We're wasting our time here spurs leave both our clubs in the shade. http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/history/history_honours.html
On the subject of the next united boss being prepared at united, OGS has just left to do a bit of managing...
Hahaha. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_Members_Cup http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercantile_Credit_Centenary_Trophy 2 more crackers aswell.
"First cub to play in blue and white(1901)" Were'nt our colours blue and white in our founding year of 1892?
Let's get back to the question in hand. CL football is important to both clubs and players. For the majority of the clubs plaing in CL it is an important (for some vital) income stream. Not all leagues across Europe are as cash rich as the Prem and securing a group spot can be the difference for them. For the bigger clubs then success (reaching the later stages) adds to their profile and prestige thereby allowing them greater merchandising and tv opportunities. Even for the bigger English sides the income gained is important. For the players it is slightly different. Sure you'll get the usual PR guff about wanting to test themselves against the top players in Europe but more importantly the CL gives them a far wider shop-window to display their abilities than they would get playing domestic football. We then have to consider the players themselves. Mature players are showing what they are capeable of - buy me and see what you get. Younger players want to show potential and enthusiasm. All of them are looking for their best possible opportunity to further their careers AND maximise their rewards. Neither they and certainly not their agents are stupid when it comes to maximising that. It does however leave the players with a dilema. They already know that the later stages of the CL will almost certainly be dominated by the 'usual suspects'. Big clubs with big squads where opportunities to even make it onto the pitch may be few and far between - but the pay and conditions are likely to be good. Where their own skill may be limited by what I call the Shearer factor - "nice goal kid buut next time do what your bloody well told to do and give it to me to put into the net!". Or they can look for a smaller club and aim to be a big fish in a small pond and hope for a 'good run. Or they can search for a pearl - a club that has the potential and are in a re-building process (that is where I see Liverpool at this moment). For English clubs there are other problems to take into consideration. The Prem has all the visibility that either a mature or aspiring player could want (and it pays well). However, the physical demands are higher, the style is different, there is no winter break and virtually no 'cruise' games. All of our clubs change their style of play in the CL/Europa to a style that foreign players feel more comfortable with - just having that opportunity could make all the difference. But perhaps the more important factor (particularly for latin players) is the culture. It's far more than a language question (though that is important) but it is far easier for a Spanish player to consider playing in Italy or a French player in Spain. Even if the player can make the transition, their families may not be able to e.g. Mascherano and Tevez. Northern and Central European players seem to make the leap more easily. So to sum up. CL football, or the prospect of it, is an important consideration in a players mind when choseing a club. However, it is far from being the major factor that the media and non-thinking forum posters would like to make it out to be.
Brilliant, who came up with the ideas to make these trophies!?! I suppose the key word is "officially", they're probably saying it on some technicality that we weren't in the first division when we wore those colours or something.
haha +1 to the first bit at least Agree South Americans do seem to find it more difficult to settle, but there are of course exceptions and the world keeps getting smaller so maybe this will continue to change. At the end of the day players like Pele used to often stay in their own countries, at least now players are trying the EPL. Man Utd (filled my yearly quota of nice things to say about them) have that knack of winning games in the league, they just have the mentality. I believe we at least have some of that still when it comes to Europe, and i think that will stand us in good stead for when we get CL football back. I certainly don't think we'd have gone out to Madrid in the same way Spurs did this year, and i think that will be important in the CL being a draw, because players will join wanting to try and win 'Ol Big Ears rather than being content with playing in the group stages. I think that's still the true draw of the Champions League, not this media idea that the best players are motivated by playing Lyon, Olympiakos and Inter twice a year (for example).
There are many reasons, again this view, man you gotta open your eyes. Are they guarenteed to play? if not they wont get called up internationally, can be reason for not going? Not liking Fergie is another reason, a lot of players won't be talked to like kids and have boots kicked at them. I think the beckham boot media circus didn't help in the signing of top class mature players tbh Manchester is another reason, London is more a pplace for the designer wearing foreign talent Project City and chelsea are prepared to spend big so the hope of playing withe the best? United are short on world beaters and the final didn't help in attractng the very best if ye could afford them. Just not wanting to, don't like the club manager players ect? not every player that chooses another team over United is amoney grabber I'm afraid CL football is a very important tool to those in involved in marketing the club, as is the WCC, with the latter more important to marketing than than it is to the trophy cabinet. Then of course the cash player attraction because they see us play there every year, makes t easier to pay CL wages of course. If you don't qualify the financial and selling power of Liverpool is < if we do qualify for the CL, so, I think it is very important in pulling a certain group of players and revenue, if you want to ever buy top tier, forget it if you are not in the CL but that does not stop you developing your own top players, but this will take longer obviously.
The selling point for Kenny with potential signings is asking players '''Do you want to be part of the first Liverpool side to have won the title in 20 odd years''.He will tell them that if they do they will be heroes for the rest of their lives.Which is actually true.Only Pepe Reina and Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher out of the current squad have tasted success with Liverpool.Its a new thing for most of the others,Okay Glen Johnson and Joe Cole have done it with Chelsea,Raul Mereiles in Portugal,Soto in Greece.But for the majority they haven't won anything.This is something that can motivate them.If they bring success to Liverpool,they will make ''the fans happy''.Now Liverpool as a club always said their main aim was to make fans of the club happy.Its written on Bill Shanklys statue ''He made the people happy''. When Kenny arrived in 1977,Liverpool were League and European Champions.However the players acted as if they hadn't won anything.He enjoyed that.He said there was no ''egos''.Even though the likes of Emlyn Hughes,Jimmy Case,Ray Kennedy,Ray Clemence,Phil Thompson had already tasted success.The reason why they acted as if they didn't win anything because once they got the taste of it,they wanted more.Again this is a motivational thing.They were always taught that.In 1979,Alan Hansens second season at the club,He already had a European Cup medal from 1978 said that at the end of thst season Ronnie Moran walked into the dressing room and said ''Who has played 13 league games here'',Alan Hansen not being sure put his hand up,and Ronnie handed out title medals.He then said ''Enjoy your summer,its going to be even harder next season''.Thats the way it was,and under Kenny its going to be the same way.No ''Egos''.A level playing field,and even if players had won things,it doesn't matter,they have to show the same appetite as if they hadn't won anything. This will be what Kenny will sell to potential signings.
Without doubt Champions League football is important to top players. You dont have to have it now but the chance to get it is a major factor for most of the worlds best players. Liverpool will still attract players as they will come in the hope you get it again but if say in 3 years you still dont have CL football, they will leave.
That applies to all clubs and not just Liverpool. The difference between Liverpool and Spurs when not offering CL football is prestige.Liverpool without CL football are still Liverpool,Spurs without CL football are a small club in North London that nobody really cares about.The last time they won the league Ken Barlow had acne.
Yes but if you dont get back in there quickly that prestige starts to mean very little, especially to players from outside of the UK. I dont doubt Kenny knows how vital it is you get CL football asap.
