Mails on Nev chipping Buffon, other nearly goals, Ziyech and FUT…

Ian Watson
Gary Neville Man Utd

Get yourself in the Friday afternoon Mailbox – theeditor@football365.com…

 

A cautionary tale for Chelsea
Now he may turn out to be the second coming of Arjen Robben and set the premier league alight next season but there is a cautionary tale from the past.

I give you Mateja Kezman. After scoring an absolutely mental 105 goals in 122 apps for Eindhoven (thank you wikipedia) he joined Chelsea and quite frankly stunk the place out. After leaving Chelsea he failed get to double figures in all but one season for Fenrebahce and other clubs. He did suffer a couple of injuries but he never hit the heights of PSV again.

So let’s just wait and see how Ziyech turns out before giving ourselves a big pat of on the back for winning the transfer window before it has opened.
Simon (happy to eat humble pie when he turns out to be better than Jairzinho) Woking

 

Man Utd in the market
Matt Stead’s article about Jadon Sancho’s impending transfer suggests that Man Utd basically only sign players who nobody else is seriously interested in. How do you know this?

There’s always stuff in the newspapers about how so-and-so nearly signed for this club or that club, often years after the fact. Arsene Wenger was famed for his huge list of top players he almost bought, but at the time you’d never have known that Arsenal were in for most of them.

There are relatively few occasions when, right up until the end of a transfer saga, a player appears to have a choice of multiple clubs. Somebody always drops out, but unless you’re getting your info from reliable sources in the transfer market, and not just from the gossip pages, you can’t possibly have any idea why Man Utd was the last club left in the running. Surely it’s not always because all the other clubs suddenly realised that the player they’d been pursuing was crap.
Martin, BRFC

 

…Was just reading an article on another website that states that Man U’s new signing, Odion Ighalo is being kept away from the training ground due to precautionary measures. Is this Man U’s masterplan to derail their competitors? Instead of signing a super footballer, they actually sign one that is infected, then plan to have him inflitrate the training grounds of both Lpool, City and everyone else above them in the table? I’m not attempting to trivalise the tragic impact this virus has inflicted on China and indeed worldwide. But, I read that article after listening to the new Billie Ellish Bond song. If signing an infected player to decimate your rivals was actually a strategic transfer move, then, perhaps Woodward would get a break. But, perhaps it is just my imagination running amok and conjuring a plot for the next Bond movie. It wouldn’t be that far fetched due the money swirliing around football.

P.S Please take this mail comment with a pinch of salt. I do not want to insult anyone that has suffered due to the Coronavrius, It is merely a “what if” scenario.

Regards,
Roc.

 

Best nearly goal
Am a bit late to the debate, but have just read Aussie Dave’s nomination of Jamie Carragher’s cracking shot off bar as ‘best nearly goal’ ever.

I raise him Gary Neville’s run from own half and chip over Buffon – only to tragically hit the bar – vs Juventus in Champions League.

Calum, Scotland

 

Gambling and FUT
In response to Lawrence (Boomslang FC) SA regarding FUT ultimate team mode. I will provide you with an alternative opinion given that you asked so nicely.

Just because you “have not spent a cent of real money and am not even mildly tempted to do so” doesn’t mean that it isn’t a problem. The generic term for these in game purchases is “loot boxes” and in my opinion are a soft way to introduce gambling type activities into the games whether they are fantasy/adventure games or in the case, the beautiful game. I haven’t played the game, but everything about the mode described by the unfortunate person that has gotten themselves into debt sounds exactly like gambling.

Recent studies (Addictive Behaviours Vol 97) concluded that “Loot box purchasers played video games and gambled online more frequently, reported more extended gaming and online gambling sessions, and endorsed higher levels of problem video gaming and problem gambling severity as well as greater mental distress relative to those who did not buy loot boxes”.

I completely agree that gambling in sport is a massive problem and I’m not suggesting in game purchases should banned. However, dismissing their impact because you are able to control yourself is somewhat short sighted. I’ve never been tempted to drink a bottle of Vodka before breakfast, but I can still appreciate that someone can get addicted to alcohol and be unable to control it.
John (exiled in Singapore) MUFC

 

 

…This email is in response to FIFA, FUT and a growing problem from Anon,

Micro-transaction in a game is a black hole. You put money in it little by little and it doe not help when it’s so convenience to buy that in-game currency for the items you want.

I’ve played FIFA for many years, but spent most of the time playing other modes (Season, Manager, Pro Club). I never like FUT because of the micro-transactions. It is simply pay to win, and it is just ridiculous for EA Sports (Same for other sports game and game studios) to put out the same game every year and just update the roster and transfer and charge your hard earned money for it ($60 USD). And then you pump more money into getting these cards and by the time you get a squad that you are happy with, you want to spend even more money on it, and then BOOM! The new season is around the corner, and you buy the new game and repeat the same mistake again.

EA has invested most of the money in UAT development and have not make improvements on other modes because all the kids are playing that mode. I have already stopped buying the game in full price and still playing last season’s version because I don’t feel like it’s worth it.

To pull yourself away from this addiction is not easy task. Put your playstation away or smash it. Otherwise, play offline (manager’s mode) to start. If you don’t have access to the game, you wont get addicted.

Good luck Anon
MU fan