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Who Would You Rather Be?
Nick Miller's article raises a few questions about stepping down to step up. In the current climate where playing in the Champions League, wining stuff with one of the big four (who monopolise most competitions) or being part of the international set up is what players desire, very few of those mentioned have actually stepped back up.
Fair enough they may be playing regularly every week but that's not really stepping up. What's better? Playing every so often and winning things while sitting on the bench a lot or playing every week and not really ever being in with a shout of winning things?
Phil Neville falls into this position and fair play to the guy for passing up on being a bit part in regular Champions League/Premier League challenges and instead doing what he loves and playing football every week.
In the years to come I reckon there will be a fair few players crying into their Bovril as they slump back into their armchair and rest their walking stick on the side and think about the days when they were one of the best two hundred footballers in the country. And regret they chose to pocket fistfuls of cash that they couldn't spend in return for not doing the thing they once loved.
I'd rather be Phil Neville playing every week than Wayne Bridge or Shaun Wright Phillips. Fair enough, if one of the big clubs come calling be ambitious and confident in your own abilities and give it a go rather than wonder what might have been. But when it doesn't work out the joy of football should win out over cash every time. Especially when they'll still be earning more than most of us get in a lifetime. Sadly it's a fact lost on most of the brainless muppets nowadays. Is there really any difference between 50 grand a week and 150 grand a week?
David Bentley would do well to look at the Scott Parkers and Shaun Wright Phillips and realise that he's already in the England reckoning and a certain starter for his club. The fact that none of the big four have shown an interest in him yet is a pleasant kick in the teeth for someone who's got a little bit too big for his boots too quickly.
If only these pillocks could realise that playing in front of thousands of adoring fans every week is a victory in itself. There's millions of us here who'd do that for free. Let alone get a few grand a week and a bunch of desperate slappers in tow.
Mike Foley - Hertfordshire
Barry: The New Sidwell?
Will Barry be the new Steve Sidwell if he goes to Liverpool & Alonso doesn't head off to Italy? Going for the massive wages at a higher profile club, struggling to get the odd game in competition with numerous other (and slightly better) midfielders? Hmmmm....Gareth Barry to Newcastle next year for £5m anyone?
Pete "the" northsider
The Way To Do Things
Leaving a club with dignity and with the supporters still loving you is rare these days. The behaviour of Gareth Barry in attempting to extricate himself from Aston Villa will, for many supporters, taint the memory of a player who has put in 10 years of good service with the club. Contrast this with the admiration we will always have for Olof Mellberg - a player who spent 7 years at the club, signed a pre-contract with Juventus (which nobody begrudged him), played most of the season out of position and bought every travelling supporter a shirt as a thank you for supporting him during his stay at Villa Park. Should Juventus pay a visit to Villa Park in the next couple of years, Olof will be treated like a returning hero. Should Gareth appear in a red shirt at Villa Park next year he will be treated like a returning Steve H*dge.
James Sadler
It's A Fine Publication
Is it just me who thinks getting so angry at "quotes" lifted from the Current Bun is a little sad?!
Nick, London
Wenger Didn't Discover Hleb
In reponse to some of the mails this morning about Hleb, one stood out that I have issue with.
Yes Hleb would appear to be a bit of a plank.. but David Mendez's comment "What gives him the right to talk badly about Mr. Wenger, the man who found him" is just wrong!
Ok credit Wenger, he does find some gems at bargain prices, but he did not 'find' Hleb - if i'm not mistaken, paying almost £10m for a player (I believe was roughly the sum, correct me if I'm wrong), does not constitue discovering them! If you're prepared to pay that amount for someone, you must already think they're pretty decent, and I would imagine there were a number of other clubs at the time who thought the same!
I just wish Arsenal fans would get away from their high and mighty 'Wenger is a God who makes every little uknown player he signs into world beaters'!
Pete (yes I'm a Spurs fan, and do hate Arsenal), Leeds
Defending Hleb
Despite what the earlier mailboxers have said, Alex Hleb was right to say what he did earlier, and to be honest i'm a bit embarrassed that my fellow Arsenal fans have taken it all at face value. Wenger has played him out of position for the majority of his time at the club. He is not a right or left midfielder! He is a central midfielder, or someone who plays "in the hole" behind the frontmen. And when he's been played there, he has been superb. As for his comments about Fabregas, again he's correct. Fabregas is more selfish. Does Hleb criticise him for this? No. He's just telling it how it is. Fabregas chooses to shoots, he chooses to pass. He doesn't say thats wrong.
Hleb clearly wants off, and I for one wish him well. It's been a genuine pleasure watching him play.
I bloody love you Alex.
IBloodyLoveHleb, Football365 forums
...If you can take the emotion out of what Hleb said about how Wegner plays him, you can see such discontent was bound to happen and I'm sure he is not the only one feeling this way, why?
Because Wegner insists on buying a plethora of central midfielders and playing them out of position, while the only one who consistently gets his chance in his preferred spot is Fabregas. You don't know if these players were promised by Wegner to be played in the favored role. Examine the facts:
Hleb - A central midfield playmaker who is shunted on the wings or as a second striker.
Rosicky - Read above.
Diaby - A central midfield playmaker who is so right-footed yet only seemed to get a game on the left wing.
Song - a strong central box to box midfielder (see ACN) who only gets the rare run-out in central defense.
Add to that the central midfielders, Denilson (often also played out of position when he did actually get a run out), Gilberto and Diarra (who got frustrated and left) and you can see the problem.
Moreover, if the Nasri thing goes through, he is also a central playmaker, yet by all accounts Wegner may punt him out on the wings just because he is tricky and pacy.
Someone can correct me on this, but isn't new boy Ramsey also a central playmaker?
So at one point last season there were SEVEN central midfielders fighting for ONE preferred spot, as Fabregas' was always secure, yet it was clear the over-reliance on him left him knackered and largely ineffective for the run-in, yet he refused to try someone else when it was clear Cesc was spent.
Yes, Hleb is a plank for how he is handling it in the media, but Wegner (the messiah to many gooners) must take some of the blame for this situation.
Stewart, Miami
...Here's the flip side for young Hleb.
Details non-specific about his vision for Arse and Wenger's. Perhaps Wenger wanted him to explode for Arsenal last season but he thought he'd wait until he was at the Nou Camp.
The Fabregas comments were self-deprecating, weren't they? Read them in a positive light and he's saying that Fab has added the goals side to his game whereas he hasn't. The way he adds "unlike me" has to be against himself otherwise it would be the most ludicrous boast/statement seen in 'The Sun', and they've interviewed Rio Ferdinand.
Oli Johns
...After reading the backlash to Hleb's comments maybe we are being a little harsh on him. With regards to his comments about Fabregas he is actually telling the truth. Cesc is more selfish in front of goal and that's why he scores more.
It is well know that Cesc with Flamini and Hleb are best friends and spent a lot of time together at Arsenal so why is everyone thinking he is slating Fabregas. We all know how the media portray quotes to provide a story so maybe, just maybe Hleb was just stating the differences in their game. If he had come out and said 'I would score more if Cesc wasn't as selfish and passed more' but he didn't he merely stated the difference in their approaches in front of goal.
I think these types of quotes need to be taken with a pinch of salt and realised that a lot of the time they are taken out context with what was asked to provoke the response. Still he has highlighted why if a replacement could be found he wouldn't be as missed as some may think.
Lee Cummins, AFC
Where Rafa Has Gone Right
Just a few small points...
Owen was a snake and ran down his contract so he either went cheap or for free the next season-Parry's cock up not Rafa's. As was the same thing with Mcmannaman who was another £10m+ player who went for free due to Parry's utterly inept performance as the CEO at Liverpool. See also almost losing Steven Gerrard. I am with Hick's on the abilities of Parry.
Gonzalez sold for profit of £2m, Bellamy profit £1.5m, Kronkamp profit £1.75m, Barragan profit £0.5m, Nunez profit £1.5m. Not great players but some did a job and then shipped out at a profit of over £7m. Voronin was a free by the way and has not palyed much.
The one that he made a big mistake on was Morientes (loss of £3.3m) but it was just a problem with him not settling in UK-Look at what he did before and after. And on the plus side he has signed....
Torres, Alonso, Agger, Skirtel and Mascherano (Sissoko/Garcia were also a good signings!) and we have some cracking players in the reserves due to his scouts such as Nemeth, Insua, Plessis, Pacheco
Overall Rafa has spent well to rebuild the squad at all levels although this has meant a lot more mid range signings and fewer big ones such as the Torres and Masch deals.
Gareth Owen
Barragan
Just curious as to why two people in the mailbox today classed Barragan as one of Benitez's failed signings. Signed as a kid for a compensation fee, he was extremely highly rated by all the coaches at Liverpool, however he said he wanted to leave due to the poor quality of the English reserve league saying the playing only 14 or so games a season isn't good enough for a young players development. A number of Spanish clubs were desperate to take him off our hands and we managed to strike a deal with Deportivo where we sold him for close to £1million with the option of buying him back for approx £450,000 within 3 years should he develop into a player good enough for the 1st team squad. I wouldn't really class that as a failure but then who am I to judge.
Martin (would love to know how many younger players Wenger buys who never make the first team)
An Open Letter
Dear Harry Kewell,
In response to your open letter to Leeds United fans, I feel compelled to reply.
I realise and fully appreciate that you are a professional footballer with a limited timespan to continue playing football. I also understand that, because you have lost a lot of time through injury, the best move for you now would be to play in a league outside the top 4, get match practice and hopefully have one last shot at the Premier League, La Liga etc in a year or two.
I also agree that a club cannot be responsible for the actions of all its fans, no matter how despicable and criminal. Leeds United, after all, has frequently been tarred with the same brush.
However, what you have failed to appreciate whilst considering a move to Galatasaray SC is the way in which the officials and players of that club behaved during the those horrible days in April 2000. First of all, the club refused to hold a minute's silence before the game in Istanbul. Secondly, the club never issued any statement expressing their sorrow or regret at what happened. Thirdly, in the highly charged return leg, Gheorge Popescu faked being studdied in the face, which led to you being sent off.
You have the perfect right to go to whichever club you choose. You're not a world leader, just a professional footballer, I know. However, as Leeds United was the club which brought you to England and had some part in your development as a professional footballer, I think you should have taken into consideration the feelings of the fans.
Good luck (to Besiktas, Fenerbaçe etc etc)
Simon, LUFC Paris
A Complete C**t
Can I please just say, on behalf of all Chelsea fans, thank you Frank Lampard; I don't know what I'd do if our most important player and top goalscorer was a complete c*nt and wanted to leave us to play abroad.
Lawrence, London
And Finally...
You won't print this.
Julian Meteor, Plymouth
