: Mon Feb 09, 2009 5:18 pm  

keithcun wrote:

Typical kneejerkery modern day football fuelled by Championship Manager fans.

Spot on, IMO.

This kneee-jerk reaction thing has reached fever pitch this season. Liverpool lose at the weekend and it's "title dreams are over and Benitez is under pressure". Then on teh Wednresday Liverpool win and it's "Liverpool on fire".

Liverpool have lost the league about 10 times this season, and won it on about 12 occasions.

I blame the press.

: Mon Feb 09, 2009 5:20 pm  

keithcun wrote:

Typical kneejerkery modern day football fuelled by Championship Manager fans.

Benitez has outlived a few managers since he was due to be sacked the other Christmas.

: Mon Feb 09, 2009 5:21 pm  

Lord_Percy wrote:

I mentioned this a while back. Do either Cech or Torres count? They're about the best I can think of.

I'd certainly agree with Torres.

I'm not saying no English club has signed a 'world class' footballer. I'm making the point that it rarely happens, yet we have managed to do it.

: Mon Feb 09, 2009 5:22 pm  

MrPhilb wrote:

Sven should get the chelsea job

Good call.

: Mon Feb 09, 2009 5:23 pm  

Nemanja wrote:

Benitez has outlived a few managers since he was due to be sacked the other Christmas.

Thank god, but with the yanks "eyeing up" Klinsmann, it was probably more to do with fans reaction at the time than their willingness to keep him, that kept him at the club.

: Mon Feb 09, 2009 5:24 pm  

Enfield Exile wrote:

I'd certainly agree with Torres.

I'm not saying no English club has signed a 'world class' footballer. I'm making the point that it rarely happens, yet we have managed to do it.

Oh, I agree. For all the talk about this being the best in the world (which is highly debatable) and the richest (which it almost certainly is) the players signed have, in the main, not been the very, very best players. We've had good players, sure, but the real quality inevitably still ends up in Spain or Italy.

: Mon Feb 09, 2009 5:29 pm  

Michael Owen was when he signed for Newcastle


Veron when he signed for United?

Crespo when he went to chelsea?

Tevez and Mascerano to the hammers?


Hmmm all argies whats going on

: Mon Feb 09, 2009 5:32 pm  

Lord_Percy wrote:

Oh, I agree. For all the talk about this being the best in the world (which is highly debatable) and the richest (which it almost certainly is) the players signed have, in the main, not been the very, very best players. We've had good players, sure, but the real quality inevitably still ends up in Spain or Italy.

I have always held the same opinion.

Sheikh Mansoor could change that though. I'd love to see the best players in the world play in England. It would be great if an English club, I don't care who, managed to sign Messi. That would be incredible. It would certainly make me want to watch that team more often.

: Mon Feb 09, 2009 5:33 pm  

Lord_Percy wrote:

Oh, I agree. For all the talk about this being the best in the world (which is highly debatable) and the richest (which it almost certainly is) the players signed have, in the main, not been the very, very best players. We've had good players, sure, but the real quality inevitably still ends up in Spain or Italy.

But then again, when to Spanish and Italian sides sign World Class players from abroad? Kaka for example, bought from Sao Paulo, Robinho from Santos iirc, Ronaldinho wasn't world class imo at the time he signed from PSG. Messi came through the Barca system etc.

: Mon Feb 09, 2009 5:37 pm  

Lord_Percy wrote:

Oh, I agree. For all the talk about this being the best in the world (which is highly debatable) and the richest (which it almost certainly is) the players signed have, in the main, not been the very, very best players. We've had good players, sure, but the real quality inevitably still ends up in Spain or Italy.

I'm not sure, English clubs never really sign established 'BIG' name players, but then, how many clubs are willing to sell those players?

We sign top players and they become world class in England.

Just think, Chelsea have signed the likes of Drogba, Carvalho, Ballack, Essien, Shevchenko, Lampard and Robben as top players, and turned them into world class players (although Robben has left for a very tidy profit). Forget Shevva in that, but he was signed as world class.

When you say 'the real quality', what do you mean?

I'm sure Italian/Spanish clubs would love the likes of Fabregas, Adebayor, Sagna, Clichy, RVP, Torres, Mascherano, Alonso, Rooney, Ronaldo, Berbatov, Vidic, Ferdinand, Carvalho, Ballack (in his day), Lampard and many more.

I think Italian clubs are vastly overrated, and ever since the relegation of Juve, that league's been on the slide for a while now.