OT: Soccer (Gerrard)

[Coder]

Ok, I'm usually not a threadstarter but since there has been an increase in the soccer-interest on here the past few years, I figure this is a topic worth discussing.

So Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) is pissed off at his manager Benitez for "saying one thing to the fans and another to me (Gerrard)". Now he wants to leave Liverpool despite having 2 years left of his contract. Looks like Chelsea are set to scoop him up, and Mourinho has been coveting him for a long time.

Only 6 weeks ago, after the CL-final, Gerrard was qouted as saying "I will not leave Liverpool". Yesterday evening, 'pool fans were burning Gerrard shirts outside Anfield.

Don't you just love soccer?

[ice4277]

hxxp://www.football365.com/news/premiership_news/story_156337.shtml

It looks like he is now set to stay at with Liverpool. Interesting turn of events.

[daedalus]

By all account, he's a great player. But he's damn injury-prone and his constant dalliance with other club would annoy the heck out of me, if I was a Liverpool fan. Just as Vieira's annual transfer rumour with Real, where he says nothing confirm his commitment to Arsenal (a la Henry) and even got to the point of nearly finalizing a contract with them last year, does.

Of course, his less-than-stellar showing last year did not help matter much. Hopefully, it will be different with Gerrard IF he does stay at Liverpool.

[Crapshoot]

It doesnt bother me - every club in the world wants him, and if you ask him a hundred times- he can be expected to honestly expresses interest. I think Gerrard is the best midfielder in the world, and if he wants to move on - more power to him. The transfer dough generated from his sale would be enough to rebuild the team around Alonzo.

[moriarty]

Originally Posted by daedalus

By all account, he's a great player. But he's damn injury-prone and his constant dalliance with other club would annoy the heck out of me, if I was a Liverpool fan. Just as Vieira's annual transfer rumour with Real, where he says nothing confirm his commitment to Arsenal (a la Henry) and even got to the point of nearly finalizing a contract with them last year, does.

Of course, his less-than-stellar showing last year did not help matter much. Hopefully, it will be different with Gerrard IF he does stay at Liverpool.

He was injury prone earlier in his career, but he's been more resiliant lately. As a Liverpool fan, I'm glad to see he's once again leaning toward returning to Liverpool and promising that we won't go through this annually (he did the same thing last year for those who don't recall).

However much I like and appreciate Gerrard though, I would have rather taken the 40MM from Chelsea, or at least the 25MM plus Duff. For that money, we could have had Duff and Wright-Phillips running down the flanks next year, and moved Riise back to left back.
Gerrard's great, but we need the depth more than we need one player. Plus we have the playmaker in Alonso already, and let's face it ... his daliances with transfers over the past two years along with his occassionally spotty/moody performances have cost him a bit with the fan support.

I suspect he'll be back with Liverpool, but hopfeully they'll give his captain's armband to Carragher where it belongs.

[MalcPow]

These guys (especially Gerrard) are asked questions about transfers so many times that it's almost impossible for them to avoid the occasional "interested" comment. I think it gets absurd when athletes in any sport are asked to weigh in on every little frigging thing. With a crowd of journalists steering them toward something vaguely controversial at every turn. It's not worth getting caught up in the madness. (That being said, he's going to Chelsea .)

[moriarty]

Originally Posted by MalcPow

These guys (especially Gerrard) are asked questions about transfers so many times that it's almost impossible for them to avoid the occasional "interested" comment. I think it gets absurd when athletes in any sport are asked to weigh in on every little frigging thing. With a crowd of journalists steering them toward something vaguely controversial at every turn. It's not worth getting caught up in the madness. (That being said, he's going to Chelsea .)

This went WAY beyond the 'interested' comments you usually hear when a microphone is shoved in a player's face. Liverpool went as far as releasing a press release saying he was gone, as he told them he didn't want to play for them next year and money was not an issue.

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by Crapshoot

It doesnt bother me - every club in the world wants him, and if you ask him a hundred times- he can be expected to honestly expresses interest. I think Gerrard is the best midfielder in the world, and if he wants to move on - more power to him. The transfer dough generated from his sale would be enough to rebuild the team around Alonzo.

Ronaldinho is the best midfielder in the world, hands down. I think the tireless Frank Lampard is better than Gerrard also. Gerrard is very, very good, but he also gets a bit of hype bump from being an English player.

[condors]

Desnudo- Ronaldinho is great but imho he isn't the best, he is the most talented but his workrate isn't on par with Lampard. I will take Lampard any day over Ronaldinho

[Desnudo]

If I were starting a team, I would take Ronaldinho first. Workrate is great, but pure ability changes the outcome of games.

[condors]

If i was starting a team I would go with Petr Cech i believe he is going to be an exceptional keeper for a very long time and its harder to get a top keeper than another postion (ie see Arsenal, Manutd and Liverpool).

[moriarty]

Originally Posted by condors

If i was starting a team I would go with Petr Cech i believe he is going to be an exceptional keeper for a very long time and its harder to get a top keeper than another postion (ie see Arsenal, Manutd and Liverpool).

Liverpool has 4 of them currently.

I'd take Ronaldinho BTW.

[condors]

Originally Posted by moriarty

Liverpool has 4 of them currently.

why didn't they use one of them this season?

[Desnudo]

Well if you want to vote for the best player, go to the ESPN website. The ESPY vote right now is for best soccer player. Your options are Mia Hamm, Landon Donovan, Eddie Johnson, some other chick, and Ronaldinho. So Gerrard isn't even as good as Hamm.

[moriarty]

Originally Posted by condors

why didn't they use one of them this season?

They did use 3 of them. Well of course, "top keeper" is subjective, but they have 4 goal keepers on their roster who all have played for their country at the international level. 3 did play for Liverpool this year: Dudek (who is normally a very good goal keeper, just prone to stupid gaffes in big games), Kirkland (who got injured yet again) but is a callup for England when/if ever healthy, and Carson who is the keeper for the England Under 21 team.

Unfortunately none of them could seal up the starting spot, and Dudek made his usual 3-4 major blunders. So they added Reina in the offseason which currently gives them 4 international level GK's (although Kirkland will get loaned out shortly).

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

Well if you want to vote for the best player, go to the ESPN website. The ESPY vote right now is for best soccer player. Your options are Mia Hamm, Landon Donovan, Eddie Johnson, some other chick, and Ronaldinho. So Gerrard isn't even as good as Hamm.

LOL!

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

Well if you want to vote for the best player, go to the ESPN website. The ESPY vote right now is for best soccer player. Your options are Mia Hamm, Landon Donovan, Eddie Johnson, some other chick, and Ronaldinho. So Gerrard isn't even as good as Hamm.

Wow. I mean, I love what the women's soccer team and Hamm did, and I think Donovan and Johnson are the foundations of a strong future for the national squad. But to have a poll like this, and have only Ronaldhino as the one legit European star (or even playing in Europe period) in it is just amazingly ethnocentric and silly. I don't give a flying rat's butt about the ESPYs, but I am almost inclined to go to the Web Site and try to vote for Ronaldhino 100 times or so (that oughta pass up all of the other soccer votes combined ).

[Mac Howard]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

The ESPY vote right now is for best soccer player. Your options are Mia Hamm, Landon Donovan, Eddie Johnson, some other chick, and Ronaldinho.

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

Well if you want to vote for the best player, go to the ESPN website. The ESPY vote right now is for best soccer player. Your options are Mia Hamm, Landon Donovan, Eddie Johnson, some other chick, and Ronaldinho. So Gerrard isn't even as good as Hamm.

I wouldn't take web votes too seriously - a lower league English player was winning an online newspaper "Player of the year" vote a couple of seasons back because an online campaign to bias it to him caught on (can't remember the name of the player now ).

I do recall that the counters were quietly reset at some stage though

[moriarty]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Wow. I mean, I love what the women's soccer team and Hamm did, and I think Donovan and Johnson are the foundations of a strong future for the national squad. But to have a poll like this, and have only Ronaldhino as the one legit European star (or even playing in Europe period) in it is just amazingly ethnocentric and silly. I don't give a flying rat's butt about the ESPYs, but I am almost inclined to go to the Web Site and try to vote for Ronaldhino 100 times or so (that oughta pass up all of the other soccer votes combined ).

Not to mention that they apparently left off the US's best male player in Beasley. I mean if we're going to be ethnocentric, let's at least get it right.

edit: I voted for Ronaldhino. I'd love to see him get a phone call telling him he won an ESPY and him saying WTF is an ESPY

[Critch]

"They were close to losing their best player, I understand people getting frustrated." - Gerrard talking about the Liverpool fans kicking up a fuss when he said he didn't want to play for them anymore.

Is it just me, or does he sound like a bit of an arrogant wanker (to use the British vernacular)?

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by moriarty

Not to mention that they apparently left off the US's best male player in Beasley. I mean if we're going to be ethnocentric, let's at least get it right.

edit: I voted for Ronaldhino. I'd love to see him get a phone call telling him he won an ESPY and him saying WTF is an ESPY

The potential for comedy would be high if he showed up in person to accept.

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by Critch

"They were close to losing their best player, I understand people getting frustrated." - Gerrard talking about the Liverpool fans kicking up a fuss when he said he didn't want to play for them anymore.

Is it just me, or does he sound like a bit of an arrogant wanker (to use the British vernacular)?

Yes he is .... but he does have good reason, as he is without doubt one of the best midfielders in the world at the moment ...

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by moriarty

Not to mention that they apparently left off the US's best male player in Beasley. I mean if we're going to be ethnocentric, let's at least get it right.

Yikes, if Beasley is the best you got...
I mean, he looked decent with PSV, but last season wasn't ready for being a starter for a UEFA Champions' League semi finalists. Maybe he is in 2005/2006 now that PSV has lost Park to ManU and they have Beasley sitting ready to step in.

[moriarty]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

Yikes, if Beasley is the best you got...
I mean, he looked decent with PSV, but last season wasn't ready for being a starter for a UEFA Champions' League semi finalists. Maybe he is in 2005/2006 now that PSV has lost Park to ManU and they have Beasley sitting ready to step in.

Well, there's not a wealth of international talent yet in the US, but yes Beasley IMO is our best all around player (outside of goalkeepers) - and he's still fairly young, so I don't think not being a starter yet for PSV is a real knock yet.

The other option is Donovan, and anyone who saw the Leverkusen - Liverpool match in the CL would have to agree that Donovan was clearly not ready for CL type competition.

We have some solid internationals like McBride, Gibbs, Boconegra, ... but DMB has the most potential IMO.

[ISiddiqui]

Yes, Beasley is our best player. He also is the non-goalkeeper with the best success in Europe. He was good with PSV in a 'super-sub' role.

[Galaxy]

Don't forget Eddie Johnson. I believe it was either Porto or Benefica who made a $5 million bid for him. I think he has alot of potential. Donovan has talent to be competitive, but lacks the desire.

Beasely hopefully will get better as he learns to adjust living the Holland (culture, language, living in a hotel), ect.

[moriarty]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

Don't forget Eddie Johnson. I believe it was either Porto or Benefica who made a $5 million bid for him. I think he has alot of potential. Donovan has talent to be competitive, but lacks the desire.

Beasely hopefully will get better as he learns to adjust living the Holland (culture, language, living in a hotel), ect.

EJ could be very good ... it's just hard to judge him when he's only played against MLS competition (and some international matches against so-so competition).

[moriarty]

Well, if Gerrard had any worries about fan backlash after flirting with Chelsea two years in a row .. he went a long way towards appeasing those folks yesterday.

A hat-trick in the first game of the season (Champions League qualifier). Granted it was against a weak Welsh team, but what a nice way to say 'I'm back'.

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

Ronaldinho is the best midfielder in the world, hands down. I think the tireless Frank Lampard is better than Gerrard also. Gerrard is very, very good, but he also gets a bit of hype bump from being an English player.

Frank Lampard plays in a midfield with Makelee doing all the dirty work, the tracking back - and has Robben and Duff on the wings, as opposed to Harry Kewell and ... Steve Finnan/Antonio Nunez. Gerrard's performance in the CL final, where he was tracking back to RB and playing up front at the same time was an example of the sheer scope of his abilities. As for Ronaldinho - great player, but I think he's more of a forward the way I see it - and I also would argue that he can play more freely because he doesnt have the defensive responsibilities of a midfielder - once again, the Marquez of the team are there to do the dirty work. In Liverpool's case - Gerrard does the dirty work and the flair.

[Desnudo]

Lampard was world class before last season. The midfield position comprises a number of positions on the field. Ronaldinho is a midfielder.

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

Don't forget Eddie Johnson. I believe it was either Porto or Benefica who made a $5 million bid for him. I think he has alot of potential. Donovan has talent to be competitive, but lacks the desire.

Beasely hopefully will get better as he learns to adjust living the Holland (culture, language, living in a hotel), ect.

I thought it was AC Milan? I hope he ends up in Europe, I think in 4-5 years, he'll easily be the best pure striker on the US squad. He might already be now.

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

I thought it was AC Milan? I hope he ends up in Europe, I think in 4-5 years, he'll easily be the best pure striker on the US squad. He might already be now.

I'm pretty sure it was FC Porto that made the bid. Hopefully someone can correct me if I am wrong.

[Galaxy]

Alright, I was wrong. Right country, wrong team.

http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dw....83df555f.html

FC Dallas' Eddie Johnson among elite

After reported raise, FC Dallas striker has second-best MLS salary


03:50 AM CDT on Friday, July 8, 2005


By TODD ARCHER / The Dallas Morning News


FRISCO – Eddie Johnson did not deny a report that he reached an agreement with Major League Soccer on a long-term contract this summer.

According to the Washington Post, Johnson, an FC Dallas striker, is earning $875,000 this year, making him the league's second-highest paid player behind Los Angeles' Landon Donovan, who is being paid $900,000.

Johnson, 21, was earning roughly $100,000.

"Like I tell everyone, MLS is where I love to play," Johnson said Thursday. "This is the league that got me to where I am today. They've been great to me. They always say don't believe what you read in the papers, but there's a lot of stuff going on. I heard about [the story], but there's a lot going on. I'm loyal to MLS and FC Dallas. This is my home."

In MLS, players are under contract to the league, and the league assigns players to teams.

FC Dallas general manager Greg Elliott said a deal has not been finalized with the league, but he expects a deal to be forthcoming. Johnson's agent, Robert Motzkin, who also represents Donovan and Freddy Adu, and MLS officials could not be reached for comment.

The league declined a $5 million transfer fee from Portugal's Benfica for Johnson. Johnson also trained with Manchester United in the off-season.

Johnson's goal-scoring ability and potential make him attractive to foreign teams.

A new contract would not preclude Johnson from playing overseas.

"What it would do is give the league asset value and help contribute to the autonomy of where he goes," Elliott said. "If he's just a free agent without a contract, he could go wherever he wanted, and the league would lose any asset value. This is as much about protecting an asset value as it is protecting him as an FC Dallas player."

Johnson has missed the last seven games because of an injury to his right big toe. In nine games, he has five goals and one assist.

He hopes to return to the field July 16 at New England, but the following two games will be played on artificial surface. He hopes to be 100 percent for FC Dallas' opener at Pizza Hut Park on Aug. 6 against the MetroStars.

"I wish I was doing a lot of things," Johnson said. "But everything happens for a reason, and this is my time to rest. I need it. I've been traveling a lot, and this is how my body reacted to me being tired; I hurt myself and it's time for a break. I'm just glad we're winning so I don't feel like I have to rush back."

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

Lampard was world class before last season. The midfield position comprises a number of positions on the field. Ronaldinho is a midfielder.

Yes, I'm aware of what the midfield comprises, and I would argue that what Ronaldinho plays in is as a withdrawn forward, as opposed to a midfielder in the hole, similar, but not quite the same thing. Lampard was very good the season before, but this is the first one in which he made the step up to being one of the World's 5 best midfielders.