English Premier League EPL Thread

[RagingBull]

Yeah even I didnt like that... and ive seen some of the WIP sculpts which you all will see soon... and they look pretty good IMO. Plus I dont think you will be bale to see players who are NOT a part of the current season or so etc etc so guys like Becks and Christiano are pretty much out... Players who are pretty much under contract with United will make the cut. United is being made as they are like some sort of Asian phenomenon... most of Asia still support United because of David Beckham and the brilliant marketing of EPL which makes them believe it is the 'best league' in the world...

I was told if this line is successful they would make other players... although there are issues these guys dont and Im sure arent yet aware of. Some players (specially the superstars) own their own likeness and rights and share it with their sponsors... for example if they wanted to make Messi, Barca's license would get them nothing other than the club logo... they would need Messi's license via Adidas to make him and would probably have to deck him up in an Adidass kit with his official logo... etc etc

It is arguably the best league in world alongside La Liga & maybe even the Bundesliga. People aren't dumb, in Asia they all know about the La Liga the Bundesliga etc they all get just as much air play all round the world as the EPL.

What makes the EPL as big as it is are that the games are normally played so fast, it's the entertainment side. La Liga's biggest problem is when a team like Bilbao, Saville, Valencia etc look like there about to build a team to challenge the big 2 they get dismantled over the next few season's because Real & Barca get pretty get all the Tv money & the rest are left with little where in the Prem Tv money is shared out much more evenly so teams can afford to keep there squad or demand inflated transfer fee's. The German's have one of the best leagues in the world but the EPL has a big following out there because they seem to find the EPL entertaining.

Remember Football is entertainment & people want to be entertained.

 

[thecorsair]

What the Premier League lacks in show ponies doing pointless party tricks or overly "technical" football it more than makes up for in excitement.

I'll take a 5-5 draw or the passion of any of the local derbies over a Serie A borefest every day of the week.

La Liga is the Scottish Premier League on a bigger budget and with better weather.

RagingBull,
Don't you mean Seville?

Saville was something else entirely

There's good news of sorts for Arsenal fans, Fabregas doesn't appear destined to be reunited with RVP....yet,
https://www1.skysports.com/football...a-this-summer-despite-rumoured-England-return

Chicharito scored a brace for Mexico in a 2-2 draw with Nigeria,
https://www1.skysports.com/football...s-both-goals-for-Mexico-in-2-2-draw-v-Nigeria

 

[gypsycatcha]

Bale is a Ronaldo fanboy and I think Christiano will actually like Bale coming as Im sure Bale will just be starry eyed around him let alone challenge Ronaldo's star status - Bale is not in that elite top bracket yet. The amount Bale apes Christiano is embarassing at times... specially that backing up stance before a free kick... mimicry may be the highest form of admiration but having the real deal and the mimic on the same team is really something

Barca are already empty coffers by buying Neymar who IMO is too overhyped and needs a LOT more experience to play at a club like Barca where he will be thrust immideately against the top opponents in the world - and Barca is yet to plug in their centre back crisis. Can you believe that they are a club who has 3 specialist centre backs in the first team (One of them close to retirement and another hasnt even been capped more than 10 times for full 90mins in the first team). Madrid being the Pioneers of what current day Chelsea, Man City, PSG are dont break a sweat and throw in millions every season as usual and this years kitty for them is Bale, Suarez, Tevez, Gundogan... dropping 200m without breaking a sweat... thats called being a Boss!

and something you guys may like
https://www.sideshowcollectors.com/forums/showthread.php?t=128402

The sculpts are great... you guys will see them soon.

I think your right with Bale. He is in total awe of Ronaldo and its quite easy to see he models his game on his.
I used to find it very cringe worthy when he stepped up to a free kick but then they started flying in so I dealt with it lol. I think they'd compliment each other. He's not in his bracket yet but in terms of form, stock, progression, he's rightly compared.

But I hope it doesnt happen lol

 

[gypsycatcha]

Good to see the winners of the europa go into the champions league. To play so many games across europe for the very low sum of around 10m and a trophy deserve more recognition.
should have done it years ago imo.

 

[VASith]

What the Premier League lacks in show ponies doing pointless party tricks or overly "technical" football it more than makes up for in excitement.

I'll take a 5-5 draw or the passion of any of the local derbies over a Serie A borefest every day of the week.

La Liga is the Scottish Premier League on a bigger budget and with better weather.

RagingBull,
Don't you mean Seville?

Saville was something else entirely

There's good news of sorts for Arsenal fans, Fabregas doesn't appear destined to be reunited with RVP....yet,
https://www1.skysports.com/football...a-this-summer-despite-rumoured-England-return

Chicharito scored a brace for Mexico in a 2-2 draw with Nigeria,
https://www1.skysports.com/football...s-both-goals-for-Mexico-in-2-2-draw-v-Nigeria

Arsenal get first dibs at a reduced price if and when cesc comes back to EPL. I don't think he will leave this year. Though it seems villa to arsenal is done and dusted. Just hope we aren't over paying. Especially since we just signed Julio from qpr.

 

[VASith]

I think your right with Bale. He is in total awe of Ronaldo and its quite easy to see he models his game on his.
I used to find it very cringe worthy when he stepped up to a free kick but then they started flying in so I dealt with it lol. I think they'd compliment each other. He's not in his bracket yet but in terms of form, stock, progression, he's rightly compared.

But I hope it doesnt happen lol

Ronaldo is gone from Madrid. Looked way too healthy to not play today. Psg with Rooney?

 

[thecorsair]

Ronaldo is gone from Madrid. Looked way too healthy to not play today. Psg with Rooney?

If Madrid sell United have first option, much like you guys do with Fabregas.

Money won't be an issue as the debt that the club's detractors like to use to claim that the club can't afford to compete for top players is now under £340 million and profits from commercial revenue and broadcasting revenue are up by 32% and 28% respectively.

They recently signed several long term sponsorship deals which will effectively wipe out the debt in the next few years and there has been indication that Nike and Chevrolet/GM have also offered to help fund any deal to bring Ronaldo back "home".

FFP won't mean a thing as there are loopholes which can and will be exploited.

PSG are another Madrid or City, they're trying to put together a team of egos that are out for themselves first and the team second so if Ronaldo has become unhappy in Spain due to a poor atmosphere behind the scenes, he's unlikely to walk into a similar environment no matter how much they offer him.

He clearly still loves United and even with Fergie having retired must surely feel that if he went back that he'd be amongst friends, as opposed to a bunch of sharks.

His biggest issue would be readjusting to the pace of the English game and the crappy weather.

Should the opportunity arise, the Glazer family would be idiots to pass it up....there is no better way of showing their intent for the success United have had in the last 20 years to continue under David Moyes.

 

[Wanderer]

^^ All true

I'm heading off to the Utd Legends vs Madrid Legends game at OT shorty. Van Nistlerooy, Yorke, Cole, Stam, Scholes, Zidane, Robson amongst others oh and JLS performing pre game...winner lol

My mate was saying Ronaldo might be there but I doubt it considering I think he played last night? I live in hope

 

[gypsycatcha]

Arsenal get first dibs at a reduced price if and when cesc comes back to EPL. I don't think he will leave this year. Though it seems villa to arsenal is done and dusted. Just hope we aren't over paying. Especially since we just signed Julio from qpr.

Julio's agent has denied it but it sounds like your getting him. Real good signing . They reckon villa is either us or you. I feel the same. Had a very bad injury and never quite been the same and is 31 now. Levy wouldnt pay over the odds without a sell on value so I doubt we'd pay more than 8m.

Having said that, he is quality and spain's all time record scorer.

 

[thecorsair]

^^ All true

I'm heading off to the Utd Legends vs Madrid Legends game at OT shorty. Van Nistlerooy, Yorke, Cole, Stam, Scholes, Zidane, Robson amongst others oh and JLS performing pre game...winner lol

My mate was saying Ronaldo might be there but I doubt it considering I think he played last night? I live in hope

Jose said he didn't play due to a "back injury". But the injury could be fictional.

Zidane on Scholes,
"He is the complete midfielder".

Zidane perhaps didn't take his tackling into account when he said that but a comment like that would likely mean more to Scholes than anything a journalist or pundit could ever say.

He was by far the greatest English player of the last 20 years.

 

[RagingBull]

Scholes was an amazing player. Listen to what Iniesta & Xavi have to say about him. He wasn't a flash player but his passing, creativity & work rate was awesome. A true team player

@corsair
Ha yep I meant Seville, I'm not going to lie spelling isn't one of my strong points but I do try

I've actually got a friend from Seville except he supports Real Betis. Who remember's when Betis broke the world transfer record to sign Denilson for £21.5 million. That was money well spent

 

[RobertoBagg10]

I know it's only early days but I just have a bad feeling Arsenal aren't going sign anyone of any proven class once again this season. There been going on about this war chest for months & how they can afford players like Cavani but now the transfer window is open all I'm hearing is Arsenal being linked to 19, 20, 21 year old players I've never heard off

Latest i heard RB is that they are planning to put a bid on the Brazilian GK Julio Cesar

Still cant believe that Falcao has gone to Monaco

 

[axecutioner18]

Scholes was an amazing player. Listen to what Iniesta & Xavi have to say about him. He wasn't a flash player but his passing, creativity & work rate was awesome. A true team player

@corsair
Ha yep I meant Seville, I'm not going to lie spelling isn't one of my strong points but I do try

I've actually got a friend from Seville except he supports Real Betis. Who remember's when Betis broke the world transfer record to sign Denilson for £21.5 million. That was money well spent

When Guardiola was asked which player he would like to bring to Barca during the 2011 CL final build up he didnt even take a second to think and instantly blurted out 'Paul Scholes'... Scholes was pretty much similar to what Guardiola was as a player only difference was that Guardiola's position was more like Busquets' but he was much less of a ball snatcher...

And I remember that Denilson transfer... that was I think back in 1997 or so (it was before the France World Cup) or something at that same time Ronaldo was sold to Inter Milan by Barcelona and in a few weeks that record fee was demolished by that Denilson transfer...

 

[RagingBull]

When Guardiola was asked which player he would like to bring to Barca during the 2011 CL final build up he didnt even take a second to think and instantly blurted out 'Paul Scholes'... Scholes was pretty much similar to what Guardiola was as a player only difference was that Guardiola's position was more like Busquets' but he was much less of a ball snatcher...

And I remember that Denilson transfer... that was I think back in 1997 or so (it was before the France World Cup) or something at that same time Ronaldo was sold to Inter Milan by Barcelona and in a few weeks that record fee was demolished by that Denilson transfer...

I loved Ronaldo when I was a teenager. I remember paying £120 for his replica boots. That was a lot of money for me back then to. Shame I couldn't play like him though

 

[RagingBull]

It's funny how times change though. I remember thinking that sort of transfer fee was insane back then. Now you just get a good player for 20 odd million.

I had to look up Ronaldo's fee because I couldn't remember it but it was €46 million according to Wiki

 

[axecutioner18]

It's funny how times change though. I remember thinking that sort of transfer fee was insane back then. Now you just get a good player for 20 odd million.

I had to look up Ronaldo's fee because I couldn't remember it but it was €46 million according to Wiki

You are looking at the Transfer Fee from Inter to Real Madrid... the Barca to Inter Fee is what Im talking about... it was 19m and a record then, but broken by Denilson's 21m transfer to Betis... Real Madrid were and always will probably be the record breakers for Transfer Fees...

Ronaldo was really a revelation back then... he only played one season in Barca but that one season was enough to cement him as a club legend simply because his playing was head and shoulders above anyone in the league... its a sad thing Barca couldnt accomodate him. This was one of the worst parts of Nunez's reign as president... he didnt care if his player was literally a game changer, he would wield the transfer stick if he felt the player's wage demands were more than the cutoff (yes Barca was like Arsenal wage caps then - plus he wanted to show more of a no nonsense and I will fire stars rather than indulge them (Maradona, Schuster etc etc) and moreso total lack of respect to club legends who werent allowed to retire in the club despite their want to (Guardiola). Laporta is responsible for changing the club around since his arrival heralding in Ronaldinho and Co but the club seems to be now again becoming a profit making scheme under Rosell and less of a footballing club with stupid signings like Song and the loss of snapping up the right players as identified by scouts...

 

[gypsycatcha]

I was watching some clips of him the other day and one of his last goals where he does a " flick flack " round 2 defenders and scores. He was very over weight but still awesome.

A very special player.
Il try and find the clip.

 

[axecutioner18]

Check his goals at his peak... and at 1:24 second you can see Mourinho clearly with Sir Bobby Robson at the Barca bench intently watching... Mourinho was assistant coach in Barca for years and pretty much was the most active in that season when Ronaldo was at the club taking charge as head coach in a lot of games and he and club captain Guardiola then had a very good professional relationship In other times Mourinho can be seen as the most animated Barca coaching staff celebrating each goal!

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9zVXJSUqgY[/ame]

 

[gypsycatcha]

Il take a look in a min. Will never forget the goal he scored when he fell near the half way line, managed to get up and take around 3 players on and still score.


One of the very best.

 

[gypsycatcha]

Here it is

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N14X42ds8To[/ame]

He was the most exciting striker in all my time watching football and the best alongside Van Basten