***Official Soccer Discussion Thread*** (7 Viewers)

[Tom Hagen]

Petr Cech off to Arsenal for 11M pounds. Under normal circumstances, teams dont sell key players to rivals but Cech really wanted to stay in London so Mourinho/Abramovich accomodated him. Huge coup for Arsenal - Cech is only 33 and has many good years ahead of him. I actually rated him better than Courtois last year. Wouldve prefered he was sent to PSG or Madrid or elsewhere but the club wanted to do the player right. Classy move IMO.

FWIW Chelsea already found his replacement

I hate Chelsea and everything they stand for but that was a classy move.

On the other hand, I guess it could be interpreted as TSO and Abramovich not viewing Arsenal as a serious contender.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Definitely classy from Roman, but I wouldn't rule out the possibility that Cech has been brainwashed into The Manchurian Goalkeeper.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Kind of interesting. Despite seeming like a massive value, the 11 million pounds for Cech would be the 6th most expensive GK transfer ever. Only Gigi, Neuer, De Gea, Peruzzi, and Oblak have transferred for more. Weird how GKs haven't met the same inflation every other player has. Gigi's transfer was 14 years ago.

I imagine that De Gea will appear on the list again, probably ahead of Neuer, if he goes to Madrid as expected.

 

[shader]

I like Bogdan better than Cech anyway

Go Reds!

 

[Steve Tasker]

Kind of interesting. Despite seeming like a massive value, the 11 million pounds for Cech would be the 6th most expensive GK transfer ever. Only Gigi, Neuer, De Gea, Peruzzi, and Oblak have transferred for more. Weird how GKs haven't met the same inflation every other player has. Gigi's transfer was 14 years ago.

I imagine that De Gea will appear on the list again, probably ahead of Neuer, if he goes to Madrid as expected.

Do you think part of it has to do with the top top GKs not moving often? I have to imagine guys like Casillas or Buffon in their primes would top those numbers, but they've both been with the same teams for 14+ years (Buffon 14, Casillas 16).

 

[Jaysus]

Reports claim Diego Maradona plans to run for FIFA presidencyP.S. that would be the best thing in the history of history.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

I like Bogdan better than Cech anyway

Go Reds!

To paraphrase the Deluded Brendan Twitter account, whenever you have a chance to secure a key cog in the Bolton team that finished 18th in the Championship, you have to take it.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Kind of interesting. Despite seeming like a massive value, the 11 million pounds for Cech would be the 6th most expensive GK transfer ever. Only Gigi, Neuer, De Gea, Peruzzi, and Oblak have transferred for more. Weird how GKs haven't met the same inflation every other player has. Gigi's transfer was 14 years ago.

I imagine that De Gea will appear on the list again, probably ahead of Neuer, if he goes to Madrid as expected.

Do you think part of it has to do with the top top GKs not moving often? I have to imagine guys like Casillas or Buffon in their primes would top those numbers, but they've both been with the same teams for 14+ years (Buffon 14, Casillas 16).

That's kind of a chicken and egg thing, don't you think. Casillas, it seems to me, is an example of the type of homegrown star who its really hard to lure away, no matter the fee. In the same way that Xavi and Gerrard were going to finish their meaningful, top-flight careers for someone else.

But otherwise, it just seems that teams rarely project with goaltenders they way they do with field players. Mangala can demand a 30 million plus transfer fee when nobody knows if he'll ever be a top 10 CB. That just doesn't happen with keepers. Maybe teams feel that the position is super deep after the top 4 or 5 guys, but I don't think that's the case. Guys like LLoris are worth double-digit points in the league, IMO.

 

[Sebowski]

Kind of interesting. Despite seeming like a massive value, the 11 million pounds for Cech would be the 6th most expensive GK transfer ever. Only Gigi, Neuer, De Gea, Peruzzi, and Oblak have transferred for more. Weird how GKs haven't met the same inflation every other player has. Gigi's transfer was 14 years ago.

I imagine that De Gea will appear on the list again, probably ahead of Neuer, if he goes to Madrid as expected.

Do you think part of it has to do with the top top GKs not moving often? I have to imagine guys like Casillas or Buffon in their primes would top those numbers, but they've both been with the same teams for 14+ years (Buffon 14, Casillas 16).

That's kind of a chicken and egg thing, don't you think. Casillas, it seems to me, is an example of the type of homegrown star who its really hard to lure away, no matter the fee. In the same way that Xavi and Gerrard were going to finish their meaningful, top-flight careers for someone else.

But otherwise, it just seems that teams rarely project with goaltenders they way they do with field players. Mangala can demand a 30 million plus transfer fee when nobody knows if he'll ever be a top 10 CB. That just doesn't happen with keepers. Maybe teams feel that the position is super deep after the top 4 or 5 guys, but I don't think that's the case. Guys like LLoris are worth double-digit points in the league, IMO.

Yet no one is going after Lloris.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Kind of interesting. Despite seeming like a massive value, the 11 million pounds for Cech would be the 6th most expensive GK transfer ever. Only Gigi, Neuer, De Gea, Peruzzi, and Oblak have transferred for more. Weird how GKs haven't met the same inflation every other player has. Gigi's transfer was 14 years ago.

I imagine that De Gea will appear on the list again, probably ahead of Neuer, if he goes to Madrid as expected.

Do you think part of it has to do with the top top GKs not moving often? I have to imagine guys like Casillas or Buffon in their primes would top those numbers, but they've both been with the same teams for 14+ years (Buffon 14, Casillas 16).

That's kind of a chicken and egg thing, don't you think. Casillas, it seems to me, is an example of the type of homegrown star who its really hard to lure away, no matter the fee. In the same way that Xavi and Gerrard were going to finish their meaningful, top-flight careers for someone else.

But otherwise, it just seems that teams rarely project with goaltenders they way they do with field players. Mangala can demand a 30 million plus transfer fee when nobody knows if he'll ever be a top 10 CB. That just doesn't happen with keepers. Maybe teams feel that the position is super deep after the top 4 or 5 guys, but I don't think that's the case. Guys like LLoris are worth double-digit points in the league, IMO.

Yet no one is going after Lloris.

there are rumors that Man U would pursue Lloris if De Gea leaves.

 

[CGRdrJoe]

Time to slay some Columbian ###

 

[Steve Tasker]

Kind of interesting. Despite seeming like a massive value, the 11 million pounds for Cech would be the 6th most expensive GK transfer ever. Only Gigi, Neuer, De Gea, Peruzzi, and Oblak have transferred for more. Weird how GKs haven't met the same inflation every other player has. Gigi's transfer was 14 years ago.

I imagine that De Gea will appear on the list again, probably ahead of Neuer, if he goes to Madrid as expected.

Do you think part of it has to do with the top top GKs not moving often? I have to imagine guys like Casillas or Buffon in their primes would top those numbers, but they've both been with the same teams for 14+ years (Buffon 14, Casillas 16).

That's kind of a chicken and egg thing, don't you think. Casillas, it seems to me, is an example of the type of homegrown star who its really hard to lure away, no matter the fee. In the same way that Xavi and Gerrard were going to finish their meaningful, top-flight careers for someone else.

But otherwise, it just seems that teams rarely project with goaltenders they way they do with field players. Mangala can demand a 30 million plus transfer fee when nobody knows if he'll ever be a top 10 CB. That just doesn't happen with keepers. Maybe teams feel that the position is super deep after the top 4 or 5 guys, but I don't think that's the case. Guys like LLoris are worth double-digit points in the league, IMO.

That's true. It does seem like teams can plug-and-play GKs moreso than other positions, maybe the consensus is that it is deeper....or, perhaps, the difference between the best GK and a mid-level GK is a lot closer than a top CB and a mid-level CB. Value-based drafting, if you will.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

Petr Cech off to Arsenal for 11M pounds. Under normal circumstances, teams dont sell key players to rivals but Cech really wanted to stay in London so Mourinho/Abramovich accomodated him. Huge coup for Arsenal - Cech is only 33 and has many good years ahead of him. I actually rated him better than Courtois last year. Wouldve prefered he was sent to PSG or Madrid or elsewhere but the club wanted to do the player right. Classy move IMO.

FWIW Chelsea already found his replacement

I hate Chelsea and everything they stand for but that was a classy move.

On the other hand, I guess it could be interpreted as TSO and Abramovich not viewing Arsenal as a serious contender.

Still just a rumor as far as I can tell but a very strong one. The club has shown many times in recent years it will respect a player's wishes and if Cech wants to stay in London there's really only one club that can make that happen.

 

[Slapdash]

Petr Cech off to Arsenal for 11M pounds. Under normal circumstances, teams dont sell key players to rivals but Cech really wanted to stay in London so Mourinho/Abramovich accomodated him. Huge coup for Arsenal - Cech is only 33 and has many good years ahead of him. I actually rated him better than Courtois last year. Wouldve prefered he was sent to PSG or Madrid or elsewhere but the club wanted to do the player right. Classy move IMO.

FWIW Chelsea already found his replacement

I hate Chelsea and everything they stand for but that was a classy move.

On the other hand, I guess it could be interpreted as TSO and Abramovich not viewing Arsenal as a serious contender.

Still just a rumor as far as I can tell but a very strong one. The club has shown many times in recent years it will respect a player's wishes and if Cech wants to stay in London there's really only one club that can make that happen.

QPR?

 

[Christo]

Petr Cech off to Arsenal for 11M pounds. Under normal circumstances, teams dont sell key players to rivals but Cech really wanted to stay in London so Mourinho/Abramovich accomodated him. Huge coup for Arsenal - Cech is only 33 and has many good years ahead of him. I actually rated him better than Courtois last year. Wouldve prefered he was sent to PSG or Madrid or elsewhere but the club wanted to do the player right. Classy move IMO.

FWIW Chelsea already found his replacement

I hate Chelsea and everything they stand for but that was a classy move.

On the other hand, I guess it could be interpreted as TSO and Abramovich not viewing Arsenal as a serious contender.

Still just a rumor as far as I can tell but a very strong one. The club has shown many times in recent years it will respect a player's wishes and if Cech wants to stay in London there's really only one club that can make that happen.

QPR?

Hell, yeah. He doesn't even need a green card to play for QPR.

 

[roadkill1292]

Why can't Serie A keep the crooks out? Long story here about Parma in particular but this seems like a serious cultural/financial problem infecting the whole league.

 

[Steve Tasker]

Why can't Serie A keep the crooks out? Long story here about Parma in particular but this seems like a serious cultural/financial problem infecting the whole league.

Manenti first met the team at Centro Sportivo. “He promised a lot of things, like millions of euros would be here in a few days,” Lucarelli told me. “We had just had six months of all these promises, that the millions would be here. So this was another time when someone promised a lot. We weren’t impressed.”

Manenti is a shaggily dressed, unshaven middle-aged man from a small town outside Milan. At the time he drove a black Citroën C3. “It is like a Ford Fiesta,” Farnetti said. “It is the car that you use as the second car in your family.”

In the last two years, Manenti had failed in his attempts to buy the Serie B teams Pro Vercelli and Brescia. He ran a business based in Slovenia called the Mapi Group, which allegedly made its money acting as a go-between for business interests. When a reporter from Sky Sport 24 visited its headquarters on the edge of a tiny town on the border of Italy, she found a two-story residential house with a small note taped to the mailbox that read, “Mapi Group”. In his first weeks as owner, Manenti repeated daily to the press the same promise he had given to the team. But no money ever surfaced.

“It is like copy and paste,” Lucarelli said at the February press conference. Earlier that month, to go to Slovenia to “unblock the bank transfers,” Manenti reportedly used money from the little that remained in Parma’s possession. Shortly after he returned, his Citroën was towed for $2,000 in unpaid parking tickets. The car, it turned out, was registered to his father. One reporter discovered that, only a few years earlier, he’d interviewed for a job slicing deli meat at a supermarket – and had been passed over. He was said to have made his “fortune” selling olives and olive oil on eBay. The phrase “bonifico da Manenti” (“Manenti bank transfer”) went viral. One Photoshop creation depicted a skeleton on a park bench. The caption read: “He was waiting for a Manenti bank transfer.”

jesus christ

 

[The Z Machine]

Mandzukic to Juve is finalized. I'm excited he's not on the squad. Now sign a striker for goodness sakes, Atleti!

 

[roadkill1292]

Why can't Serie A keep the crooks out? Long story here about Parma in particular but this seems like a serious cultural/financial problem infecting the whole league.

Manenti first met the team at Centro Sportivo. “He promised a lot of things, like millions of euros would be here in a few days,” Lucarelli told me. “We had just had six months of all these promises, that the millions would be here. So this was another time when someone promised a lot. We weren’t impressed.”

Manenti is a shaggily dressed, unshaven middle-aged man from a small town outside Milan. At the time he drove a black Citroën C3. “It is like a Ford Fiesta,” Farnetti said. “It is the car that you use as the second car in your family.”

In the last two years, Manenti had failed in his attempts to buy the Serie B teams Pro Vercelli and Brescia. He ran a business based in Slovenia called the Mapi Group, which allegedly made its money acting as a go-between for business interests. When a reporter from Sky Sport 24 visited its headquarters on the edge of a tiny town on the border of Italy, she found a two-story residential house with a small note taped to the mailbox that read, “Mapi Group”. In his first weeks as owner, Manenti repeated daily to the press the same promise he had given to the team. But no money ever surfaced.

“It is like copy and paste,” Lucarelli said at the February press conference. Earlier that month, to go to Slovenia to “unblock the bank transfers,” Manenti reportedly used money from the little that remained in Parma’s possession. Shortly after he returned, his Citroën was towed for $2,000 in unpaid parking tickets. The car, it turned out, was registered to his father. One reporter discovered that, only a few years earlier, he’d interviewed for a job slicing deli meat at a supermarket – and had been passed over. He was said to have made his “fortune” selling olives and olive oil on eBay. The phrase “bonifico da Manenti” (“Manenti bank transfer”) went viral. One Photoshop creation depicted a skeleton on a park bench. The caption read: “He was waiting for a Manenti bank transfer.”

jesus christ

The last two Parma ownership transfers were for 1 euro each, mostly because the first selling owner had stolen more out of the club than his original purchase price and was still ahead by giving the club away. At this point, why didn't the fans step in and buy it? Unless you're those thieving Spaniards who have figured out how to rape their local banks and governments (hi, Z!), it seems like it's a lot more senseless to rip your own club off. (edit to clarify -- fans are less likely to steal from the club than an individual crooked owner, fans want their team to use their money to win)

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Mandzukic to Juve is finalized. I'm excited he's not on the squad. Now sign a striker for goodness sakes, Atleti!

Just for you.

Transfer Centre ‏@CentreTransfer 15m15 minutes ago
Atletico Madrid are interested in signing Manchester United's Mexico striker Javier Hernández. (talkSPORT)

 

[Kafka]

Why can't Serie A keep the crooks out? Long story here about Parma in particular but this seems like a serious cultural/financial problem infecting the whole league.

Not to mention, Serie B Sicilian side Catania has just been implicated in another Italian match-fixing scandal; they were just relegated last year. Absurd.

 

[Native]

Roberto Firmino now 1/3 to sign for Liverpool. Rumored fee is 25M pounds. I imagine he is being brought in as Sterling's replacement. If so thats good business as they should cash big on him.

 

[Steve Tasker]

That Parma article is a pretty good read, btw.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

It seems Firmino's been linked with Liverpool for 3 years at least.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Its sad that Italian football is such a mess because I'm not sure we can trust in the resurgence of Serie A. Right now, Italian players are some of the biggest bargains in Europe. Giovinco is apparently the highest paid Italian footballer for Christ's sake. Guys like Marchesio make less playing for Juventus than guys who can't get off the bench for QPR. But is that sustainable? What's to stop Liverpool from getting in Marchesio's ear with the prospect of paying him a very reasonable (for him) 100K pounds/week? Its not just a matter of Juventus possibly losing Pogba to a mega club, they've got a bunch of players they're going to have to pay more or risk losing to more financially active leagues.

And Juventus is one of the teams in good shape. They'll survive paying more for players. But when they do, then the minnows are going to have an even harder time keeping talent because they don't have the luxury of the top domestic teams being somewhat frugal as has been the case the past 5 years or so.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Sounds like Zizou has already elegantly inserted the dagger into Benitez's back.

NBC Sports Soccer ‏@NBCSportsSoccer 53m53 minutes ago
Zinedine Zidane: "I would have accepted being Ancelotti's successor" at Real Madrid | #RMFC | http://wp.me/p2g4vo-1oya

 

[roadkill1292]

An interesting tidbit in that long Parma article, and one that reinforced mutterings I'd heard before, was that Serie A is the recipient of a very lucrative television contract. I think it might have been discussed here some weeks ago how much Juve got from Champions League advancement in comparison to better teams from leagues with less tv revenue.

You'd think those television guys would be a little more forceful in sticking their noses into the crap that goes on in Italian futbol and getting it cleaned up a little.

 

[El Floppo]

Its sad that Italian football is such a mess because I'm not sure we can trust in the resurgence of Serie A. Right now, Italian players are some of the biggest bargains in Europe. Giovinco is apparently the highest paid Italian footballer for Christ's sake. Guys like Marchesio make less playing for Juventus than guys who can't get off the bench for QPR. But is that sustainable? What's to stop Liverpool from getting in Marchesio's ear with the prospect of paying him a very reasonable (for him) 100K pounds/week? Its not just a matter of Juventus possibly losing Pogba to a mega club, they've got a bunch of players they're going to have to pay more or risk losing to more financially active leagues.

And Juventus is one of the teams in good shape. They'll survive paying more for players. But when they do, then the minnows are going to have an even harder time keeping talent because they don't have the luxury of the top domestic teams being somewhat frugal as has been the case the past 5 years or so.

yeah- I was astonished when Giovinco came over to MLS at how little (comparatively) the top earners are making in Serie A. IIRC, the LCD is decent, but it doesn't really go too far up from there. as you say, really tough to keep stars in the league when there are several leagues out there willing to pay.

 

[The Gator]

@neiljonesecho: #LFC agree deal to sign Roberto Firmino from Hoffenheim http://t.co/QeShkwO1auhttp://t.co/o4sYAedMNB

It is believed the deal will make the 23-year-old the Reds’ second most expensive player ever, with a fee in the region of £25m-£30m.

Bit on the top end there, but happy with this.

 

[shader]

@neiljonesecho: #LFC agree deal to sign Roberto Firmino from Hoffenheim http://t.co/QeShkwO1auhttp://t.co/o4sYAedMNB

It is believed the deal will make the 23-year-old the Reds second most expensive player ever, with a fee in the region of £25m-£30m.

Bit on the top end there, but happy with this.

I'm pumped!

 

[El Floppo]

Lfcs last couple of Italians have been pretty great, so this should go well.

 

[The Gator]

Lfcs last couple of Italians have been pretty great, so this should go well.

He's the Brazilian Neymar

 

[CletiusMaximus]

@neiljonesecho: #LFC agree deal to sign Roberto Firmino from Hoffenheim http://t.co/QeShkwO1auhttp://t.co/o4sYAedMNB

It is believed the deal will make the 23-year-old the Reds’ second most expensive player ever, with a fee in the region of £25m-£30m.

Bit on the top end there, but happy with this.

Just think of it as Firmino AND James Milner for a combined £25-30m and it looks much better.

 

[El Floppo]

Lfcs last couple of Italians have been pretty great, so this should go well.

He's the Brazilian Neymar

Exactly. And look how that guy turned out

 

[The Gator]

Lfcs last couple of Italians have been pretty great, so this should go well.

He's the Brazilian Neymar

Exactly. And look how that guy turned out

I just spit up my water

 

[The Z Machine]

There are very strong rumors that Jackson Martinez (Colombian) will sign for Atlético from Porto for 35m euro. Arsenal and Milan were both after him, but he preferred to be in Spain. The guy dropped 28 goals in league and CL play. He's strong but not slow like Mandzukic. Great signing to pair with Griezmann IMO. Just the type of player to work in Simeone's game plan. Atleti have had great success bringing in South American forwards that have played in Portugal (Falcao, Costa). I guess the only downside to him is that he's 28 years old (although he looks about 5 years younger than Falcao who says he's 29).

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

@neiljonesecho: #LFC agree deal to sign Roberto Firmino from Hoffenheim http://t.co/QeShkwO1auhttp://t.co/o4sYAedMNB

It is believed the deal will make the 23-year-old the Reds’ second most expensive player ever, with a fee in the region of £25m-£30m.

Bit on the top end there, but happy with this.

That means he should be better than Suarez, but worse than Andy Carroll.

 

[El Floppo]

Lolz

 

[The Gator]

@neiljonesecho: #LFC agree deal to sign Roberto Firmino from Hoffenheim http://t.co/QeShkwO1auhttp://t.co/o4sYAedMNB

It is believed the deal will make the 23-year-old the Reds second most expensive player ever, with a fee in the region of £25m-£30m.

Bit on the top end there, but happy with this.

That means he should be better than Suarez, but worse than Andy Carroll.

[#10127] You have reached your quota of positive votes for the day

 

[El Floppo]

Patrick Vieira is Man Citys coach?

Totally missed that happening.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

There are very strong rumors that Jackson Martinez (Colombian) will sign for Atlético from Porto for 35m euro. Arsenal and Milan were both after him, but he preferred to be in Spain. The guy dropped 28 goals in league and CL play. He's strong but not slow like Mandzukic. Great signing to pair with Griezmann IMO. Just the type of player to work in Simeone's game plan. Atleti have had great success bringing in South American forwards that have played in Portugal (Falcao, Costa). I guess the only downside to him is that he's 28 years old (although he looks about 5 years younger than Falcao who says he's 29).

You dare to contradict Di Marzio?

I still see lots of Martinez to Arsenal rumors. I have some trepidation. When I've seen him, admittedly mostly for Colombia, he kind of drives me crazy. He gets chances, I suppose. But he's not a particularly elegant striker. More of a blunt force instrument. And I don't love his link up play. And the fees being mooted are being high. I can't help thinking that Real would listen to that type of offer for Benzema, who I continue to think is the perfect striker for Arsenal.

EDIT: I guess Jackson's agent confirmed that Atleti met his buyout clause. That doesn't necessarily preclude another team meeting it, I suppose, but it does seem pretty advanced.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Patrick Vieira is Man Citys coach?

Totally missed that happening.

He's been on the coaching staff ever since finishing his career there as a player, I believe.

 

[roadkill1292]

I guess I haven't been involved with PL long enough to get all the Andy Carroll jokes. I love that guy. He reminds me of a crazy forward on my college's basketball team from whom I purchased lots of weed.

One last thought about Serie A -- it's sort of sadly similar to what's happening in Brazil with owners looting the clubs, killing the leagues and the fans, and squandering way too much of that superb homegrown talent.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

The joke is that Liverpool paid 54 million pounds for him and got 6 league goals out of it.

On his day, Carroll looks unplayable, but he's always injured or working his way back into form.

 

[Christo]

I guess I haven't been involved with PL long enough to get all the Andy Carroll jokes. I love that guy. He reminds me of a crazy forward on my college's basketball team from whom I purchased lots of weed.

One last thought about Serie A -- it's sort of sadly similar to what's happening in Brazil with owners looting the clubs, killing the leagues and the fans, and squandering way too much of that superb homegrown talent.

The only thing wrong with Ol' Andy is his injury history. Not everyone can be Messi. These guys are just jealous. And look at those flowing locks!

 

[charvik]

https://vine.co/v/ee5ABmiXUKh

 

[roadkill1292]

The joke is that Liverpool paid 54 million pounds for him and got 6 league goals out of it.

On his day, Carroll looks unplayable, but he's always injured or working his way back into form.

That helps. Seems to happen a lot more often in big time futbol than in American sports, guys failing to duplicate earlier performances when they change teams. The relationship with the other 10 guys wearing the same jersey must be more delicately balanced.

Osvaldo, snicker.

 

[shader]

Firmino official! Great Sterling replacement!

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

The joke is that Liverpool paid 54 million pounds for him and got 6 league goals out of it.

On his day, Carroll looks unplayable, but he's always injured or working his way back into form.

That helps. Seems to happen a lot more often in big time futbol than in American sports, guys failing to duplicate earlier performances when they change teams. The relationship with the other 10 guys wearing the same jersey must be more delicately balanced.

Osvaldo, snicker.

Carroll was young. He probably had less than 15 total PL goals when that transfer took place. Liverpool had to sell Torres and he was on a hot tear for Newcastle. In retrospect, it was kind of insane to pay that much for such an unproven player. Torres, at least, had a record of EPL success. Of course, he might have been a bigger bust.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

The joke is that Liverpool paid 54 million pounds for him and got 6 league goals out of it.

On his day, Carroll looks unplayable, but he's always injured or working his way back into form.

That helps. Seems to happen a lot more often in big time futbol than in American sports, guys failing to duplicate earlier performances when they change teams. The relationship with the other 10 guys wearing the same jersey must be more delicately balanced.Osvaldo, snicker.

Carroll was young. He probably had less than 15 total PL goals when that transfer took place. Liverpool had to sell Torres and he was on a hot tear for Newcastle. In retrospect, it was kind of insane to pay that much for such an unproven player. Torres, at least, had a record of EPL success. Of course, he might have been a bigger bust.

Somewhat interestingly, I think Carrol's fee is still the second highest paid for an English player, with Rio's transfer to United still top even after a dozen or more years have passed. I think Beckham to Madrid is third. Perhaps all will shift down a peg if Sterling moves this summer.