Saudi Pro League

[Genie]

4 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said:

No place in the England team for playing in a dire league IMO. 

I don’t think he’s good enough anymore anyway. 

[bobzy]

Just now, Genie said:

I don’t think he’s good enough anymore anyway. 

He’ll have enough money to bribe the manager though.

Maybe it IS a life changing amount… 

[Genie]

2 minutes ago, bobzy said:

He’ll have enough money to bribe the manager though.

Maybe it IS a life changing amount… 

That raises a good point, how long until GS gets bought and heads out there? 

Imagine how much they’d pay Pep

[Zatman]

20 minutes ago, Genie said:

That raises a good point, how long until GS gets bought and heads out there? 

Imagine how much they’d pay Pep

No chance anybody bringing Southgate there

They will kill him after he splashes his 500 million budget on Pickford, Dier, Sterling, Kalvin Phillips and his marquee signing Maguire yet playing negative football vs some Saudi minnows

[HanoiVillan]

I know I shouldn't be surprised by this, but I am anyway (click play):

 

[Tommo_b]

5 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said:

I know I shouldn't be surprised by this, but I am anyway (click play):

 

Quite literally selling your soul

[Zatman]

I think the armband is not even the strangest part of that video

1. Jordan Henderson is a Global superstar

2. He likes challanges (actual spelling)

3. He fits the Ettifaq DNA.......wtf is that 

[Seal]

59 minutes ago, Thug said:

So many people in here not understanding human psyche.

It’s human nature to just want MORE.

It’s what makes us advance.

What if we were just content with what we have all the time?

’why would anyone want to run a hundred metres under 10 seconds.  What’s the point? 10.01 seconds is plenty fast enough.’

’why do you want to fly, walking gets you most places you’d ever need to go.’

’why do you want 2 cars? One is plenty.’

’why do you want to eat any more than a single potato? It’s enough to satisfy your hunger.’

Why do we need cars that can go faster than 70mph? Why do we need designer clothes - a towel covers you up just fine.

why do we need to go to the moon? The bottom of the ocean? Why do we need to make more and more powerful telescopes?

The answer to all these questions is you don’t NEED any of this.  

If most of humanity shared the thoughts of some of you lot in here, we’d never advance as a species.  We’d all still be walking around in the same  place because ‘I’ve got everything I need right here.’

its Human nature to want the most that you can possibly get.  And that’s what drives us forward.

 

There is wisdom in this. But there is also wisdom to say that a key to wealth is through minimising your wants and mastering your nature.  I think maybe it isn't just human nature but rather humans are told their nature is.

The main thing that I think is an issue with accepting these salaries is not necessarily the amounts which are fantastic. But that these players have already become very wealthy. And what has made them wealthy is not just their talent. But that millions of people are in love with a game that they are willing to part with their hard earned and much tighter cash to spend on supporting football. To move to a new league, that looks to be undermining the leagues and the supporters that have pushed their banks to one limit so that yours can be pushed to the other limit comes across as ungrateful, and ultimately mercenary. Although I doubt this aspect is ever really considered by the players. Bear in mind that this is a government that appears to be benefiting from the cost of living crisis through obscene energy profits, whilst seemingly spending these profits on something ultimately showy. I mean I don't know if directly the energy profits are going into buying footballers but it kinda feels like it. It is actually a massive two fingers up at the fans who have made these players wealthy in the first place.

There are two famous phrases, one a misquote of another. Money is a root of all evil. I disagree with this. It is ok to want and need money.  The second is that The Love of Money is the root of all evil. I think we might be getting to the place where a love of money is creating a dystopian world football scene. Which did admittedly also happen with the Prem. There are really worrying things with this Saudi pro league, and they are being enabled by the love of money.

You asked a lot of rhetorical questions. But this one caught my eye:

"What if we were just content with what we have all the time?"

If we were content all the time humanity would have mastered the existing game. 

I also think it is quite incorrect to say that human nature is to want the most you can possibly get. Sure for many people. But many people only want what they need, and would also put the wants of others ahead of their own. 

 

[The_Steve]

Blink and you will miss them greying out the Pride captains armband. 

[The_Steve]

On the topic of sports washing

 

 

[MellbergsBeard]

Ettifaq Aren’t of the PIF 4 are they? 

[Thug]

3 minutes ago, Seal said:

There is wisdom in this. But there is also wisdom to say that a key to wealth is through minimising your wants and mastering your nature.  I think maybe it isn't just human nature but rather humans are told their nature is.

The main thing that I think is an issue with accepting these salaries is not necessarily the amounts which are fantastic. But that these players have already become very wealthy. And what has made them wealthy is not just their talent. But that millions of people are in love with a game that they are willing to part with their hard earned and much tighter cash to spend on supporting football. To move to a new league, that looks to be undermining the leagues and the supporters that have pushed their banks to one limit so that yours can be pushed to the other limit comes across as ungrateful, and ultimately mercenary. Although I doubt this aspect is ever really considered by the players. Bear in mind that this is a government that appears to be benefiting from the cost of living crisis through obscene energy profits, whilst seemingly spending these profits on something ultimately showy. I mean I don't know if directly the energy profits are going into buying footballers but it kinda feels like it. It is actually a massive two fingers up at the fans who have made these players wealthy in the first place.

There are two famous phrases, one a misquote of another. Money is a root of all evil. I disagree with this. It is ok to want and need money.  The second is that The Love of Money is the root of all evil. I think we might be getting to the place where a love of money is creating a dystopian world football scene. Which did admittedly also happen with the Prem. There are really worrying things with this Saudi pro league, and they are being enabled by the love of money.

You asked a lot of rhetorical questions. But this one caught my eye:

"What if we were just content with what we have all the time?"

If we were content all the time humanity would have mastered the existing game. 

I also think it is quite incorrect to say that human nature is to want the most you can possibly get. Sure for many people. But many people only want what they need, and would also put the wants of others ahead of their own. 

 

A beautiful answer.

 

The most important thing to understand is that not everyone is the same, which leads on to the fact that everyone’s judgement upon others is flawed.

if we were all born the same then surely we would fail as a species?  For every go-getter, you need a level headed person that likes to maintain status quo.  For every adventurer we need someone who is frightened of change.  Risk needs balance, there is no doubt.

But to put everyone into one box and claim something for them is not life-changing is naive.

For one of my friends being able to afford a hair transplant for a couple of grand would be - in his mind - life changing.

Who are we to make judgement on what is life changing for someone?  To say thag Hendersons salary going from £3m to £30m is NOT life changing is being short sighted.

Maybe, he wants to take a flight to the moon.  And this would now mean he could afford it.

Maybe he could now afford to buy a house in the most prestigious part of the world, which at even £3m a year was out of his reach?  Maybe he has debts that we don’t know about, failed businesses, or poor investments which meant that he was on the verge of losing everything? This sudden windfall might have literally been life-saving let alone life changing?

maybe some really don’t see the life of luxury as being something they want or understand.

I would venture a guess that they are in the tiny minority amongst the vast majority who spend every moment at work in the hope of making their own, and their loved ones, lives that little bit more comfortable - in whatever form they perceive that comfort to be.  Whether it be getting 3 meals on the table instead of 2, or upgrading their 10 bedroom mansion in london to a private island in the Indian Ocean.

 

[The_Steve]

2 minutes ago, MellbergsBeard said:

Ettifaq Aren’t of the PIF 4 are they? 

But there’s no actual information about the mysterious owner so you can pretty much guaranteed it’s an arm of the state in some capacity 

[duke313]

10 minutes ago, The_Steve said:

But there’s no actual information about the mysterious owner so you can pretty much guaranteed it’s an arm of the state in some capacity 

It says on their wiki they are owned by "The Ministry of Sports" so must have some pipeline to the Saudi's wealth.

[Zatman]

16 minutes ago, The_Steve said:

But there’s no actual information about the mysterious owner so you can pretty much guaranteed it’s an arm of the state in some capacity 

No but he is getting football decisions from Purslow by looks of it

[gwi1890]

49 minutes ago, Zatman said:

I think the armband is not even the strangest part of that video

1. Jordan Henderson is a Global superstar

2. He likes challanges (actual spelling)

3. He fits the Ettifaq DNA.......wtf is that 

What’s this about running towards challenges? Is he going to Saudi League for a challenge ? 

[HKP90]

1 hour ago, HanoiVillan said:

No place in the England team for playing in a dire league IMO. 

Better chance than if he played for Villa. 

[HKP90]

59 minutes ago, Zatman said:

I think the armband is not even the strangest part of that video

1. Jordan Henderson is a Global superstar

2. He likes challanges (actual spelling)

3. He fits the Ettifaq DNA.......wtf is that 

Ah, they can all Ettifaq off as far as I'm concerned. No one is gonna watch that stupid league. 

[Indigo]

[gwi1890]

I suppose not every player can do what Ashley Young and James Milner are doing and play consistently at the highest level although Henderson is 5 years younger…..