***Official*** English Football Season 2018-19

[Furball]

In all honesty it was a brain fade more than anything, but they have made some big name signings over the years. Suarez and Coutinho stand out in that regard. Careless wording in the post created the impression I don't have a ****ing clue about La Masia which is unfortunate.

What's your opinion on Liverpool signing Suarez from Ajax?

 

[andmark]

What's your opinion on Liverpool signing Suarez from Ajax?

I've said this before (directly to you if I remember correctly) that I also find that to be far less than ideal as well. My ideal in football is that teams play players brought up in academies teaching the style of football they will eventually play at senior level. It's how the great Ajax team of 1970-73 was generated as most of them were academy products who'd known each other for years (to the exception of someone whose name escapes me). That emphasis on the academy was transferred over to Barcelona when Cruyff went there and helped to establish La Masia. So it's pretty much always my preference that teams use academy players and the Suarez transfer to Liverpool obviously doesn't follow that ideal.

 

[cpr]

Watching Liverpool fans meltdown on Twitter because Suarez celebrated a goal against them is glorious

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Not really. The impending De Ligt transfer also added to it, baring in mind Barcelona are probably going to face De Ligt's team in the final. And then other big name players from outside the academy were also in mind such as Ronaldinho and Ronald Koeman.

Either my quip flew over your head or you're deliberately ignoring it. Fair play either way.

Weird to mention Koeman from nearly 30 years ago and not Dembele for over 100m barely 18 months ago.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Watching Liverpool fans meltdown on Twitter because Suarez celebrated a goal against them is glorious

My favs have been the ones calling Messi a cheat haha. So good.

 

[andmark]

Either my quip flew over your head or you're deliberately ignoring it. Fair play either way.

Weird to mention Koeman from nearly 30 years ago and not Dembele for over 100m barely 18 months ago.

I noticed the quip but cba with club banter stuff. The Dembele transfer also came to mind, but Koeman (at this point in Dembele's career at least) was better, so I chose him.

 

[Furball]

Watching Liverpool fans meltdown on Twitter because Suarez celebrated a goal against them is glorious

Players not celebrating against former clubs really ****ing annoys me.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

I noticed the quip but cba with club banter stuff.

Wasn't really meant as "banta" though. I think there's a pretty fair argument that you had that impression in your head because those two relatively recent high-profile transfers happened to both be from your own club. If they'd been from two other random clubs instead I'm not sure you would have made the same statement.

Not that there's really anything to be garnered from that I guess.

 

[andmark]

Wasn't really meant as "banta" though. I think there's a pretty fair argument that you had that impression in your head because those two relatively recent high-profile transfers happened to both be from your own club. If they'd been from two other random clubs instead I'm not sure you would have made the same statement.

Not that there's really anything to be garnered from that I guess.

It wasn't a thing of me being salty or anything and that causing my statement. With them having been at my team, they were naturally the first I thought of. It'd be hypocritical of me to single out and think of their transfers on a different standard than others on the basis of where they arrived from and I try to be careful to avoid thinking in those ways. The motivation behind the statement was the stuff about academies rather than "wah they left us. We stuck by you. Wah."

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

It wasn't a thing of me being salty or anything and that causing my statement. With them having been at my team, they were naturally the first I thought of. It'd be hypocritical of me to single out and think of their transfers on a different standard than others on the basis of where they arrived from and I try to be careful to avoid thinking in those ways. The motivation behind the statement was the stuff about academies rather than "wah they left us. We stuck by you. Wah."

I wasn't implying that you were salty about it? I was saying that your impression was coloured by your support, didn't mention anything of bitterness or ill feeling about it.

 

[andmark]

I wasn't implying that you were salty about it? I was saying that your impression was coloured by your support, didn't mention anything of bitterness or ill feeling about it.

Ah, I'd doubt with Suarez's case the club support was a factor because I barely followed football at all when he was there and went. The only way the Coutinho case had club support influence was that it felt at times that Barcelona were dictating things somewhat (the club President coming out saying the deal was nearly complete when it wasn't and the early wranglings on price being influenced by whether he won the Ballon d'Or) but I don't really feel much negativity about that transfer given it positively impacted Liverpool.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Watching Liverpool fans meltdown on Twitter because Suarez celebrated a goal against them is glorious

Never forget they sold Suarez and replaced him with Ricky Lambert.

 

[Uppercut]

I've said this before (directly to you if I remember correctly) that I also find that to be far less than ideal as well. My ideal in football is that teams play players brought up in academies teaching the style of football they will eventually play at senior level. It's how the great Ajax team of 1970-73 was generated as most of them were academy products who'd known each other for years (to the exception of someone whose name escapes me). That emphasis on the academy was transferred over to Barcelona when Cruyff went there and helped to establish La Masia. So it's pretty much always my preference that teams use academy players and the Suarez transfer to Liverpool obviously doesn't follow that ideal.

But Cruyff would never have gone to Barcelona in the first place if they’d followed this ideal.

I see your point but this still comes across as a very strange opinion, sort of a footballing equivalent of ‘like should stick with like’ parochialism.

 

[andmark]

But Cruyff would never have gone to Barcelona in the first place if they’d followed this ideal.

I see your point but this still comes across as a very strange opinion, sort of a footballing equivalent of ‘like should stick with like’ parochialism.

I know that with the Cruyff transfer (it was a world record fee as well and I believe to get around regulations, they registered him as cattle) but the result did help to bring about some of the ideal. Perfect case for me would be that Barcelona would've already had that philosophy, but it's better that it was imported rather never gained at all. Don't get me wrong, I'm not exactly calling for a ban on transfers, but it would be nice to have more top teams playing a greater deal of their academy players.

 

[Furball]

Liverpool fans seem a bit miffed that a former Everton and Barcelona striker celebrated Messi's free kick off air.

Precious ****s.

 

[cpr]

But he celebrated with the ex-United defender! Shoot them both.

 

[Furball]

But he celebrated with the ex-United defender! Shoot them both.

I've loved watching how in love Ferdinand is with what Messi has been producing. I love that despite being in the game for however many years that such an artist can still capture an ex-player's heart the way Messi has.

 

[Spark]

The Graun's podcast is in danger of jumping the shark a little when a discussion about Messi basically ends up describing him as a better Theo Walcott.

 

[OverratedSanity]

The Graun's podcast is in danger of jumping the shark a little when a discussion about Messi basically ends up describing him as a better Theo Walcott.

Haha I just listened to this. Very odd segment no doubt, but I think he was taking the piss.

 

[Uppercut]

The Graun's podcast is in danger of jumping the shark a little when a discussion about Messi basically ends up describing him as a better Theo Walcott.

Is it still worth a listen? Haven’t given it a go since James Richardson and co left.