The Official Summer 2011 Silly Season Thread

[Locke]

Whoooo.....City......wow......

Manchester City are facing a contract rebellion from three first-team players following the £38million capture of striker Sergio Aguero.

Nigel de Jong, Vincent Kompany and Micah Richards are unhappy with the new deals offered to them, especially after learning that City are paying club record signing Aguero £200,000 per week in a five-year deal confirmed.

De Jong, a star performer in manager Roberto Mancini’s midfield last season alongside Yaya Toure, who earns £200,000 a week, was believed to have been offered £80,000 a week.

Kompany and Richards also feel undervalued by their big-spending club.

Richards has been offered a five-year deal worth £65,000 a week while Kompany has been told to expect a four-year deal worth £80,000 a week. However, the pair are mulling over the offers.

A City source said: ‘While efforts to bring the club’s wage bill into line are commendable, it doesn’t wash with the key members of the squad being offered less than half of what some of the top earners like Yaya Toure, Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero will earn.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz1TVa24rHC

This is what happens when you blow the economy of scale out of the goddamn water.

And, holy hell, would you look at that, Aguero took less money to go to City, the only person ever! Granted he was making an insane amount of cash before, but there you go.

Look at it like this, Brad Richards signed a 9 year $60 Million dollar contract.

Sergio Aguero jus signed a 5 year, £52 Million POUND contract. Thats just his wages over the next 5 years. At the current exchange rate thats about $85 million USD in just over half the length.

Thats. Insane.

[d_phaneuf]

who the eff does Micah Richards think he is?

De Jong probly deserves a raise considering his importance to the team, based on their salary structure

[d_phaneuf]

Man City have spent 218m on strikers in the past 3 years, thats just transfer fees, nothing to do with Salary

[Locke]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

who the eff does Micah Richards think he is?

De Jong probly deserves a raise considering his importance to the team, based on their salary structure

To be fair, while Micah Richards is no one special, he plays for a team that has indiscriminately thrown cash at absolutely anyone, so why wouldnt he want his piece? Granted, for a player of his caliber £65,000/wk is generous. He wouldnt make anywhere near that kind of scratch on any other team.

Again, City is absolutely destroying the pay structure of the entire league. If you're a Franchise player in any capacity on any squad, they're all going to start demanding £180,000+/wk or they're going to walk.

[d_phaneuf]

I hate to say this, but the more and more I hear Villas-Boas talk the more I like him

he has an ego as big as Jose but he seems very respectful of other clubs, I am guessing because he was at a club in Porto for a long time that had richer clubs coming in and trying to grab their players

[Locke]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

I hate to say this, but the more and more I hear Villas-Boas talk the more I like him

he has an ego as big as Jose but he seems very respectful of other clubs, I am guessing because he was at a club in Porto for a long time that had richer clubs coming in and trying to grab their players

Well, hes going to be on the other side of that now with King Roman's chequebook. I think at this point his biggest challenge is to do something with the players that have been bought for him.

Chelsea run like such a disjointed organization. Theres the coaching staff, players who do whatever they want, management who do effectively nothing, King Roman who buys whoever he wants to, and a manager whos expected to make the whole thing work.

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by Locke

Well, hes going to be on the other side of that now with King Roman's chequebook. I think at this point his biggest challenge is to do something with the players that have been bought for him.

Chelsea run like such a disjointed organization. Theres the coaching staff, players who do whatever they want, management who do effectively nothing, King Roman who buys whoever he wants to, and a manager whos expected to make the whole thing work.

that's my point though, Fergie and Mancini openly tap up players (just in the PL)

Villas-Boas has done none of that, whenever Modric is brought up he says that Modric is a tottenham player and all he hears is they don't want to let him go

same thing happened with Falcao and Moutinho at Porto

he just seems like a good guy

Chelsea will probably beat that out of him soon enough

[Locke]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

that's my point though, Fergie and Mancini openly tap up players (just in the PL)

Villas-Boas has done none of that, whenever Modric is brought up he says that Modric is a tottenham player and all he hears is they don't want to let him go

same thing happened with Falcao and Moutinho at Porto

he just seems like a good guy

Chelsea will probably beat that out of him soon enough

Thats probably very true, he'll be a twat in no time.

I'm surprised that more clubs when they let their manager go dont stipulate that they cant effectively poach their former teams.

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

Matt Law, the Arsenel writer for the express, is saying Mata is telling friends he is going to Arsenal

most people have been saying that if Cesc leaves they would go for Mata and move Nasri inside

makes me think this is the year Arsene plans on putting Theo at striker, think Henry and RVP spent about the same amount of time on the wing before being brought inside

or maybe not

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2...%28Football%29

Tottenham Hotspur last night sought to beat Arsenal to the signing of the Valencia forward Juan Mata by tabling a bid worth close to €25m (£22m). Arsenal, whose manager, Arsène Wenger, admitted that Mata is a player he likes, remain the favourites to sign the 23-year-old but are yet to make a formal bid. Initial talks have suggested that Arsenal would offer less than Spurs, at least to begin with.

spurs matched his release clause at Valencia with that bid

Arsenal will be able to offer higher wages though if they choose to bid up

[NBC]

Albion begin life at the Amex with a 3-2 defeat to a strong Spurs line up.

Interesting match this. BHAFC dominated possession for the majority of the first half and opened the scoring at the 11 minute mark.

Pretty even second half with Spurs sealing the win 20 minutes from time after a Gomes-type howler from Albion's back-up keeper.

Seemed like a fairly strong Spurs squad as well. I'll post the lineups.

Albion (4-1-2-3)
Ankergren;
Calderon, Greer, Dunk, Painter;
Bridcutt; Sparrow, Dicker;
Mackail-Smith, Barnes, LuaLua.
Subs: Brezovan, Cook, Navarro, Noone, Bergkamp, Vincelot, Buckley

Spurs (4-4-2)
Friedel;
Corluka, Kaboul, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto;
Lennon, Jenas, Livermore, Bale;
Van Der Vaart, Pavlyuchenko
Subs: Gomes, Defoe, Townsend, Carroll, Kane.

[Cactus Jack]

As a big Chilean supporter, I am worried about Alexis Sanchez getting minutes in Barca. There is so much talent there that I'd hate to see him get buried and stunt his development. Chile needs him to be their next Salas or Zamorano and he's still young enough to improve by leaps and bounds. It sounds like Bojan and others might be leaving, so that is good news for Alexis.

And in other Chilean transfer news, the other day Arturo Vidal went from Leverkusen to Juventus. I think Italy will suit his style of play more because Vidal's not flashy but solid with the ball offensively and defensively, with good pace. He spent several productive year with Leverkusen.

[d_phaneuf]

he will play at Barca, if anyone needs to be worried about playing time there it's Pedro

[Locke]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

he will play at Barca, if anyone needs to be worried about playing time there it's Pedro

The biggest concern Barca have is goals. Villa wasnt getting them, and if Messi wasnt there that would be a team that could hold on to the ball forever and do nothing with it, just like Spain. Pedro is money, he is a guy that bucks the Barca system to try and score and thats what they need, but he seems more reprimanded for it more than anything else.

As for Bojan, yeah, hes on his way out, but thats more of a loan than anything else, Barca are maintaining a preferential buyback option on his contract. Its pretty much just to get him playing time until Barca regulars leave or retire and the club actually get some cash.

As good as Barca are on the pitch, people dont realize that they're flat broke.

[d_phaneuf]

ya but they are always going to have money, the spanish banks give them loans with 0 interest

[d_phaneuf]

"I am not happy in Manchester," Balotelli said. "I do not like the city. With my team-mates and my manager, everything is fine, but the city is not to my tastes. I miss the chance to be at home with my family and with my friends."

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

"I am not happy in Manchester," Balotelli said. "I do not like the city. With my team-mates and my manager, everything is fine, but the city is not to my tastes. I miss the chance to be at home with my family and with my friends."

And English WAG will solve this quickly.

[d_phaneuf]

Newcastle say Joey Barton is available on a free

[KevanGuy]

Of course he is, we won't need him in the Championship next year.

[d_phaneuf]

ya it makes no sense

he was their best player last season in my opinion, and then to give him away on a free

when the rumors are that Spurs and Arsenal are in for him, and at this point that's probably 2 of the best 3 midfields in the league, it's saying something

Newcastle aren't in position to give him away for free, even though he was clearly a massive tw@t

[Locke]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

ya it makes no sense

he was their best player last season in my opinion, and then to give him away on a free

when the rumors are that Spurs and Arsenal are in for him, and at this point that's probably 2 of the best 3 midfields in the league, it's saying something

Newcastle aren't in position to give him away for free, even though he was clearly a massive tw@t

It sort of does make sense, Barton isnt all hes cracked up to be. I like him personally, and he was one of their best players last season although I'd probably slot Carroll and Nolan in ahead of him.

Spurs and Arsenal can have him as far as I'm concerned, the guy wastes too many opportunities and too much possession. On those squads he wont be seeing too much first team time, and if he is I think thats more of an indictment of the quality of the rest of the midfield rather than a praise of his skill.

Although, they certainly shouldnt be just letting him walk, you'd think he'd have at least some value.