Other clubs' transfers

[Segun Oluwaniyi]

3 hours ago, Yorkie said:

 

Happy to concede that it might be unfair to use specifically Osimhen as a lightning rod for my accusations of "isn't everything depressing," but even so I still think it's a relevant example, if indirectly.

 

He might have more 'romantic' notions of Chelsea than I gave him credit for, but it's ironic that - even then - they only exist because outrageous external spending (i.e. the root cause of the imbalance I'm ultimately lamenting) provided Chelsea with Didier Drogba.

 

Not to mention him publicly pining for their affections in the middle of the aforementioned incredible season.

I entirely agree about the last point, tbf . I don't understand how players can just come out and say these things. Victor should be enjoying the moment, playing for one of the most exciting teams in the world (likely accompanied by club and individual silverware), and letting his agent handle his desire for an English move.

 

I suppose the difference is that Europeans accept this part of the sport. He'll still be cheered next time he walks out at the Maradona. I cannot imagine the reaction if this was done in American sports.

 

 

Edited March 7, 2023 by Segun Oluwaniyi

[Kanj]

2 hours ago, Optimistic Nut said:

 

He might be, but we've seen to a lesser extent us when we have a market cornered and then other clubs cotton on, plus Swansea, then Southampton...

 

Just takes one transfer window of selling another 2-3 of the stars and a window where the signings don't click, and a club like that drops 7-8 places down the table. 

 

Hasn't Brighton's scouting department been broken up a bit? with Potter and his team at Chelsea and Ashworth gone here?

[The College Dropout]

49 minutes ago, Kanji said:

 

Hasn't Brighton's scouting department been broken up a bit? with Potter and his team at Chelsea and Ashworth gone here?

The key man at Brighton is the chairman and owner Tony Bloom. He’s the mastermind behind everything. That’s why he keeps getting people in that take the club to new heights. 

[cubaricho]

I saw Richarlison was dropping quotes. Forgot that dude moved to Tottenham. What a move.  

[Froggy]

On 07/03/2023 at 15:10, Optimistic Nut said:

I know it's the nature of the beast but Brighton could easily become what Southampton were if they keep selling like that. Just takes one poor summer in the transfer market and all the good work is undone and they're fighting relegation.

 

They turned down £70m for Caicedo to be fair.

[joeyt]

 

 

He was wanting to leave a few weeks ago

[BonesJones]

2 hours ago, joeyt said:

 

 

He was wanting to leave a few weeks ago

Well it worked.

[Disco]

He’ll have been on buttons compared to everyone else coming direct from Argentina; same with that other fella they got from Velez.

[Wullie]

On 07/03/2023 at 02:31, r0cafella said:

Fan experience is important, who wants to watch a game where the running track separates the fans from the pitch?

 

This is such a problem for Serie A. So many games feel so lifeless, more than once I've caught myself thinking "is this behind closed doors?" because you can watch for ages and not see any supporters. A lot of the games are like watching Birmingham where they've had that main stand opposite the camera closed for years. 

 

Verona are one that I always notice, you can see when they score that there's loads of people there, with flags and flares. But that's the only time you see them in the game, the rest of the time you could be watching a midweek National League game.

 

 

[Yorkie]

8 minutes ago, Wullie said:

 

This is such a problem for Serie A. So many games feel so lifeless, more than once I've caught myself thinking "is this behind closed doors?" because you can watch for ages and not see any supporters. A lot of the games are like watching Birmingham where they've had that main stand opposite the camera closed for years. 

 

I wonder if it's a coincidence that about half the teams in the league can barely get their stadiums two-thirds full, whilst there are Italian broadcasters offering all 380 games on TV/streaming services...? 

 

A cautionary tale perhaps. Then again, all Eredivisie matches are available too and their attendances (% of ground being full, that is) are still really high. 

[Nine]

Wasn’t sure where to put this but seeing the Man United takeover gaining some traction makes me wonder why their fans want the Glazers out so badly? Forgive my ignorance as I don’t keep up with the ins and outs and I get that they havnt won much for more years than they got used to but they have out spent everyone else.. so what’s going to change there? 

[Dr.Spaceman]

The lack of care given to Old Trafford for starters.

[ponsaelius]

On 14/03/2023 at 01:15, Yorkie said:

 

I wonder if it's a coincidence that about half the teams in the league can barely get their stadiums two-thirds full, whilst there are Italian broadcasters offering all 380 games on TV/streaming services...? 

 

A cautionary tale perhaps. Then again, all Eredivisie matches are available too and their attendances (% of ground being full, that is) are still really high. 

 

Attendances did gradually fall when every game went on TV. It undoubtedly had an impact. This accelerated after calciopoli for obvious reasons. As did the introduction of photo ID to enter stadia. Although attendances have recovered quite a bit in recent years in terms of total numbers.

 

A lot of it however is often simply down to the ground being too big for the club and/or fanbase. Most teams use large municipal stadiums not built for purpose and clubs are unable to build new ones or redevelop the existing ones to a more appropriate size/style. The built form of the existing stadia is also rarely conducive to the TV experience when there is a running track, or when all the fans are placed on one side of the ground/in the curva miles away from the pitch.

 

I would also say that Italy is very different to the UK in the fact that it has lots and lots of small parochial cities which are little more than towns when you look at population. Cremonese have a 21,000 seater but it is unsurprising that it is not filled - the city itself is smaller than Hartlepool. Empoli and Sassuolo are barely much bigger than Blyth.

 

Watching a Serie A game in person is a  notably better experience than it is on TV because the ultras provide the noise and atmosphere and you get the full sense of that in person. However I would say the ultras are a weakness as much as a strength as their very presence probably does scare and intimidate family going supporters (as well as the state of the facilities themselves) which is such a boon for attendances in other countries - particularly England.

 

 

Edited March 16, 2023 by ponsaelius

[Manxst]

45 minutes ago, Nine said:

Wasn’t sure where to put this but seeing the Man United takeover gaining some traction makes me wonder why their fans want the Glazers out so badly? Forgive my ignorance as I don’t keep up with the ins and outs and I get that they havnt won much for more years than they got used to but they have out spent everyone else.. so what’s going to change there? 

Burdened the club with unheard of levels of debt when initially purchasing them. They take yearly profits out of the club to line their own pockets when prior to their arrival, all profits were put back into the club to put towards transfers etc. 

[ponsaelius]

Verona specifically is actually a good example of the above. I went a few years ago for a sell-out win against Juve and it was probably the best matchday atmosphere I've been to in terms of colour and consistent noise throughout.

 

However Verona ultras are also notorious for being the nastiest and most intimidating bigots around. Getting in meant queuing for over an hour before to check tickets and ID, while the actual stadium facilities and comforts at the Bentegodi are more or less non existent. It is little surprise that for a league game against middling opposition that is on TV sees a huge drop in casual supporters (and very few tourists compared to the PL).

[Yorkie]

53 minutes ago, ponsaelius said:

 

Attendances did gradually fall when every game went on TV. It undoubtedly had an impact. This accelerated after calciopoli for obvious reasons. As did the introduction of photo ID to enter stadia. Although attendances have recovered quite a bit in recent years in terms of total numbers.

 

A lot of it however is often simply down to the ground being too big for the club and/or fanbase. Most teams use large municipal stadiums not built for purpose and clubs are unable to build new ones or redevelop the existing ones to a more appropriate size/style. The built form of the existing stadia is also rarely conducive to the TV experience when there is a running track, or when all the fans are placed on one side of the ground/in the curva miles away from the pitch.

 

I would also say that Italy is very different to the UK in the fact that it has lots and lots of small parochial cities which are little more than towns when you look at population. Cremonese have a 21,000 seater but it is unsurprising that it is not filled - the city itself is smaller than Hartlepool. Empoli and Sassuolo are barely much bigger than Blyth.

 

Watching a Serie A game in person is a  notably better experience than it is on TV because the ultras provide the noise and atmosphere and you get the full sense of that in person. However I would say the ultras are a weakness as much as a strength as their very presence probably does scare and intimidate family going supporters (as well as the state of the facilities themselves) which is such a boon for attendances in other countries - particularly England.

 

 

 

 

Assume this means the prospect of the stadiums getting some tlc is basically null?

[ponsaelius]

Yeah basically. Also bureaucracy makes it extremely difficult to get the land and consents (and definitely not the funding) to build new ones ('you already have a perfectly good stadium'). It is happening in some cases but pace is glacial.

 

On a strictly personal and selfish level I'm not bothered. Not until I've ticked off all the great stadiums anyway. But there's no doubt stadium redevelop is pretty key to improving the quality of the 'product' - even just to allow the clubs to have more control over revenue 

[Disco]

Top of my list to go to a game abroad is Italy like. Never been at the right time / got fixture computer luck so far. Bologna being top of the list albeit it’d probably be San Siro. Easily the best/most interesting football culture in Europe for me. 

[The College Dropout]

Going to Inter vs Juve actually 

[SUPERTOON]

 

[TheInfiniteOdyssey]

Mount seems a perfect type of player for Howe. Something to keep an eye on if we manage to get European football.

[Manxst]

1 minute ago, TheInfiniteOdyssey said:

Mount seems a perfect type of player for Howe. Something to keep an eye on if we manage to get European football.

Simply can’t see us paying the wages he wants. Why leave Chelsea to earn less money with us than they’ve offered him? 

[TheInfiniteOdyssey]

8 minutes ago, Manxst said:

Simply can’t see us paying the wages he wants. Why leave Chelsea to earn less money with us than they’ve offered him? 

Yeah wouldn’t really make a lot of sense, unless he’s totally lost confidence in the sporting project at Chelsea.

 

 

[Ketsbaia]

On 17/03/2023 at 00:16, The College Dropout said:

Going to Inter vs Juve actually 

Just did the San Siro tour yesterday.

 

Class stadium ?

[Kid Icarus]

I would be absolutely all over bringing Mount in, in the right system he's absolutely class. Very intelligent player.