[Archived] Premier League Happenings

[davulsukur]

I think Sunderland underachieved under Bruce and O'Neill so Di Canio won't have to do much to get them 45-50 points. S'oton have made one of the signings of the summer in Wanyama, Jay Rodriguez should be good this year and Pochettino will get them more points than a season under Adkins would have. They'll come midtable. I think they signed a decent CB as well which was desperately needed.

Norwich have signed Redmond, who's not far off Zaha and Ince, Olsson obviously, Leroy Fer who looked a talent in the U21 tournament and Van Wolfskinkel and Hooper who will pretty much guarantee them goals.

Di Canio is pretty much signing an entire new first team. Literally no idea how they will do. Losing Mignolet was a massive blow as well as he is a top goalkeeper.

I agree about Norwich tho, I think they have done some good business.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Just watching a confident and stylish Swansea take Malmo apart.An unfashionable club no bigger than Rovers who about five years ago were facing bankruptcy..now they sport a twelve Million pound player in their side.

Christ almighty! it hurts so much what wrong has been done to our club.

[JAL]

Really enjoy watching Swansea under Laudrop what a cock up it was from John Williams and the board at the time when they went for Paul Ince instead.

[Tom]

Sad news everyone it seems Mark Lawrenson has been dropped from MOTD

[BlueMonday]

Sad news everyone it seems Mark Lawrenson has been dropped from MOTD

Party time.

[M-K]

Sad news everyone it seems Mark Lawrenson has been dropped from MOTD

Only Shearer, Hanson and Lineker to go, then maybe it would be watchable.

[Guest Norbert]

Party time.

With Country and Western music no doubt!

[thenodrog]

Only Shearer, Hanson and Lineker to go, then maybe it would be watchable.

Personally I placed Lawrenson in front of Hansen and a country mile in front of Shearer.

[Stuart]

Personally I placed Lawrenson in front of Hansen and a country mile in front of Shearer.

Sounds like the line was a queue for the barber's shop.

[Roverthechimp]

Last time i was back in england i actually turned the sound off between matches They are utter - well it rhymes with tank.

[Amo]

Is Gareth Bale really worth £80m+?

[RoverScot]

Is Gareth Bale really worth £80m+?

He's 24 so yes. 6 season's worth of top performances could win a couple of Champions Leagues/La Liga for them with a resale value. Monaco have paid high prices for 28-30 yr olds but will have to replace them in 2-3 seasons time.

If the question is should he be worth £80 million then the answer is no but that's subsidised football for you.

[Guest Norbert]

The Spanish government can't sort out jobs for 25% of Spain's adults, but they can for 1 Welsh bloke. Funny old world.

[Salgado Is A Hero]

Is Gareth Bale really worth £80m+?

No.

Ronaldo was winning world player of the year at that age (I think). Bale wasn't even player of the season (imo).

The only way he does cost that much is if Andy Carroll was genuinely worth 35.

But Barca bought Neymar so Madrid have to "save face" I guess.

[old darwen blue]

The next bid believed to be £100 million. His contract believed again to be £180,000 a week for five years, totalling up as nearly £47 million. God knows what he could make in bonuses and sponsorship also.

Wish I had been a decent footballer.

[thenodrog]

The next bid believed to be £100 million. His contract believed again to be £180,000 a week for five years, totalling up as nearly £47 million. God knows what he could make in bonuses and sponsorship also.

Wish I had been a decent footballer.

I was 'decent' unfortunately Bale is a million miles better than decent. In fact Keith Andrews and Bradley Orr are a hundred times better. tbh decent is just an abstract concept after all. Is Bale worth 150m or what is effectively 750,000 pw once he walks away for nothing in 4/5 years time? Unfortunately for football we have two answers...

1. To a manager .... NO.

2. To the club's board .... YES.

He's a fantastic player but a Ronaldo or Messi he is not and teams can be set up to nullify him better than the other two. He's hardly a 'pretty boy' like Beckham and Ronaldo which unfortunately as a marketing factor goes well against hiom. However this is the kicker ....Will sell a shed load of shirts? Most likely.

Football is run by marketeers and is keaned as we know it. Coventry will testify to that... and quite a few others before long.

BUT Good luck to the lad..... my only gripe is that he should have been English! I must say if he had been he'd be worth significantly less money, RM could not fabricate injuries and bully the FA like they will bully the Welsh FA.

[yoda]

nobody is "worth" that amount of money, just sums up what is wrong with football

[RibbleValleyRover]

Is Gareth Bale really worth £80m+?

I don't think any player is, but even if you accept that top class players go for that sort of money then no he isn't worth that.

Ronaldo went for similar money at the time but you could make a far stronger case for him being worth it than Bale. He had won more team honors, scored more goals and was a Ballon D'Or winner when he left United.

[Mike E]

Is Gareth Bale really worth £80m+?

When Zidane was worth £40-odd million? Hell no!

[jonv]

When Zidane was worth £40-odd million? Hell no!

In modern terms that 40 million for Zidane would transcend into at least double that.

[thenodrog]

nobody is "worth" that amount of money, just sums up what is wrong with football

I don't think any player is, but even if you accept that top class players go for that sort of money then no he isn't worth that.

Ronaldo went for similar money at the time but you could make a far stronger case for him being worth it than Bale. He had won more team honors, scored more goals and was a Ballon D'Or winner when he left United.

When Zidane was worth £40-odd million? Hell no!

Step forward those who have never bought an authentic club football shirt, merchandise made by either nike or adidas, subscribed to Sky sports etc, used an on-line betting shop or switched internet provider etc etc etc. The answer is all in there..... personally apart from purchasing stuff from adidas I've done none of those things BUT I did pay to have a ground tour of the Bernabeau on a stag do about half a doz years ago. We all should look inward before we comment maybe.

In modern terms that 40 million for Zidane would transcend into at least double that.

Stop rubbing it in... we could have had him and his mate Dugarry for just 9m in 96.

[Audax]

Speaking of Zidane, he has talked up Gareth Bale but that kind of money is a "joke" just like Wenger said.

[Guest Norbert]

Zidane is doing a Redknapp by tapping him up in public.

[Salgado Is A Hero]

Can we change the name of this thread as many of us will want to talk about foreign leagues as well?

I keep forgetting Madrid have signed Isco as well.

[roversfan99]

There is already a foreign league thread I believe.