2007/2008 European football thread

[mlyons]

Originally Posted by ukhotstove

It isn't but the hype surrounding Adu a couple of years ago was alot more than signing for Benfica for peanuts, makes it even worse in todays over inflated transfer market that see's players like Chopra who goes for £5 million. Adu is 18 ? so odds are he will never reach the potential that people were saying he would a couple of years ago.

Maradona's potential was to become one of the greatest players ever and he lived up to that potential, Adu's potential was to become of one if not the best American at least to play the game, you've seen more MLS than me so where would you rate Adu at the moment ? top 10 ? top 20 ?

Right now Adu is the best teenager ever to play for America, just ahead of Landon Donovan. I think he still has the potential to be the best American to ever play the game. I have no idea whether he'll fulfill that potential, though, as 18 is way too early to be making judgement's about a player's career. He certainly has the physical talent to do so, though.

The thing to remember is that the idea of someone playing professionally before the age of 18 is still a relatively new one in America. So far as I know, Landon Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley are the only other major American players to do so. Most of the top American players like Eric Wynalda, Claudio Reyna, Brian McBride, or Carlos Bocanegra didn't turn pro until they turned twenty or twenty-one, actually. Hell, even in Europe 18 is a pretty early age to be playing with a senior squad, isn't it? I think it's only fair to reserve opinions on Adu until at least his second season with Benfica.

[mlyons]

dola

Signing for peanuts is a bit harsh, by the way. There aren't that many other 18-year-olds who were signed for that much money this offseason, were there? I know the fee for Alexandre Pato blew Adu's away, but I have no problem thinking Pato will be a much better player than Adu.

[Bobbuttons]

Dish Network finally did something right! They have added Setanta Sports. Now I can watch EPL football and Scottish Premiere League football (finally get to check out Celtic after taking a liking to them by managing them for 4 seasons in Football Manager). Another great thing is that Setanta shows Australia's National Rugby League games. Too bad this had to happen just a month from the end of the regular season and 2 months from the Grand Final. The Rabbitohs are just 2 points out of the last spot in the finals series. Glad I get to see this again, since the idiots at Fox Soccer Channel stopped airing their 1 NRL game a week.

[Fallschirmjager]

I still wish I lived in Germany sometimes

My cousin e-mailed me last week and said he got his Werder Bremen season tickets three weeks ago and only paid 185 Euros

How much are EPL season tickets?

[Raderick]

Originally Posted by Fallschirmjager

I still wish I lived in Germany sometimes

My cousin e-mailed me last week and said he got his Werder Bremen season tickets three weeks ago and only paid 185 Euros

How much are EPL season tickets?

A lot.

[ukhotstove]

Originally Posted by mlyons

dola

Signing for peanuts is a bit harsh, by the way. There aren't that many other 18-year-olds who were signed for that much money this offseason, were there? I know the fee for Alexandre Pato blew Adu's away, but I have no problem thinking Pato will be a much better player than Adu.

Gareth Bale would spring to mind, around £1 million is peanuts in todays market so would probably pay off for Benfica even if he only lived up to 60% of his potential, just can't understand if he was going that cheap why did nobody else buy him.

[mlyons]

Originally Posted by ukhotstove

Gareth Bale would spring to mind, around £1 million is peanuts in todays market so would probably pay off for Benfica even if he only lived up to 60% of his potential, just can't understand if he was going that cheap why did nobody else buy him.

I'm sure it had something to do with it being a pain in the balls to negotiate with MLS for transfer fees. It's also because he's American, and Americans (rightly, I think) aren't perceived as being capable of playing well in Europe right now. Honestly, being able to say someone might be the best American player ever in five years or so isn't going to make him worth much more than $2 million. In his prime, Claudio Reyna was worth only $3.5 million, Tim Howard was most likely signed for less than that, and I believe Clint Dempsey holds the record for an American's transfer fee at $4 million.

[LFC1892]

I watched the Under-20 world cup and Altidore looked like a very handy player....wheres he ply his trade?

[LFC1892]

Nevermind, I just googled it....NY Red Bulls.

[Purple Cowboy]

I can't believe League 1 already kicks off on Saturday.

I'm still not over my bender from last season when Forest went home to City Ground in the playoffs last year with a 2-0 lead. A tough away win from Yeovil and then they choked the effin bit allowing five goals including two in extra time... I'm getting sick thinking about it again

[edrooney]

Originally Posted by Bobbuttons

Dish Network finally did something right! They have added Setanta Sports. Now I can watch EPL football and Scottish Premiere League football (finally get to check out Celtic after taking a liking to them by managing them for 4 seasons in Football Manager). Another great thing is that Setanta shows Australia's National Rugby League games. Too bad this had to happen just a month from the end of the regular season and 2 months from the Grand Final. The Rabbitohs are just 2 points out of the last spot in the finals series. Glad I get to see this again, since the idiots at Fox Soccer Channel stopped airing their 1 NRL game a week.

They also show Magners League rugby as well.

[ukhotstove]

Originally Posted by Fallschirmjager

I still wish I lived in Germany sometimes

My cousin e-mailed me last week and said he got his Werder Bremen season tickets three weeks ago and only paid 185 Euros

How much are EPL season tickets?

Cheapest season ticket on the market is Wigan Athletic at £250 (adult) although if your friend is under 5 they can get in free at Wigan, where does your friend sit/stand the Wigan price is for a seat anywhere in the stadium.

[Muppetus Galacticus]

Originally Posted by ukhotstove

Cheapest season ticket on the market is Wigan Athletic at £250 (adult) although if your friend is under 5 they can get in free at Wigan, where does your friend sit/stand the Wigan price is for a seat anywhere in the stadium.

Wow, you mean you get to watch Heskey AND Bramble play for that price?! Awesome!

[Purple Cowboy]

btw are there any Premiership packages akin to mlb.com where you can watch matches through an internet feed?

[Fallschirmjager]

Originally Posted by ukhotstove

Cheapest season ticket on the market is Wigan Athletic at £250 (adult) although if your friend is under 5 they can get in free at Wigan, where does your friend sit/stand the Wigan price is for a seat anywhere in the stadium.

Most German teams are like American teams and have season ticket holder sections
His seats are on the dugout side of the pitch about 2/3 of the way to the middle of the pitch from the goals
I think on the right hand side if you are facing the dugouts
14 rows from the pitch

German football is cheap to watch

[ukhotstove]

Originally Posted by Muppetus Galacticus

Wow, you mean you get to watch Heskey AND Bramble play for that price?! Awesome!

But just think of the mugs at Chelsea who will have paid 4, 5 maybe even 6 times as much to watch them when Latics visit Stamford Bridge.

[ukhotstove]

Originally Posted by Fallschirmjager

Most German teams are like American teams and have season ticket holder sections
His seats are on the dugout side of the pitch about 2/3 of the way to the middle of the pitch from the goals
I think on the right hand side if you are facing the dugouts
14 rows from the pitch

German football is cheap to watch

Don't worry they'll soon catch up with English prices when teams start to pay way over the odds wages wise for below average players.

[ukhotstove]

Originally Posted by Purple Cowboy

btw are there any Premiership packages akin to mlb.com where you can watch matches through an internet feed?

There are plenty of dodgy ones not sure on the legal ones though.

[ukhotstove]

Originally Posted by Muppetus Galacticus

Wow, you mean you get to watch Heskey AND Bramble play for that price?! Awesome!

Actually Heskey had a really good season last season, not England quality like but if it had been for one of the glamour teams he'd have got more respect. Against Sheff United last game of the season imo he gave the best performance by any player during last season, not many get knocked out, swallow their tongue and two minutes later he's dusting himself off to do battle again. Never really rated him but having seen him a few times last season there isn't a player who works as hard as him that I know of, gives everything for his team and if we'd had 10 more like him last season we wouldn't have needed a last day nailbiter.

[edrooney]

Heskey was pretty pants for Brum, but then the team as a whole were pants, and the manager is uber-pants. The origin of the criticism for Heskey was the large amount of money Liverpool paid for him (11m, which was quite a lot at the time), and his almost simultaneous emergence as an England regular.

He's got many admirable qualities, not least of which, as you say, is his willingness to battle to his last drop of blood. But he's not just not got enough quality for a top club or for the national team (although England have had precious few top-quality strikers in the last 10 years).

And as a reaction to his being over-valued by Houllier and Erikkson, the fans proceeded to massively undervalue him. Like you say, not a top striker, but easily good enough for the EPL at a decent price. And he's such a nice guy and an antidote to the Baby Bentley type players that it's hard to root against him.