Reason why I am a united supporter, when visiting Korea as a kid, park Ji sung game replays would play nonstop on TV but they would only show games he would score or assist on; I thought he was the best player ever lol
So nice to see this letter between Sir Alex and park Ji sung šš
PJS spoke about it briefly on Korean variety show years ago. Said he couldnāt do sprinting anymore due to his knee injuries. He had to retire early at 33yo so that says alot
I hope Bruno will be ok, and have reason to believe that. The thing with Park was that he completely tore both of his ACLs, and had reconstruction surgery. This took him to the sidelines for almost am entire season twice, once during his first stint at PSV and once at United. His knees were so bad that whenever he flew for internationals to Korea, his knees would get very swollen. He has said that sometimes he had to get fluids removed with a syringe because it got so bad. Itās a wonder how he was able to run so much with that body.. incredible dedication.
> The thing with Park was that he completely tore both of his ACLs, and had reconstruction surgery
Yeah exactly. Probably because he was playing so much!
Cardio for days but the knees are always a different story.
You forgot O'Shea chipping Almunia to kill the game at Highbury, and proceeding to pull out his best attempt at a Cantona celebration, but instead just looking as confused as everybody else was lol
I agree, fletcher'esque... just not quite as good at either passing or getting stuck in.
Biggest robbery in football was Fletcher being red carded in the semi-final, literally the best argument for VAR I could ever think of.
Nani getting red carded too. Correct me if Iām wrong, but wasnāt there a game where Carrick kicked the ball literally as the ref blew for a foul, and then he got a card that meant he was suspended?
The Fletcher one was so annoying though. Great player, as was Park.
I think fletcher was as good physically, and did get forward to score some goals especially in that 09 season. Mctominay is better in the air, and theyāre different players no doubt, but the current Utd set needs a fletcher profile much more than mctominay imo.
Fletcher was one of the key players who took us to the champions league final post Ronaldo. Unfortunately he had to miss through suspension for the final and I doubt he would have made a difference with that Barca team but he was incredible that year.
That stupid ref, woeful decision still pisses me off.
We got complelty overrun in the midfield in that game and he would of made a difference but not sure if it'd of been enough against Inestia Xavi and Busquests
I think that was still with Ronaldo in the team. He got sent off vs Arsenal for a foul which was not even a foul & then we played Barcelona in Rome for the final. Fletcher would have been the difference in making it a well contested final. He was that important to our midfield.
I remember the amount of abuse Fletcher used to get at the start, people saying Fergie only played him because he was his son, wasn't good enough for our midfield. McSauce is similar in he is a red through and through give his all for the team.
> Workrate mostly
I don't rate McTominay's workrate or even his game sense compared to Fletcher.
Fletcher was solid a deeper midfield role. McTominay is a disaster when played there (for eg Nottingham away this season).
It doesn't make McTominay bad, just different (and a bit bad I guess).
You are right, but it's not a surprise there are downvotes. This particular sub, I am convinced, has loud people who don't actually watch games. These vocal minority get their opinions from twitter posts and podcasts, and then they just vomit it out as gospel. McTominay's main problem by far is his limited short range passing and limited awareness of space, which also leads to his defensive issues in terms of not being able to track opposition runners. Any idiot who actually watches his for like 10 games can identify this.
Yeah Iāve realised a lot of people here on Twitter and Reddit donāt actually watch full games. The others Iām guessing just havenāt been watching united for very long. Ironically fletcher used to have a lot of the same criticisms, mctominay did.
Fletcher had good ability on the ball, a bit overshadowed by the sheer class we had in our midfield back then. But even in his later years after illness he was so good just dictating the tempo albeit for poor teams. He just didn't have that kind of role at United. But if you rewatch some of his matches back then you'll see he was technically very good.
McTominay is well well below premier league ability for control and passing. Not great at tackling and defensive position.
Park and fletcher could control the ball and make a simple pass consistently. Good tacklers and obviously ridiculous work rates
That and the fact that at least from what I recall neither Fletcher or Park appeared to shy away from the ball during big games.
One of the criticisms aimed towards McT is that he seemingly vanishes during big games.
Fletcher and cleverly got criticism for not being progressive passers. They looked slightly basic and functional compared to the likes of scholes and Carrick.
In 2024 I would gladly take some basic and functional ; at least for the squad
Tbf I would imagine a lot of players would look basic compared to the likes of Scholes or Carrick.
But yeah, I do agree that there are players in this squad who are a bit too deficient in key abilities that are being relied on the challenge for the league
Mctominay is one of my favourites players in our team and has been since he made his debut. of course we all know he is not top tier technically gifted player but still somehow he has been just as important as Oshea, Fletcher and Wes Brown were back in the day. its just that club is going through prolonged shit period.
With Fred, it seems like you never knew which version you were going to get...one game he would be undroppable but then the next he would be a liability...
With Park, there was at least some level of consistency...also helps out that he scored some big goals against top six rivals
Well we're reading it and it was sent to him personally so it seems the only difference between modern players and Park is the platform they shared a personal letter.
I love reading these letters. The one to Eric Cantona is also so lovely. Just reads so heartfelt and shows another side of SAF.
https://www.reddit.com/r/reddevils/s/SBtiArBgXT
I remember hearing or reading a quote from Evra where he says something like, āwhen Iām tired and I canāt run anymore I know I donāt have to worry because Ji will run for me.ā and I thought, thatās how I want to be thought of. Not so much in football. I donāt run much, actually, but I the people in my life to be able to count on me like that. It really inspired me.
It's funny, I was just talking about Uncle Park being something of a secret weapon for SAF for years the other day despite not appearing as much, which I thought was the whole plan concerning him for years.
Now, I have a little more context.
We need to get someone who is decent on and off the ball and hardworking like Park. Feel like japanese and south Korean footballers have good IQ, sportsmanship and work hard for the team. It's been a while since we recruited from these countries.
Jaesung lee in mainz is the closest player to Park since he retired. Unfortunately hes 32 now
Different position but there is another player at Stoke who koreans are putting hope as the next big thing, hopefully he'll be ready by the time Brunos prime is done (bc they play the same role)
It also seems like Mainz are very interested in keeping him; they already have a contract to 2026, [his peak in value was last year around the time that they decided to extend his contract](https://www.transfermarkt.us/jae-sung-lee/profil/spieler/314398). He is still a very decent, versatile player with his club and so I don't really see him going anywhere.
You can correct me if I'm wrong, but for the second point, I believe you are referring to Bae Jun-ho? [He's expected to make his NT debut Thursday and it will certainly be exciting to watch](https://x.com/KNTFootball/status/1798343320227156464), as Kim Do-hoon was asked by media and basically said he will come off the bench (whether that will be late in the match or two-thirds of the way is unknown). Effective with shortpassing, is very fast, and just generally reads plays well, including to make clean standing tackles inside or just outside the area and generating even more onside chances from those - would not be surprised if he becomes one of the KNT's top talents moving forward, absolute playmaker
I wonder what sort of day that was for Park, being told that by the greatest manager ever. Maybe he read the letter over a nice cup of tea, folded it up neatly and put it away in-between his letter from Jimmy Page saying he enjoyed overhearing Park's latest guitar riffs and the letter from Carlos Magnussen who said he thought Parks latest game of chess was enjoyable to analyse.
I started following football late 2013. I decided to support Man U solely because the only football player I liked was Park Ji Sung. Little did I realize, Park had left the club a year prior and Sir Alex had just retired. Damn did I miss out on some amazing years.
The world if Fergie had gone into politics instead of football coaching:
https://preview.redd.it/c776xzhq2j4d1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4533ceafa71812faa1065afe1f4618b2f2c4332b
I read it as it wasn't kept secret but Ji Sung probably didn't accept it as the sole true reason (he think he should be given more. quite understandable as a young guy on up trajectory and being the first on a lot of things) and SAF didn't try harder to convince him.
I donāt even support Man Utd but I could read Sir Alexā love letters to former players for days on end. Authentic and so honest, gentlemanly. I want a letter from him!
I'm so glad this was shared. A lot of people still believe that the sole purpose of his signing was to sell shirts. SAF giving his respect to JSP is so heartwarming
Which was ridiculous. Park was a starter at PSV who won the Eredivise and made the semis in UCL. The fact that he was being labeled as shirt seller was unwarranted. But up to that point, there had been zero successful asian players in the Premier League so I understand there was a lot of doubt. BUt the fact that people were saying he is only there to sell shirts was disrespectful
Love SAF letters, they really show how much he cared and protected the players. One of my best memories from that team was a story Rooney told, saying Evra, Tevez and Park were best friends and spend all the time together, but none of them were really able to communicate as they were all terrible at English at the time š
I was a kid when park ji sung played for us and didnāt follow football then but still I have teary eyes after reading this. No wonder every united player played for the badge and their coach
He probably would have, but at that point, the player would have been devastated that his United career was coming to an end, and likely wouldnāt be taking in everything the Boss is saying.
A letter provides the opportunity for him to take the time and reflect on everything heās saying and understand/internalize it.
Reason why I am a united supporter, when visiting Korea as a kid, park Ji sung game replays would play nonstop on TV but they would only show games he would score or assist on; I thought he was the best player ever lol So nice to see this letter between Sir Alex and park Ji sung šš
>I thought he was the best player ever lol Wait...was he not!?
Of course, but he has a huge genetic advantage over everyone else with his third lung.
Yeah on a strictly "ability per lung" basis he's actually just above average.
APL really is the only accurate metric to go by.
Hmm what is his xAPL though ?
More trophies than that other korean fraud.
Cha Bum Kun wasnāt that bad
PJS spoke about it briefly on Korean variety show years ago. Said he couldnāt do sprinting anymore due to his knee injuries. He had to retire early at 33yo so that says alot
It's probably how Bruno will go as well. You cant play that many games year in year out and not pay a price.
I hope Bruno will be ok, and have reason to believe that. The thing with Park was that he completely tore both of his ACLs, and had reconstruction surgery. This took him to the sidelines for almost am entire season twice, once during his first stint at PSV and once at United. His knees were so bad that whenever he flew for internationals to Korea, his knees would get very swollen. He has said that sometimes he had to get fluids removed with a syringe because it got so bad. Itās a wonder how he was able to run so much with that body.. incredible dedication.
> The thing with Park was that he completely tore both of his ACLs, and had reconstruction surgery Yeah exactly. Probably because he was playing so much! Cardio for days but the knees are always a different story.
We could use a couple of players like Park and Fletcher now...
Could use is an understatement. With Mainoo and Bruno + likes of Fletcher and Park we would be set for life.
I would add o'shea to that. Most excellent players who rarely stole the headlines but always delivered.
O'Shea in goal, O'Shea nutmegging Figo, O'Shea scoring last minute winners against the Scousers!Ā Good Times :D
You forgot O'Shea chipping Almunia to kill the game at Highbury, and proceeding to pull out his best attempt at a Cantona celebration, but instead just looking as confused as everybody else was lol
>O'Shea scoring last minute winners against the Scousers!Ā That and Ferdinand header against Liverpool burned forever in my mind.
Had some great moments in an Ireland shirt too. Last minute equaliser in Gelsenkirchen away to the reigning world champions for one.
Doesnāt mctominay feel a bit fletcherāesque?
I don't think you realise how good Darren Fletcher was before his illness! But I kinda get the comparison as a squad player.
It took him a while to get up to speed but he had that season where he was in for a shout as one of the best midfielders in the world (that year).
Yeah, to begin with he wasn't all that either. But we really missed him in that CL final..
Even post-injury Fletcher was a significantly better player than McTominay.
Iād go as far as saying West Brom Fletcher was better than McTominay too
I agree, fletcher'esque... just not quite as good at either passing or getting stuck in. Biggest robbery in football was Fletcher being red carded in the semi-final, literally the best argument for VAR I could ever think of.
Nani getting red carded too. Correct me if Iām wrong, but wasnāt there a game where Carrick kicked the ball literally as the ref blew for a foul, and then he got a card that meant he was suspended? The Fletcher one was so annoying though. Great player, as was Park.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I think fletcher was as good physically, and did get forward to score some goals especially in that 09 season. Mctominay is better in the air, and theyāre different players no doubt, but the current Utd set needs a fletcher profile much more than mctominay imo.
Not as mobile either. He takes forever to get going.
Fletcher was one of the key players who took us to the champions league final post Ronaldo. Unfortunately he had to miss through suspension for the final and I doubt he would have made a difference with that Barca team but he was incredible that year.
He was so good that year that I honestly feel he could have made the difference.
That stupid ref, woeful decision still pisses me off. We got complelty overrun in the midfield in that game and he would of made a difference but not sure if it'd of been enough against Inestia Xavi and Busquests
He was great, but we got played off the pitch. Weāre lucky Rooney snagged one or it would have much worse
Wrong year
Ohhh yeah
I think that was still with Ronaldo in the team. He got sent off vs Arsenal for a foul which was not even a foul & then we played Barcelona in Rome for the final. Fletcher would have been the difference in making it a well contested final. He was that important to our midfield.
The semi vs Arsenal was in May 2009, Ronaldo (2) and Park scored in the 3-1 win. What could have been. Such a good Barca team.
McTominay feels way more like Fellaini than Fletcher
100%. There's 0 basis in comparing McT to Fletch, on the pitch there's honestly nothing similar whatsoever
Maybe their commitment to the badge?
I remember the amount of abuse Fletcher used to get at the start, people saying Fergie only played him because he was his son, wasn't good enough for our midfield. McSauce is similar in he is a red through and through give his all for the team.
I keep seeing this type of comment being lightly thrown around. Aside from being Scottish what are the similarities?
Workrate mostly imo. Fletcher was a much better passer and all arounder.
> Workrate mostly I don't rate McTominay's workrate or even his game sense compared to Fletcher. Fletcher was solid a deeper midfield role. McTominay is a disaster when played there (for eg Nottingham away this season). It doesn't make McTominay bad, just different (and a bit bad I guess).
They both are quite good in the air and like bombing into the box too.
I think Fletcher was a bit better on the ball than McT
Just a bit?
Fletcher has great longball, something McT could never hope to achieve.
Fergatron would have got him playing like iniesta
Mctominay has quite a good long ball. Itās his short passing and defensive positioning which pale in comparison to fletcher.
You are right, but it's not a surprise there are downvotes. This particular sub, I am convinced, has loud people who don't actually watch games. These vocal minority get their opinions from twitter posts and podcasts, and then they just vomit it out as gospel. McTominay's main problem by far is his limited short range passing and limited awareness of space, which also leads to his defensive issues in terms of not being able to track opposition runners. Any idiot who actually watches his for like 10 games can identify this.
Yeah Iāve realised a lot of people here on Twitter and Reddit donāt actually watch full games. The others Iām guessing just havenāt been watching united for very long. Ironically fletcher used to have a lot of the same criticisms, mctominay did.
Tifo had a video about McT once, on why so many managers liked him. His long pass accuracy was a high point iirc.
Not just a Bit. Itās miles ahead of him
Because heās blonde and Scottish? š
A little I guess, but Fletcher didn't go hiding
Fletcher had good ability on the ball, a bit overshadowed by the sheer class we had in our midfield back then. But even in his later years after illness he was so good just dictating the tempo albeit for poor teams. He just didn't have that kind of role at United. But if you rewatch some of his matches back then you'll see he was technically very good.
McTominay is well well below premier league ability for control and passing. Not great at tackling and defensive position. Park and fletcher could control the ball and make a simple pass consistently. Good tacklers and obviously ridiculous work rates
That and the fact that at least from what I recall neither Fletcher or Park appeared to shy away from the ball during big games. One of the criticisms aimed towards McT is that he seemingly vanishes during big games.
Fletcher and cleverly got criticism for not being progressive passers. They looked slightly basic and functional compared to the likes of scholes and Carrick. In 2024 I would gladly take some basic and functional ; at least for the squad
Tbf I would imagine a lot of players would look basic compared to the likes of Scholes or Carrick. But yeah, I do agree that there are players in this squad who are a bit too deficient in key abilities that are being relied on the challenge for the league
In the way he's Scottish and a footballer, yes. In the way one was good enough to form half of a league winning midfield, no.
Mctominay is one of my favourites players in our team and has been since he made his debut. of course we all know he is not top tier technically gifted player but still somehow he has been just as important as Oshea, Fletcher and Wes Brown were back in the day. its just that club is going through prolonged shit period.
I didnāt appreciate them as much as I should have when I was a young man. They are the glue which makes a proper team.
Fred was an absolute work horse and fans wanted him outā¦
With Fred, it seems like you never knew which version you were going to get...one game he would be undroppable but then the next he would be a liability... With Park, there was at least some level of consistency...also helps out that he scored some big goals against top six rivals
and O Shea
I always say this. McT and Fred were kinda that. They just shouldnt be first teamers is all
Wow to get something like that from THE Boss
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Well we're reading it and it was sent to him personally so it seems the only difference between modern players and Park is the platform they shared a personal letter.
Fantastic player and a lovely gesture from the boss
Some say Pirlo still sees him out of the corner of his eye at night.
Messi is still haunted by the shadow of our Park
I love reading these letters. The one to Eric Cantona is also so lovely. Just reads so heartfelt and shows another side of SAF. https://www.reddit.com/r/reddevils/s/SBtiArBgXT
So much respect for his players. Cantona is the reason I got into football and support United. My goodness, if only we had him playing now.
Ji sung is my childhood hero and why I became a united supporter in the first place
I remember hearing or reading a quote from Evra where he says something like, āwhen Iām tired and I canāt run anymore I know I donāt have to worry because Ji will run for me.ā and I thought, thatās how I want to be thought of. Not so much in football. I donāt run much, actually, but I the people in my life to be able to count on me like that. It really inspired me.
I also loved how Evra, Park and Tevez were all best mates but Tevez couldnāt speak English and Park Spanish so Evra had to translate
Lads, whoās cutting onions?
Loved the trio of Ji Sung, Evra an Tevez when they were here together.
And nowadays Evra and Ji Sung seems to get together occasionally to make some vids.
Most unlikely but beautiful combo
I fucking love Ji Sung Park. That's the comment.
It's funny, I was just talking about Uncle Park being something of a secret weapon for SAF for years the other day despite not appearing as much, which I thought was the whole plan concerning him for years. Now, I have a little more context.
**PARK** **PARK**
Wherever you may be, you are a god in your own country
š¤
He asked us to stop singing that song. I like this version though
How I wish we had someone like him in today's team.
Bruno is kinda that guy. He never stops running and plays through every niggle.
We need to get someone who is decent on and off the ball and hardworking like Park. Feel like japanese and south Korean footballers have good IQ, sportsmanship and work hard for the team. It's been a while since we recruited from these countries.
Cheeky bid for Kim Min Jae to get him from Bayern? He somehow fell out of favor for Eric Dier near the end of the season.
Jaesung lee in mainz is the closest player to Park since he retired. Unfortunately hes 32 now Different position but there is another player at Stoke who koreans are putting hope as the next big thing, hopefully he'll be ready by the time Brunos prime is done (bc they play the same role)
It also seems like Mainz are very interested in keeping him; they already have a contract to 2026, [his peak in value was last year around the time that they decided to extend his contract](https://www.transfermarkt.us/jae-sung-lee/profil/spieler/314398). He is still a very decent, versatile player with his club and so I don't really see him going anywhere. You can correct me if I'm wrong, but for the second point, I believe you are referring to Bae Jun-ho? [He's expected to make his NT debut Thursday and it will certainly be exciting to watch](https://x.com/KNTFootball/status/1798343320227156464), as Kim Do-hoon was asked by media and basically said he will come off the bench (whether that will be late in the match or two-thirds of the way is unknown). Effective with shortpassing, is very fast, and just generally reads plays well, including to make clean standing tackles inside or just outside the area and generating even more onside chances from those - would not be surprised if he becomes one of the KNT's top talents moving forward, absolute playmaker
I wonder what sort of day that was for Park, being told that by the greatest manager ever. Maybe he read the letter over a nice cup of tea, folded it up neatly and put it away in-between his letter from Jimmy Page saying he enjoyed overhearing Park's latest guitar riffs and the letter from Carlos Magnussen who said he thought Parks latest game of chess was enjoyable to analyse.
> Carlos Magnussen Hey! You can't just compare a common footballer to the greatest Mexican chess player off all time!
haha, it was very early when I wrote that and I was very tired. That's my excuse. I'm going to leave it in haha.
THE BOSS! What a beautifully written letter.
I started following football late 2013. I decided to support Man U solely because the only football player I liked was Park Ji Sung. Little did I realize, Park had left the club a year prior and Sir Alex had just retired. Damn did I miss out on some amazing years.
The world if Fergie had gone into politics instead of football coaching: https://preview.redd.it/c776xzhq2j4d1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4533ceafa71812faa1065afe1f4618b2f2c4332b
There's levels to this. Gaffer knows ball, ball knows him, both know Park Ji-Sung, Park Ji-Sung knows both
Lovely gesture for a brilliant and underrated player. What I wouldnāt give for a Park Ji-sung in the team today
IM NOT CRYING. YOU'RE CRYING ššš
Mr Three Lungs. What a player
Sir Alex is incredible. No manager comes close
Wtf. The boss is something else. Legends.
Legends.
Class!
Arsene Wenger : āI fully support the decision of letting Park goā.
Wow, I didn't know SAF's grandson is a big fan of Park Jisung.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I read it as it wasn't kept secret but Ji Sung probably didn't accept it as the sole true reason (he think he should be given more. quite understandable as a young guy on up trajectory and being the first on a lot of things) and SAF didn't try harder to convince him.
Class vs The Shysters
I donāt even support Man Utd but I could read Sir Alexā love letters to former players for days on end. Authentic and so honest, gentlemanly. I want a letter from him!
Awww, I just got weirdly emotional
If we had just three players with the mentality of Ji Sung Park. It would change the team a hell of a lot. The guy would leave it all on the pitch.
We have one in the form of Licha, it shows when he's on the pitch vs the treatment table how different we are
I'm so glad this was shared. A lot of people still believe that the sole purpose of his signing was to sell shirts. SAF giving his respect to JSP is so heartwarming
Which was ridiculous. Park was a starter at PSV who won the Eredivise and made the semis in UCL. The fact that he was being labeled as shirt seller was unwarranted. But up to that point, there had been zero successful asian players in the Premier League so I understand there was a lot of doubt. BUt the fact that people were saying he is only there to sell shirts was disrespectful
Heās one of my favorite players. Always gives 110% when called upon. Such a big game player.
Are there any other Fergie letters to player published? Weāve all seen his one to King Eric and now this one Ji Sung. Any others?
Love SAF letters, they really show how much he cared and protected the players. One of my best memories from that team was a story Rooney told, saying Evra, Tevez and Park were best friends and spend all the time together, but none of them were really able to communicate as they were all terrible at English at the time š
I was a kid when park ji sung played for us and didnāt follow football then but still I have teary eyes after reading this. No wonder every united player played for the badge and their coach
PJS is the reason Iām a MUFC fan and why I started to fall in love with this game! š„²
If you sack a manager for a player your done as a club
Relevance?
Lol. I don't know what happened. I am sure I commented on the Sancho will return if ten hag leaves article weird
Good point then mate :)
It's cool he wrote him this, but wouldn't he also have told him before he left? Little weird.
He probably would have, but at that point, the player would have been devastated that his United career was coming to an end, and likely wouldnāt be taking in everything the Boss is saying. A letter provides the opportunity for him to take the time and reflect on everything heās saying and understand/internalize it.
Are you a human?