Cracking CL final so far !

RIP Chieck Tiote

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40163322

Any excuse to put this up again though
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IB_5E6BMXt8[/video]

30 million for a GK 😯

wow… i get the £30m…. but shocked who and where !

well – one of the most exciting young english keepers – could possibly be one of the best in the world in years to come and perhaps get 10 – 15 years of service out of him.

compared to someone like Slimani who cost £25m and has done nothing of note what would you sooner spend your money on?

keepers don’t excite people like attacking players – but they’re a much better investment if you can get a good young one

keepers don’t excite people like attacking players – but they’re a much better investment if you can get a good young one

Biased ex GK here, but……

A goal prevented by good goalkeeping or even just presence and organisation counts the same as one at the other end – and no-one baulks at £30M for an outfield player

Also, an outfield players lifespan is realistically 30-35 or so – look at the ‘old men’ of the game currently and the only ones above that are goalkeepers. So whether it’s getting another potentially 15 years out of him (to age 38 fsoa) or whether he retains a resale value for longer for the same reason, the investment is over lets say 150% of the lifespan of an outfield player.

Lastly, football is an ‘O ring’ type sport – that’s to say, success is not necessarily determined by your best player, but by having the least shit worst one. And nowhere is that more vital than in goal, where a mistake frequently results in conceding. If Costa has a mare and hits Row Q from 12 yards…. so what. The GK equivalent, and it’s on the scoreboard. No surprise that the best performing teams for sure have fantastic outfield players, but look between the sticks. Courtois, de Gea, Cech, Lloris, Schmeichel. I put a lot of Liverpool’s recent ‘failures’ down to not having a GK that inspires.

https://www.pressreader.com/uk/fourfourtwo/20161001/282870845265325

The fly in the ointment is the amount of goalkeepers, and in particular English ones, that are identified at a young age, but fail to reach their supposed potential.

But yes, I agree, if that’s a ‘normal’ price for an outfield player, than a keeper should be worth at least the same.

if that’s a ‘normal’ price for an outfield player

the best outfield player in the league went for £32 million.

True, but to counter.

Firstly – there was a time when we undoubtedly led the world. Banks, Shilton, Clemence, Jennings (OK Irish but a product of the english league) and so on. Inevitably as time passed other nations caught up, more exposure and more to pick from and so english GK stand out less. There are still plenty of good ones, Butland, Foster, Forster, Hart.

Second the game has changed. GK now have to be able to play with their feet, where in the past – a backpass? Pick it up. That is a wholly different skillset and some of the worst errors come from that aspect. But also the ball. I didn’t play in the era of heavy casers, but of the Mitre Multiplex. But for fun a while back we were at a barbecue and the teenagers there had one of Nike PL balls, and the bloody thing swerved all over as well as flying further and faster.

In fact just about the only thing I’d like nowadays about the game compared to ‘my’ era of the late 80’s and early 90’s is that goalmouths now have grass in them. In my day the option was either baked earth (early and late season) being replaced by knee deep puddles and / or a beach of jagged sharp sand (the rest). With occasionally the mud being frozen into ankle wrecking ruts (January/February, but the ref’s ruled that the centre circle will take a moulded so get on with it)

Mouldmasters.

😯 😆

the best outfield player in the league went for £32 million.

Did I imagine Man utd paying 90 million for Pogba then?.

Did I imagine Pogba winning
PFA Players’ Player of the Year: 2016–17
Premier League Player of the Season: 2016–17
FWA Footballer of the Year: 2016–17

Yes yes I did !

Did I imagine Man utd paying 90 million for Pogba then?.

No, but you’d have to have a very vivid imagination to consider him the best player in the league though.

I never mentioned anything about ‘best’, that was Klunk, I said ‘normal’ and frankly 30 million is normal now! 😆

Mouldmasters.

get out of here; I’ll see that and raise you an Adidas Tango version of it.

I went on a French exchange trip to the Alsace in 1982, and the highlight of the trip was to the Adidas factory where we played a game on their artificial pitch (imagine!!) against the local school (we got stuffed, on the basis our long ball tactics kept just bouncing right off the end of the pitch – it was very much 1G tech, plus we were a bunch of geeky french exchange students playing against their school team) But afterwards we were allowed in the factory shop and I got a moulded version of the World Cup ball which enabled me to live out my dreams briefly. Impossible to save, could swerve both ways in the same shot.

What is it with Engerlund and a dead ball from 12 yards, with no wall?…..

Well, the keeper made a decent pair of saves, that’s kind of his job.

If Pickford had got more of a hand to the 5th (or 4th was it) then we wouldn’t be disucssing the issue. They did well, they played well, were just unlucky.

If.

A very big word in a penalty shoot out.

I’m just gonny leave this here! 😆 technically it should be in next season’s thread though!

https://twitter.com/LilZe7/status/882355700911026180?s=08

Erm. Ok then.

Manchester United agree £75m deal with Everton for Romelu Lukaku

Good signing for them, very good player.

That price, tho.

Rooney to go the other way??

Price is fair within the current scheme of things. Sure, it’s a bonkers figure in the real world, but in football world, the price makes sense for the player they’re buying.

With Sanchez being valued at £55m, I just can’t see it.

But then that’s probably why I don’t run a football club.

Rooney coming back is a bit of a joke, but I can roll with it given the other players we have signed. I think Ron K has let it through basically on those grounds.

How washed up is Rooney, anyhow? Not watched him properly for ages.

George best would beat him in a race.

With Sanchez being valued at £55m, I just can’t see it

28 now and 29 during the upcoming season with 12 months on his contract

Were they the same age and same contract length then Sanchez is worth more.

How washed up is Rooney, anyhow? Not watched him properly for ages.

rarely plays so hard to say

Personally i dont think he has lost it as much as some think he has and he can still do a job.

Sanchez will do a Forlan and be the highest scorer in the German/French/Spanish league next year.

Lakaku looks like a lot better deal than Pogba.

Everything is relative in this totally insane premiership world. Clubs like Bournemouth are paying 10- 15 million for players nobody outside the French second division has ever heard of.

Hey ho. When my daughters ask me what they should be when they grow up? Be an agent. Be a football agent. You work twice a year and make the same as the GDP Of Denmark

So no Morarta then? Kind of hoped Utd would sign him as it would increase the prospect of them and Real doing a deal for de Gea. But they still seem to be sulking with each other. Lukaku is good value at that price in the current market. Proven goalscorer at prem level.

Everything is relative in this totally insane premiership world. Clubs like Bournemouth are paying 10- 15 million for players nobody outside the French second division has ever heard of.

They just paid 20 million for a guy that’s played 5 games in 3 seasons at Chelsea.

I liked Forlan, saw him play in the flesh on the CL for atletico, his movement, work and touch was a joy to watch.

They just paid 20 million for a guy that’s played 5 games in 3 seasons at Chelsea.

well he has been on loan for those three seasons and also been capped internationally for Holland in that time as well

LEts at least describe him accurately

On loan? A Chelsea player on loan? You’re joking!.

My point being he’s not good enough for Chelsea, yet worth 20 million.

And have you seen the Dutch recently? I reckon I’d get a game for them.

yes chelsea buy loads of young players never play them then sell them for more

I cannot imagine even the most RW of people wish to defend or explain the football market but it seems a “fair” price given the market

Is this the Dutch squad who can’t even qualify?

I rated Forlan too, but I do remember you could buy t-shirts with ‘I saw Forlan score’ on them. I should have got one. I saw him actually find the net on a few occasions. Prolific, he wasn’t though. Lets hope Lakaku is

yes chelsea buy loads of young players never play them then sell them for more

Chelsea’s mass buying and selling of young players is extremely profitable for them

Oh dear.

Little Bradley Lowery, the Sunderland fan with neuroblastoma has died.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-39883344

I know football fans are a shameless bunch a lot of the time but he has touched many hearts.

Sleep well fella.

Gutted to hear about Bradley today.
I was at Sunderland for their last home game in the away end when the whole stadium was singing his name…plenty with tears on their faces I can assure you.
Rest easy little fella 😥

Aye, God bless ye wee fella.

RIP Bradley and hats off to Defoe too for the time and effort he gave.

Lakau £75m thats just bonkers, only slightly less than Real paid for Bale.

£75M is the initial payment…. 😯