Anybody bothered about the Saudis hoovering up Prem players?
Discussion
ch37 said:
What a time to be alive when the fact that it's the SA transfer deadline day is worthy of rolling news on the sports channels and websites.
It's only because Salah is front and centre. If there wasn't a high profile Premier League player involved it wouldn't have such widespread coverage in the UK.Fast Bug said:
World class at sulking. Nice profit for us though, we've done well at sorting out some of our financial mess the past couple of windows.
To be fair, its good to see the PL taking cash into the league rather than sending it out for a change. With the Saudi's paying more than double or treble what these players are actually worth on the open market. And Henderson, dear oh dear, an interview that should be put next to Prince Andrews in terms of 'digging the hole so much deeper' - what an utterly blinkered man he is if he thinks we believe an iota of what he said.
Jordan made a fair comment on the future of the Saudi League yesterday on Talksport, in short:
Saudi league wants to become this great competitive league, which is great, competition is good. However they will never achieve it sitting in isolation over there completely out of kilter to the rules of competition all the big European leagues have. There is no reason to go there right now other than money, the league is poor and 99% of players are unknown and not good enough for any of the top leagues in Europe.
If they want a seat at the table of the big leagues then they have to align in terms of financial fair play, that is a simple fact. And once they do, the only competitive advantage they have i.e. financial, is made redundant. If you are a player moving clubs and you can go play for Barcelona or il-xyz for the same money, you aren't carting yourself off to the middle east.
The obvious goal is not this advancing the league etc (or whatever other nonsense Henderson and Neymar are parroting) its financial gain for the players and sportswashing/economic/fighting green policies etc for the country, it really is nothing much to do about sport.
Saudi league wants to become this great competitive league, which is great, competition is good. However they will never achieve it sitting in isolation over there completely out of kilter to the rules of competition all the big European leagues have. There is no reason to go there right now other than money, the league is poor and 99% of players are unknown and not good enough for any of the top leagues in Europe.
If they want a seat at the table of the big leagues then they have to align in terms of financial fair play, that is a simple fact. And once they do, the only competitive advantage they have i.e. financial, is made redundant. If you are a player moving clubs and you can go play for Barcelona or il-xyz for the same money, you aren't carting yourself off to the middle east.
The obvious goal is not this advancing the league etc (or whatever other nonsense Henderson and Neymar are parroting) its financial gain for the players and sportswashing/economic/fighting green policies etc for the country, it really is nothing much to do about sport.
Interesting article in the Athletic, around the number of players in the Saudi league having their contracts unilaterally cancelled for very dubious reasons. One guy got injured and after 3 weeks was told he was in breach of contract by not training and fired by the club. 21 cases brought against Saudi clubs for unfair dismissal/unpaid wages and all 21 won by the players. Total of $16m paid out in damages.
coldel said:
Interesting article in the Athletic, around the number of players in the Saudi league having their contracts unilaterally cancelled for very dubious reasons. One guy got injured and after 3 weeks was told he was in breach of contract by not training and fired by the club. 21 cases brought against Saudi clubs for unfair dismissal/unpaid wages and all 21 won by the players. Total of $16m paid out in damages.
If those cases were brought in Saudi courts I’m very surprised that they ruled in favour of the players!gareth h said:
coldel said:
Interesting article in the Athletic, around the number of players in the Saudi league having their contracts unilaterally cancelled for very dubious reasons. One guy got injured and after 3 weeks was told he was in breach of contract by not training and fired by the club. 21 cases brought against Saudi clubs for unfair dismissal/unpaid wages and all 21 won by the players. Total of $16m paid out in damages.
If those cases were brought in Saudi courts I’m very surprised that they ruled in favour of the players!But yes lots of players and coaches in disputes, given they just throw money at it they dont care how they treat non saudis
coldel said:
Which is why if Henderson thinks he is 'bringing about change' then he really is either truly dumb or truly blinkered.
Well Henderson must have completed his mission out there, as he's desperate to come home now, bless! I'll split my sides laughing if they dig their heels in, yeah just pay up your side of the deal? That'll be £97 million please. Have they taken his passport away like they do to the migrant workers over there?Terry Winks said:
coldel said:
Which is why if Henderson thinks he is 'bringing about change' then he really is either truly dumb or truly blinkered.
Well Henderson must have completed his mission out there, as he's desperate to come home now, bless! I'll split my sides laughing if they dig their heels in, yeah just pay up your side of the deal? That'll be £97 million please. Have they taken his passport away like they do to the migrant workers over there?But yes, mission accomplished, he has changed so much in his time there.
Terry Winks said:
coldel said:
Which is why if Henderson thinks he is 'bringing about change' then he really is either truly dumb or truly blinkered.
Well Henderson must have completed his mission out there, as he's desperate to come home now, bless! I'll split my sides laughing if they dig their heels in, yeah just pay up your side of the deal? That'll be £97 million please. Have they taken his passport away like they do to the migrant workers over there?Well he is going to have to take a huge pay cut, I mean at his age, on a downward trend in terms of ability, you wouldnt be paying more than 70k a week for him.
But it has highlighted what we all said, well most of us, that the league is a shambles of mercenaries playing in games largely populated by bang average players the level is pretty poor. The grounds are on the whole poorly attended outside the main four or five clubs. Of course, living in extreme heat and social restrictions doesn't suit everyone as well.
If Jordan had said when he moved that he understood the uproar, that he was doing it to set his family and their families up for life, then I think we could all nod and see it as it is. However he came out with a load of crap about being an agent of change etc. so either he lied or he was so stupid to think it was anything else. Either isn't a good look.
But it has highlighted what we all said, well most of us, that the league is a shambles of mercenaries playing in games largely populated by bang average players the level is pretty poor. The grounds are on the whole poorly attended outside the main four or five clubs. Of course, living in extreme heat and social restrictions doesn't suit everyone as well.
If Jordan had said when he moved that he understood the uproar, that he was doing it to set his family and their families up for life, then I think we could all nod and see it as it is. However he came out with a load of crap about being an agent of change etc. so either he lied or he was so stupid to think it was anything else. Either isn't a good look.
coldel said:
However he came out with a load of crap about being an agent of change etc. so either he lied or he was so stupid to think it was anything else. Either isn't a good look.
I think he's just a bit thick (and/or says/does whatever his 'management team/agent' says, and who is most likely is responsible for all his social media output, rather than him personally)Lets face it, the list of intelligent footballers is not a big one is it?
aeropilot said:
I think he's just a bit thick (and/or says/does whatever his 'management team/agent' says, and who is most likely is responsible for all his social media output, rather than him personally)
Lets face it, the list of intelligent footballers is not a big one is it?
Well given that one of his reasons for returning is apparently it is hot out there, shows he hasn't the intelligence to use the weather app on his phone so I would have to agree!Lets face it, the list of intelligent footballers is not a big one is it?
coldel said:
aeropilot said:
I think he's just a bit thick (and/or says/does whatever his 'management team/agent' says, and who is most likely is responsible for all his social media output, rather than him personally)
Lets face it, the list of intelligent footballers is not a big one is it?
Well given that one of his reasons for returning is apparently it is hot out there, shows he hasn't the intelligence to use the weather app on his phone so I would have to agree!Lets face it, the list of intelligent footballers is not a big one is it?
aeropilot said:
Why would he even need to do that given the thick muppet spent about 4 weeks out there only a year ago with the England team for the WC
Fair point. Basically whats happened is that he went chasing the $ and pretended he wasn't, then just 6 months in he has bottled his decision and wants out. It really is a poor set of decisions along with pathetic choice of communications (yes he has a team but ultimately he is a grown up individual, he can decide what he should and shouldn't say).
From what I have heard yesterday, his team are not going to play ball and keep him there?
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