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The reality is the deal was heavily performance loaded, so we have paid far less than the 10 mill so many are quoting.
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- Thread starter SmithAndJones
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The reality is the deal was heavily performance loaded, so we have paid far less than the 10 mill so many are quoting.
steveperryman
Vital Football Legend
I keep forgetting we 're living in the age of add-ons.
SmithAndJones
Vital 1st Team Regular
Signings over the past couple of years have worked out quite well for them, and Rodgers seems to be a pretty good guy to work for. Ayoze Perez is a good example, pretty useless at Newcastle, a different player at Leicester. They've got an ageing squad though, so will need to keep spending.
muttley
Alert Team
What people forget though is their selling. They sold Kante, Mahrez, Drinkwater and Maguire to raise money to go again. I'm not sure whether 5th and Europa suddenly gives them a windfall that they can stop this habit. Chilwell looks like the latest casualty and have a feeling Soyuncu will be heavily targeted. Throw in Evans and Vardy's ages and it's not going to be easy to deal with all of those games.
Wes Morgan is the size of a house at 36 and was still called upon at the end of season.
SmithAndJones
Vital 1st Team Regular
Wolves were never going to be quite good enough to win it, by this stage in the competition there is a fair bit of quality about. Given their level of performance both domestically and in Europe over pretty much a ten month period however, I think they can consider themselves pretty unfortunate not to have European football next season. They've certainly earned a holiday.
Pompey Yid
Vital Champions League
We done Wolves, that's for one of my ex-service oppo's, mind missing that pen didn't help eh!
steveperryman
Vital Football Legend
Sevilla have European pedigree, i wouldn't be at all surprised to see them upset Utd. Will be a good tie.
SmithAndJones
Vital 1st Team Regular
Not sure that it would be an upset. Both teams are in the top ten in the EUFA coefficient rankings, which gives a fair amount of credibility to the Europa league.
SmithAndJones
Vital 1st Team Regular
Shades of Tripps when he was at Spurs with Leipzig's winner last night. Caught far too square, ball over his head to an attacker out wide who was in acres of space with all the time in the world to cross for the winner.
Looking at the Barcelona score, maybe we didn't do so badly against Bayern after all! Such a great squad they have and they play great football too. Surely they have to be favourites now(if they weren't already)?
But what a terrible state Barcelona have got themselves in to. They have big changes to make to get back to their usual high standards and if they don't at least show that they are attempting to do so then who knows what Messi will do.
Sounds like the manager has been sacked and following Pochs recent comments seemingly going back on how he previously ruled out working there I'd imagine he will be linked to the job in the morning. I think it would be the right job for him too provided the board are willing to make changes.
Not sure what their financial strength is currently like but if they can then surely they will take drastic measures and spend big, maybe opening the exit route for Ndombelle. That's another link I'm sure some bored journalist will be making up this weekend.
But what a terrible state Barcelona have got themselves in to. They have big changes to make to get back to their usual high standards and if they don't at least show that they are attempting to do so then who knows what Messi will do.
Sounds like the manager has been sacked and following Pochs recent comments seemingly going back on how he previously ruled out working there I'd imagine he will be linked to the job in the morning. I think it would be the right job for him too provided the board are willing to make changes.
Not sure what their financial strength is currently like but if they can then surely they will take drastic measures and spend big, maybe opening the exit route for Ndombelle. That's another link I'm sure some bored journalist will be making up this weekend.
muttley
Alert Team
I think the best thing Barca can do is get rid of Messi. He just doesn't put in the graft nowadays and you end up building the entire thing around him. For me, him and Suarez are a big part of the problem along with the other ageing players like Vidal and Busquets. Griezman shouldn't be on the bench and Coutinho should have been given a chance last season.
As you say, they are in a state.
SmithAndJones
Vital 1st Team Regular
What a team Bayern Munich are, irrespective of the frailties of the opposition. That's their strength, they expose the frailties of the opposition. Nineteen goals in three CL matches against Barcelona, Spurs and Chelsea this season, that is extraordinary. I love watching these top German teams play, scoring goals is all that matters for them, they play CL matches as if they were playing in a charity five a side tournament. Where else in Europe can you see a team go out and score four goals in the second half, when already 4-1 up at half time. For those who love football to be entertaining this Bayern team is something special.
Harry-Kari
Vital 1st Team Regular
Anyone else think the Barcelona manager looked like Del Boys Rodney? Apart from that it was interesting to watch DeJong looking like a schoolboy in that match...I know he is young but a Xavi or Iniesta he isn’t...at least not yet....tbh all the Spanish players looked like they were fed up at not being on their summer holidays and couldn’t care less..
I couldn’t see any discernible tactics other than the ball over the top down the left hand side which initially exposed the Bayern defence but disappeared as the game progressed....for all their dominance Bayern were surprisingly weak at dealing with crosses when Barcelona managed to attack.
Not sure of the route forward but Bayern vs RB Leipzig could be a physical, brutal, exciting final...or not..
I couldn’t see any discernible tactics other than the ball over the top down the left hand side which initially exposed the Bayern defence but disappeared as the game progressed....for all their dominance Bayern were surprisingly weak at dealing with crosses when Barcelona managed to attack.
Not sure of the route forward but Bayern vs RB Leipzig could be a physical, brutal, exciting final...or not..
Real Deal
Alert Team
De Jong should have came here first. Learn his trade then make the move to Barca in his late 20's.
I am not sure if is the right thread and I don’t pretend to understand FFP rules! My in-built dislike of Chelsea though causes me to question how on earth the can buy Werner, Zytech at present totalling £90m and be expecting to buy Havertz £90, Chilwell £80m plus the ‘necessary’ goalkeeper. All in all likely to be about £300m.
I know Man City drove a coach and horses through the so called regulations but how the hell can anyone hope of even getting near a level playing field?
Please excuse my ignorance if I am missing something fundamental.
I know Man City drove a coach and horses through the so called regulations but how the hell can anyone hope of even getting near a level playing field?
Please excuse my ignorance if I am missing something fundamental.
Harry-Kari
Vital 1st Team Regular
Probably down to creative accounting and a level of corruption...of course they were not allowed to buy anyone in the last window so maybe the money they saved was actually reserved for investment at a later stage, unlike other well known alleged football clubs.
muttley
Alert Team
Spot on. I saw him live in the Nations League final in Porto against Portugal. What a player.
When he went to Barca, we clearly had no chance. It was the 2 prior summers that would have been our best chance. I always have the feeling we won't pay over the odds and close these deals though. We seem to want these kids at their "market value" and that doesn't differentiate us from the rest of the pack. Most big clubs throw an extra £5-10m at the problem and make sure they land them.
