Mercato Team (Ausilio, Marotta, & Co.) and Strategies

[IM21]

What happened to all those dudes who went to the Saudi league and didn’t seem happy. Any want to return for cheap?

i wouldn't want any of those guys here... Their passion for football has gone away the moment they went there.

 

[wera]

lol there are so many players that are mostly motivated by money, not passion. And it's not wrong, it's a job, most footballers have less passion than fans for the clubs they play. There is nothing wrong with that, they are still human beings and want to make it anyway possible.

if you want passion, go to the local pitch and watch the locals play

 

[ADRossi]

lol there are so many players that are mostly motivated by money, not passion. And it's not wrong, it's a job, most footballers have less passion than fans for the clubs they play. There is nothing wrong with that, they are still human beings and want to make it anyway possible.

if you want passion, go to the local pitch and watch the locals play

We've also seen a handful of instances of players regretting these moves and wanting to come back.

 

[PHM1605]

lol there are so many players that are mostly motivated by money, not passion. And it's not wrong, it's a job, most footballers have less passion than fans for the clubs they play. There is nothing wrong with that, they are still human beings and want to make it anyway possible.

if you want passion, go to the local pitch and watch the locals play

There is nothing wrong with them but who cares about them? It is wrong with clubs aiming for trophies like Inter. A couple of peak years wasted with farmers league training; chilling with fat pocket on half-holiday mode. Now we should overpay them to compete with the bests blooding days and night in top leagues...seriously?

Not even Neymar now can win shit. As long as one go there he kisses goodbye to top football. It is how it is.

 

[wera]

We've also seen a handful of instances of players regretting these moves and wanting to come back.

Sure that happens too. But saying that players outside of the Saudi league or the Chinese league are more passionate about the game than those players doesn't compute to me. All the players know the assignment, but most of them also know their limits.

Also, it depends on the person. CR is def more passionate about football than me, but he was also motivated by money, not just passion and success. He made sure people around him will prosper with him. Is his career any less amazing because he went to play where they actually paid him what he wanted?

Look at how much we bitch about player wages going up, even at Inter. Every sought out player has a choice - make a legacy from your talent, however you can. Some prefer winning. Most will never win anything, so searching for better financial opportunities is a valid operation. I know I would have a hard time saying no to a huge contract in a worse league.

 

[wera]

Saying all that, just because a player went to the Saudis and wants to come back to Europe, that doesn't mean passion plays any part in his talent and capabilities. If the right piece for Inzaghi's puzzle (for the right price and wages, obv) would come from that league, why would anybody say no that player?

Passion can be a bitch. We got Nainggolan from Roma.

 

[Abu Bader]

I think this argument screams "arrogance" as if football was made to only be played in certain leagues.

I don't watch Saudi league, but a player like Talisca for example was and is still a class act and can easily make it in a squad like Roma or Fiorentina etc.

There's nothing wrong with choosing money or going to play in certain leagues.

 

[El Matador]

Bastoni
Barella
Hakan
Lautaro
Dimarco
Pavard
Sommer

are all elite players in their respective positions. That leaves 5 other positions:

RWB:
CCB:
LCM:
ST:

Assuming Zielinski, Mkhi and Frattesi can all cover LCM we definitely don’t need to add any players to that position. Which Leaves the other 3.

Our market strategy should focus on selling Dumfries, Arnautovic, De Vrij and upgrading those positions. Upgrading them also gives us strength in depth as it pushes Thuram, Taremi, Acerbi, Bisseck to the bench alongside Carboni, Mkhi, Frattesi, Asllani, Augusto, Buchanan and Darmian.

It’s probably unrealistic to invest heavily without selling carboni that’s why I think we should must keep him and sell the others i mentioned and just buy a:

RWB, CCB and just shut the market. I guess a back up Keeper won’t hurt. But we really have to get a CB, who knows what Acerbi can do next year at his age.

 

[PHM1605]

I think this argument screams "arrogance" as if football was made to only be played in certain leagues.

I don't watch Saudi league, but a player like Talisca for example was and is still a class act and can easily make it in a squad like Roma or Fiorentina etc.

There's nothing wrong with choosing money or going to play in certain leagues.

Many coaches disagree with you. Talisca isn't able to join Brazil NT even once; even though their current generation is lacking of talents.

 

[CafeCordoba]

Saying all that, just because a player went to the Saudis and wants to come back to Europe, that doesn't mean passion plays any part in his talent and capabilities. If the right piece for Inzaghi's puzzle (for the right price and wages, obv) would come from that league, why would anybody say no that player?

Passion can be a bitch. We got Nainggolan from Roma.

What's this Nainggolan as an example? He had ZERO passion to play for Inter. It's a perfect example of if there's no passion, the end result might be total shit.

I definitely want players who do their profession with passion. Play, train, learn the game with passion.

 

[wera]

Nainggolan was an example of a player we got from the same league that exuded no passion to play for us at all. So no-passion-itis is also contractable in Serie A, not just the Saudis.

Passion, character, style - those are all fine words/concepts. But what I want most from a footballer is him understanding his role and being a hard worker - this is how you build teams. Also I love to see them trying to win every game even when it's 2-0 for the opponents in the 88th minute. It's always doable

 

[CafeCordoba]

But the claim was never that all the players in other than Saudi leagues do have passion. The claim was players going to Saudi league don't have passion.

 

[brakbrak]

No passion.

 

[wera]

But the claim was never that all the players in other than Saudi leagues do have passion. The claim was players going to Saudi league don't have passion.

And I'm saying that saying players in the Saudi league can still outplay players playing in Europe. Passion doesn't make you a good footballer, whoever wants to play for passion, he can go play in the second slovenian league for no wages.

 

[CafeCordoba]

And I'm saying that saying players in the Saudi league can still outplay players playing in Europe. Passion doesn't make you a good footballer, whoever wants to play for passion, he can go play in the second slovenian league for no wages.

No one has said that either.

The claim is players going to Saudis (for the money, obviously) has lost a bit of passion for the game. Mostly talking about players not at he last years of their careers (let's say age 33+), but players who could have got still a decent contract in European football.

 

[brehme1989]

No one has said that either.

The claim is players going to Saudis (for the money, obviously) has lost a bit of passion for the game. Mostly talking about players not at he last years of their careers (let's say age 33+), but players who could have got still a decent contract in European football.

There is no passion in the game, period.

You think people play for teams like, Manchester City, United, Chelsea or Arsenal for passion?
Those are soulless clubs and ironically City is the most vibrant of the lot...

Barcelona's Nou Camp has become a tourist hub and Real Madrid has kicked out all hardcore fans so what exactly do these players have to be passionate about?

You want passion, even PSG has that feeling and passionate vibes, yet you (plural) cry when a players moves there as if they're simply mercenaries.
Half of Ligue 1 has more passionate than all tiers of English and Spanish football combined..
You want passion, check out most of Italy (aside from shit, soulless clubs like Chievo or Sassuolo), check out Germany, or go to the Balkans, central Europe or the Netherlands. Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia... even in Asia.

Why do you think the PL shows more passion than the Saudi league? I'm genuinely curious.
At x3 the salary it's no contest that someone will move there, let alone x10... its only for a couple of years anyway.

I don't get this conversation. How does a player display passion for the sport by moving to Arsenal for example? Such a zero adrenaline destination...

 

[wera]

A bit of passion =/= the passion has gone away

Like I'm saying, passion is not what makes the professional footballers wake up and stay in football, it's money. Money will be prioritized most times.

Also, this Brehme comment sounds too much "how the fans feel" and not how players actually act. If players from the Balkans played for passion, the better players wouldn't run to a better league like Serie A/La Liga/Bundesliga/EPL the first chance they can. Sure they have more character than other Europeans (just like South American players do), but I wouldn't call it passion. Or better yet, they have less passion than it seems.

Fans have passion. Players have contractual obligations and agents that want to get them better wages.

Money is king. If it wasn't, Modrić would stay in Croatia. Perišić too. Kovačić. Brozović.

Money is king. Oscar could've stayed at Brazil, or he could've stayed at Chelsea. He didn't.

 

[brehme1989]

Exactly @wera

The issue is that fans conflate their own passion for a club with how a player should feel or react.

When Icardi said that he doesn't care much about football and doesn't watch at home, people got aroused because it sounded alien. This guy was living my dream but doesn't care? Wasting it and so on.

This is because most people have an epidermic relationship to the sport via betting or video games or at best case scenario, highlights, and think that they can get the feeling of this environment.

I dealt with players (and agents and families) professionally for several years and I can tell you for a fact that most don't give a rat's ass about any passion the fans display. Especially those PL guys I work with/for. It's all about the money, the easy good life and having less pressure to succeed.

Which is why Italian football is lagging with the last couple of generations. They still have the bug of having the pressure to succeed.

 

[CafeCordoba]

Strawman arguments flying around left and right. NO ONE has said money doesn't dictate what players do. Passion is a factor, SPECIALLY in Italy where Inter happens to locate.

 

[Il Drago]

If we can't distinguish the difference between playing for Real Madrid at the highest level and playing at a low level league in Saudi Arabia, China, MLS or any other exotic league then it's pointless to discuss it even further.