The Footie Thread

[nickjdavis]

I predict a season of under-ambition for Newcastle.

 

[GreiginFife]

I predict a season of under-ambition for Newcastle.

Does that really count as a prediction?

 

[Pin-seeker]

Blimey - didn’t realise some were so precious about a thread - Mods - no issues if you wish to close the football thread to allow a new football thread to start ?

Well Mods LP’s given his approval ?

 

[AmandaJR]

My main contribution will to ensure this appears on every page

 

[Lord Tyrion]

???

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Similar chatter about Madrid, that they need to trim some of their earners to enable them to make the signings they want. Wouldnt object if it meant they wanted us to take Odegaard on the cheap

Must have lost a lot recently with Ronaldo and then Ramos - so not sure who are their big earners these days ? Benzema ?‍

Would certainly take Odegaard - not sure what’s happened with Isco

 

[KenL]

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.com/sport/football/57836300.amp

Messi taking a wage cut to stay at Barcelona who need to reduce their wage bill by £500mil !!!

Messi will go from £120mil a year to just the £60mil !

Players like Greizmann are also on nearly £1mil a week - no wonder they are in huge money issues

Can’t register their new signings until they reduce that wage bill - some great players can be got

Absolutely disgusting.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Absolutely disgusting.

That’s the sort of money the top sporting stars get paid - the sums in US sports are even worse and then of course some of the top golfers are up there

 

[Deleted member 15344]

In Spain it works very differently to the UK with clubs being (for the most part) member owned and run. Real and Barca have Presidents that, IMO, hold large amounts of sporting and political sway and so they make outrageous promises in order to be elected. This has been going on for a long time with Laporte (returning, incoming Barca president) and Perez (Real president).

Real's Galacticos were a two-fold product of over ambition by the president (Perez again at the time) promising a "marquee signing" every year (remember they got Beckham for c. £35m) and overly generous government funding (Real being the "King's club").

Barca on the other hand have always had a bizarre commercial operating structure with the club carrying no shirt sponsor until 2006 (I think) when they entered a "reverse" sponsorship with Unicef and a little later a "normal" arrangement with Qatar Airways. They always relied on commercial revenue of merchandise, season tickets, membership payments and television rights.

The fact that the presidents hold so much sway is evident in what Phil describes in that the TV revenue is not distributed evenly with Barca and Real taking the lion's share.

Barca, in my opinion, lost their way with their scouting network and failure to capitalise on La Masia more and trying to follow the more "European" model of buying talent and then watching it go wrong. Overpaying for Dembele, Coutinho and Griezmann and not seeing the levels of return. Barca's most successful years saw La Masia players dominate their squads.

They also have appointed the wrong person in Koeman to take them forward IMO and their managerial appointments since Enrique (ok Valverde did alright) have been cost over quality (this constant hope that Xavi is going to return and save them because Pep and Luis did so) and have seen regression instead of progress.

Directorial moves, mainly losing Txiki Begiristain to Man City (no coincidence their recruitment improved around the same time Barca's went downhill) and years of board room feuding have cost them and forced the need to chase "marquee" signings and pay way over the odds.

Real will always have the backing of the government when they need it (sell a car-park for 200 times it's worth to the local council for example) or have debts mysteriously "cancelled"...

I for one would like to see the financial plight of Barca force them to start relying on the undoubted talent of La Masia graduates (Pedri, Puig, Fati and Collado for example) and hopefully get rid of Koeman and get back to playing fast, free flowing football that we know them for.

I’m surprised that Laporte didn’t bring in Xavi this summer but then I think he would stay away

When you look at the level of debt Barce have its criminal when you think of those clubs that have gone bust because of debt at a fraction of that level

 

[GreiginFife]

I’m surprised that Laporte didn’t bring in Xavi this summer but then I think he would stay away

When you look at the level of debt Barce have its criminal when you think of those clubs that have gone bust because of debt at a fraction of that level

Its all relative. Barca have the commercial ability to maintain, if not improve, the debt levels. The clubs that went busy simply didn't. Barca need to lower wage bills and/or sell to bring new players in but could quite easily play this season with the same squad minus those already gone.

Barca are simply paying the price in the short term of poor buying of players at over inflated prices. They can weather the storm and cut some losses in Pjanic, Coutinho, Trincao (out on loan), Dembele and Griezmann. If they don't move these players on soon then it might become a different outlook.

Laporte has every intention of bringing Xavi in, its a timing issue now as he (Xavi) still feels he is learning his trade but Laporte is pointing him to Pep and Luis as examples of minimum experience but absolute DNA. And in Catalonia, DNA is far more prized than mere experience.

There is an opportunity for someone to snap up Sergi Roberto on the cheap and that is one of the many crimes that will be committed through this period (in the opinion of this former Penà member).

Someone asked earlier about Real's big earners, you have Kroos, Modric, Benzema, Casemiro, Vinicius Jr all on heftier wages than you'd probably imagine.

Lots of the young South Americans at Real are brought in on small transfer feea (relatively) with the promise of big money in wages.

 

[fundy]

great to hear Raul Jiminez is back playing for Wolves today in their pre season game

 

[Deleted member 21784]

great to hear Raul Jiminez is back playing for Wolves today in their pre season game

Will he be able to be the same force as before with his head injury, I hope it doesn't put him off going for the ball because he was outstanding

 

[clubchamp98]

Basically, we have to post a number of times in order to get to page 2 and be past the picture .

Transfer talk, nothing really happening so far. At Everton Rodriguez is likely to go along with other fringe players. We are looking at a CH, we have lots already , and hopefully Dumfries (Netherlands) looks like he might be coming to us. We still need more creativity in the middle however along with a forward to either support DCL, replace him when tired or out of form. Mutterings of Richarlison to follow Ancelotti to Real. I can live with that if we get a chunk of money and can then get a replacement.

Goodison is going to be half empty if all the Evertonions who don’t like Raffa go through with their threat of not going the match.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Goodison is going to be half empty if all the Evertonions who don’t like Raffa go through with their threat of not going the match.

Not likely as we’ve recorded record Season Ticket sales.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Goodison is going to be half empty if all the Evertonions who don’t like Raffa go through with their threat of not going the match.

As Paul has mentioned, 30,000 season tickets sold this year. Phone ins and social media may be full of angry people but they are only a tiny cross section. Saying that, if we don't start well then the atmosphere will get unpleasant quite quickly. I said it at the time, strange decision ?‍

 

[Deleted member 15344]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57873034

£50mil ? that’s a mental price for him

 

[Dando]

That’s the sort of money the top sporting stars get paid - the sums in US sports are even worse and then of course some of the top golfers are up there

not sure you can compare the top golfers to footballers. Ok they get decent sponsorship/appearance money but they still need to perform well every week to earn more whereas footballers are guaranteed their money

 

[fundy]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57873034

£50mil ? that’s a mental price for him

its worse when you realise it means both mavropanos and saliba are being sent out on loan again and not given an opportunity. saliba cost nearly 30m and will spend his first 2 1/2 yrs out on loan lol

i assume if were spending 50m on one centre half we have a lot more money than thought to address the areas of real concern, ie midfield, RB and another keeper

clubs must salivate when arsenal are interested in their players

 

[clubchamp98]

As Paul has mentioned, 30,000 season tickets sold this year. Phone ins and social media may be full of angry people but they are only a tiny cross section. Saying that, if we don't start well then the atmosphere will get unpleasant quite quickly. I said it at the time, strange decision ?‍

Tounge in cheek.
They are saying that but know full well they will still go.
We have been winding them up a bit.
One lad won’t even use a red tee!
We asked him to auction his ST if he wasn’t going but he declined.

I think Raffa will do well there ,you do have a good squad.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Tounge in cheek.
They are saying that but know full well they will still go.
We have been winding them up a bit.
One lad won’t even use a red tee!
We asked him to auction his ST if he wasn’t going but he declined.

I think Raffa will do well there ,you do have a good squad.

I know, don't worry ?.

He has to start well to get the opportunity to do his stuff. If he does okay first 5 games then he will be fine. Bad start and he won't get the chance.