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I Can't Afford To Take My Boy To Football
Sir, it comes to something when you can't even afford to buy two season tickets to go watch and support your club.
Two season tickets are the best part of a grand, then there are the expenses of going each week - food, drink and fuel.
My wife says yes, go watch your footie but it will have to be home games only, a ticket or pay at the gate as we can no longer afford to shell out in advance plus the weekly cost of going.
These transfer fees and the players' wages are getting to a point of sheer madness. There is a report of a 30 million pound signing - what player is worth that much? And as for wages £120,000 a week - both my Wife's and my wages added together for FIVE years don't to come to that but we are expected to pay out IN ADVANCE for a season ticket costing £500 each.
Soon the only way we can afford to watch our team will be on the telly and that for my son is a crying shame both for him not going to see them live and for me because I can't afford to pay for him to go because of these stupid, ridiculous transfer and wage bills.
Isn't it about time some sort of governing body took control of the fees and the wages that footballers are paid, bring them back to reality so they earn their pay, bring back football schools for BRITISH players to learn at, reduce the amount of foreign players allowed to be signed to one club so we can get back to ENGLISH football that way we might start winning some international trophies which have been sadly missed these past years.
I could go on all day but the be and end all of it is I can't afford to pay for me and my son to go watch our team play each week any longer - drop the prices, drop the wages, drop the transfer fees, let's get back to reality just for once.
Ken Churchill, Newcastle United fan
Keane For FIFA
Well, it seems that Sepp Blatter could learn a thing or two from the much-publicised Roy Keane. Roy's latest foray into the spotlight was as much an education for the seemingly foolish Blatter as it was to fans alike. He's literally done what Blatter couldn't and aired his views of player/club treatment with the kind of savvy Blatter could only dream of. Also, he's put things into perspective a little better, showing that loyalty does in fact work both ways. These are the kind of statements I like to see managers make where they tell it like it is. Whether or not Roy has any hang-ups over his own treatment is anyone's guess but I don't think he's blown things out of proportion or said anything anyone could dare to protest against. A lesson to us all methinks.
Well done Roy, I couldn't have said it better myself...no, really, I couldn't!
Andrew Fairclough
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, Gareth
Why can't Gareth Barry pay the deficit in his move to Liverpool? According to newspaper reports it's only between £1.5 and £2 million. On Barry's wages that he would potentially be earning surely this amounts to six months' salary at most.
Give a little to get a little.
Paul, B'mth Hammer
PS. Why can't Rob Green say underpaid rather than undervalued? Same thing.
Creaming At Torres/Keane
Am I the only Liverpool fan currently creaming their pants at the prospect of Torres and Keane forming the most lethal partnership in the Premiership at Liverpool next season. Both are quick, intelligent, hard working and are proven goalscorers. If Rafa can get this guy and get that partnership working with Babel, Gerrard (and Yossi) providing the service then dare I say it but we may have two strikers bagging 30-plus goals in a season since God knows when. It will surely be a better purchase than Barry for sure!
Tinashe
But Rafa's Transfer Record Is Rubbish
I was wondering the other day why the debate over Rafa Benitez's worth in the transfer market rages on and on. I thought, 'What am I missing? Isn't his transfer record just s**t?' - so I thought I'd actually do some research.
Research from various sites shows that he has signed the following players since arriving at the 'Pool, not including loans and hopefully not including Houllier-approved signings (take a deep breath):
Josemi, Luis Garcia, Xabi Alonso, Antonio Nunez, Mauricio Pellegrino, Fernando Morientes, Scott Carson, Jose Reina, Mark Gonzalez, Boudewijn Zenden, Antonio Barragan, Mohamed Sissoko, Peter Crouch, Godwin Antwi, Jack Hobbs, Paul Anderson, Jan Kromkamp, David Martin, Daniel Agger, Robbie Fowler, Craig Bellamy, Gabriel Paletta, Fabiano Aurelio, Jermaine Pennant, Dirk Kuyt, Nabil El Zhar, Alvaro Arbeloa, Javier Mascherano, Francisco Manuel Duran, Andrei Voronin, Charles-Hubert Itandje, Fernando Torres, Yossi Benayoun, Ryan Babel, Emiliano Insua, Damien Plessis, Martin Skrtel, Philipp Degen, Andrea Dossena, and Diego Cavalieri.
That's a whopping 40+ players, close to twice the size of the squad that Scolari is now hoping to forge at Chelsea. Many are still there. More have left.
Now, you have to take such a list with a pinch of salt - as someone who isn't a Liverpool fan, I have no idea who some of those players are and I assume many are going through the youth system, Arsenal's list is even worse for the 'who?' factor - but considering just the players you've heard of, isn't that a pretty unremarkable list for a team who has supposedly been challenging for the title (ha!) in that time, not to mention making two European finals?
In my opinion, only Torres, Mascherano, Alonso and Reina have been proven 'top, top' quality. The likes of Babel and Agger have looked good but the jury has to remain out. Some have been hit and miss, like Crouch (didn't score for ages but looked okay for the most part) and Kuyt (much-ridiculed but undeniable scorer of important goals). Unfortunately for Rafa, the majority have been more unimpressive than impressive, with the likes of Robbie Fowler and Jermaine Pennant prompting the fans of many clubs below Liverpool in the league to point and laugh. Personally I think this assessment is broadly accurate, give or take the odd player.
A few summary points then. Which, of the above players would really be wanted by any of the big three? Torres, Mascherano, and maybe Alonso (to Arsenal at the present time, i.e. without a proven holding midfielder). The better part of £100m spent on forwards alone, a comparable figure to the big three in the same timeframe, only to still need Steven Gerrard's goals to bolster them to top-scoring club status last season. Enough players to fill two squads at other clubs, with debatable improvement at best year-on-year, without a whiff of a serious title challenge in that time. The money spent on Bellamy, Benayoun, Pennant and Kuyt alone pushes £30m.
The only saving grace for Rafa is the profit he has made on some of these players when the time has come to admit the signing hasn't worked out. He must have been laughing all the way to the bank with the money for Craig Bellamy for instance. Plus in fairness I don't think anyone could have predicted that Morientes would suck so hard.
I could go on. But I don't really see how anyone can interpret his transfer record as anything other than unremarkable at best, f**king pants at worst. So can we all please move on?
Droopy
No Crisis At Arsenal
It clear to me that people have nothing better to do with their time than jump on the latest bandwagon/football rumour/pundit's view.
I have supported Arsenal for 25 years and notice the main difference between this and previous summers is that too many people believe everything they read these days, take half the story in then decide to agree with it as they are in capable of having a view of their own. How can Arsenal fans out there actually understand the reality of the transfer market and our dealings this summer?
Flamini left - he was out of contract and that's his prerogative, to be fair if we sold him to B'ham last summer would you have cared?
Hleb - terrible for two years, decent this season, but his end product was poor and he ran round in circles far too often (wouldn't have minded him staying but never mind).
Gilberto - I was the Emirates and heard what people thought of his performances last year (and shared those views too) so am completely unsurprised he has left.
Wenger has then bought in Ramsey and Nasri, so far we have spent more than we have received (this is unusual for us).
If you could get past your views (taken from others) that this is a disaster and look at it in context then we are by no means in bad shape. Yeah, Gallas lost the plot, but he isn't terrible. Toure didn't have a great season and Almunia is solid at best. Do you forget we were one victory against Utd from the title?
If you could look beyond the first team and last season we have some incredibly-talented youngsters. Song played CB at the end of last season and looked excellent at times (which surprised me) and was very good in the DM position for Charlton when he went on loan. Everyone knows Vela is back, but Lansbury and Randall are both very good midfield prospects, Nazarite an AM was excellent (apart form injuries last year) and Merida is also back from loan who Wenger rates highly. If anyone watched the reserves last year they will also know that Nordveit (a centre-back signed for 1.5m last summer) captained the reserves and was excellent.
When we sold Henry - crisis! But we just missed out on the title. When we sold Paddy - Crisis, but then Wenger is a genius for allowing Fabregas the chance to shine.
Wait and see what else happens before panicking, there is still one month until the season kicks off!
Pick your side and agree or disagree, but I will stick with Mr Wenger and will not change my mind based on the idle back-page b*llocks that is written.
Martin 'waiting to slag of Wenger the next time we lose' Grant, High Wycombe
But There's Misery At Tottenham...
I wrote in a couple of weeks ago as the Spurs fan's first moan of 2008/2009 and Ramos's comments have I must say allayed my fears for the coming season. It's confirmed that we buy young players and flog them for more money when they're about to reach their peak. Or alternatively we buy players that the big four are not quite sure about (Berbatov) blend them into the Premier League, then flog them for the higher price because they want Champions League football and they have received Willy Wonka's golden chocolate bar from the Big Four. Frankly, after Sulzeer toddled up the Seven Sisters Road a few years back proclamations of loyalty, kissing the badge etc are just footballers' way of ensuring they don't get booed by whoever they're playing for. Why bother putting players on some sort of pedestal and feeling all affronted when they go on to a new job for better money and more chance of success? This doesn't happen in the real world, although 35,000 people don't cheer my name when I change the toner on the photocopier.
Christmas has been cancelled this year - bah humbug.
On the other hand, Andy Garcia was always going to go and Robbie Keane who has been substituted by Ramos more than times than Liz Taylor replaces husbands don't fit into our new 4-3-3 system with Modric and Santos propelling us into the top four and Darren Bent justifying his 800 million pounds price tag by scoring 30 goals.
Lord Misery
Spurs Sex
Another word of warning for Pamela, Marion and probably Sally too...
Don't be fooled by the hype of dating a Spurs fan. Although he will continually be linked with the likes of Jessica Alba, Rihanna and Gisele Bundchen, the truth is that Vanessa Feltz would probably turn him down!
However, us Gooners will be very patient by caressing very carefully around the box. We might dribble a little bit, but it will take us a while before we actually shoot.
That too is all.
Ger Scully, AFC, Ireland
Sticking Up For Dating365
Martin (Football365 Reader, Not Blind Date contestant) Brez, Nottingham you must be one good looking fella because you've obviously had a sense of humour bypass but still managed to get a girl. Do you also tut when you see '6 items of less' signs?
In case you hadn't noticed, there's not much happening in the world of football at the moment, so most people's thoughts will naturally drift to other topics. If you really don't want to go off topic then I suggest you stick with the BBC. In fact, you should go out drinking with Shearer, I think the two of you are compatible.
Do you really think that when Rooney dives for his first penalty of the season that the mailbox will be full of personal ads!?
Anyway, Pam/Marion looks like you've lucked out on the trip to Nottingham, but you can come to Bath, it's much nicer anyway.
Graham (yes, I have been to Nottingham), Bath
How Did We Miss A Real Number Two Number Two?
How can you have a quiz on famous number twos and not include something about Steve Harrison, who was number two to Graham Taylor at Watford and England.
Especially as Steve 'Wardrobe' Harrison was famous for having a number two of his own...
Steve Mills
A Very Poor Recommendation
Dear Mailbox Compiler!
This is to the gentleman who recommended Andy Dougan's Defending the honour of Kiev as the best footy book ever about a month back in your mailbox...
You, sir, are a twit of highest order and must, henceforth, refrain from boasting about your literary credentials in public.
Stokie (I had to finish it coz' (a) I had bought it and (b) I had started it) Red
