jonny1403

But it's the same point. You've said multiple times players should play as much as possible in their career and that should be the only consideration. Mark Noble could easily have got a Championship contract but retired to spend more time with his kids. Therefore I assume you lack respect for him as well? How is Ciaran Clark, 33 in September, nowhere near retirement?

You've said it multiple times: It's incredibly odd that you refuse to acknowledge that a footballer might be settled in a particular area of the country and not want to move his kids/be away from his kids to play in fucking Luton.

I mean you can't guarantee that at all can you? You have no idea if Shearer would have wanted to play in the Championship. What are your thoughts on Mark Noble retiring to spend more time with his family instead of playing in the lower leagues?

But you said the main aim for any footballer is to play as many games as possible. So why would a player like Shearer retire when he could have played another two seasons in the Championship? After all, you've already said you lack respect for footballers who put family life first.

Eh? Shearer announced his retirement before the season started. He got his knee injury in April the following year.

This is a mental argument. Ronaldinho isn't a professional footballer any more. And why are you ignoring the 100s of professional footballers who choose to retire at 34/35 instead of playing in the lower leagues? Do you lack respect for Alan Shearer as a result? He could have played for a few years in the Championship if he loved the game so much.

So when Ronaldo eventually leaves Man U or Chelsea or whereever he ends up at the age of 40, you would expect him to want to play in the Championship for Stoke if they offer him a 1 year deal at £30k a week? Because he's dedicated his life to the game and wants to play it as long as possible?

Exactly "But it's my love of the beautiful game pet"

Also, I imagine footballers see more of their kids then most workers. They finish at 2pm most days ffs

My point is that there are a range of factors to consider. You're completely right that playing as much football as you can is a big factor, but it doesn't automatically override others such as finances, family life, injury concerns etc. If playing football was the be all and end all why does every PL footballer not end up playing in League Two at the age of 38? A couple do but most retire at a PL/champ team because playing away at Northampton Town with cloggers smashing you every week probably isn't as appealing as you seem to think it is.

So your argument is that rich people shouldn't care which job they take because even if they lose half their salary they'll still be rich and won't care? That's insane Obviously people want to earn as much as they can in the short career they have. People don't stop caring about their finances when they become rich. Football players should care more in fact when they turn 30 because it's one of the only professions where you know you will be taking the biggest pay cut of your life in a few years anyway. Exactly this. But HTT seems to be saying he should be happy not to see his kids grow up 90% of the time to spend a year at Stoke in the Championship because he "can't think of anything worse than not playing".

Such a simplistic argument. It's like any job consideration. What if his wife loves the area or his kids are happy at school/about to take exams and he doesn't fancy moving them halfway across the country? What if he's worried about an injury and only being offered a 1 year deal at Stoke or Wigan? What if he just fancies an easy 1 year training and seeing out his contract, before then considering options next year. None of us have any ideas into his mindset and it is clearly not the case that the preferred option should always be "play as much football as possible all the time"

It says nothing about the type of person they are other than that they are sensible and financially responsible. I'd imagine he'd take a 50% pay cut in the Championship. It's such a simplistic argument to say "oh he's rich anyway, he can easily take a cut". Would you take a 50% pay cut in your job?

How on earth is it sponging off the club? He was given a contract extension by the club in Jan 2021, that's the club's decision. It's not his fault he was left out of the squad. If he was picked to play, he would play. He's had a decade and a half of playing football, I find it funny that everyone assumes all footballers must be desperate to play football above all else, even if it means taking a pay cut and moving him and his family to some shithole in the Championship

Great post. It annoys me when our fans have a go at players who aren't willing to move on like Clark in January. Why should they take a pay cut and uproot their family if they don't want to? He's 32, had a long career and won't get anything like he is on at NUFC again. Perfectly entitled to stay put.

Why do you think it didn’t work out at Milan for him out of interest?

You won't get me arguing against the Longstaff comparison. But he's our 4th/5th choice CM. Bruno and Joelinton offer much more than McTominay so I doubt anyone sees the logic in paying the £40m+ it would take to get McTominay (as you say, not that you would sell or he would have any interest in coming).

I mean in your situation they really don't. Get a membership tomorrow and your 10 year old can go to as many games as she wants.

I don't want to argue but you'll get absolutely nowhere on here (and most other venues I'd imagine) trying to argue that Mourinho and especially fucking Ole are highly thought of managers whose opinion should be valued.

Integral in a team that won fuck all under one of the worst managers in Man United's history

Kaka dropping truth bombs left right and centre with this and the Wood comments

West Ham were very good last season and are arguably looking to improve just as much as us this summer.

Why are you leaving with a piece of plastic that will be cancelled within a day of the game? As I've already said he doesn't meet you after the game - all the tickets are in the same block so he walks around after 80 mins or so and picks them back up himself. It's really not that hard to imagine

He doesn't do it multiple times a season because nobody is stupid enough to try and run off with it because it would be cancelled and completely pointless I imagine he has a few addresses yes, I don't know him personally. I also don't know how Arsenal's ticketing system works so not sure what you want me to say.

Then he just rings the box office and cancels the card as he's lost it.