WI Paul Gascoigne had joined Man Utd rather than Spurs?

Paul Gascoigne, porobably the most gifted English footballer of the modern era, originally promised Alex Ferguson (as he was then) that he would join Man Utd from Newcastle in 1988. Fergie went off on holiday to Malta and found that Gazza had signed for Spurs after they bought a house for his family.

Rather than the iron Scots disciplinarian, the major influence on Gazza as he made the step up into the big time was Terry Venables, a talented Jack the Lad type who indulged his wayward talent.

So, how different would his career and later life have been if he had kept his promise?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXuXu-jDN1E

Paul-Gascoigne-in-action-for-Newcastle-in-1988-1769114.jpg
 
It's possible that Fergie will be able to keep Gazza on the straight and narrow, or at least an awful lot straighter and narrower than IOTL.

For every young kid like Giggs and Scholes, who've had ridiculously long careers thanks to the professionalism Ferguson has forged in them, there's been just as many Lee Sharpe type ones, who never did manage to screw their heads on right. Gascoigne had some pretty serious problems from childhood, and there are numerous chances in his career for him to go into the destructive cycles he did in OTL.

The big change will be the leg break. Gazza, and many others, claim the aftermath of that FA Cup game is when he first developed real problems with substance abuse. The guy obviously has a personality that means he easily falls into addictions and once in, he couldn't get out. Avoiding that may not stop something similar, but he may be lucky. Not having to witness the awful prolonged car crash of the 2000s would be nice. :(
 
It's possible that Fergie will be able to keep Gazza on the straight and narrow, or at least an awful lot straighter and narrower than IOTL.

For every young kid like Giggs and Scholes, who've had ridiculously long careers thanks to the professionalism Ferguson has forged in them, there's been just as many Lee Sharpe type ones, who never did manage to screw their heads on right. Gascoigne had some pretty serious problems from childhood, and there are numerous chances in his career for him to go into the destructive cycles he did in OTL.

The big change will be the leg break. Gazza, and many others, claim the aftermath of that FA Cup game is when he first developed real problems with substance abuse. The guy obviously has a personality that means he easily falls into addictions and once in, he couldn't get out. Avoiding that may not stop something similar, but he may be lucky. Not having to witness the awful prolonged car crash of the 2000s would be nice. :(

IIRC Fergie felt that Sharpe's main problem was that he lost his pace as he started to fill out. I well remember him roasting Lee Dixon at Highbury as a teenager. Otherwise, I agree with your point.

It would be a challenge for anyone to keep Gazza in line, but Fergie would probably be the best bet. As regards the '91 final, I can see Fergie giving him a roasting after the first challenge on Gary Charles and maybe heading off the second one.

He had a tendency to get injured anyway, usually because of some brainless Kamikaze plunge, so I think wherever he went there was a chance of ligament damage sooner or later.
 
I will say this now: Had Gazza been fully fit then EURO 1992 would have been a different story and we'd have qualified for WC 1994.

I doubt Fergie would be able to stamp his authority; for one Gazza wasn't a referee. I think he would have sold him in a year or so (unless Gazza would have helped Man Utd to a title).

Had he kept him free of injury then he would have helped the England team majorly (after Bobby Robson the team was in a minor decline; this was before the EURO 96 rebirth).
 
I will say this now: Had Gazza been fully fit then EURO 1992 would have been a different story and we'd have qualified for WC 1994.

Of course. The Euro 92 team is the worst Engalnd team I can remember, and that's up against some pretty stiff competition. Do you remember the France game? The Sweden game? Worse than the time I watched Brighton v Chester.

IMHO what Gazza needed was a strong disciplinarian to give him clear boundaries, not an ageing wide boy who would shake his head in mock desperation. Someone who would not only say no, but mean it. If he got that when he was still impressionable...
 
Of course. The Euro 92 team is the worst Engalnd team I can remember, and that's up against some pretty stiff competition. Do you remember the France game? The Sweden game? Worse than the time I watched Brighton v Chester.

IMHO what Gazza needed was a strong disciplinarian to give him clear boundaries, not an ageing wide boy who would shake his head in mock desperation. Someone who would not only say no, but mean it. If he got that when he was still impressionable...

He'd have made Brolin curse God :(
 
IIRC Fergie felt that Sharpe's main problem was that he lost his pace as he started to fill out. I well remember him roasting Lee Dixon at Highbury as a teenager. Otherwise, I agree with your point.
I'm not claiming that Lee Sharpe didn't have the quality. Quite the reverse. I'm of the opinion that he enjoyed the life of a top class footballer more than putting the work in to remain so. If i'm reading "fill out" correctly - gained weight due to easy living, not bulking up - it would seem you back me up in this. I'll admit, I'm not old enough to remember any football before about 1993, and only really became able to understand what I was watching a few years after that, so I've only seen Sharpe at his best on youtube...
It would be a challenge for anyone to keep Gazza in line, but Fergie would probably be the best bet. As regards the '91 final, I can see Fergie giving him a roasting after the first challenge on Gary Charles and maybe heading off the second one.
If anybody can save Gazza from himself, it's Fergie. Whether he could, the odds are about evens, I reckon.
He had a tendency to get injured anyway, usually because of some brainless Kamikaze plunge, so I think wherever he went there was a chance of ligament damage sooner or later.
I agree. He'll always be rash and impulsive. One rush of blood will see him get hurt. The trick is to delay that as long as possible, so he might have enough maturity to cope better. He may not cope any better than he did OTL, but at least he'll have a chance.
 
EURO 92 would be majorly different. England would be essentially built around him. Imagine Gazza, Lineker and Shearer on the same squad?

Hell, let's say Fergie manages to tame him and keeps him in line. WC 1998 will contain a team featuring an attack comprised of Gazza, Beckham, Scholes, Owen and Shearer :eek: THAT would be kickass.
 
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