Tosic aims to make grade

Stuart Mathieson

November 12, 2009

ZORAN Tosic has become the forgotten man of United's wingers department, but he refuses to end his Old Trafford dream.

Twelve months ago, the Serbian international was being lined up for his January transfer window move to Old Trafford from Partizan Belgrade.

The package, which will also see teenage midfielder Adem Ljajic arrive this New Year, was duly completed, and the 22-year-old was thrust immediately into the first-team spotlight.

Despite being signed for the future, manager Sir Alex Ferguson gave a hint that Tosic could be fast-tracked to a regular senior berth when he gave him a taste of the big-time as a sub against Spurs in the FA Cup, and at West Brom in the Premier League, last January.

But the winger didn't reappear again until he came off the bench in the final league match of the season at Hull City.

This term he's only featured once as a sub at Oakwell against Barnsley in the Carling Cup. Surprisingly, he was also the loser when Fergie sent his European squad list to UEFA.

He was omitted with Gabriel Obertan, despite being injured at the time, named ahead of him.

Obertan has since begun to make an impact. Summer buy Antonio Valencia and Nani are also ahead of Tosic in the pecking order. But the Serb is digging in.

"I am doing my best to break through at United but there are many good wingers in the squad and

"All I can do is keep working hard and take every given opportunity to play well," he said.

"I am not thinking about a move away from United because I am confident that I belong here and that if I am patient enough, I will be able to prove my worth and eventually break into the first team.

"It would be easy to lose faith, get frustrated and make a hasty decision to go to another club, but I have joined one of the three biggest clubs in the world. On the other hand, I have to keep in mind that I need more first-team football to keep my place in the Serbia squad for the ahead of next year's World Cup finals in South Africa. Time will tell, but I definitely want to stay."

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When the seagulls follow the trawler, N Ireland (12/11/2009 at 09:57)

Whats the problem give him some minutes on the pitch and i'm just reading in one of the national papers that Nani is supposed to have give an interview where he has slated S.A.F about the way he feels he's been treated so if that turns out to be true then it's goodbye Nani .

Kiyonori Tada (12/11/2009 at 10:14)

he already done enough for reserve lebel and deserve to get more chance and no idea why fergie not use more often and even not sitting him on the bench,and even he play UEFA cup or international lebel,but I think fergie is face with Nani this season or at least until january,so I think Tosic will given chance more often from january,really hope he can keep patient and wait his chance,I`m sure he`ll be great addition to the our team.

Monkey tennis?, yes please (12/11/2009 at 10:22)

come on Danny, Wilmslow get stuck in lad....

David Hughes (12/11/2009 at 12:07)

If he cant get a game before Nani he must be bobbins!

neal 07, south stand lower (12/11/2009 at 12:25)

This boy deserves at least the chance to prove all his critics either right/wrong

I for one have always been in support of him, after all why did we buy the kid if he is not even going to get a fair crack of the whip? People say he is not physically strong enough for the english game, that is just a feeble excuse and not all skillful footballers have to be muscle mountains

Tosic is naturally left footed, which means he doesnt always have to cut back inside his man, he has great free kick skills, he has speed and he is young...are these not worth his chance???

In all my years of being a red, this signing has confused me the most, he never gets mentioned by SAF, never gets near the bench, left out of the champions league squad...mystery???

RED ARMY 1999, swinton (12/11/2009 at 12:30)

I think he's looked lively for the reservers - what I have seen of him. Would like to see him given him a chance...

vt5060 (12/11/2009 at 12:34)

He should have Nani's place in the team.

Peter Watson (12/11/2009 at 12:39)

Tosic deserves a chance, how much worse than Nani can he be?

Django, Hampshire (12/11/2009 at 13:04)

An experienced international, well into his twenties now, who has barely played in his first year. If he was ever going to be good enough for us, it would have happened by now.

Nani too has been a shocking waste of money and Valencia will go the same way as soon as rival defenders have worked out he can only try and go past them one way, exclusively the right hand side.

It's not just wingers who we foul up on, of course, and there has been a long term trend of poor judgement in the market, with relatively few exceptions ( Evra and Vidic ) in recent years. Whether it is buying the already unhealthy ( Saha and Hargreaves ) or the not good enough, we have wasted too much time and money going down too many dead ends .

We have won plenty of course relying on Ronaldo and a wonderfully stable and talented spine of the team who have stayed fit most of the time. Now age and injury are taking its toll on key performers and their replacements are not of the right quality.

I suspect that a lot of the recruitment decisions these days are delegated by SAF. If we are to maintain anything like the amazing success of recent times we need to improve in this vital area. Does SAF though have the time or inclination to shake things up at this late stage of his career?

Drago 34 (12/11/2009 at 13:45)

This signing is a strange one.The only theory i can come up with is that Tosic & Ljajic are good friends and Ljajic only being 17 years old didnt want to leave his country on his own with not knowing anyone or anyone to speak his language.He looks on Tosic as his big brother.United really wanted Ljajic to sign but not so much Tosic even though they were probably still watching him, but Ljajic didnt want to come without Tosic, so United payed the majority of the £10m transfer fee for Ljajic (say £8m) and a small sum for Tosic (say £2m) so they thought Tosic was worth the gamble to get Ljajic.Just my theory though.Tosic may well go on to be a top player in his own right.I must say he Looks a decent player though, so a gamble worth taking IMO.

danny, WILMSLOW (12/11/2009 at 14:15)

Tosic is one oof the best little wingers in the buisness and if he could get in Fegies inner circle he would play more the fact he does not play golf or like to gamble is a big Reason Tevez was the same he never got in the inner circle he did not drink play golf or GAMBLE.
I personally think its a disgrace especially having played so wellfor his country I would be playing both him and Obertan.

danny, WILMSLOW (12/11/2009 at 14:22)

Saha was healthy for Fulham and he seems healthy enough for Everton
Saha then extended his run of goals to 7 goals in 7 games in all competitions scoring the winner in Everton's 1-0 win over Portsmouth on 26 September.And he is now scoring nearly a goal agame.

danny, WILMSLOW (12/11/2009 at 14:24)

Fergie needs to learn ranting at some of the med players does not work and has the reverse effect on their play.

hughesy80, London/Manc (12/11/2009 at 15:00)

Danny - Wilmslow.

Again, you seemed to have clicked the Utd link in error. It's actually the Man Citeh link you need to click on to leave anti United messages.

Which school do you go to by the way?

Algernon Blabbermouth, eccles (12/11/2009 at 15:33)

Always been the case that if you can do the business in the reserves you will get your chance in the 1st team sooner or later...so why Tosic is the exception to the rule escapes me! He DOES stand out in the reserves,so I can only presume his small stature is against him!

Al (12/11/2009 at 15:57)

Yes Danny playing golf and gambling havealways been the most important qualities in a footballer to SAF...Explains all those titles and the fact the last three years have been the most successful of his career....and obviously still the reason fat and out of shape Ryan Giggs is still plying his trade. WINNING is and always has been the most important thing to him.....and picking teams he believes can win has always been his priority. If having more trust in certain players than others is favouritism then call it what you will. All I know is that if he picked teams based on the opinions of others (i.e. forum contributors) he would have been on his bike years ago and the likes of you would not have had all those trophies to celebrate.

bobbydazzler (12/11/2009 at 16:34)

good on the lad best of luck to him i hope he gets a chance the ? is will he?????

bobbydazzler (12/11/2009 at 16:38)

danny wilson.

saha is a very very good player and just the type of player united need right now, we would be a far more effective team if he was partnering rooney.

but my friend just where were you in the period louis was at our club on some desert island? have you forgot that he was the original sick note and spent more time on the treatment table than on the pitch. saf ran out of patience and who can blame him. saha was and is a liability just like hargreaves.

danny, WILMSLOW (12/11/2009 at 16:53)

Bobby true and Saha himself said our Drs made him feel worse and he has thrived under the treatment at Everton.
hughesy80, London/Manc Thats great their is know such thing as a LONDON MANC and I take it if you are a fan of Hughes you should join City as they need the support as they can,t even fill a small ground.

neal 07, south stand lower (12/11/2009 at 17:21)

Algernon Blabbermouth, eccles
12/11/2009 at 15:33

People have often used Zoran's small frame as an excuse to why he does not feature. IMO that is just a pathetic, feeble excuse. What bothers/frustrates me is that SAF does not even mention him in any of his press conferences, he is always overlooked and often see's players played out of position ahead of him

Some great players with small frames...Del Piero, Zola, Modric, Van Der Vaart, Rosicky, Nasri, Fabregas, Aguero...to name but a few

hughesy80, London/Manc (12/11/2009 at 17:23)

dense danny from wilmslow.

There is no such thing as London/Manc??? What has that got to do with these comments you fool?

I spend half my time in London, and half in Manc, are you too thick to understand that or have you not covered geography at school yet?

hughesy80, London/Manc (12/11/2009 at 17:24)

Danny Wilmslow - hughesy80, London/Manc Thats great their is know such thing as a LONDON MANC and I take it if you are a fan of Hughes you should join City as they need the support as they can,t even fill a small ground.

So because i share the same surname as him you presume i am a fan of his? Speaking of surnames i can only guess that yours must be 'Bean'.

paul salmon (12/11/2009 at 17:33)

I can fully understand the feeling of confusion this boy's continued omission provokes amongst the fans. As I've stated in the past, why sign him if he's not to be given a fair chance? I have never, in all my years of following Utd, seen a new player given less opportunities to show his worth.

I have not seen his reserve team displays, hence rely solely on reports on the game and the views of other fans. This said, those reports and views tend to suggest he performs consistently well. What little I have seen of him has looked promising.

In which case it beggars belief that he is not then given at least a place on the first team bench. The suggestion that he might be too small is ludicrous, unless he has managed to shrink since signing! Furthermore, we are constantly linked with both David Silva and Luka Modric, neither of whom are veritable man mountains!

Thankfully he's still being respectful in airing his views, and as yet is not kicking up a fuss. So I say give the boy a fair crack of the whip, and let us all see what he can do!

Paul, Whalley Range

Algernon Blabbermouth, eccles (12/11/2009 at 18:17)

Neal 07
Posted the other week that Tosic and Rossi were similiar type build players..Rossi did'nt last too long and has'nt looked back since he went to Spain! Scholes and Evra are'nt exactly giants,ones a great and Paddy's the best in Europe so it's got me stumped.
When you think that at times our midfield do the sideways ball as if their lives depended on it,Tosic can bring skill and vision to the table..and the occasional forward pass! Mysterious!

Alvaro Arosemena (12/11/2009 at 18:30)

with regard to: "Nani too has been a shocking waste of money and Valencia will go the same way as soon as rival defenders have worked out he can only try and go past them one way, exclusively the right hand side", I ask:Is this the first year valencia plays in the Premiere leage? Was not aware Ferguson of valencia´s weaknes(?)? The defenders already knew how Valencia played (if they do not know it by now is because thay are slow to think). The same apply for penalty kick. The goalkeeper knows to which side a player likes to shoot.

Valencia can force the other player to faul him as we have seen (a red card was given) due to his speed. If he receives the ball deep, few players will get to the ball before him.

One can not judge a player considering only one positive or negative aspect of him. You can to evaluate everything.

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