I'll still stand by one of the best footballlers I've seen in a Saints shirt (from mid 90s I've been watching). Not suited to the English game at all
I do feel sorry for Fonte....he was a hero too long for me not to feel something. I look upon him as a fallen angel. Not as much as I felt for Rickie, but he didn't mess us about so remains a hero. My sorrow will be tempered by the fact that financially he must have done ok from the move to West Ham....though what the Hammers were thinking of in buying him at this stage of his career is beyond me.
I feel fondness for the years he played but certainly can't feel sorry for him. He can join the recent loooooooong list of those who thought their future was filled with trophies and mega-bucks if only they could shake off the shackles of playing for Saints. I genuinely wonder how it feels going from being a club hero, Euro winner, captain and stalwart of a side to being... none of that... but a bit richer.
Being a bit richer can be very important at the end of your footballing career. He has a young family and may struggle to find another career of any substance. Many players go bankrupt within a few years of retiring....haven't saved and yet carry on spending at the same level. I think Charlie Austin will be an example of that....with the odd exception, horse racing is a fast way to lose money.
Some players go bankrupt because they piss it all away, with bad advice and having so much money they never had to be sensible with it. It comes as a shock when they stop earning though. Fonte was earning a shed load of money, no matter how you look at it. He earned more in a year at Southampton than I will in my life. Premiership / top championship Footballers in this age don't have to work again, and still live a lavish life style if they are just a tad sensible.
The sensible bit is the crunch though. Some find it hard to scale back...they are used to throwing it around. What they need are sensible wives who will squirrel it away for the tougher times.
Jose got an extra year contract off West Ham as well, which is maybe more than the pay rise. I don't blame him at all, just wonder if he would recommend Mendes to a friend.
So what exactly has gone wrong with Fonte at West Ham? I heard a mention on a forum (this or SW) about negative whispers/rumours coming out about him with the note "if they are to be believed" - does anyone know what these are It is crazy how quickly they have apparently soured on him given the length of contract. And it certainly seems to justify the decision to sell him whilst a good fee could be generated
Sadly, I feel nothing for him anymore, he made his bed and if it's a tad uncomfortable for him, i will have no sympathy. From the outside looking in, the approach to running Wet Spam has seemed like a car crash; the arrogance of the owners, the desperate attempts of the owners son to publicly shame agents and players who don't sign, the corrupt nature of the acquisition of the stadium (allowed by a desperate and corrupt government process), the nature and type of players they acquire when no one else really wants them, the financial model or lack thereof. Despite protestations by Hammers fans otherwise, it doesn't seem the most well run club, so surely can't have been shocked when he found this out. It always seemed like a desperate move as he'd burned his bridges with Saints and no one else wanted him. As far as I'm concerned, it's karma, no more, no less.
Aren't they getting plaudits for their business this summer - experienced England goalkeeper, experienced full back in an area they are short , creative goalscoring wide player to replace payet and the striker they have been after for ages... I agree up until this summer their recruitment and operation has seem at best poorly thought out (to be polite). But what is there to take issue with this time? - Is Hart a significant enough upgrade on their options in goal. Seems like a yes but the loan fee and wages are quite high and it might only be a one year fix - Has zabaleta gone the way of fonte? I haven't watched him recently. - argument that they overpaid for armaments arnautovic but everyone is overpriced at the moment - it remains to be seen if Hernandez can play as a premier league lone striker (as I don't see West Ham playing 2) But you can pick holes in anything. But at least their recruitment isn't as scattergun as it has been...
