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So in the end Torres turns into Suarez and Carroll. Makes for an interesting rest of the year. I'd really have preferred a good wing player but that'll have to wait it would seem unless some stealth move comes in.
Best lineup, if everyone is healthy:
Reina
Johnson Carra Agger Kelly
Lucas
Kuyt Meireles
Gerrard
Suarez Carroll
That actually looks pretty good. Still very narrow though, but it'll do.
Take care all.
There's a lot more to this than meets the eye, it doesn't add up to me as one minute he seemed to be happy with staying and he was a pride and joy newcastle fan and player at the time, so unless the constant fighting over him and his patronisation has lead him to leave then I dunno.Quote:
Originally Posted by Loony BoB
Five games, not five months. But yeah, I agree with your valuations. Honestly, Charlie from Blackpool is a better purchase for me (which it looks like you'll be getting).Quote:
Originally Posted by Psychotic
Three big signings a piece for Chelsea and Liverpool, it looks like.
Shoden: Carroll handed in a transfer request. That's the difference. Also, how crazy is it that Newcastle allegedly offered the same player to West Ham for £1m and they turned him down as they didn't rate him. This was 18 months ago. Nuts.
The whole crack with Pardew signing as manager was on condition Carroll was kept, could it be that this over the top treatment was a boot to the backside? I dunno.
I don't know about anybody else, but in my opinion paying 50 million quid for a player is absolutely ridiculous, non-competitive and detrimental to the game as a whole. We have a situation where you have a handful of teams with the means to throw around stupid sums of money like £50m or £35m for Andy smurfing Carroll, and yet just a few places down, IN THE SAME LEAGUE, you have teams like Bolton who's acquisition of David Wheater from second division Middlesborough for £2.3m (less than 5% of the value of Torres) is their idea of a big signing.
And yes, I'm aware this situation has been snowballing ever since the formation of the Premier League, but the way this is going, in 10 years time spending for the top 5 or so teams will be so far up the logarithmic scale that the Premiership will turn into even more of a circus than it is already, consisting of the big 4 (or 5) and 15 Championship sides punching above their weight (It's bad enough as it is. Take a look at the current table and tell me that any team from 10th place below, apart from maybe Villa, have any chance of achieving anything, and are any better than the top half of the Championship).
The very idea of a team like sodding Blackpool being anywhere except firmly glued to the bottom of the table says a lot about the quality of football in the Premier League. This time last season they were mid-table Championship and getting turned over by teams like Sheffield Wednesday. Talk about 'spirit' and 'good management' all you want, but the real reason they are there is that the opposition in the PL short of Man Utd, Chelsea, Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs is very, very average. And the reason they are average is because they only have the money to buy down-and-out players who's time has long since passed, like Eidur Gudjohnsen's move to Fulham. Any decent talent they have is swept away within a season by the golden handshake (Andy Carroll).
It's just as bad, if not worse, in the Spanish and Italian leagues. The most interesting and competitive league is the Bundesliga, though that has become plagued with the same problems too in recent years. I personally think UEFA should put a limit on the amount of money teams can spend on transfers in a season. That way they can still buy expensive players, but not hoard them.
Yeah I feel pretty strongly about this. Rant over
Its a fair rant though, its been happening for years and slowly spreading like an unwanted chronic disease.
Money Money Money Money, everywhere, its like these teams are literally buying trophies!
also Carroll - I was pushed out | Sky Sports | Liverpool News | Football | Premier League There's still a few things that don't add up for me here. he could have said no and that would have meant no, but from what he's been told "you're worth more to us being sold than you are remaining here" harsh :\ another Beardsley/Gazza scenario afterall rather than the next Shearer.
I'm annoyed its come to this as a fan but what else can be done?
I dunno. Arsenal rarely splash the cash (isn't their highest ever buy 11mil or something?) and they're still a good team...as much as I hate to admit it.
And the majority of Man Utd's biggest signings happened 6 or more years ago...Berbatov not included of course.
It's the Spanish teams that make all the most expensive signings.
As for "what can be done" - wait and see how things actually are in five year's time when the financial fair play rules are in full flow. They're being introduced on a gradual scale at the moment and I think the next couple of seasons could end up being the end of the line for £50-100m transfers, perhaps excepting Real Madrid. :p Either that or the European Super League will kick in after clubs give the middle finger to FIFA and UEFA.
The thing that excites me about Liverpool right now is that for the first time since, well, Stevie G 10 years ago (unless you want to count Stephen Warnock), we have some good young English talent on our books in Kelly, Shelvey and now Carroll. I still remember how excited I was when Michael Owen made his England debut.
Also... only one Spanish player left?!
From what I understand, these new rules being slowly brought in will curb some of the outsized spending, but unless an actual salary or maybe transfer cap is introduced, clubs with richer owners will be able to outspend the more modest sized clubs every time.
What I most enjoyed was how much joy there was from the players at Anfield. Kenny has restored a love of playing as a team, which is a severely underrated aspect of the game. When you play as a unit, and everyone is staying more or less together in a form, it becomes that much harder to break down. We actually looked dangerous going forward almost every time as opposed to just once or twice a match.
Also, I have to give it up for Mr. Kuyt. He always works hard yes, but the man CAN play. He held the ball so well as the lone striker until Suarez was introduced. It's really very nice to see such a hard working player finally get some credit for all the skills he does have.
Really looking forward to Sunday!! I actually expect it to be a really close game, with a handful of chances on both sides. I wouldn't be shocked by a 2-2 draw or something along those lines.
Take care all.
If you count British talent rather than purely English, then it's worth mentioning Danny Wilson. According to every FM game I've ever played, he ends up being the best defender in the world. :pQuote:
Originally Posted by Psychotic
Why do I have a bad feeling about todays game against Wolves...
And huzzar, the only Championship fixture I really care about tomorrow Swansea V Cardiff. It's just a shame I can't go outdoors when it's on, since I've always had more love for Swansea and I live right in a Cardiff "Soul Crew" area. Please do the double on them, I don't want to see Cardiff go up this year.
My country may have failed me yesterday at the Millenium Stadium, but for my city, there is only victory tomorrow at 1:15pm. It's a shame I'm stuck in darkest midwales and can't go back home to watch it. It's gonna be huge.
Newcastle's display against Arsenal so far is proof that we've sold more than just Carroll... Hello championship did you miss us?
Sacking Hughton was the beginning of the end of what hope he had of staying safe....
I stand corrected this has to be one of the most amazing games I've ever seen, 4-4!!!
nicely god damned done, geordies!
I'm still speechless and astounded at what took place, a tale of 2 halves indeed!
Also, Wolverhampton and Stoke, make the day even better :D Scumberland weren't laughing for long :D
So this year's title will be won by one of the following:
- A team who has won three games away from home so far this season
- A team that chucks away a four goal lead
- A team that won one league game in two months
Well OK Man City could win it I guess...