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Football: Silly season


Mark Antony

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Also, what did everyone make of Danny Rose's interview?

The general jist of it is:

  • He's unhappy with his pay; he believes he should be earning more than his reported £65K a week.
  • He wants Tottenham to make new signings; he doesn't believe that they don't need to. And he wants said signing not to be players he has to 'google' to find out who they are.
  • He would listen to an offer from another club if a 'concrete' one came in.
  • He wants to play in the north of England some day.

Not long after the interview was published, Sky Sports sources claims he is interested in joining Man United or Chelsea, if either were to come in for him.

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1 hour ago, JordanJH1993 said:

Are they definitely in for Seri? I haven't seen many reports linking them to him.

Not sure due to conflicting reports. He would be a very good signing though and presumably cost significantly less than Coutinho.

 

1 hour ago, JordanJH1993 said:

Also, what did everyone make of Danny Rose's interview?

The general jist of it is:

  • He's unhappy with his pay; he believes he should be earning more than his reported £65K a week.
  • He wants Tottenham to make new signings; he doesn't believe that they don't need to. And he wants said signing not to be players he has to 'google' to find out who they are.
  • He would listen to an offer from another club if a 'concrete' one came in.
  • He wants to play in the north of England some day.

Not long after the interview was published, Sky Sports sources claims he is interested in joining Man United or Chelsea, if either were to come in for him.

Definitely appears that Rose is looking for a way out and this candid interview might be a ploy to force Levy's hand. Don't really trust Sky sources but I wouldn't mind United going in for him. Our left side is weak especially going forward and Shaw, while talented, cannot be relied upon to stay fit.

Spurs have an excellent starting XI but the problem is that those players could be earning far more money if they moved and Spurs either can't (or won't) pay those salaries. The fact that this is the best Spurs side in decades yet they still haven't won a major trophy doesn't help either. Given how this transfer window has panned out for Spurs thus far, you have to wonder how much ambition the club actually has.

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1 minute ago, Consigliere said:

Not sure due to conflicting reports. He would be a very good signing though and presumably cost significantly less than Coutinho.

For some reason, I thought Seri was more of a general central midfielder, who could do a bit of everything. Box to box type, as opposed to attacking midfielder like Coutinho.

1 minute ago, Consigliere said:

Definitely appears that Rose is looking for a way out and this candid interview might be a ploy to force Levy's hand. Don't really trust Sky sources but I wouldn't mind United going in for him. Our left side is weak especially going forward and Shaw, while talented, cannot be relied upon to stay fit.

Spurs have an excellent starting XI but the problem is that those players could be earning far more money if they moved and Spurs either can't (or won't) pay those salaries. The fact that this is the best Spurs side in decades yet they still haven't won a major trophy doesn't help either. Given how this transfer window has panned out for Spurs thus far, you have to wonder how much ambition the club actually has.

I think Shaw is earning around £130K a week at Man United? When you consider that against  what Rose is on, you can understand his grievances. In three years at United, Shaw has been plagued by injuries and barely featured while Rose, when he has been fit, has been one of the best in the league. Though, he did miss half of last season. Signing another surely over priced, injury prone English left back might not be the best business for Man United.

As you say, their starting XI is as good as any. But none of them are earning more than £100K a week, which is the average starting wage for a 'decent' player at any of the other top 6 clubs. Put it into perspective, Kane and Lloris are the top earners at £100K. Alli, the best young player in the PL the last two seasons is on £60K. Moussa Sissoko is on £95K. That's ludicrous.

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3 minutes ago, Consigliere said:

Given how this transfer window has panned out for Spurs thus far, you have to wonder how much ambition the club actually has.

It does seem a little odd. Perhaps the cost of the new stadium is eating up their new tv deal windfall and they actually don't have the money to spend?

In fairness though I think there is a bias towards just making signings for signings sake amongst fans and the media. It's possible they just don't see any viable transfer targets as likely to improve their squad. Which I suppose would be fair enough. I do still see selling Walker to City as a strange decision though. Ok, he may have been surplus to requirements (perhaps less so now Trippier's picked up an injury) but City getting him strengthens a direct rival. 

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44 minutes ago, ljkeane said:

It does seem a little odd. Perhaps the cost of the new stadium is eating up their new tv deal windfall and they actually don't have the money to spend?

In fairness though I think there is a bias towards just making signings for signings sake amongst fans and the media. It's possible they just don't see any viable transfer targets as likely to improve their squad. Which I suppose would be fair enough. I do still see selling Walker to City as a strange decision though. Ok, he may have been surplus to requirements (perhaps less so now Trippier's picked up an injury) but City getting him strengthens a direct rival. 

Yeah, I think the cost of the new stadium restricting their spending power is a fair statement. I think as far as the fans go, the feeling is that the Spurs squad is just not deep enough to compete on all fronts. The lack of silverware is a concern as well - eventually some of their top players would be looking to move on unless Spurs can actually start winning things. Not to mention that these players could easily be earning at least twice as much at any other top club.

 

54 minutes ago, JordanJH1993 said:

I think Shaw is earning around £130K a week at Man United? When you consider that against  what Rose is on, you can understand his grievances. In three years at United, Shaw has been plagued by injuries and barely featured while Rose, when he has been fit, has been one of the best in the league. Though, he did miss half of last season. Signing another surely over priced, injury prone English left back might not be the best business for Man United.

Rose does represent a bit of a risk injury wise but United do need someone better at attacking than Darmian/Blind at LB. We need a LB and/or LW capable of providing width and stretching opponents defence otherwise it will be the same story as last season. Bertrand would be my preferred choice but it doesn't look like United are even considering him.

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6 minutes ago, Consigliere said:

Rose does represent a bit of a risk injury wise but United do need someone better at attacking than Darmian/Blind at LB. We need a LB and/or LW capable of providing width and stretching opponents defence otherwise it will be the same story as last season. Bertrand would be my preferred choice but it doesn't look like United are even considering him.

If Man United were to sign Ryan Bertrand it would mark the second case of Jose Mourinho signing a player for Man United that he sanctioned the sale of while Chelsea manager.

Personally, I'd love to see Chelsea go back and try to resign Bertrand. I always liked him when he was with us and was disappointed when they sold him for good. Since he's been at Southampton he's come on leaps and bounds. He's maybe not as flashy as Rose, but I'd say he is more solid defensively, more consistent and less prone to injury.

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On 8.8.2017 at 10:38 PM, Horse of Kent said:

If I were Conte I'd move Azpilicueta to RWB and bring Christensen in at CB. Having seen quite a bit of both, I cannot see what Rudiger brings ahead of Christensen. Last year was probably better than the first given that Gladbach were weaker as a whole and he was one of the defensive leaders with Stranzl and Dominguez gone for good.

Basically I agree with you on the Rüdiger Christensen thing. Right now, I would also rather make a case of Christensen being the better/safer CB. However, as I said before, Rüdiger can also cover as RB if needed. I have a few times seen people making comparissions between Rüdiger and J. Boateng. Boateng used to have a rep as being talented and error prone, too. That was before he worked with Guardiola. So maybe Conte thinks he can do with Rüdiger whatever Guardiola did with Boateng.

 

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On 8/9/2017 at 4:11 PM, Rorshach said:

On a slightly meta note, I think it's nice to see that player power is somewhat diminished from its peak. A few years back, players could more or less force through moves at will. Now, clubs hold back.

Probably a result of the new money flowing through the PL, as clubs can afford to have sulking players. Now, I think that the money sooner or later will stop flowing, and clubs will have to tighten, probably leading to more player power again. But, for the moment, it's good to see that contracts are worth more than toilet paper when the player has a change of heart (read: more lucrative offer).


I instinctively agree with you, but it's weird, isn't it - we basically think employees have too much power. How dare he go work someplace else where he might achieve more and make more money! It's obviously different from a normal job, and I guess part of the issue is that it's easy to conflate the club as its ownership (which usually doesn't merit much sympathy) with the club as its fans (which usually does).

Athletic Bilbao must be a fun team for locals to support. 
 

23 hours ago, JordanJH1993 said:

In my opinion, that money would be no use for them other than to fill their own pockets. Coutinho isn't one of the best players in the world; I wouldn't even count him in the top 3 in the Premier League. But with the inflated prices, with Liverpool's stock as a 'big' team being more questionable than ever given their infrequent appearances in the Champions League and lack of silverware - no trophies won since before Coutinho signed - even if they get £120m for Coutinho, they are not going to be able to find a replacement of the same quality.


Who is your top 3 in the PL? It's hard (and perhaps futile) to compare different positions, but for the sake of the argument. I guess Sanchez is in there, and probably Hazard. Aguero, too. I agree that Coutinho hasn't been as good as those three, but after them, I think it's less clear cut. De Bruyne, Alli, Eriksen, Özil, they're all in the same bracket, in my opinion. Different strengths and weaknesses, the best player might be the one who's the best fit for their team. Kane is arguably better, although it's apples and oranges. Watching Coutinho in parts of last season and in this preseason, he seems to still be improving and developing, and I expect him to be closer to the best in the league this season (provided that he stays).

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1 minute ago, Mmerek Hamšzulíe said:

Who is your top 3 in the PL? It's hard (and perhaps futile) to compare different positions, but for the sake of the argument. I guess Sanchez is in there, and probably Hazard. Aguero, too. I agree that Coutinho hasn't been as good as those three, but after them, I think it's less clear cut. De Bruyne, Alli, Eriksen, Özil, they're all in the same bracket, in my opinion. Different strengths and weaknesses, the best player might be the one who's the best fit for their team. Kane is arguably better, although it's apples and oranges. Watching Coutinho in parts of last season and in this preseason, he seems to still be improving and developing, and I expect him to be closer to the best in the league this season (provided that he stays).

Yes, in terms of attacking midfielders / wide forwards my three best would be Hazard, Alexis and then perhaps it is close between Eriksen, Alli, Ozil, Coutinho De Brune, David and Bernardo Silva in the next bracket.

I think when missing from the team, Liverpool felt the loss of Sadio Mane more than they did when Coutinho was out, but if they do sell him to Barca, they are good as selling their hopes to another top four finish, in my opinion.

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15 minutes ago, JordanJH1993 said:

Yes, in terms of attacking midfielders / wide forwards my three best would be Hazard, Alexis and then perhaps it is close between Eriksen, Alli, Ozil, Coutinho De Brune, David and Bernardo Silva in the next bracket.

I wouldn't include Bernardo Silva in this list since he hasn't even kicked a ball in a competitive game in the Premier league yet.

 

On another note: didn't believe it when the story first came out but now it appears that Mbappe to PSG is gathering steam. Some Spanish newspapers reporting that PSG are offering Mbappe 12m per year and RM are not willing to break their wage structure to match that. Pretty shocking that PSG could end up spending 400 million with impunity. So much for FFP.

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23 minutes ago, Consigliere said:

I wouldn't include Bernardo Silva in this list since he hasn't even kicked a ball in a competitive game in the Premier league yet.

 

On another note: didn't believe it when the story first came out but now it appears that Mbappe to PSG is gathering steam. Some Spanish newspapers reporting that PSG are offering Mbappe 12m per year and RM are not willing to break their wage structure to match that. Pretty shocking that PSG could end up spending 400 million with impunity. So much for FFP.

Bernardo is a bit of a wild card, I admit, but I do think he has the potential to be a fantastic player in this league.

 

 

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/06/06/football/forbes-world-football-rich-list-soccer-valuable-clubs-manchester-united-real-madrid-barcelona/index.html

I have never understood how these 'rich lists' are made and whether they would have any relevance on transfer funds, but it does seem strange to me that PSG, a team that aren't even in the top 10 'most valuable football clubs' can afford Neymar AND Mbappe.

I can smell a distinct scent of oil on the paperwork for these deals...

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55 minutes ago, Mmerek Hamšzulíe said:

Sorry for the double post, but this should hopefully lay the matter to rest (at least for this season).

http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/first-team/271620-fsg-statement-on-philippe-coutinho

Found it funny how the Spanish press was reporting it was a done deal when every reliable Liverpool journo shat on it completely. Glad to see FSG make that statement 

 so happy the Prem is back today

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53 minutes ago, JordanJH1993 said:

Bernardo is a bit of a wild card, I admit, but I do think he has the potential to be a fantastic player in this league.

I'm not arguing his potential. I was merely following the discussion where you originally stated that you don't consider Coutinho to be among the top 3 players in the EPL yet include Bernardo Silva on a list of players as good/better than Coutinho even though he is yet to play a game in the EPL.

 

Quote

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/06/06/football/forbes-world-football-rich-list-soccer-valuable-clubs-manchester-united-real-madrid-barcelona/index.html

I have never understood how these 'rich lists' are made and whether they would have any relevance on transfer funds, but it does seem strange to me that PSG, a team that aren't even in the top 10 'most valuable football clubs' can afford Neymar AND Mbappe.

I can smell a distinct scent of oil on the paperwork for these deals...

Market value and revenue alone is a poor indicator of transfer budget. Consider that Barca is not that far behind United in terms of market value and revenue yet they had limited spending power this season prior to the Neymar transfer. This was partially due to a massive wage bill as well as years of poor financial management on the part of the Barca board which has negatively impacted the club's cash flow. In saying that, PSG alone should not have the resources to spend anywhere near this much. It's pretty clear that their Qatari owners are footing the bill for the transfers while PSG are only paying the wages. UEFA really should consider giving them a lengthy ban from European competition as that would be the only effective deterrent in preventing something like this happening again. A transfer ban and/or fine is nothing more than a slap on the wrist.

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1 minute ago, Consigliere said:

Market value and revenue alone is a poor indicator of transfer budget. Consider that Barca is not that far behind United in terms of market value and revenue yet they had limited spending power this season prior to the Neymar transfer. This was partially due to a massive wage bill as well as years of poor financial management on the part of the Barca board which has negatively impacted the club's cash flow. In saying that, PSG alone should not have the resources to spend anywhere near this much. It's pretty clear that their Qatari owners are footing the bill for the transfers while PSG are only paying the wages. UEFA really should consider giving them a lengthy ban from European competition as that would be the only effective deterrent in preventing something like this happening again. A transfer ban and/or fine is nothing more than a slap on the wrist.

Yes, PSG would happily take a transfer ban or a fine, especially if they have pulled off the two biggest transfers in history in the same summer. What UEFA should be doing is not letting the deals happen in the first place, if they are illicit, instead of waiting for years to see if the books have balanced for this season. There is no way PSG could justify they as a club have the money to sanction the purchase of Neymar and Mbappe in the same window, considering they have only made around £15m on sales this summer.

A ban from European competition would be the only worth punishment, as the signings of Neymar and Mbappe (if they get him) would be so that they can challenge in Europe in the first place.

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24 minutes ago, JordanJH1993 said:

Coutinho hands in a transfer request...

Things are about to get exciting!

Think that was made up. His "back injury" is worryingly convenient for him though. Anyway no way FSG would sell now after what they said this morning.

 

 

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