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***Official Soccer Discussion Thread*** (12 Viewers)
- Thread starter Ramsay Hunt Experience
- Start date
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
Eephus
Footballguy
25 caps seems very achievable. He has 6 already. Les Bleus' forwards are aging--Giroud and Benzema are 29 and 28 respectively. I had no idea that Gignac is playing in Mexico for Tigres. France always seems to have young talent in the domestic league but Martial is both younger and more well established than other young prospects for national team action.
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
And Benzema is, of course, banned from the national team at the moment.
Of course, Martial is kind of wide forward who can play striker. That puts him in competition with Griezmann. And Coman is likely to play a traditional wide role.
Eephus
Footballguy
FreeBaGeL
Footballguy
This is my first year following European football and I'm watching an FA Cup game between Tottenham and Leicester. Both teams deciding to sit a few of their best players even though it's a knockout game and they have no injuries. Do teams/people just not care about the FA Cup at all to the point where teams are letting their best players have a little extra rest instead of playing in an elimination game?
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
Yes. The further you get in the competition, the more likely you'll get a first choice squad, but the fixture congestion in the winter is so insane in England that most PL teams use a rotation squad for domestic cup competitions.
This - plus both teams involved in the race for a top-4 finish. I think you will find that mid-table squads are more likely to play closer to full strength. But even then you'll see teams use these early round games to give game time to some younger prospects.Ramsay Hunt Experience said:
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
I don't know how many time I made that rationalization for Bendtner on Arsenal forums. Sooner or later, you have to finish your dinner.
El Floppo
Footballguy
absolutely.
would you rather have the guy who gets a couple of chances a game and scores one of them, or the guy who creates a bunch of chances and scores none. unless it's against the US. ####### bendtner.
I do think that a guy like Pato with a decent tradition of scoring- again, I think of him being similar to Chachi in playing style- is going to get back on track or on a streak with the scoring, like Chachi has. Keep himself busy, keep popping up in the good spots and goals will come. Then again... did Cheech ever stop scoring? just needed the minutes?
Eephus
Footballguy
The obvious question re: Pato at Stamford Bridge is what opportunities he'll have for consistent playing time. If he's going to replace Diego Costa in the starting lineup, his chances for success are probably improved. But if he's going to get the occasional 20-30 minute runout, then it's going to be a lot tougher to adapt to a new system, teammates and culture.
I honestly haven't seen him since his time in Italy which is almost ancient history in soccer terms.
I honestly haven't seen him since his time in Italy which is almost ancient history in soccer terms.
jonessed
Footballguy
That's basically his job, which he is only doing part of. There are some forwards that have more to their game; e.g. hold-up play, work rate, build-up, assists, etc. Pato doesn't have those qualities (at least as I recall with his time in Italy). If he isn't scoring he isn't much use.
He might be able to be revived somewhere. He is still relatively young and he was a scoring machine in Milan. It's a risk though. I can't imagine anyone paying a lot.
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Eephus
Footballguy
Those Milan teams were loaded but only managed one Scudetto while Pato was there (Zlatan and Robinho were also in the squad). Juventus was in a down cycle following the fixing scandals.
Copy of Bale's Transfer Agreement to Real Madrid
Kind of cool, if you like seeing the business end of the sport. Only interesting tidbits were the amount of the Transfer: £78M or €91M; and Spurs hold the exclusive right to match any transfer offer to a EPL club until 2019 (RM have to accept Spurs matching offer, and no others).
Kind of cool, if you like seeing the business end of the sport. Only interesting tidbits were the amount of the Transfer: £78M or €91M; and Spurs hold the exclusive right to match any transfer offer to a EPL club until 2019 (RM have to accept Spurs matching offer, and no others).
jonessed
Footballguy
I would think they would exercise the clause, only if they could flip Bale for more money. Not sure Spurs could fit him into the team given the existing transfer budget, and payroll structure.
ETA - there was also a clause that effectively did this that expired in 2015 - if Spurs declined to match an offer, RM were required to pay £10M to Spurs if they transferred Bale to an EPL club.
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Sebowski
Footballguy
Kaká was on ESPNFC yesterday. Really impressed me as a commentator. Anyway, he mentioned how he sees the Brazilian national team on the way up. Hearing this plus all the Pato news.... Brazil is clearly missing a true striker. They have turned over every Fred in search of one without going back to Pato. Why is Pato getting so much tread on the transfer market, but no love from the national team. What would a team with: Neymar, Hulk, Pato, Robinho, Kaká, and Ronaldinho do today? I'd bet they'd kick ### in FIFA. David Luiz and Dani Alves can hold the backline.
Tom Hagen
Footballguy
The latest Deloitte money league report is out for anyone who shares my love of football and accounting 
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
I love how they state that the new EPL contract makes it a very real possibility that all 20 premiere league teams will be in the top 30 within 2 years.The latest Deloitte money league report is out for anyone who shares my love of football and accounting
West Ham is already basically even with Inter.
Poke_4_Life
Footballguy
I think the better question is why Jonas isn't getting more play w/ the Brazil national team. He's playing for Benfica in Portuguese league and has 18 goals in 17 games this season. He's 31, but still has plenty of gas in the tank. He's a major reason Benfica is still in the UCL also.
Oh, and you forgot Thiago Silva on the backline.
Eephus
Footballguy
Would Pato even qualify for a work permit? I haven't heard of him getting an EU passport during his stint in Italy and regardless he's been back in Brazil for the past three years. He hasn't been in the Selecao either so he wouldn't qualify via the national team appearances route either.
Sebowski
Footballguy
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
Interesting perspectives from both Lampard and Gerrard.
=========================================
New York City FC's Frank Lampard and LA Galaxy's Steven Gerrard think that top young international players should join Major League Soccer
MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif.—Frank Lampard believes that Major League Soccer would be an excellent option for good, young foreign players who might be a year or two – or more – away from being able to break into Europe's biggest clubs.
The English midfielder, who joined New York City FC last summer, said the experience would be invaluable for talented youngsters, and his countryman Steven Gerrard of the LA Galaxy agrees.
“If I was to go back in time and someone was to offer me a chance at 17 or 18 years of age, if I can't get into Manchester City or Chelsea or Bayern Munich or whatever team there may be around the world, come and play in MLS,” Lampard said, at MLS's media roundtable Tuesday in Southern California. “Come and play in front of people, come and play where results matter rather than playing in the Under-21 leagues or friendly games.
“I think it would be a great experience for them, [to] come and live in a country that's got great culture, that's interesting, [where you can] learn as you grow up as a person. I think it's a huge thing. … If I spoke to a young English player, I'd tell him to come here in a heartbeat.”
Lampard, 37, grew up in West Ham United's system and was seeing regular time with the Hammers by the time he was 19. He spent the bulk of his career with Chelsea and played last season with Manchester City before coming to MLS.
Gerrard, 35, who spent 17 years with his hometown Liverpool FC before joining the Galaxy last summer, said he thought such a move would be “a fantastic experience” for young players but warned that MLS needs to prioritize American talent.
“It's a very physical, demanding league,” Gerrard said, at the roundtable. “I think it would be good for them to man up and grow and get some really good experience, but also if the MLS can maybe relax the rules slightly to attract even more quality players in, it would be great, but at the same time keep the balance right so the American young kids are still getting the chance to grow and become good players for the national team. I think that's where you have to get the balance right.”
It'd difficult for young players, no matter how talented, to break into the biggest European clubs, which generally are stocked with the world's finest international players. Many play in reserve-league games or spend time on loan to lower division clubs.
Some Euro-based clubs like Tottenham and Manchester City, which is NYCFC's sister club, have already started experimenting with loaning players to MLS like Simon Dawkins, Shay Facey andAngelino with varying degrees of success. While none of those prospects are considered to be as highly-touted as Lampard and Gerrard were in their teens, it could eventually lead to more blue-chip youngsters honing their skills in North America.
“With top clubs, there's a patch of young boys, where they struggle to get into the team, like, from 16, 17 up to maybe 20, 21 sometimes,” Lampard said. “Rather than tread water and play in Under-21 leagues or the reserve leagues, come and play [in MLS], come and put pressure on yourself, come and have 25,000, 30,000 people scrutinizing you [in the stadium] or watching you on TV.
“That's a different level, and that's what makes players grow quickly.”
=========================================
New York City FC's Frank Lampard and LA Galaxy's Steven Gerrard think that top young international players should join Major League Soccer
MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif.—Frank Lampard believes that Major League Soccer would be an excellent option for good, young foreign players who might be a year or two – or more – away from being able to break into Europe's biggest clubs.
The English midfielder, who joined New York City FC last summer, said the experience would be invaluable for talented youngsters, and his countryman Steven Gerrard of the LA Galaxy agrees.
“If I was to go back in time and someone was to offer me a chance at 17 or 18 years of age, if I can't get into Manchester City or Chelsea or Bayern Munich or whatever team there may be around the world, come and play in MLS,” Lampard said, at MLS's media roundtable Tuesday in Southern California. “Come and play in front of people, come and play where results matter rather than playing in the Under-21 leagues or friendly games.
“I think it would be a great experience for them, [to] come and live in a country that's got great culture, that's interesting, [where you can] learn as you grow up as a person. I think it's a huge thing. … If I spoke to a young English player, I'd tell him to come here in a heartbeat.”
Lampard, 37, grew up in West Ham United's system and was seeing regular time with the Hammers by the time he was 19. He spent the bulk of his career with Chelsea and played last season with Manchester City before coming to MLS.
Gerrard, 35, who spent 17 years with his hometown Liverpool FC before joining the Galaxy last summer, said he thought such a move would be “a fantastic experience” for young players but warned that MLS needs to prioritize American talent.
“It's a very physical, demanding league,” Gerrard said, at the roundtable. “I think it would be good for them to man up and grow and get some really good experience, but also if the MLS can maybe relax the rules slightly to attract even more quality players in, it would be great, but at the same time keep the balance right so the American young kids are still getting the chance to grow and become good players for the national team. I think that's where you have to get the balance right.”
It'd difficult for young players, no matter how talented, to break into the biggest European clubs, which generally are stocked with the world's finest international players. Many play in reserve-league games or spend time on loan to lower division clubs.
Some Euro-based clubs like Tottenham and Manchester City, which is NYCFC's sister club, have already started experimenting with loaning players to MLS like Simon Dawkins, Shay Facey andAngelino with varying degrees of success. While none of those prospects are considered to be as highly-touted as Lampard and Gerrard were in their teens, it could eventually lead to more blue-chip youngsters honing their skills in North America.
“With top clubs, there's a patch of young boys, where they struggle to get into the team, like, from 16, 17 up to maybe 20, 21 sometimes,” Lampard said. “Rather than tread water and play in Under-21 leagues or the reserve leagues, come and play [in MLS], come and put pressure on yourself, come and have 25,000, 30,000 people scrutinizing you [in the stadium] or watching you on TV.
“That's a different level, and that's what makes players grow quickly.”
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The Z Machine
Footballguy
Dunno. I think with the transfer ban looming, Atleti would be loath to sell their best goal scorer right now. That would signal that they are willing to write off a whole season. He has a transfer fee clause of like 45m GBP, which if I were Atleti, I might consider bumping by another 15m GBP.
The issue is that Atlético simply has no other players that consistently score right now.
I am actually more concerned about losing Simeone to either Chelsea or United.
CletiusMaximus
Footballguy
Jaysus
Good times!
gianmarco
Footballguy
B Maverick
Footballguy
Ashley Young (groin) joining Shaw (leg) and Rojo (Shoulder) on the surgery list. Guess we will see more Varela or Bothwick-Jackson unless LVG can buy some more defenders.
Sadly still cant get Fellaini out of the damn lineup!
Sadly still cant get Fellaini out of the damn lineup!
Sammy3469
Footballguy
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
Please, my Arsenal Benzema jersey has little hearts beside the name.gianmarco said:
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
El Floppo
Footballguy
El Floppo
Footballguy
The slide from behind and the bump... both worthy of pks, imoWTF was Moreno thinking?
CletiusMaximus
Footballguy
impact signing
El Floppo
Footballguy
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
I imagine that most Liverpool bloggers have a macro that posts this message, given how often they need to use it.WTF was Moreno thinking?
