Topic: The Push Square Football (Soccer) Thread

@StripedTomato Mental price for a player who isn't even world class but that's the money involved in the sport nowadays, especially for English players. It's just where the sport's going, I suppose.

@StripedTomato I think Rice will inevitably never live up to that price tag. Very few players would, and he’s not the flashiest player you’ll ever see either. He’ll be solid enough and could possibly win silverware with the team but it does feel odd for his valuation to be that bloated. Perhaps it’s an English tax due to the whole homegrown players rule? Like Maguire going for nonsense money as well, the prospect of a first-team player that counts towards homegrown must bump up the price a bit.

@KAIRU Definitely. With top level football I meant he’s good enough to play any Division 1 team in the world really.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr got smashed by Celta Vigo 5-0 only a couple of days ago. I think Henderson probably could’ve retired there later, but seems like Gerrard really wanted him.

@StripedTomato Definitely overpaid, but Arsenal do need him. He’s not on the level of a Jude Bellingham imo, but the price is whatever the club bidding is ready to pay 🤷‍♂️.

Also Messi has been found guilty & charged with Tax evasion during his time in Spain, which saw his almost 2 year prison sentence reduced to a fine. So much for morals.

@StripedTomato Jobe will definitely play in the premier league I think. Won’t be on Jude’s level, but I think he’s got a really good support system around him.

Very exciting times for England. My Germany aren’t anywhere close😅

Well there it is, Hendo is off to Saudi. Wish I could say I'm not disappointed, but do understand why he has gone.

With Fabhino likely going as well, that is too hugely experienced players going. Have to see who we get in to replace them, but that is gonna be tricky.

Only see Van Dijk and Robertson as leaders in that squad, and maybe Trent eventually.

I'm a little more nervous about next season now than I was after we had signed Dom and Mac Alister.

@JohnnyShoulder To be honest, Hendo wasn't going to be a starter unless we have injury issues and Fabinho was looking like a second choice behind Bajectic too until he needed time off. I watched the Friendly against Karlruher and Trent played in the '6', so could be utilised. We still have Jones, Elliott & Thiago as well as Szoboszlai and Mac Allister for 3 places.

Personally, I think VVD will be Captain - but we have 'Captains' in the squad - Szoboszlai is Captain of his national team, like Robertson and VVD. As I have said, I'd prefer Hendo to stay another year to keep some 'experience', lead by example in training, from the bench etc and help take some pressure off those coming in.

Still time to bring in more players and need to (I believe) after losing as many 'senior' players as we have/will lose this transfer window but some of the youth could be ready to step up too...

So caught the opening games of the Women’s WC…weren’t really great showcase games for Women’s football (although it was already marred by the shooting that took place earlier).
Kick off times aren’t really ideal for us in Europe either. Doubt Lineker would get up at 8am.
It kind of just felt a little flat. Didn’t think the production quality was there either (even the opening ceremony just felt budget).
Good to see the stadiums filled out though & glad to have the two hosts kick things off with a win.

@QualityGeezer Long term - For certain he is likely to be Captain but not ahead of VVD who is the usual 3rd choice if Hendo/Milner weren't playing - but he has Captained a few times before. I think he needs a few years to really be the 1st choice Captain - but with Hendo going now, I think he is 3rd choice at best with VVD taking the armband as he would naturally be 'next' in Line.

I know they don't 'officially' have a 3rd Choice, with Hendo as Captain and Milner as Vice-Captain, but they had a player vote and named VVD as 'Captain' if neither were playing so I would 'expect' VVD to get the armband for at least the next 'few' years, and maybe then Trent...

But we have some other Home Grown talent too - Curtis Jones and a few others coming up behind too but I do expect Trent to be a future Captain.

@StripedTomato The Saudi League seem to be trying to copy the US Major League - get older Players and pay them a High Salary to build up the League Profile on a global scale as more countries are interested in TV rights to show these 'Great' players who have won major European Football Trophies. Whether they 'cap' the number to increase home grown talent or not, we will see - but they seem 'determined' to get more Global TV and eyes on their League.

Man City I can see them shifting Players to Saudi after all they are Saudi owned so can probably 'negotiate' deals to get round FFP rules - to 'balance' the books on incomings. But that's probably my suspicious mind working - a club with 'numerous' FFP charges - I wonder why I'm sceptical...

Its like Beckham going to LA or now Messi going to Miami - its players who won't play 'regularly' at the top level looking for either more 'playing' and/or more money, a change in their 'twilight' - Gerrard went off to the US just for 'change' after all his career at LFC, a last chance at a Big Club in a different City for 'change' before you retire.

Some will shine, others will struggle but world wide, more people are now watching the Saudi League - selling more 'TV' rights, selling more 'Merch'....

@QualityGeezer Yeah Curtis has been 'protected' and has had a few niggling injuries that have limited his playing time - therefore hasn't really had the impact or enough games to build up rhythm and kick on but he is now at the age you 'expect' him to be getting more and more minutes now...

Trent is a Generational Talent - that's for sure! You don't win 'everything' and have as many games, let alone Assists/Goals from his position as he has at his age without being a Generational Talent - but I don't want that to be a 'jinx' on his career because not all go on to have 'successful' long term careers due to injury for example and never regain their level let alone potential...

@Fight_Teza_Fight The ball or pitch seemed to be a bit strange in the Australia v Ireland game, loads of passes felt like they weren’t quite reaching their target. Such a shame to see Sam Kerr sidelined too, she’s class. I dunno, the time games are played at is more of an annoyance than the standard, I’ve watched second tier Scottish football and the game’s universal as long as teams are of similar quality.

@QualityGeezer I’d stick Robertson as captain over VVD. From the way he leads our national team and the fact he’s more than a bit of a nutter, I think he has the personality that would have a whole team behind him at all times. The sorta guy who’d cripple an opposing player in retaliation if his teammate took a hit.

Really hope this whole Harry Kane thing doesn't go on all Summer. I'd rather we just sell him now if he won't commit and sign a new deal. It'd be mental to let him go on a free next year.

He's absolutely irreplaceable and he's undoubtedly one of the best strikers in the world right now, but I'd rather get something for him than nothing.

@QualityGeezer From a footballing perspective, Harvey Elliott. Mainly due to his age and therefore the potential ceiling is higher. I hoped Jones would have developed further by now - but still hope he will progress. We had a couple of 'young' midfielders with a LOT of Potential when they Joined Liverpool at a 'similar' age to Jones is now and fail to live up to their Potential - Kieta, Ox etc so some of my Excitement around Jones has been tempered over time as he too hasn't kicked on as much as I hoped.

Elliott was getting in the first team as a 'Starter' on merit and Jones only really got a bit of a run towards the end of this season - with Thiago injured. Therefore Elliott 'excites' me more, but I'm still 'excited' to see all our talented Players. I'm more Excited about Doak than Jones too...

Fabrizio Romano's given the 'Here we go' as of about 20 minutes ago so it's probably all but confirmed now.

@QualityGeezer I would have been very surprised if he had not signed. I think any hope of that disappeared a few days ago.

No Ange-ball today. Sadge.

@QualityGeezer Yeah well tripling (or thereabouts) your wages will do that for some people, and not guaranteed a starting place probably gave him a nudge.

I think we would need to sell a few more players to afford Bellingham, or blow all the transfer kitty on one player, which would have been suicide with the state of the squad at the end of last season. We had dropped out of signing him weeks before the end of the season, and Real Madrid had the deal sewn up pretty quickly, so I'm not sure it would have made much difference.

I've already voiced my concerns about losing two experienced midfielders at the same time. We can replace the numbers but the experience and the other qualities they have will be harder to replace. I'm not convinced by some of the players we have been linked with either, but Klopp rarely gets these things wrong.

@nessisonett Tbf the games have been better since the opening day. That Spain game was worrisome though (46 shots).
Thought England v Haiti was great (didn’t realise so many women from the Haiti NT played in France) & enjoyed France v Jamaica this morning.

@Fight_Teza_Fight There’s always been concern about the massive gulf in quality between some of the teams, funding isn’t equal across the world after all, but I think some of the matches have been closer than expected. Jamaica did a great job to grind out that draw and I honestly don’t think Vietnam were humbled by the USA like they might have been.

There’s no way these reports of us being linked with Kylian Mbappe are real. 😂😂

@nessisonett Yep absolutely agree. Can only hope that as the women’s game expands so does funding/development ,wages, etc.
Not been a fan of the ref stoppages so far though. The refs are getting more ‘air time’ then the players at this point😅.