Ben Brereton Diaz

[roversfan99]

People like to cling onto the idea that had truth to it (pre Venkys) once upon a time that players go downhill after leaving.

Raya, Brereton, Armstrong and Szmodics are now playing regular first team football and Kaminski has just come from playing it.

[bluebruce]

47 minutes ago, simongarnerisgod said:

a total one trick pony is ben,look for the ball over the top,get on it,cut in and shoot,in his defence he is very good at it,on the flip side,he can`t do anything else,hence he was a disaster in spain where your first touch has to be excellent and now at soton,who play 35 passes and go nowhere,he is`nt getting that long pass  to latch onto with russelmartin ball

It does make you wonder why these teams acquired him, given his main asset simply doesn't play to their style.

Well, except Villareal, I guess it's obvious they were just looking to make some easy profit.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

The biggest mystery of all is why did we sign him for that fee.

[Upside Down]

48 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

The biggest mystery of all is why did we sign him for that fee.

Probably on the advice of somebody who was set to receive a nice fat commission from the deal.

[bluebruce]

1 hour ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

The biggest mystery of all is why did we sign him for that fee.

Especially given that a Premiership team with all their money only paid the same fee, after he had smashed the Championship, become a Chilean star, and top-scored for a Prem team in half a season. Quite what we thought we were doing paying it for a kid with a bit of promise whilst we were a poor Championship side with FFP to worry about really is a mystery.

[J*B]

16 hours ago, Andy said:

That's a complete contradiction - he's earning more money and playing first team football for teams in a higher division that us.

And doing well; he was Sheffield's top scorer in the Prem last season.

At this moment in time, Ben's decision to leave Rovers has paid off for him in every way.

Agreed entirely. I can say with some confidence that if you ask BBD if he's made bad decisions or has any regrets RE transfers then the answer is a very assured no. 

[Exiled_Rover]

44 minutes ago, J*B said:

Agreed entirely. I can say with some confidence that if you ask BBD if he's made bad decisions or has any regrets RE transfers then the answer is a very assured no. 

Financially, no, but his career is quickly disappearing down the drain. 

[MarkBRFC]

13 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Financially, no, but his career is quickly disappearing down the drain. 

How?

He moved to the top division in Spain from the second tier in England, then went on loan to the top flight in England, became his teams top goalscorer despite only playing 14 games, and off the back of that has got another move to another club in the Prem?

How is his career quickly going down the drain?

Edited September 20, 2024 by MarkBRFC

[Exiled_Rover]

19 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

How?

He moved to the top division in Spain from the second tier in England, then went on loan to the top flight in England, became his teams top goalscorer despite only playing 14 games, and off the back of that has got another move to another club in the Prem?

How is his career quickly going down the drain?

He failed miserably in Spain and was quickly kicked out of the door. He's now set an individual record for the number of games played by a PL player without a win and his current fan base hate him.

 

So yeah I'd say his career is going down the drain.

[MarkBRFC]

22 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

He failed miserably in Spain and was quickly kicked out of the door. He's now set an individual record for the number of games played by a PL player without a win and his current fan base hate him.

 

So yeah I'd say his career is going down the drain.

He didn't take to the Spanish league, fair enough. Players better than Ben Brereton Diaz have gone to foreign leagues and not settled.

Gareth Bale once went 24 games without being on the winning side, doesn't really mean anything,

He's played 4 games for his new team where his "current fanbase hate him".

After his time here, you would think it wouldn't be so wise to make such a snap judgement at the start of one's career at a club, no?

So no, doesn't look like his career is going down the drain at all to me.

Edited September 20, 2024 by MarkBRFC

[Exiled_Rover]

11 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

He didn't take to the Spanish league, fair enough. Players better than Ben Brereton Diaz have gone to foreign leagues and not settled.

Gareth Bale once went 24 games without being on the winning side, doesn't really mean anything,

He's played 4 games for his new team where his "current fanbase hate him".

After his time here, you would think it wouldn't be so wise to make such a snap judgement at the start of one's career at a club, no?

So no, doesn't look like his career is going down the drain at all to me.

You can check my post history - I was one of the few that thought he had something about him from the start.

That said he's now a seasoned pro and has found his level - which isn't the PL. 

[rigger]

14 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

He didn't take to the Spanish league, fair enough. Players better than Ben Brereton Diaz have gone to foreign leagues and not settled.

Gareth Bale once went 24 games without being on the winning side, doesn't really mean anything,

He's played 4 games for his new team where his "current fanbase hate him".

After his time here, you would think it wouldn't be so wise to make such a snap judgement at the start of one's career at a club, no?

So no, doesn't look like his career is going down the drain at all to me.

Give it another season.

[J*B]

12 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

You can check my post history - I was one of the few that thought he had something about him from the start.

That said he's now a seasoned pro and has found his level - which isn't the PL. 

If I’m reading this correctly you’re suggesting he’d have been better staying here? Which would see him: extremely less wealthy, extremely less experienced and in a team with less chance of success?

[Silas]

2 hours ago, J*B said:

Agreed entirely. I can say with some confidence that if you ask BBD if he's made bad decisions or has any regrets RE transfers then the answer is a very assured no. 

In terms of money, opportunity, level played/playing at? 

It's a fine balancing act in terms of perceived 'success' (i.e. wealth + a Prem League player) vs happiness and a good, healthy work/life balance. 

Phil Jones should serve as a warning to those that come after him:

https://www.sportbible.com/football/football-news/man-utd/phil-jones-manchester-united-injury-mental-trauma-interview-590255-20240917

"Phil Jones opens up on 'mental trauma' he suffered at Man Utd in incredibly honest interview"

I wonder how much happier Jones's career could have been on an alternate timeline well away from the pressure cooker mess of Old Trafford.

Money isn't everything, (the World doesn't always work this way), but give me the choice of the 'Phil Jones' route and being worth £40M, or playing for a Championship club where you're idolised, appreciated, and minus the abuse, and end up only worth £10M, it's a no brainer for me. 

I agree with @Exiled_Rover too, the Southampton fan base is turning quite nasty towards BBD. And as a struggling club, him being a confidence player (who's also susceptible to barren spells), I fear things could get bad for him. 

Edited September 20, 2024 by Silas

[Exiled_Rover]

49 minutes ago, J*B said:

If I’m reading this correctly you’re suggesting he’d have been better staying here? Which would see him: extremely less wealthy, extremely less experienced and in a team with less chance of success?

No, he couldn't stay here after the final 6 month shift he put in. Our relationship had come to a definitive conclusion. 

[rigger]

2 hours ago, J*B said:

If I’m reading this correctly you’re suggesting he’d have been better staying here? Which would see him: extremely less wealthy, extremely less experienced and in a team with less chance of success?

The club tried something, it didn't work, the player left, let's move on.

[Eddie]

I think it's possible to view BBD's post-Rovers career as both a failure and a success.

He's got to play football at a higher level and earn far more money. That is an undeniable success and most footballers or aspiring footballers would happily trade places with him.

BUT, he had a moment in his career where he was here and one of the hottest properties in world football outside of the big 3/4 leagues. At that point, I'm sure he was imagining a career as an established player at a good side in the Premier League or La Liga and a consistent place in the Chile best 11.

He now finds himself in a struggling side, rarely starting for Chile, and likely headed back to the Championship.

It certainly wasn't a mistake to leave, but he may have gone to the wrong club as his next destination and he will surely be disappointed with elements of his career.

 

[bluebruce]

8 hours ago, Eddie said:

I think it's possible to view BBD's post-Rovers career as both a failure and a success.

He's got to play football at a higher level and earn far more money. That is an undeniable success and most footballers or aspiring footballers would happily trade places with him.

BUT, he had a moment in his career where he was here and one of the hottest properties in world football outside of the big 3/4 leagues. At that point, I'm sure he was imagining a career as an established player at a good side in the Premier League or La Liga and a consistent place in the Chile best 11.

He now finds himself in a struggling side, rarely starting for Chile, and likely headed back to the Championship.

It certainly wasn't a mistake to leave, but he may have gone to the wrong club as his next destination and he will surely be disappointed with elements of his career.

 

Villareal wanted a bargain, I don't think they ever truly felt he was a player they needed. Not sure they ever even made an official bid? At least, the highest bids were from elsewhere by all accounts. Villareal knew he could flop there and they'd still make a profit. It's not always a good idea, longer term for your career, to play the out of contract game so that a club who can easily afford to pay the going rate can get you on a freebie and give you a bumper signing on bonus. Admittedly to a degree that was probably taken out of his hands by the club rejecting bids from other clubs the summer before, but if he wasn't going to put a proper stint in all season I'd rather he pushed for a move at the time, which he never did. Which was clearly because he wanted his Spanish move.

But I'd have to agree he wouldn't have been better off staying here, sadly. Except in the scenario where he put a proper shift in all season and got us promoted, which was very do-able. Then he could have had a bumper new Prem-money contract and had the chance to attract bigger fish on a bigger stage whilst playing in an environment where he knew he fitted in and was playing his best football. But plodding along in the Championship on let's say 20k ish a week on a new deal probably wouldn't have been a better long term scenario.

[roversfan99]

11 hours ago, Silas said:

In terms of money, opportunity, level played/playing at? 

It's a fine balancing act in terms of perceived 'success' (i.e. wealth + a Prem League player) vs happiness and a good, healthy work/life balance. 

Phil Jones should serve as a warning to those that come after him:

https://www.sportbible.com/football/football-news/man-utd/phil-jones-manchester-united-injury-mental-trauma-interview-590255-20240917

"Phil Jones opens up on 'mental trauma' he suffered at Man Utd in incredibly honest interview"

I wonder how much happier Jones's career could have been on an alternate timeline well away from the pressure cooker mess of Old Trafford.

Money isn't everything, (the World doesn't always work this way), but give me the choice of the 'Phil Jones' route and being worth £40M, or playing for a Championship club where you're idolised, appreciated, and minus the abuse, and end up only worth £10M, it's a no brainer for me. 

I agree with @Exiled_Rover too, the Southampton fan base is turning quite nasty towards BBD. And as a struggling club, him being a confidence player (who's also susceptible to barren spells), I fear things could get bad for him. 

Jones' issues were around unfortunate injuries that dogged his career, so I dont see how it relates to his career move.

I saw a video of him the other day were someone said to him something apologetic and then he outlined what he had done in his career even amidst the injuries. Nearly 200 games at Man United, numerous medals including the Premier League, 27 England caps and appearances at 2 World Cups. Even if you discount money from the dilemma, which you cant fully, Jones certainly doesnt serve as an example to not try and better yourself in case you get some stick. He has achieved and won plenty even with the injury problems which would have affected him regardless.

I can't get my head around the attitude of not pursuing playing at the top level, preferring to stay lower down because you are more likely to be loved as a big fish in a small pond. Brereton might well not be a top level player, but he was right to try and at least get as high as he can.

[roversfan99]

38 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

Villareal wanted a bargain, I don't think they ever truly felt he was a player they needed. Not sure they ever even made an official bid? At least, the highest bids were from elsewhere by all accounts. Villareal knew he could flop there and they'd still make a profit. It's not always a good idea, longer term for your career, to play the out of contract game so that a club who can easily afford to pay the going rate can get you on a freebie and give you a bumper signing on bonus. Admittedly to a degree that was probably taken out of his hands by the club rejecting bids from other clubs the summer before, but if he wasn't going to put a proper stint in all season I'd rather he pushed for a move at the time, which he never did. Which was clearly because he wanted his Spanish move.

But I'd have to agree he wouldn't have been better off staying here, sadly. Except in the scenario where he put a proper shift in all season and got us promoted, which was very do-able. Then he could have had a bumper new Prem-money contract and had the chance to attract bigger fish on a bigger stage whilst playing in an environment where he knew he fitted in and was playing his best football. But plodding along in the Championship on let's say 20k ish a week on a new deal probably wouldn't have been a better long term scenario.

Even if we had gone up, and had we made the play offs thats still only a 25% chance. We would have been up against it in the Prem and hae he personally again perhaps looked out of his depth at the highest level, he would have also likely reduced in popularity here.

[NeilInBristol]

15 hours ago, Silas said:

In terms of money, opportunity, level played/playing at? 

It's a fine balancing act in terms of perceived 'success' (i.e. wealth + a Prem League player) vs happiness and a good, healthy work/life balance. 

Phil Jones should serve as a warning to those that come after him:

https://www.sportbible.com/football/football-news/man-utd/phil-jones-manchester-united-injury-mental-trauma-interview-590255-20240917

"Phil Jones opens up on 'mental trauma' he suffered at Man Utd in incredibly honest interview"

I wonder how much happier Jones's career could have been on an alternate timeline well away from the pressure cooker mess of Old Trafford.

Money isn't everything, (the World doesn't always work this way), but give me the choice of the 'Phil Jones' route and being worth £40M, or playing for a Championship club where you're idolised, appreciated, and minus the abuse, and end up only worth £10M, it's a no brainer for me. 

I agree with @Exiled_Rover too, the Southampton fan base is turning quite nasty towards BBD. And as a struggling club, him being a confidence player (who's also susceptible to barren spells), I fear things could get bad for him. 

That is a great article about Phil Jones. Reading it you can't help but feel for the fella but that's not what this thread is about.

 

BBD made a decision. Left the club. Has done financially well and has made progress in his career. I loved him at Rovers and he did well throughout parts of his Rovers career but the club didn't cash in on him when they could have and he ran his deal down and moved on to different things.

 

Who knows about his mental health but who would have said it would have been any better if he signed on a new deal at Rovers and then got injured- we would never know.

[AspRover]

I'm not sure success at Villarreal was ever really on the cards, they barely gave him any game time. Pulled the football club equivalent of picking something up on Freecycle and immediately listing it on marketplace for a profit.

[NeilInBristol]

"Ben Brereton Diaz extends his record of 19 Premier League games without winning any... " BBC 

Seems a bit harsh that ! 

[Exiled_Rover]

14 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Jones' issues were around unfortunate injuries that dogged his career, so I dont see how it relates to his career move.

I saw a video of him the other day were someone said to him something apologetic and then he outlined what he had done in his career even amidst the injuries. Nearly 200 games at Man United, numerous medals including the Premier League, 27 England caps and appearances at 2 World Cups. Even if you discount money from the dilemma, which you cant fully, Jones certainly doesnt serve as an example to not try and better yourself in case you get some stick. He has achieved and won plenty even with the injury problems which would have affected him regardless.

I can't get my head around the attitude of not pursuing playing at the top level, preferring to stay lower down because you are more likely to be loved as a big fish in a small pond. Brereton might well not be a top level player, but he was right to try and at least get as high as he can.

Jones is a running joke among Utd fans. 

I absolutely loathed how he handled his transfer, and he was badly mismanaged by Ferguson (one of the rare ones), but he's had a poor career relatively speaking. 

[roversfan99]

1 hour ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Jones is a running joke among Utd fans. 

I absolutely loathed how he handled his transfer, and he was badly mismanaged by Ferguson (one of the rare ones), but he's had a poor career relatively speaking. 

I guess that, especially considering the injuries he suffered which were the main reason that his career is not looked on how it may have been, rather than his choice of transfer. Most would give anything to have a career with the trophies/appearances at a club like United/England and World Cup appearances that he has.

Those injuries are what ruined his career, not his choice of transfer.