The Number Nine

[johnhughthom]

Sheringham

Dimitar Berbatov

I don't think you could name two strikers less like a traditional number 9.

I think Carroll will prove a good buy myself.

[G. Septimus]

I don't think you could name two strikers less like a traditional number 9.

I think Carroll will prove a good buy myself.

[phonicsmonkey]

I think Carroll will prove a good buy myself.

35m for a bloke who injured himself because he can't even sit on a barstool? I remain to be convinced.

[johnhughthom]

35m for a bloke who injured himself because he can't even sit on a barstool? I remain to be convinced.

I have to admit I'm not sure whether my optimism is based on reality, or the fact he banged in 62 goals for me in one season when I had him on loan at Gateshead in FM08.

[HoreTore]

I believe Barca paid 33 mill for Villa. That was 33 million for a guy who had been among the top scorers in La Liga for several consecutive seasons, the starting striker for one of the worlds best national teams and a european championship winner.

Paying two million more, Liverpool has aquirred a felon with only half a season of premier league football to show for himself. Utter nonsense. English players are the most hyped players on the planet. May I remind you all of Mido?I think he's selling hamburgers in Cairo now.

Carroll is the most overpriced player the world has ever seen. And I think it'll stand for years.

[johnhughthom]

May I remind you all of Mido?I think he's eating hamburgers in Cairo now.

Fixed.

You're right though, the Villa/Carroll comparison shows how ridiculously overpriced English players are. Carroll is pretty much an poor man's Fernando Llorente (there's your old style number 9 by the way). Still I'll always love him after that FM season...

[HoreTore]

Fixed.

You're right though, the Villa/Carroll comparison shows how ridiculously overpriced English players are. Carroll is pretty much an poor man's Fernando Llorente (there's your old style number 9 by the way). Still I'll always love him after that FM season...

Here's another one:

For the 35 million you could get:

-Mesut Özil(12.5)
-Sami Khedira(12.5)
-Javier Hernandez(6)
-Rafael Van der Vaart(8)

....and still have 6 million pounds left to blow on hookers and coke. The amount is retarded.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Here's another one:

For the 35 million you could get:

-Mesut Özil(12.5)
-Sami Khedira(12.5)
-Javier Hernandez(6)
-Rafael Van der Vaart(8)

....and still have 6 million pounds left to blow on hookers and coke. The amount is retarded.

I am not at all convinced Carroll will manage more goals than battered girlfriends.


But a retarded amount...there's more to running a club than getting good value players. Top quality English players are scarce. But unless you are Arsenal, you will want to have a core group of English players, as Man Ure and even Chelsea have. For reasons of marketing, identity, fan appeal. The issue then is not that 35 million is too much - a quality English striker is easily worth that, more. The issue is that Carrol is basically a youth player, with I think four Premier League games under his belt.

I think Liverpool rushed it. (*tempted to rewrite that into a lame Rush pun*) Too much money in the bank from Torres' sale, new inexperienced owners, a new manager - with a history of spending big.

[Husar]

Here's another one:

For the 35 million you could get:

-Mesut Özil(12.5)
-Sami Khedira(12.5)
-Javier Hernandez(6)
-Rafael Van der Vaart(8)

....and still have 6 million pounds left to blow on hookers and coke. The amount is retarded.

Just to make sure I follow you:

12.5 + 12.5 = 25
25 + 6 = 31
31 + 8 = 39
and 6 to blow, so
39 + 6 = 45 = the 35 they paid for Carroll?

That's a really interesting comparison you made there.