Brazil v italy.

[adrianr]

I'm getting really pissed when I see these young talents who are going to be world stars for next decade like Hazard, Oscar, Lucas.. being signed by Chelsea, PSg etc while we're chasing methuselahs like De Rossi.

To be fair, you need a balance. You can't have a team of Hazards and Oscars just like you can't have a team of De Rossi's. De Rossi would have improved our team this season ten fold, as would Hazard.

That's right if it would be like that.

Hopefully it will change now with Txiki and Soriano but club's, as well as Mancini's, transfer policy so far was only - buy proven top players aged 25 and more for top dollars. Even Aguero who was younger than that is part of that policy, he was younger only because he started his pro career at 15.

I agree but there was a good reason for that, you can't surely be using Hazard, Oscar and Moura as examples of buying unproven players? Whilst they may not have been as mature, they were hardly big risks.

 

[Rocket-footed kolarov]

I'm getting really pissed when I see these young talents who are going to be world stars for next decade like Hazard, Oscar, Lucas.. being signed by Chelsea, PSg etc while we're chasing methuselahs like De Rossi.

To be fair, you need a balance. You can't have a team of Hazards and Oscars just like you can't have a team of De Rossi's. De Rossi would have improved our team this season ten fold, as would Hazard.

That's right if it would be like that.

Hopefully it will change now with Txiki and Soriano but club's, as well as Mancini's, transfer policy so far was only - buy proven top players aged 25 and more for top dollars. Even Aguero who was younger than that is part of that policy, he was younger only because he started his pro career at 15.

Lets hope it does change if Mancini is chasing De Rossi again in the summer I will despair! One lad I hope the Spaniards get us is the young DM Fernando, excellent with both feet, range of passing, energetic and even takes a good FK.

 

[supercrystal7]

I'm getting really pissed when I see these young talents who are going to be world stars for next decade like Hazard, Oscar, Lucas.. being signed by Chelsea, PSg etc while we're chasing methuselahs like De Rossi.

To be fair, you need a balance. You can't have a team of Hazards and Oscars just like you can't have a team of De Rossi's. De Rossi would have improved our team this season ten fold, as would Hazard.

That's right if it would be like that.

Hopefully it will change now with Txiki and Soriano but club's, as well as Mancini's, transfer policy so far was only - buy proven top players aged 25 and more for top dollars. Even Aguero who was younger than that is part of that policy, he was younger only because he started his pro career at 15.

I think this is partly because Mancini is under so much pressure. I don't think you can win much with kids. A player around 20-23 is going to be inconsistent and mostly likely mentally weak in the tough moments of a season. Mancini needs to deliver success immediately or he will be fired. I was speaking with friends about whether Chelsea/City should get Nasri or Mata. They said Mata had the greater potential, but not by much. Chelsea were rebuilding that year so could afford to let Mata settle in for a season. Where as City would need a top player already settled into the Premiership to win the league that very year and so would be better off going for Nasri.

I don't understand why City fans are so excited about Soriano and Txiki at the club though. If I am not mistaken Barcelona have been the worst club in the transfer market over the last 5 years.

Buying Zlatan for a deal close to 60 million and selling him for 20 odd million.
Buying that Ukrainian Centre back for 20 odd million and selling him for 10 million.
Buying Mascherano for 20 odd million to turn him into a centre back.

Of course their youth system has been second to none and they have brought through an unbelievable players, but as for actual quality signings I cannot see many. Barcelona's success was built on Messi, Xavi and Iniesta. All products of the youth team.

 

[MSP]

To be fair, you need a balance. You can't have a team of Hazards and Oscars just like you can't have a team of De Rossi's. De Rossi would have improved our team this season ten fold, as would Hazard.

That's right if it would be like that.

Hopefully it will change now with Txiki and Soriano but club's, as well as Mancini's, transfer policy so far was only - buy proven top players aged 25 and more for top dollars. Even Aguero who was younger than that is part of that policy, he was younger only because he started his pro career at 15.

I agree but there was a good reason for that, you can't surely be using Hazard, Oscar and Moura as examples of buying unproven players? Whilst they may not have been as mature, they were hardly big risks.

That's even better reason to buy them.

They are already proven and you'll pay top dollars for them but they are not 25+ so you basically get them on free as you don't need to replace them in 4-5 years just extend their contracts. Or sell them and get money back, often more to replace them with another one.

When you buy 25-26 years old you don't have that luxury as near the contract end they're not as good as you bought them and you can't get money you paid for them back when you sell them.

 

[MSP]

To be fair, you need a balance. You can't have a team of Hazards and Oscars just like you can't have a team of De Rossi's. De Rossi would have improved our team this season ten fold, as would Hazard.

That's right if it would be like that.

Hopefully it will change now with Txiki and Soriano but club's, as well as Mancini's, transfer policy so far was only - buy proven top players aged 25 and more for top dollars. Even Aguero who was younger than that is part of that policy, he was younger only because he started his pro career at 15.

I think this is partly because Mancini is under so much pressure. I don't think you can win much with kids. A player around 20-23 is going to be inconsistent and mostly likely mentally weak in the tough moments of a season. Mancini needs to deliver success immediately or he will be fired. I was speaking with friends about whether Chelsea/City should get Nasri or Mata. They said Mata had the greater potential, but not by much. Chelsea were rebuilding that year so could afford to let Mata settle in for a season. Where as City would need a top player already settled into the Premiership to win the league that very year and so would be better off going for Nasri.

I don't understand why City fans are so excited about Soriano and Txiki at the club though. If I am not mistaken Barcelona have been the worst club in the transfer market over the last 5 years.

Buying Zlatan for a deal close to 60 million and selling him for 20 odd million.
Buying that Ukrainian Centre back for 20 odd million and selling him for 10 million.
Buying Mascherano for 20 odd million to turn him into a centre back.

Of course their youth system has been second to none and they have brought through an unbelievable players, but as for actual quality signings I cannot see many. Barcelona's success was built on Messi, Xavi and Iniesta. All products of the youth team.

That's true but club should take full responsibility on buying players on themselves, don't really care about managers and their pressure. You have to make moves that are good for club not manager, they'll get enough money if they're sacked to be worried about them too much.

Managers are temporary solution and I'd never give them the freedom to buy players, that's where director of football and continuous style of football comes so you buy players who fits the system and players for future not those for short term stuff.

And yes, Barcelona had bad buys but they had good ones too. One each Chigrinsky there's Alves :)

 

[adrianr]

Woo De Rossi 2-1.

 

[malg]

Seriously now, someone needs to get hold of that Italian no14 and tell him that he looks a total cûnt - Mario would do it.

 

[blink922]

Seriously now, someone needs to get hold of that Italian no14 and tell him that he looks a total cûnt - Mario would do it.

When you're that good at 20 you can look how you want. If he was terrible I would agree.


ABSOLUTE BRILLIANCE from Balo.

 

[malg]

Sign him up!

 

[Skashion]

Oh Balo, that was some goal.