Football 2010-2011

[eFestivals]

If hes trying to give the club a kick up the arse he's done things as wrongly as it's possible to do it.

If hes doing this as a "look how ambitious I am Madrid/Barca/City" he's done things as wrongly as it's possible to do it.

If hes doing it for personal reasons due to his recent activities he's done things as wrongly as it's possible to do it.

Lots of players leave clubs for lots of different reasons, but they don't come out mid season with it and disrupt the club. If every player who thinks he's big enough did that, there would be no football as we know it. Rooney knew by telling lies about his ankle last week would raise questions and get the media ball rolling, and if he didn't know, his "people" did. He released his statement 2 hours before a Champions League game kicked off FFS!!

Ronaldo kept his mouth shut, Gerrard did too. As did lots of others. Compare the way Henry left Arsenal with the way Rooney is leaving Utd.

I'd say all that's pretty much irrelevant.

I've demonstrated that if it's about reaping every quid as you'd like to believe, Rooney has opted out of collecting millions he could otherwise be collecting. So it's not about money.

Everything else is covered by the simple fact of him being honest.

I'm not trying to say that he was right for the footballing world to be that brutally honest, but honesty fits while all of suggestions for his reasons do not.

[Cardboard Box City]

complete bollocks. Cruff* wasn't world class?

(*used cos he was the first name that came to mind, no other reasons).

[sifi]

His first two clubs were Ajax and Barcelona?

[5co77ie]

So Utd haven't given players the winning mentality over the years? Would Rio have won 5-6 league titles .. A champions league .. And a collegium of FA/League cups at Leeds? Players only become world class when they play for a top club. Fact.

Currently all the best players in the world play for Barca/Madrid/Inter/Bayern.

They are defined as world class as they are winners.

Edited October 21, 2010 by 5co77ie

[eFestivals]

Didn't he kinda play for Barcelona.

yep - but at the end of his career, long long after he was regarded by anyone and everyone as being world class.

At that world class club called Ajax.

(Yes, I know they were far better regarded back then.)

[5co77ie]

Do you actually know what that word means?

[sifi]

yep - but at the end of his career, long long after he was regarded by anyone and everyone as being world class.

At that world class club called Ajax.

(Yes, I know they were far better regarded back then.)

[eFestivals]

Yeah, in relation to world class players coming from abroad, which Viera very certainly wasn't.

Hmmmm .... such a poorly regarded player that Wenger's arsenal managership was dependent on them signing him. And Arsenal went on to win the league in his second season at the club.

While he might not have been regarded as world class by footie fans, he was certainly highly enough regarded for Wenger to want him more than Wenger wanted the Arsenal job, and with Fergie after him too.

[sifi]

At that world class club called Ajax.

(Yes, I know they were far better regarded back then.)

[eFestivals]

According to Wiki it was 1973, which would make him 26, and that was before the 1974 total football Dutch team.

then I apologise for getting that wrong. I'd thought it was more like 76 or 77 that he'd gone to Barca.

[Cardboard Box City]

yep - but at the end of his career, long long after he was regarded by anyone and everyone as being world class.

[sifi]

I've seen footage of that 1974 team, which was essentially the Ajax team, and my God they were irresistable. Rep, Neeskens, Cryuff. Like Arsenal on a really good day.

[eFestivals]

anyway, back directly to Rooney .... best story so far has to be this one....

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=834508&sec=global&cc=5739

[eFestivals]

I've seen footage of that 1974 team, which was essentially the Ajax team, and my God they were irresistable. Rep, Neeskens, Cryuff. Like Arsenal on a really good day.

me, I spent the summer of '74 aghast at his skills.

[sifi]

So list of great players never to have played for a huge-mega club.

1 Pele (Santos, wasn't it? I couldn't even tell you which city Santos comes from. Sao Paolo, maybe?)

2 Gordon Banks. Leicester, Stoke.

3 Bobby Moore. West Ham United.

4 Gazza? Unless we are counting Rangers as a mega-club. I suppose it is. Scrub Gazza.

5 Shilton. Although he was at the trees when they were mighty.

6 Garrincha.

I was toying with Le Tissier, and he could be briliant on his day but on the day I watched him play against Italy in the mid 90s it wasn't his day.

Edited October 21, 2010 by sifimaster

[eFestivals]

3 Bobby Moore. West Ham United. Fulham.

Corrected for you.

[Cardboard Box City]

I've seen footage of that 1974 team, which was essentially the Ajax team, and my God they were irresistable. Rep, Neeskens, Cryuff. Like Arsenal on a really good day.

Edited October 21, 2010 by Cardboard Box City

[5co77ie]

Spanish football expert Guillem Balague says he's been told by Jose Mourinho that Man City is already done:

http://www.guillembalague.com/blog_desp.php?titulo=City+agreement+deters+Real+interest+in+Rooney+-+Video&id=503

[sifi]

This is 40 odd years ago now tho isn't it? Would Pele not be turning up in El Classico if he was playing now? (28th November btw).

[sifi]

Spanish football expert Guillem Balague says he's been told by Jose Mourinho that Man City is already done:

Edited October 21, 2010 by sifimaster

[ralph250]

you're getting confused between wanting to aim for the top and being able to aim for the top, I reckon.

[st dan]

I would officially laugh my arse off for a week if he does a Denis Law.

Manchester United fans - Denis Law was a footballer who played for you, and then moved to City and then scored a goal which ensured Manchester United were relegated to Division Two.

[ampersand]

wish i'd put a 3/1 city bet on the other day.

[ralph250]

It's certainly the case that if Rooney's aim was to shaft the club as much as possible he's done just about everything possible to fail with that.

[The Nal]

Manchester United fans - Denis Law was a footballer who played for you, and then moved to City and then scored a goal which ensured Manchester United were relegated to Division Two.