The Transfer Thread

[Paul21694]

Quote: Originally Posted by Brahvocado

Roma is basically Tottenham, it's not surprising when they make weird signings. The only reason newer soccer fans can't tell yet that Roma is the Tottenham of Italy is because the two Milans took an absolutely spectacular and unprecedented nosedive. With Inter and Milan at full strength, Roma is a Europa League team. Anyways, like I said, Serie A is not a bad league. It actually isn't too far behind the PL, the styles are just very different so it's hard for newer PL fans to tell because all they see is hard, fast and physical (PL) and think that leagues that don't play that way are automatically worse.

'Newer soccer fans'? I've been a season ticket holder at anfield for 15 years. The Serie A is terrible. It falls way behind technically to La Liga and the Bundesliga (I'd even go as far to say as worse than some Adelante teams having been a season ticket holder in Murcia for the last 9 months'.

I don't even like the Premier League. I think it's a money driven pile of commercialised bull**** stopping anybody from the bottom half from even challenging for top 4. But you're a Chelsea fan so none of this affects you.

So please, don't insult me with any concept of 'newer'. I'm from the country the league is played in and I've been a fan of it for my entire 21 years of life.

[dubcity]

Quote: Originally Posted by Brahvocado

Roma is basically Tottenham, it's not surprising when they make weird signings. The only reason newer soccer fans can't tell yet that Roma is the Tottenham of Italy is because the two Milans took an absolutely spectacular and unprecedented nosedive. With Inter and Milan at full strength, Roma is a Europa League team.

i think Roma also is somewhat overrated and over-hyped in North America because an American is in charge of the team. That seems to earn them more undeserved attention. I believe they played the MLS all-stars a few years back, and strangely enough I have seen episodes of Roma TV on my local Comcast Sports cable affiliate here in Cali. Yeah, I don't get it.

[KG]

The Serie A is only terrible because they can't compete financially with England, Spain, and Germany. Teams that are folding up (Parma), outdated stadiums, and no true lucrative TV deal means teams like Inter & Milan can't afford to pay top level wages. They end up attracting past-their-prime players or risky players (injury prone, attitude problems, etc...).

You add that with the last great Italian generation fading (Pirlo, Buffon, Totti) and no real young hot prospects outside of Verrati, SAS, Dybala, etc... and you're left with only 2 (maybe 3 counting Napoli) clubs functional enough to compete. Juve & Roma have done incredible jobs at poaching young/mid-level talent and turning them into studs. Just look at the talent those 2 clubs have poached.

[cdawg44]

Also the Italian economy tanking in 2010 has played a massive role in Serie A fall too. Especially with the government and businesses needing bailout money to not collapse. You know it's bad when Silvio Berluschoni had to fall back from a Milan club he loved, no matter what you thought of him. Owners in Italy who had no issue taking losses before and spending what they didn't have, now are pulling out and dumping stupid debt on these clubs. Serie A's business model has to change ASAP, because many Professional clubs are falling by the wayside throughout Italian soccer in Serie B and C1.

[jb12780]

Balotelli to Stoke?

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[ImTellinTim]

Quote: Originally Posted by jb12780

Balotelli to Stoke? Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk

Lots of silly rumors starting to pop up around him. Also heard Newcastle.

Expect the first Liverpool striker to move to be Lambert to Bournemouth on loan.

[jb12780]

Shaquiri is going to Stoke. Damn.

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[ImTellinTim]

Quote: Originally Posted by jb12780

Shaquiri is going to Stoke. Damn. Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk

Is this deal final? I heard that a fee was agreed to, but not that he had any desire to go there.