Football 16-17

[The Nal]

3 minutes ago, big__phil said:

Agreed. I always liked him as a player, and he definitely deserves to play more than he has at Chelsea over the past couple of years. He looks perfect for Serie A, but China it is.

Does anyone know if any of the Brazilians over there (there are quite a few now I think) are playing for their country?

I think Hulk and Paulinho have both played for Brazil this year but its a death sentence for an international career usually. 

3 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

Why shouldn't he go for the money? It's no diffrent to the players Chelsea and City signed when they were starting out as mega-rich.

It is. Playing against good players, in a competitive league, increasing the chances of playing for your country, getting into the Champions League etc. 

Chelsea were playing in the CL before Roman bought them for example. 

City were getting hammered 8-1 by Middlesborugh, granted.

[TheGayTent]

6 minutes ago, The Nal said:

Lineker was 32-33 when he went to Japan. Oscar is 25. Hes going purely for the money. 

Surely that's missing the point. Lineker went solely for the money too. 

The difference was Lineker went when he'd lost that peak match sharpness and was no longer good enough to play for a top team week in week out. 

Oscar is going at a time when he is in the prime of his career and could easily play at a much higher level than the Chinese league. 

[The Nal]

4 minutes ago, Wooderson said:

Indeed. You think the c**ts in Soho Square/Nyon will allow the Chinese (or indeed anyone) steal a march on them?

I'm more of a Best playing for Cork Celtic kinda guy.

3 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

Surely that's missing the point. Lineker went solely for the money too. 

The difference was Lineker went when he'd lost that peak match sharpness and was no longer good enough to play for a top team week in week out. 

Oscar is going at a time when he is in the prime of his career and could easily play at a much higher level than the Chinese league. 

Yes sorry, exactly what I meant, hence pointing out their ages.

[big__phil]

6 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

Oscar is going at a time when he is in the prime of his career and could easily play at a much higher level than the Chinese league. 

Yeah, and Jackson Martinez leaving at his peak when he could almost have the pick of the clubs in Europe is the same. It would be a touch condescending to the Chinese football fans of this thread (anyone out there?) to say it's a shame for European football, but I can't imagine the players dreamed of winning the Chinese league when they first got their break in the game.

[Hugh Jass]

2 minutes ago, big__phil said:

Yeah, and Jackson Martinez leaving at his peak when he could almost have the pick of the clubs in Europe is the same. It would be a touch condescending to the Chinese football fans of this thread (anyone out there?) to say it's a shame for European football, but I can't imagine the players dreamed of winning the Chinese league when they first got their break in the game.

No, but they probably did dream of earning vast sums of money.

[TheGayTent]

2 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

No, but they probably did dream of earning vast sums of money.

They aren't doing that already ?

[Hugh Jass]

5 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

They aren't doing that already ?

Your earnings can never be too vast.

[big__phil]

Just now, Hugh Jass said:

Your earnings can never be too vast.

#modernfootball

[The Nal]

3 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

Your earnings can never be too vast.

True unfortunately. Just sad to see a player approaching his prime playing for a club at the top of the league earning 5m a year looking to move away to play in a shitty league against players like Jo. 

[big__phil]

To be fair, if I was offered vast sums more than I was on I'd certainly have to have a long think...about buying a new vault to keep all my new money in!

[The Nal]

Maybe hes just mad for Chinese food and hes not happy with the authenticity of the restaurants in London? All gloopy samey sauces and cheap tea when hes really after chickens feet and lychees. 

[Comfy Bean]

2 hours ago, mjsell said:

As much as money is the biggest factor, I do still think history and footballing culture still counts for something. For a country like China where football is not the national sport it is always going to be at disadvantage. Much like America, who have been throwing money at players for a lot longer than China (although I assume not quite as much), 'soccer' will never break through the monopoly of the big 4 American sports - because they are just that, American. Whereas soccer will always be seen as a foreign import.

Agreed.

Wasn't that long ago we were being told USA would be winning the soccer World Cup.

I agree that it's understandable as a pension top up ( as if they need it ) but anyone with that talent at that age and already earning millions seems like unnecessary greed and a lack of ambition.*

 

* Unless it's the food thing that Nal said which seems fair enough:-)

[ThomThomDrum]

29 minutes ago, comfortablynumb1910 said:

Agreed.

Wasn't that long ago we were being told USA would be winning the soccer World Cup.

 

TBF it has gotten a lot bigger in the US and the recent concussion issues/public awareness in the NFL are making a lot more parents push their kids toward football and away from gridiron

And sure isnt the USA's improvements there for all to see when they get to a quarter final of a WC and even draw with the might England..........

[Comfy Bean]

24 minutes ago, ThomThomDrum said:

TBF it has gotten a lot bigger in the US and the recent concussion issues/public awareness in the NFL are making a lot more parents push their kids toward football and away from gridiron

And sure isnt the USA's improvements there for all to see when they get to a quarter final of a WC and even draw with the might England..........

All true mate.

I`m sticking with they won`t win it in my lifetime *

 

 

 

 

* Source - Paul the Octopus

[mjsell]

1 hour ago, ThomThomDrum said:

TBF it has gotten a lot bigger in the US and the recent concussion issues/public awareness in the NFL are making a lot more parents push their kids toward football and away from gridiron

And sure isnt the USA's improvements there for all to see when they get to a quarter final of a WC and even draw with the might England..........

I wasn't referring to participation rates in America - I'm fairly sure 'scocer' has been the most played sport there for quite a while now. But commercial success will never rival that of the NFL, NBA, MLB or NHL. For example NFL averages around 20 million viewers per game, whereas MLS attracts around 300,000 (with over half of those being spanish language viewers)

[pink_triangle]

7 hours ago, The Nal said:

I think Hulk and Paulinho have both played for Brazil this year but its a death sentence for an international career usually. 

 

It was a death sentence,but it's difficult to compare a time when China didn't attract top players to one that they do. 

I remembered when I first started watching football in the late 80s, England was not attracting the world's top players in great numbers. Things have changed and they probably will again.

[Celery]

8 hours ago, big__phil said:

Agreed. I always liked him as a player, and he definitely deserves to play more than he has at Chelsea over the past couple of years. He looks perfect for Serie A, but China it is.

Does anyone know if any of the Brazilians over there (there are quite a few now I think) are playing for their country?

He has definitely not deserved to play more. Such a frustrating player. So much talent and only turns up for half a season (at most). His peak for us was the goal against Juve and that was his 3rd game or something. Huge mistake by Jose binning Mata for him. Delighted we'll have £60m to spend. Hopefully send it straight to PSV for Verratti

[Hugh Jass]

I think these days players measure their worth against each other not by medals or trophies but by how much they earn. It's how we ended up with (until their recent new contracts) Rooney being paid a similar wage to Messi and Ronaldo. So if they can earn more in China than Europe than so be it. They're savvy enough to know that they'll only be out there for 2 years tops.

[Dan R]

One of the reasons I really struggle to see the CSL becoming dominant is the lack of a competitive continental competition. China seems to be competing against all the European leagues, rather than any individual one. Though that might change though if the rumblings a few months ago that European matches could be played in other continents gets more traction.

[The Nal]

14 hours ago, pink_triangle said:

It was a death sentence,but it's difficult to compare a time when China didn't attract top players to one that they do. 

I remembered when I first started watching football in the late 80s, England was not attracting the world's top players in great numbers. Things have changed and they probably will again.

Very limited at that time as it was pre Bosman. You'd really only see a handful of foreign players in any league. There was also a European ban for English clubs in the late 80s too remember. 

Thanks Liverpool. 

[TheGayTent]

Reece Oxford has signed a new 4 1/2 year contract. Now that is good news - looking forward to seeing more of him. 

[big__phil]

34 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

Reece Oxford has signed a new 4 1/2 year contract. Now that is good news - looking forward to seeing more of him. 

Hopefully the lad can focus on playing. Think he'll see more action now?

[ThomThomDrum]

1 hour ago, The Nal said:

Very limited at that time as it was pre Bosman. You'd really only see a handful of foreign players in any league. There was also a European ban for English clubs in the late 80s too remember. 

Thanks Liverpool. 

Utd fans are lucky that ban came about or it would be more than 5 fingers Pool fans stick up at ye!  

[big__phil]

Weekend games:

Sat

Crystal Palace 12:30 Chelsea

Middlesbrough 15:00 Swansea

Stoke 15:00 Leicester

Sunderland 15:00 Watford

West Ham 15:00 Hull

West Brom 17:30 Man Utd

Sun

Bournemouth 13:30 Southampton

Man City 16:00 Arsenal

Spurs 16:00 Burnley

Mon

Everton 20:00 Liverpool

Thoughts? I expect Chelsea to march on, but all the other Saturday games look like they could be close. I think a Chelsea, Boro and West Ham treble might be on the cards for my Saturday gamble.

Good looking games on Sunday and Monday though, but again pretty tough to call.

[TheGayTent]

12 minutes ago, big__phil said:

Hopefully the lad can focus on playing. Think he'll see more action now?

I'd hope so. Though being out now of the EFL cup won't help him. If he's fit, i think he'll make the bench for the FA Cup 3rd round game against Man City.