As an American and a relative newcomer to the international football scene, I have been troubled over the last few years by the disturbing trend of laissez-faire contracts. Maybe this is old news to some of you, but it makes me ill.
I mean, I get it, it’s all about the money. I see players all the time sitting down to sign their latest multi-year deal only to transfer six months later. It’s not just players, managers swap sides like it’s a seventies swingers party. You see it all the time, Chelsea want so-and-so, but so-and-so is tied up until 2008. The next week, they are Stamford Bridge bound. I would give examples, but it would be redundant as you all have seen it. Between loan deals, transfer options, and opt-out clauses, it is virtually impossible to see a player spend more than a few paltry seasons at a club before being shipped out.
It’s gotten that bad in American sports, too. The difference is that in baseball, football, basketball, etc.(let’s not even bring up hockey) there are only 30 or less teams to choose from. Look at Italy, France, Spain, England, Germany; 1,2,3,4 divisions; Argentina, Brazil, etc…………There is a system in place that because of unlimited opportunity, loyalty is as outmoded as the horse/buggy combo.
The solution for me is simple: don’t sew names on the backs of jerseys. Instead, let’s have enormous velcro patches that can be interchanged to accomodate any name. Halftime transfer? You got it! Entire teams swap sides? Yes please. Let’s bring on the madness, and let total chaos ensue.
If I scored an own goal in the first half, then transferrred at the break, would it count for me on the plus side in the second half????
12 Responses to “Now that I’ve got my long term contract, I’d like a transfer!”
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March 23rd, 2005 at 1:16 pm
I love your half-time transfer theory IH, very funny indeed!
that’s why i think people should take it easy on the latest Cole saga. let’s face it, long as the clubs like Real Madrid, Chelsea exist, they would do whatever they can to spread the news, unsettle other teams’ star players. Cole is not the first, definitely not going to be the last. If we hate Cole now because he has had a “meeting” with Mourinho, sooner or later maybe the likes Henry, Vieira, Reyes, Cesc, van Persie we are going to hate too, ‘cos there is no guarantee Chelsea won’t be sneaking around. One day when we wake up and find out that all the good players in the team we hate them to gut ‘cos they are the “traders”, the not so good players in the team we also hate ‘cos they are not up to standard….. in the end there is no player left in Arsenal we like, then there would be a little bit trouble!
So the way I see it, hate him or not, he’s a trader or not, the only thing matters is whether Cole pulls his weight on the pitch. Personally I feel he did, and he always does. Is he going to Chelsea? well, after the lesson of the summer Vieira-saga, i would like to think let’s judge him when he really DOES.
March 23rd, 2005 at 1:38 pm
Andez, I’d have to think what Cole did damaged the team in an immeasurable way. Its a team game. He can pull his weight on the pitch, but the other 10 guys out there probably think his head is far far away. Imagine if he scored an own-goal v.Chelsea in April?
March 23rd, 2005 at 2:58 pm
Imagine the potential irony of Cole switching jerseys with one of the Chelsea players.
March 23rd, 2005 at 2:59 pm
Yes, i agree there is this possibility. But i think as professional footballers, they know this soft of thing could have happened to anyone. I understand from the club’s perspective, we can’t afford to pay the money Cole’s looking for, and probably he does deserve a bit more money than he’s earning, because of our new stadium commitment, but that may gives the players an impression the club is paying more attention in the new stadium rather than the players who had done so much over the years to get us to this stage. A point very well pointed out by our very own Scotty US, i quite agree with that.
March 23rd, 2005 at 3:03 pm
By the way Stag, don’t lose your full glass of water spirit, though at times I didn’t agree with u on many issues, I admire and respect your spirit. At times [struggling time at Highbury or so they said] like this, we need guys like you to keep the gang going more than ever.
Think of Cole grab a goal against Chelsea, that would be nice wouldn’t it?!
March 23rd, 2005 at 3:05 pm
I just read on soccernet that Cole has been charged with a breach of the rules in the Colegate scandal, as well. Does anyone know what the penalty would be if he’s found guilty? Whatever it may be, it isn’t going to help our club any. We suffer twice!
March 23rd, 2005 at 3:15 pm
I have a suggestion on the punishment: from now on, whichever club tries to meet a player before meeting the club when the player is under contract. The gulity party -
The Player - will be punished to be compulsory joining the club he meets behind his current employer’s back… for a FIVE year contract, and to accept WHATEVER salary his new employer is willing to pay him.
The Club - will have to pay the player’s club a transfer fee, amount of the fee will be striaghtly decided by the player’s present club, say if Arsenal ask for 100 million pounds, Chelsea will have to pay for it.
That way, I bet the next time Jose Mourinho bumps into any Arsenal or Man U or Liverpool or any major club with good player in the street or hotel or pub or wherever accidentially again, he would flee in a minute.
March 23rd, 2005 at 3:26 pm
Better triple the fee or Mourinho still might go for it. Billions buys a lot of indiscretion.
March 23rd, 2005 at 3:29 pm
Thank you Andez. Your comments are much appreciated.
After being a big Cole fan, I have soured on him after this “situation”.
I also feel that if you have a contract, that you signed willingly, you should have the decency to play it out.
What Cole did has changed my opinion of him a great deal. I personally think it helped sabotage our season. I can only imagine what the current players feel about him and his actions.
I also think that if Tony Adams or Marty Keown were still in the squad, that Ash might have had a few bruises and been thrown onto Avenell Road.
March 23rd, 2005 at 3:35 pm
I think Cole’s punishment is that he should have to go to the center of the pitch before the next home game and apologize to the fans, the management, and his teammates for putting himself ahead of the team DURING the season. Admit he was a fool and that he is firing his agent because of this. And say he’d rather sign for less money to play for Arsenal than for more to play at Chelsea.
Nobody begrudges Ash or any of the players for getting the most they can get. Their career can easily be cut short. Do it in the OFF season, or when your contract runs out. Not two days before the United match, and with your biggest rival.
March 23rd, 2005 at 3:40 pm
Yes if money was no object for us fans - they should put Moron-ho’s handsome face on the back of a bus so that we could crash into his big mouth and shut it up (money being no object that is). You know something Monty Python might use in a skit. I’d laugh just from seeing all the crunched up buses with crumpled Jose’s on the back, or cars jutting out of his mouth being dragged down the road by a bus.
March 23rd, 2005 at 5:23 pm
“If I scored an own goal in the first half, then transferrred at the break, would it count for me on the plus side in the second half????”
Yes that’s what Steven Gerrard did. of course it count for the plus side for you. I am not sure whether it’s in the plus side or your former team. I can’t tell. you must talk to an expert. Give a call to the KING OF LIARS, THE DISGUSTING JOSE .
I believe Cole.
Jose, Pete, I, the whole world know Arsenal are not going to sell Cole to Chelski. They just came to the meeting to unsettle Cole before Manure game.
I belive Cole and I love.
I had some doubt over Cole but now I believe.
As a game lover I can’t believe a man branded as a “liar” by the venerable European football governing body.
Cole’s going to stay. This 100% sure.
Bad luck for people who want to sell the best player to cash in. We are not a selling club. We cannot keep a player against a desire but we always make sure the contract is respected as fairly as we can.
WE HAVE GOT CLASS which chelski aren’t going to possess in the next 10 years.
The whole world is shocked by what Jos? and chelki did. That late goal when Terry ordered to Carvalo to foul the goalkeeper has the hell out of all witnesses of the game except chelski ’s fans.
With that bad publicity I am not sure Stars players are going to come at Chelsea.
If you count the number of shirt you can sell elsewhere you know 150.000 pound per week is not enough to compensate your losts in terms of net income.
That’s why we should be optimistic.
Clusb would like to sell to the best telling parties but players have to agree. Joaquin declined Chelski offer.
other world stars could do the same in the next few months.
Nobody’s foul.
I am not happy with all these stories about Cole-chaski-maoanriinhooo, but i want to say that :
I STRONGLY BACK COLE TO SIGN A NEW IMPROVED CONTRACT AND STAY WITH US FOREVER.
I URGE ALL GOONERS TO BE THE SAME.
THIS ULTIMATLY THE RIGHT THING TO DO CONSIDERING OUR DIFFERENCE IN CLASS AND VALUES with chavski.