Lemonade Posted February 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2016 (edited) Reading the meltdown on this forum is quite funny. Especially: Aberdeen 2-1 Celtic: Post Match Misgivings Edited February 4, 2016 by Lemonade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 Texiera to China for 50 million now... Game over. Football is fucked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eupraxia Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 (edited) The Chinese story is quite intriguing, and some of the players and coaches involved are saying the right things in the press, but it underlines, above all else, just how much of an industry football has become. It has transcended the profound sense of 'passion' we all want to associate with football in order to make us feel better for liking such a horrendously vulgar industry. I don't know about you guys, but sometimes I feel fucking awful for being so heavily interested in football at the highest level: it's crude, obscene, and lacking in sophistication. I am frequently left questioning myself over my footballing proclivities, but then you see Messi beat six opponents before coolly and predictably kicking the ball into the net, or Dele Alli knock the ball over a defender and score a volley on the turn, or Vardy score one of the finest first touch goals that ever has been scored against Liverpool, we perhaps feel justified. Given that Chinese clubs were recruiting the likes of Maurice Ross, Akpo Sodje, and Derek Riordon only five or so years ago, we can safely assume that the wealthy have noticed a recent place in the market for further short-term profit generation, so they are speculating to accumulate even more wealth. Remember Asamoah Gyan? He earns a basic wage of £247,000 per week in China, apparently. That is his basic— before bonuses and all the other ancillary sponsorships that come with being a professional footballer. The motive behind all the obscene spending? Television and sponsorship revenue. A BBC article claims: "Attendances are up, wages are definitely up, and so are sponsorship revenues. Wealth and population increases in China have already turned sport into a multimillion-pound business." Sums up what it is all about, really. China and its clubs can throw all the money they like on players who are not (and never will be) world class, but unless they have a proprotionate amount of money going towards their own grass-roots and infrastructure, then it's all going to fail miraculously. Just throwing money at something won't sustain anything. Hey, remember Gretna? Not nearly of the same magnitude, but a very close to home example. You can't buy history and heritage. And for me, football requires those things in order to have any real meaning or affect. Edited February 5, 2016 by Eupraxia 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 Great post. Agree with all of it. It's just a shame that the people involved in football - the elite footballers - don't agree with this part: 24 minutes ago, Eupraxia said: You can't buy history and heritage. And for me, football requires those things in order to have any real meaning or affect. The financial emphasis is spiralling out of control. Ronaldo moving for £80m was arguably the beginning of the end. It has set a dangerous precedent for fees and salaries that are expected at the highest level, and eventually something surely has to give? Whatever does give, it will probably be at the expense of the supporters, more so than it currently is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodsinho Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 It's all a bit Samuel Eto'o goes to Anzhi Makhachkala, isn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TR!ΔNGL€ T€€TH Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 It's all a bit Tore Andre Flo goes to Rangers, isn't it? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 (edited) When players jump to the money leagues, normally they're finished but are still the best players in the league. Or you get players like Bradley Wright-Phillips, who were never that good, but still take the piss, like Bradley is. So what's going to happen when actual good footballers in the peak of their careers like Jackson Martinez and Alex Texiera get over to China? It's going to be like the Monstars in Space Jam. They'll be 20 feet taller than the rest of them, and they'll just smash through them. Or it'll be like that time Shinji Kagawa destroyed 30 kids on his own Edited February 5, 2016 by Soda van Jerk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Owl PhD Posted February 6, 2016 Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 Leicester are going to win the league. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted February 6, 2016 Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 It's fast becoming a cliche to use the cliche... but it really is Roy of the rovers stuff. i don't think I've ever seen a team comprised of on-paper average players perform so consistently well for so long. I was a doubter for quite a while but i think it's fair to say this isn't a 'run' or a 'streak', they're a well-drilled, cohesive team playing attractive football for a manager they like. They're just a very good team. It's nice to see. most 'can they do it?' stories involve a team playing either Greece 2004 lockdown defence or Newcastle 96/97 balls out offence, both of which are completely unsustainable. Leicester are different, there isn't a discernible 'brand' of football other than 'work hard in all areas' and 'no tinkering'. Consistency of personnel has been one key to their success I think. its definitely no coincidence that Leicester have had the fewest injuries and are at the top of the league. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted February 6, 2016 Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 The most bizarre thing about Leicester is that they're a bunch of unwanted misfits. Quite a number of their players were acquired because their previous clubs offloaded them for not being good enough. Huth was replaced at Stoke, Albrighton's Villa career had bombed after a bright start and he couldn't get a game. Fuch's was no longer needed at Schalke, Dyer was no longer first pick at Swansea and he probably won't return when his loan ends, Morgan was part of quite an overhaul of the older players are Forest, Simpson started well at Newcastle but turned to shit, James and Drinkwater never even made a senior appearance for United, Schlupp was trialed by a number of top sides but nobody bit. Then their 3 best players, Kante, Mahrez and Vardy, were signed for an accumulated £7m. Vardy was playing non-league football 5 years ago. Mahrez and Kante were both playing in the French 2nd division 3 years ago. It's a great group of players, a lot of which are hitting their peak at the right time, and a lot of them are sticking fingers up at their previous clubs as they all slide down the table. Leicester just have to win the league. If they don't, that side is going to be torn apart by clubs with infinitely more wealth than they have. That aforementioned three, Kante, Mahrez and Vardy will be the primary targets. Leicester are nailed on for top 4 now, but I don't think being in the Champions League will be enough to keep the team together. If they do win the league, I think it will make the bigger clubs reconsider how they invest money. If you look at how much United and Liverpool splurged in the last 3 years, neither of them look close to the current top 4 sides. I don't think either will finish top 4 this season, which would be terrible considering the resources the clubs have wasted. On what planet are Lallana and Fellaini £25m footballers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Owl PhD Posted February 6, 2016 Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 That's something that used to happen quite often but hasn't happened really in the Premier League era. The great Nottingham Forest of the late 70s was famously put together mostly with people whose careers were going nowhere or were for a long time seen as lower league players. The league and European Cup winning Aston Villa side of the early 80s was a bit similar, as was the great Everton side of the mid-80s. The financial disparaties of the last few decades seemed to end all possibility of that sort of thing happening again - I can't think of any team that's come close recently - so Leicester are pretty exceptional. Leicester don't have the best squad in the league but they look to have far more of an idea of what they're trying to do in a game than any other team has this season. Watching them against City today they seemed to know precisely how they were going to try and score goals and how they would try to stop them. City didn't look as though they knew how to do either. I wonder how the bigger teams will respond next season. Maybe they'll continue to throw money after old rope or perhaps they'll try to build a coherent team with a clear plan for what they're trying to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemonade Posted February 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 It's all a bit Paul Heyman and ECW isn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Easy Wishes Posted February 8, 2016 Report Share Posted February 8, 2016 It's all a bit Paul Bernard goes to Aberdeen, isn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoonie Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 It's unreal! For this still to be a real possibility at this stage of the season is crazy. As was said above, it's real 'lightning strike' stuff where people peak at the right time, under the right manager, avoid injuries, have a clear plan and execute it in a way that negates the individual talents they face. I love stories like this; the sort of 'teamwork beats talent when talent doesn't play as a team' kinda thing and it restores your faith in sport when so many teams just pour money in and buy titles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted February 11, 2016 Report Share Posted February 11, 2016 Hoffenheim's new manager is 28 yrs old http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35552617 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoonie Posted February 12, 2016 Report Share Posted February 12, 2016 Good on them! Hope he does well! There's a lot to be said for experience in managing different types of personalities and being able to juggle that in the changing room but I think someone young who can relate better to the players and bring some energy and enthusiasm is a great idea. Too many of the managerial moves, especially in England are just the same old faces shuffling about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkaline Posted February 12, 2016 Report Share Posted February 12, 2016 11 hours ago, Spoonie said: Good on them! Hope he does well! There's a lot to be said for experience in managing different types of personalities and being able to juggle that in the changing room but I think someone young who can relate better to the players and bring some energy and enthusiasm is a great idea. Too many of the managerial moves, especially in England are just the same old faces shuffling about. It could easily all go a bit Villas-Boas at Chelsea though where the older players were all like "I'm not listening to this young whippersnapper" and baaaaam, gone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted February 15, 2016 Report Share Posted February 15, 2016 Easily one of my favourite american celebrity lower-league football endorsements: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Owl PhD Posted February 15, 2016 Report Share Posted February 15, 2016 39 minutes ago, ca_gere said: Easily one of my favourite american celebrity lower-league football endorsements: Good to see that Shaq is a fellow Cobblers fan. Top of League Two. On the march. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted February 15, 2016 Report Share Posted February 15, 2016 I do like when US celebs stick their oar in to football. The Rock is a Macclesfield Town fan, after his appearances on Soccer AM. Macc til he dies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Owl PhD Posted February 15, 2016 Report Share Posted February 15, 2016 Some more on Shaq and his undying devotion to the Cobblers: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-35580868 Bit of a glory hunter to be honest. Where was he when they looked like they'd go down to the Conference? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted February 15, 2016 Report Share Posted February 15, 2016 I feel like this topic should have a wiki page "American celebrities with lower-league English football allegiances" Shaq: Northampton Town The Rock: Macclesfield Meatloaf: Hartlepool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TR!ΔNGL€ T€€TH Posted February 16, 2016 Report Share Posted February 16, 2016 Nikica Jelavic is off to play in the Chinese 2nd divison, lovely stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TR!ΔNGL€ T€€TH Posted February 18, 2016 Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 BBC Sport have the audacity to suggest that Carlton Cole is not a good footballer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted February 18, 2016 Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 How has he been playing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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