QldVilla

2 minutes ago, KAZZAM said:

52 mill vs 35 mill, Romano vs Ornstein 

Not sure who to believe. 

You got the real fee, the guessed fee and possibly the leaked fee which might not be real. 

Like I'm convinced Levy leaked Maddison was £40 mill to the media when it probably was 40+10 so 50 in reality. 

Could be as simple as Romano is quoting in Euros and Ornstein in pounds.

47 minutes ago, skarroki said:

"Younger fans all over the world follow players instead of clubs these days" say football writers, commentators, literature on footballing trends

"Well I don't do that, so no-one else in the world does" says an anecdotal middle-aged man from birmingham, whose father and grandfather also supported the local club and all followed the trend at the time of supporting their local team. 

Your problem is the same as everyone else, you make assumptions on the worst case scenario with no facts to support your opinion.

I was born in Australia, none of my family ever supported Villa before me.

Thank you for proving my point.

46 minutes ago, sidcow said:

That's how Chelsea started. That's how Man City started. 

Buy big names at the end of their career to lend credibility.  Then spend loads on the hottest young properties and gradually ramp up and up just spending bonkers money. 

It's a very well worn tried and tested path. 

Saudi WILL dominate if they spend enough. No one will be interested in The Champions League if non of the world's top players play in it. 

The modern global fan follows players, not clubs. 

You're being extremely naive if you can't see this. 

I follow Aston Villa, not a player, I admire some players for their quality, but I follow Aston Villa.

There's some things that are immeasurable and no amount of money can buy that. 
 

The PL is the best league in the world, but doesn’t have all the best players. The best players thrive under the best managers in the best leagues, who is being naive?

I don’t like the TIFO stuff, seems to be an apparent smugness with everything they do and they know more than everyone else.

To say they know more than Emery and his team, just reflects their own failings.

4 minutes ago, zab6359 said:

Winning and competing on the US PGA tour was the pinnacle for the very best golfers in the world,  golfers aren't lazy that is a lazy comment. All it took was being set up for life with $$$ to persuade some of the very best golfers to switch footballers are no different at all and it won't take 400 to change the balance of power, realist? I'd hate to see players like Diaby go there but for the right money they will. 

I don’t believe Diaby has any intention of going to Arabia. If that club was serious they could have already offered Leverkausen the money they want and offered ridiculous wages to the player, why hasn’t it happened already? Either the rumour is fake, or the player has no interest in seeing his career go down the toilet.

I could be wrong, but believe the player wants to come to Villa and most footballers who aren’t at the end of their careers will do the same.

People like Ronaldo, the Chelski exodus etc, they couldn’t get contracts anywhere else, good teams weren’t prepared to pay the transfer fee they wanted nor the inflated wages, only these dodgy Arabian clubs. And if you really forensically look at most of these transfers they are becuase that’s the only place their agent could get them a club.

Theres another side to this story, unfortunately some are more interested in coming up with the worse scenario.

8 minutes ago, Keyblade said:

Why are we discussing this in the Moussa Diaby thread then? A player who, if we were to sign him ahead of Al Nassr would be far and away our record signing.They're absolutely going after the best players.

They've already taken Wolves' best player, and about to take Fulham's as well. At the very least you can see them replacing the PL also-rans (which includes us) who have been propped up by TV money, if not the big boys. Though they have enough money to make that happen.

I think it’s a short term fad. They can hand out money hand over fist, but football fans won’t actually watch their league.

6 minutes ago, KMitch said:

You don't think UEFA/FIFA (both organizations who have been embroiled in serious bribery scandals in the past 10 years) or European governments (who have NEVER turned down significant Saudi business opportunities before) will turn down a ridiculous amount of money from the Saudis for entry into UEFA competitions for the principle of it?  And you call yourself a realist who isn't naive? 

I think your over complicating a uncomplicated issue.

While fans focus on the mostly has beens who have gone to Arabia, there’s also very good players who have turned them down.

Some players will continue to sell their souls for money, while many players still value winning the major European leagues and cup competitions.

12 minutes ago, KMitch said:

You think they're going to stop at players?  I guarantee that the Saudis will buy their way into UEFA, just like they have with golf and the PGA tour.  Once they pull a lot of the talent away from Europe, they'll pull ad revenue/TV broadcast money away from UEFA as well and before long they'll realize it'll be better to partner up with the Saudi League instead of trying to ignore it completely.  Newcastle is their backup plan, but I'm pretty sure their end goal now is to make Saudi clubs the new juggernauts instead of Saudi owned European clubs. 

Football would be ruined in that scenario, and I don’t see the governments of major league countries accepting that scenario.

30 minutes ago, zab6359 said:

Don't be so naive look what they have done to golf! 

They are already buying assets in the big leagues and they have endless pot of wealth to dip into, who knows where the game will be in 5-10 years.

I’m not naive, just a realist.

Winning and competing in the best leagues and against the best teams in Europe is still the goal of a majority of players.

Golf is not football and a lazy example.

If you believe the best 400 football players in the world are going sign for the Saudi League and only play for money, thats naive.

27 minutes ago, Keyblade said:

Money? Against the best players? You know, the reasons players come to England right now?

The best players aren’t going to the league only those who at mostly the end of their careers.

Players still have to look at their legacy at the end of their careers and taking money over medals does none of that.

22 minutes ago, zab6359 said:

Saturate the Saudi league with enough top players and coaches over the next 5-10 years (and the money WILL bring them) and it suddenely becomes one of the top leagues no one will be going there to regress, it'll be sought after.

And play for what? Your making gross exaggerations when you don’t even know whether the Saudis will still have any interest in 5-10 years.

They can’t play in European Competitions and will never be a premier league, or other major league, becuase they are limited by their appeal to anyone outside of Arabia.

1 hour ago, Thug said:

He won the Ballon D’or.  For the first time.

That would make him in HIS prime.  I.E at the top of his game.

Ruben Neves is 26.

regardless, I’m not sure of what the point you’re trying to make is.

MY point is that money rules over all else.  Even at 35, Benzema would have had many suitors all over the world.

He chose a pay packet over heritage.

There is not a footballer in this earth that can not be bought.  I’m telling you now, if MBappe is offered £10bn, he’ll be playing in Saudi next year.

it’s a sad state of affairs, but money spanks the shit out of heritage.

And what do u mean by getting carried away?

 

 

 

 

Money only rules for some people. The reality is people are going to Arabia to regress. They won’t have to meet the same standards if they were playing in a top tier league, they won’t have the best coaching, they won’t have the best sports science etc etc.

To elite sportspeople, coaches etc that actually matters. You go to Arabia you probably aren’t coming back due to the drop off in performances and fitness.

But I’m sure the money will make them feel fulfilled. 

1 minute ago, BOF said:

I just think we are still being a bit naive and/or idealistic when we hold players up to what we want to be the gold standard. We've seen how rotten the sport is. FWIW I think we'll sign Diaby at this stage. But I certainly wouldn't be shocked if we didn't, and I wouldn't particularly judge or blame him if he took the gazillions. He wouldn't be the first and he won't be the last.

I don’t believe that is the case at all.

I coach and have done so for 30 plus years and I have coached athletes of various abilities and they aren’t in the sport to make money, they are there becuase they want to improve and hopefully realise their potential.

I’ve seen the most most talented athletes who work their backsides off and others who are lazy and want to take the easy option. Many athletes waste their ability, while others have goals of things they want to achieve.

Making a living from sport is a by product of your ability, but money is also a poor motivator for success as the most successful people aren’t motivated by money and sport is no different.

19 minutes ago, MotoMkali said:

Earning more money in 2 years than you would in the rest of your career is ruining it? People move jobs all the time for money. Can we stop pretending that football players have to be any different. 

I didn’t say they were different, I said they weren’t serious if they went to take the easy option and play in the sand league.

Its one thing for a 30 yo old plus players who’s careers are going nowhere, it’s another for players with their best football ahead of them, to show no ambition, to not want to test themselves in the best leagues.

These players have one career and they never started playing football to make money, it was to be successful and test themselves. 

By the  way professional sportsmen are different, the lazy ones take the easy option and money becuase they have no desire and forgotten why they started to play the game in the first place.

Just now, MotoMkali said:

I'm sorry but he could essentially be tripling his take home salary in Saudi Arabia compared to what it would be here. It's very very hard to say no to that. It could be even more if you are talking 300-400k a week

Sorry, thought he was playing the game to be the best player he can be and to be successful, not ruin his career in the sand league.

Maybe it’s me, but if Diaby wants to go to Arabia, then he’s not serious as a player.

If he is serious he will be telling B.Leverkusen that he has no interest in playing there. Anything else is just nonsense.

52 minutes ago, Zatman said:

He is desperate not to link up with the clown again

Surely the conversation would go like this:

ring ring

Coutinho: hello

Gerrard: hello my little Brazilian friend it’s you best mate Stevie Geeeeeeeeeee….. fancy a game in Arabia?

Coutinho: Click!

Coutinho’s Missus: who was that?

Coutinho: that who can’t coach wants to drag me to Arabia now.

Courinho’s missus: for a holiday?

Coutinho: basically.

35 minutes ago, bobzy said:

I sort of agree... but I also think Emery has come here because he gets a) paid incredibly handsomely and b) has been promised a large amount of money to spend.  It's the money that makes the most noise.

I don't think he's here because Aston Villa won the European Cup in 1982 and because of what a great English traditional club they are.

I thought he came here becuase he’s a coach and he wanted to test himself against the best managers and right his appalling treatment at Arsenal.

Every good manager has ambitions, it’s what makes them who they are, I truly believe he wants to show everyone that he can go toe to toe with man Utd, man city, Chelsea etc etc and beat them with tactics and spirit, not just who has the biggest wallet.

Just now, bobzy said:

 

 

It's not really that cyclical though, is it?  The financial power of the Premier League has been overpowering other European leagues for some time and that pull is bigger than ever before.  Obviously that's great for Aston Villa.

I do wonder if people would be happy with the "cyclical" nature of football if the Saudi League managed to garner enough influence and spending power to pull Emery, Monchi et al away from Villa and to, say, Al Hilal.  Would we all be so celebratory of the cycle?

I think Emery and Monchi have a little bit more integrity than selling their professionalism to the highest bidder.

Anyone going to Saudi is basically giving up on their career.

What a clown.

Football is supposed to be cyclical, so bringing the best people to your club to achieve success should be the priority. While some players and managers think they are above some leagues or clubs, the reality is far from that truth.

No real Villa fan would say that Emery, Monchi etc are better than AV.

2 hours ago, Jas10 said:

Just commented on this in the Bailey thread, I’m surprised tbh. Wonder what the actual reason is… more on Leon’s side (e.g. wants to be a guaranteed starter, demands are too great for a new deal)? Or on Unai’s (doesn’t particularly rate him or doesn’t see him fitting into the side/system and we want to get a decent fee while we can)?

2 years left on deal… now’s the time to sell if we’re not renewing his contract…

Didn’t foresee this… makes me wonder just what level of player we’re looking to bring in. We need a squad/options but maybe Leon wants more guarantees…

Interesting…

Always thought Bailey was a bit of a blunt object. Can be great on the odd occasion, but not tactically aware and maybe doesn’t fit into Emery’s plans.

16 minutes ago, HeyAnty said:

According to this, 20m euro bid for Kessie.  
 

https://www.football365.com/news/aston-villa-e20m-barcelona-star-monchi-puts-e35m-on-table-ex-man-city-star

I believe the club had an interest in Kessie last season, but we ended up going for Kamara. I really like him as a player, maybe there’s a deal to be done for him and Torres. If we got both of them across the line, we would have a very scary squad for opposition teams.

1 hour ago, Kiwivillan said:

We're top 3 team since Emery joined

You know what I mean.. 

1 hour ago, Jas10 said:

80m Euros?!

 

It’s £68m, he’s at best £55m.

If we have that £55m for him and able to move on Sanson and other for £20m it’s doable.

Will his signing make us a Top 6 team?

2 hours ago, Delphinho123 said:

Look, you’ve all been arguing amongst yourselves lately and quite frankly, it’s starting to piss me off. So, relax and let’s discuss this random link…

 

We were linked with Openda in the January transfer window, I’ve been interested to see whether his name came up again.