They do have to change their economic model, but football teams are very rarely a profitable venture. They're not going to get back the money they're putting into it. The main reason China stopped doing what SA is doing is that all the money ended up flowing out of the country to the pocket of already rich foreigners. Rather than boosting their economy, like they hoped, it was losing money faster.
And how many years does Salah have left at-the-top; age catches up on everyone eventually, and unfortunately, pace is a part of Salah's exceptional ability so he will be a lesser player when his legs slow. £150m could pave the way for trying to find and develop the next Salah.
Things change when the public do speak up, not always, obviously. Look what it took for women to get the vote or closer to home, an inquest on Hillsborough. I think it's the job of the decent people to stand up and try and stamp out injustice wherever they see it. On the Saudi stuff, you're right we can't demand that a country espouses our values but if we can stop Russia participating in international sports while it is waging war then it shouldn't be beyond the bounds of expectation that those with 'western values' not legitimise (by taking part in) a sportswashing exercise by a despotic government. I'm drawing myself back into this again and I really don't want to. Like you say sometimes, I feel that I'm not saying things in exactly the right way. So I will leave it there. I'm actually finding it quite upsetting. I'm mad with myself for allowing myself to get attached to players who I feel have let me down.
Totally understand mate and Saint on that note I don’t want to be drawn into that kind of discussion - hope that’s okay ? It’s very easy to stumble into these things and be balls deep before you can get out
Let’s all just be happy that we might have some Midfielders who don’t look like they’re running in treacle this season. I’ve never seen an entire group of players fall away together like that and hopefully will never have to see it again. Onwards and upwards (unless mito is right and we’re done spending )
Fair enough, but it is a tease to dangle something without backing it up - you make a statement without allowing anyone to examine and discuss it. Anyway, it's up to you, and I won't try to push you into saying something you don't want to - but I'll just point out that our football clubs aren't state owned, so what our governments get up to is irrelevant to the discussion - as are historical practices. JB has perfectly expressed some of my thoughts on it here, so I won't repeat them: I will agree with both of you that we can get drawn into saying things that we probably shouldn't, but abuse and denial of basic human rights is something that horrifies me tbh and it's difficult not to speak up when it comes so close to home. I'll try and drop it, but I can't promise.
So that's: Ox, Keita, Milner, Henderson, Fabinho, AND Thiago. Just to be clear, which of that sextet are we angry at? Or do we pull faces and say "boo!" at all of them?
PSG reportedly offering Mbappe 100mill Euros a year to stay. We were talking about how stupid the wages footballers get are. So about 2mil a week. So by my maths, he could afford to buy 111.25 million brand-name Jelly Beans every week. An average of 15.9 million jelly beans every day of the year. I can't even imagine where he's going to store that many Jelly Beans. He certainly can't eat that many each day, and if he did he wouldn't be worth 100 mill Euros a year to PSG any more.
Why do they bother? They never win anything apart the French league - and they'd still win that if I was playing instead of him.
