to be fair
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I've often thought this!

Cheers for clearing that up Elvis. That's the version of the story that Fergie told in the interview that I saw.

Perhaps the bit about the pause on the other end of the line meant that SAF could hear Fotherby and when he didn't immediately say no to selling Cantona, SAF knew that not all was well between him and Wilko?

I have certainly read plenty about Cantona not being happy with how Leeds set up as a team when away from home. He also didn't understand how he was supposed to work with Chapman.

He allegedly figured out how to work with Chapman's wife though!

I doubt we'll ever really know what happened because Fergie is too sly...