2015/2016 Barclays Premier League Thread

[The Big Chill]

Does it even block anyone? It just means that they would have an opportunity to talk to Bale if another club had an offer accepted for him, doesn't it? Or does the clause prevent the other bid from being accepted at all?

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Say United buys him for £80 million, he agrees to go, Spurs invokes the clause...can't he just say "Yeah not interested anymore"? So I look at that clause more as a way of blocking anyone else in the EPL from getting him more than anything.

Originally Posted by The Big Chill

Does it even block anyone? It just means that they would have an opportunity to talk to Bale if another club had an offer accepted for him, doesn't it? Or does the clause prevent the other bid from being accepted at all?

"However, in the event that Tottenham does match the third party offer, Real Madrid, Real Madrid shall be required to accept Tottenham's offer in preference to any other offers received and transfer the player as soon as is possible in the first available FA registration period to Tottenham pursuant to a transfer agreement acceptable to Tottenham in its sole discretion."

A player in theory could refuse to join the club, but there's likely no way in hell he would. Bale and his agent would lose a tonne of cash for doing so, not even addressing the fact that Bale loved being at Tottenham and has always left open the option of returning, or the prospects that Tottenham could be a CL club next year and Man U could be toiling in Europa.

[Addick]

Originally Posted by rubecube

A player in theory could refuse to join the club, but there's likely no way in hell he would. Bale and his agent would lose a tonne of cash for doing so, not even addressing the fact that Bale loved being at Tottenham and has always left open the option of returning, or the prospects that Tottenham could be a CL club next year and Man U could be toiling in Europa.

Isn't it more likely that Tottenham simply won't be able to match the transfer fee? If they somehow were able to scrap together the fee, it's has to be a certainty that they could match wages no?

[Addick]

I finally had a change to read this great article.

Originally Posted by Eurosport

Louis van Gall And The Collapse Of English Football Culture

19 January 2016
Eurosport
Rob Smyth

Had social media existed in 1989, Manchester United might now be approaching their 50th year without a league title. Alex Ferguson would have been hounded out of a job that winter, perhaps replaced by Leo Beenhakker, and anything could have happened after that. Liverpool and Everton – who won all bar two of the league titles in the 1980s – have not been champions since the 1989-90 season, so it’s quite conceivable United could still be stuck on seven titles, stumbling towards an unwelcome 50th anniversary on 6 May 2017.

The most important bit of Fergie Time had nothing to do with a referee’s stopwatch. It was the slack allowed by the United board during the bleak, black winter of 1989-90, when most people thought Ferguson’s time was up. Instead he went on to win 28 trophies at United. You would think Ferguson’s case would be as powerful as a judicial precedent, yet it is quite the opposite. Ferguson stayed 26 years at United; these days most managers don’t last 26 months. Apart from Arsene Wenger, Eddie Howe and maybe Alan Pardew, all Premier League coaches should share Guus Hiddink’s title of interim manager. The job insecurity makes football management the sporting equivalent of the zero-hours contract. That aside, it bears no resemblance to the real world.

Complete Article

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Addick

Isn't it more likely that Tottenham simply won't be able to match the transfer fee? If they somehow were able to scrap together the fee, it's has to be a certainty that they could match wages no?

Well its a scenario where Real is not able to transfer in the next couple windows anyway, right? So basically this means that if a deal was made it would be right around the time the new stadium is built, which probably means that they can afford to match it. Even as it is now, they're one of the biggest clubs in Europe on revenue alone. I think 12th. So its not like they have zero chance at matching.

I found reading that actual transfer contract quite interesting in general. Hilarious that Levy got a clause in there so that Bale couldn't say anything bad about the club or him. Also interesting in that the total tally is over $100mm and not the $85mm reported.

[d_phaneuf]

the 85m was so Ronaldo didn't get upset

I don't see Bale leaving Madrid anytime in the next few years, but say summer 2018 when the new stadium opens, Bale is 29 and the price isn't anywhere near that high, could definitely be possible

as Rube said he's always said he still follows Spurs, plus living in London was always his preference before because it's close to home, when Redknapp would give them a week off holiday half the team would go to Spain and he would go to Wales

[Addick]

Originally Posted by Slava

Well its a scenario where Real is not able to transfer in the next couple windows anyway, right? So basically this means that if a deal was made it would be right around the time the new stadium is built, which probably means that they can afford to match it.

The Emirates opened in 2006 and we weren't financially competitive again until 2013. Unless Spurs have pulled a bankers on the bankers, their finances should be strained for a bit.

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

as Rube said he's always said he still follows Spurs, plus living in London was always his preference before because it's close to home

I understand the London bit but I no longer trust "alleged" player loyalties.

[d_phaneuf]

The finances issue is a bit different because of the current money influx in to the league

Arsenal got 90m from Emirates for 15 years of both stadium/shirt sponsor rights when the stadium opened

the KPMG report submitted to Haringey council on Spurs development project estimated they could get 300m over 10 years now on naming rights

Plus TV money now is so much higher, last year teams got 48m pounds in tv money, in the new tv deal its expected to go close to 90-100m, compared to 2003 when it was around 25-30m I believe.

do I think they will suddenly have the same financial power as United and Arsenal right away, no, but they won't be as limited as Arsenal were in that 7 year period either.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Cracking match between Norwich and Liverpool so far. 6 shots on target, 6 goals.

[d_phaneuf]

what an effing game

wow

5-4

[d_phaneuf]

if Lallana meant that he's a wizard

[Senator Clay Davis]

This match is mental

[devo22]

so after Shaw and Valencia already being out for many months, United also lose Young "for a long time" (van Gaal) due to a groin injury that needs surgery and Darmian had to be substituted with an injury today as well. Of course Rojo is injured too, so United now have two full-backs left: Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and Guillermo Varela. Ridiculous.

[Senator Clay Davis]

What a goal by Alli.

[d_phaneuf]

goal of the century

[Senator Clay Davis]

And Van Gaal almost certainly fired now. United fans the big winners today in defeat.

[devo22]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

And Van Gaal almost certainly fired now. United fans the big winners today in defeat.

he'll never be fired. I have resigned to the fact that he'll stay on until the end of the season.

[d_phaneuf]

https://vine.co/v/ielUBzuT0IB

19 years old

[Senator Clay Davis]

Top 4 looks locked in already. Don't see who can challenge any of the current group. Any of them have a chance to win the league.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

https://vine.co/v/ielUBzuT0IB

19 years old

That was amazing, and the crossbar shortly after was almost another brilliant goal!