speedy wrote:Clrnc wrote:When I realised the 443m on Neymar is the equivalent of what Inter Milan cost, I know football is dead. Simply not sustainable.
Football is fine all the clubs could go bust. And new clubs would open the next day with all the best players on show.
An point that could well be said to sum up the superficial, transient loyalty that some fans have to their club.
y va marquer wrote:speedy wrote:Football is fine all the clubs could go bust. And new clubs would open the next day with all the best players on show.
An point that could well be said to sum up the superficial, transient loyalty that some fans have to their club.
So you're saying the superficial transient loyalty could save football.
speedy wrote:Clrnc wrote:When I realised the 443m on Neymar is the equivalent of what Inter Milan cost, I know football is dead. Simply not sustainable.
Football is fine all the clubs could go bust. And new clubs would open the next day with all the best players on show.
Wouldn't watch football the day all the RB Leipzigs open with zero history and just money. What's the point? It's no coincidence football before all the money came into play is still the best so far, both at club level and international.
Clrnc wrote:speedy wrote:Football is fine all the clubs could go bust. And new clubs would open the next day with all the best players on show.
Wouldn't watch football the day all the RB Leipzigs open with zero history and just money. What's the point? It's no coincidence football before all the money came into play is still the best so far, both at club level and international.
Football isn't dead and won't be killed by people pumping money into it.
It won't die but footy pre 2000 was infinitely more enjoyable
well at least one thing is the same... you still have to actually win on the pitch
@lorddulaarsenal wrote:It won't die but footy pre 2000 was infinitely more enjoyable
I'm not sure if that's just an age thing. You see the stars as idols when your younger. And that gloss wears off as you get older.
https://en.as.com/en/2017/08/04/football/1501873447_159604.html
The crazy transfers might not be over, Ronaldo wants to come back to England.
speedy wrote:y va marquer wrote:An point that could well be said to sum up the superficial, transient loyalty that some fans have to their club.
So you're saying the superficial transient loyalty could save football.
Nope, I neither said football was dead nor needs to be "saved"
I'm pointing out that it seems superficial and empty to dismiss the fate of clubs as inconsequential, and assume that the experience of watching football would not be profoundly changed if it served up competitions featuring the ad hoc assembly of the "best players" in "new" teams.
Football is becoming how I perceive the NBA in some aspects. There is pretty much no player loyalty; players are looking to get paid and seem to care very little about who stumps up the money. Nothing wrong with that IMO, because owners have been using the players as commodities for ages. Players on opposing teams are, due to living in their own little bubble and social media, mostly friends so you have no real rivalries from the players' pov. You still have the fans though! In essence, you support a shirt; when a player wears the shirt you happen to like, then you love him. If he is traded and you don't think he is very good to begin with, then you are alright with it and don't hate on him too much. If he is actually really, really good though and WANTS to be traded, then he is now a cunt. It didn't use to be like that in football, but it has shifted towards this since the Bosman ruling and now we are pretty much at the same place.
I don't think thats entirely true. I think fans have adjusted to it and don't expect career long loyalty most of the time. They do expect players not to be total cunts though and to honour their contracts. Look at Sanchez now, I think very few will hate him if he goes next summer because he clearly wants to go now but if he honours his contract fair enough. If the club are happy to take the cash we don't usually hate the player either but if they are going on strike, releasing letters to the press, etc then yeah we are going to get annoyed.
Clrnc wrote:speedy wrote:Football is fine all the clubs could go bust. And new clubs would open the next day with all the best players on show.
Wouldn't watch football the day all the RB Leipzigs open with zero history and just money. What's the point? It's no coincidence football before all the money came into play is still the best so far, both at club level and international.
It's always been about money though...
Coombs wrote:goon wrote:Out of interest why do you guys think it will transform Ligue 1?
If millions more people start watching PSG games all of a sudden, they're also watching who PSG plays against.
The whole of Brazil will start watching PSG now because of Neymar. We're all going to be watching psg to see how they do/he does also.
If they get both Coutinho and Dembele, I would argue they are a more complete team than having a off-form Neymar like last season.
Most teams will fancy scoring against Barca if they set up well against that Barca line up. Coutinho in a midfield 3 will be suicide even for Barcelona.
Suarez and Messi are both turning 31 next year.
Anfield 1884 wrote:
Aside from Messi this is starting to look like the Barca sides of the early 00s that barely managed to qualify for Champions League.
Qwiss! wrote:I don't think thats entirely true. I think fans have adjusted to it and don't expect career long loyalty most of the time. They do expect players not to be total cunts though and to honour their contracts. Look at Sanchez now, I think very few will hate him if he goes next summer because he clearly wants to go now but if he honours his contract fair enough. If the club are happy to take the cash we don't usually hate the player either but if they are going on strike, releasing letters to the press, etc then yeah we are going to get annoyed.
A lot of the time the only difference is the length of the players contract. If your unhappy and you have 3 years left you've to force a move. While if your unhappy and only have a year you can make a ton as a free agent. Either way you're taking care of yourself.
Yeah, trading a superstar player like Neymar for Coutinho and Dembele makes Barcelona far, far weaker. Even more so when you plan on using Coutinho instead of Iniesta! Iniesta, even geriatric Iniesta, shits all over Coutinho, so that makes it two downgrades in my book.
If that looks like a side that barely qualifies for the Champions League I'm not looking forward to our season.
It looks like a side which is significantly worse than the side Barcelona put out last week. Pretty sure they will qualify for CL though. 
Anfield 1884 wrote:Clrnc wrote:Wouldn't watch football the day all the RB Leipzigs open with zero history and just money. What's the point? It's no coincidence football before all the money came into play is still the best so far, both at club level and international.
It's always been about money though...
Been that way since the FA did away with the wage structure in the early 1960s, allowing the city clubs to flex their match gate advantages. Ipswich were the last small / rural club to win the league & did so under Sir Alf the year after Spuds won their Double,
in their 1st attempt in top flight after being promoted as Div 2 Champions the previous season.
Cirernlu in Paris. The line at the PSG store stretches down the Champs Elysees so that fans can buy a €105 jersey. Even in the South of the country, PSG is the dominant jersey. I was sittpiroses, as I expected to see more Nice or Marseilles jerseys during my time in Provence. There is a proper Neymar fever. I think the price is ridiculous but it reminds me of what we are missing with Wenger and his reluctance to bring in stars, and each year he balks at the prices, we move farther away from the affordability zone as state-and-oligarch-backed clubs jack up prices. .
Rohit wrote:Most teams will fancy scoring against Barca if they set up well against that Barca line up. Coutinho in a midfield 3 will be suicide even for Barcelona.
Played there for Liverpool when they used the diamond. He played in CM (along with Gerrard and Henderson) when they hammered us at Anfield in 2013/2014 for example.
He's a bit like Eriksen in that he can operate both in CM or further forward.
Coutinho playing in midfield, taking over the iniesta role eventually, seems pretty reasonable imo
Yeah, actually think Barca need to overhaul their midfield. Granted Enrique's tactics of not using the midfield enough when in possession was detrimental to their style of play, I thought their midfielders were a huge let down last season: Rakitic looked pointless once he could no longer act as a water carrier for Alves, Iniesta struggled to play more than once a week(legs gone), Gomes who looked very promising at Valencia looked poor and ill-suited to the type of football Barca play etc
I expect the quality of their football (midfield play) to improve greatly under Velverde but i still think they need to bring in 2 quality CMs this season.
Anfield 1884 wrote:Coombs wrote:If millions more people start watching PSG games all of a sudden, they're also watching who PSG plays against.
The whole of Brazil will start watching PSG now because of Neymar. We're all going to be watching psg to see how they do/he does also.
Think he'll do great no? He has always excelled in the brazil team or everytime he's been the main man in a team. Not that he was any bit bad playing second fiddle to messi, But he has a couple of gears and levels higher when he has a free role himself.
So instead of veratti going to barca, PSG get neymar. Zing!
Guys, I like Coutinho, and I understand that this is a summer of crazy valuations with Barca having just received a £200m check. But what am I missing with his valuation? What makes him the 3rd biggest transfer in history? Or do we just have to consider that the 2nd-4th biggest transfers in history were more about making a statement than actually getting value
Paris United have been very reliable for PSG news. Stuck w/ the Neymar story and now they say that PSG has an agreement with Mbappe. PSG about to make Monaco an offer. It seems Nike are helping PSG out too, they want Cavani, Verratti, Mbappe, and Neymar as their headline superstars for the 2018 World Cup.
I would find it incredibly difficult to think even they could afford Mbappe after spending a double-obscene amount of money on Neymar. They would have to sell a couple players first. I would also think Nike would not be allowed to "help" them out to fund a transfer unless they are suddenly going to negotiate a sponsorship deal that allows for 150m up front.
Just the cynic in me i guess.
USArsenal wrote:I would find it incredibly difficult to think even they could afford Mbappe after spending a double-obscene amount of money on Neymar. They would have to sell a couple players first. I would also think Nike would not be allowed to "help" them out to fund a transfer unless they are suddenly going to negotiate a sponsorship deal that allows for 150m up front.
Just the cynic in me i guess.
PSG didn't spend any money on Neymar though, other than wages and signing bonus.
They did. They confirmed during the press conference announcing Neymar that they paid the release clause, not Neymar.
Whenever I hear these stories about kit sponsors funding a transfer I can't help but roll my eyes. Aside from the fact that it never comes to anything, how does it make any commercial sense? I'm not PR guru but surely it's better to have all your top athletes spread around different clubs rather than all in one place?
Hope Coutinho fucks off.
The more wankers who play out of their skin vs us that fuck off out of the league the better.
goon wrote:They did. They confirmed during the press conference announcing Neymar that they paid the release clause, not Neymar.
Whenever I hear these stories about kit sponsors funding a transfer I can't help but roll my eyes. Aside from the fact that it never comes to anything, how does it make any commercial sense? I'm not PR guru but surely it's better to have all your top athletes spread around different clubs rather than all in one place?
They can help in the pitch, but that's about it.
Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert wrote:Hope Coutinho fucks off.
The more wankers who play out of their skin vs us that fuck off out of the league the better.
You must be delighted when Park Ji-Sung retired few years ago.
Be very surprised if Mbappé is even really considering PSG personally.
Clrnc wrote:Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert wrote:Hope Coutinho fucks off.
The more wankers who play out of their skin vs us that fuck off out of the league the better.
You must be delighted when Park Ji-Sung retired few years ago.
Cold chills. Running. Right. Through.
Mourinho talking up Bale...
Barca agree in principle with 'Pool for Coutinho? upwards of 90m euro.. lol..
