Sir Alex Ferguson has undoubtedly been responsible for the signing and developing of some of Manchester United’s greatest ever players.
However, among the gems were some absolute horrors and MM scours the Scot’s 26-year reign for what could be regarded his worst ever Red Devils XI.
Goalkeeper: Massimo Taibi
Taibi was always going to have a tough job living up to the impeccable standards of Peter Schmeichel when he joined after the treble-winning ’99 campaign.
Signed from Italian outfit Venezia, Taibi lasted just four error-prone games, allowing Liverpool’s Sami Hypia to score on his debut, before being nut-megged by Matt Le Tissier from 25 yards-plus against Southampton.
Ferguson quickly offloaded Taibi, and his rather fetching leggings, back to Italy where he signed for Reggina.
Defender: William Prunier
Prunier, an Auxerre youth academy classmate of Eric Cantona, managed just two appearances for United after arriving at Old Trafford on trial.
A first team injury crisis saw Ferguson throw the Frenchman into his side against QPR where he held his own, but days later Prunier was blamed for the four-goal mauling by Tottenham Hotspur.
Ferguson declined to offer him a permanent deal and Prunier fled back into the European wilderness.
Defender: Pat McGibbon
McGibbon was touted as one of the earliest Fergie Fledglings after impressive performances in the United youth side.
Given a call up to the first team in League Cup against York City in 1995, the Northern Irish defender was sent off and forced to watch United crash to a three goal defeat.
McGibbon spent two seasons on loan before joining Wigan Athletic, having never completed 90 minutes for the club.
Defender: Laurent Blanc
Blanc was perhaps a victim of Jaap Stam’s exit forcing Ferguson into a signing of equal magnitude.
Unfortunately, at 35, the former Inter and Barcelona defender had already enjoyed his twilight years and looked more suited to scouring the South of France for a retirement home.
The World Cup winner managed to collect a Premier League medal in his second season at Old Trafford, but witnessed £30million worth of Rio Ferdinand enter the fray.
Midfielder: Eric Djemba-Djemba
United fans did their utmost to encourage the Cameroonian, letting the midfielder know from the stands he was ‘so good they named him twice’.
However, the £3.5million signing failed to successfully step into Roy Keane’s boots managing just 20 games in two years before being shipped off to Villa Park for £1.5million.
Midfielder: Kleberson
Kleberson and Cristiano Ronaldo signed at the same time, leading Manchester United to Premier League glory.
Sort of, the latter went on to become the world’s most expensive player and Kleberson…
Well the Brazilian World Cup winner left two years later for half of the £6.5million Ferguson splashed out for him, joining Besiktas having made just 20 appearances.
Midfielder: Jordi Cruyff
Poor Jordi, not only did he have his dad’s illustrious reputation to live up to, he also had to wear United’s zip up shirt.
Unfortunately for Ferguson, Jordi could not churn out performances to rival dad Johan and failed to establish himself as a United regular.
He stayed for four years during one of the Red Devils’ most successful ever spells, but having accumulated just eight goals, was sold to Spanish side Alaves.
Midfielder: Karel Poborsky
Poborsky wowed watching Premier League managers at Euro ’96, where his impressive performances included the ‘Poborsky lob’, in Czech Republic’s run to the final at Wembley.
Ferguson swooped and snapped up the winger for £3.5million from Slavia Prague but, failing to keep David Beckham out of the United line-up, left for Benfica just over a year later.
Midfielder: Ralph Milne
“My worst signing? Ralph Milne. I only paid £170,000 but I still get condemned for it,” confirmed Ferguson about Milne at a League Managers Association dinner in 2009.
Arriving at Old Trafford from Third Division Bristol City in 1988, the Scottish winger is often regarded as one of football’s all time flops.
He left after 23 games and just three goals, never to be seen in British football again, United’s loss was Sing Tao Sports Club’s gain, apparently.
Forward: David Bellion
Ferguson was so desperate to get his hands on the flying Frenchman that United were forced to pay Sunderland £2million in compensation for allegedly tapping him up.
Bellion had all the characteristics of Arsenal’s Thierry Henry, quick, French and err… well that was about as far as it went.
The forward had hardly lit up the Stadium of Light, scoring just once in 20 outings, and his four goals for United failed to extend his Old Trafford career beyond 24 appearances.
Loans to West Ham and Nice followed, before the French club decided they had seen enough to take a permanent punt on the Parisian forward.
Forward: Diego Forlan
It is hard to understand how Forlan failed to deliver at Old Trafford, having been regarded as one of Europe’s hottest properties in the last few seasons.
But the sort of form earning him plaudits in La Liga at Villareal and Athletico Madrid was scarcely displayed in front of Ferguson.
The Uruguayan joined United for £6.9million in January 2002, but failed to find the net – albeit from the spot – until September.
A record of 29 games without a goal hung over Forlan, despite a respectable tally of 17 goals in 95 games thereafter, and he left for Spain in 2004.
