James Milner
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I meant best player available to us so that takes into account finances and ability to attract etc.
Milner improves the first team instantly on paper, not just the squad (imo)...whether he performs for us is yet to be answered. This is the kind of signing that should have happened last season when Rodgers was banging on about buying players for the first 11. With Johnson and Gerrard going it seems on current ability we'll be improving both players positions in the squad IF Clyne comes in too, probably saving a few quid on wages along the way. Don't think Clyne would demand as much as glenjo. I'd be delighted if we get the two of them.
add ings and we'll win the league
Because Joe Cole was a glorified luxury signing that didnt improve us. He was also past his best and came to the club as a bit part player. That signing was just expencive from day one without giving us anything in return.
Milner is the complete opposite. The only similarity is that its a "free transfer".
I think we can pretty much guarantee it wont end with us having give him away in 2 years time.
He's a very good player. He was an underrated part of a far better team than us and helped them to win two of the past four titles. He'll make us batter. If you don't rate him, go and watch the 2nd half of our 3-2 win over City last season... He changed the game.
We're not suddenly title contenders if he joins us, but I like the idea of him and Hendo motoring away in behind Coutihno, with Can anchoring them all next season... That's a decent midfield.
We're not suddenly title contenders if he joins us, but I like the idea of him and Hendo motoring away in behind Coutihno, with Can anchoring them all next season... That's a decent midfield.
You are looking at the comparison with the benefit of hindsight. At the time many here were over the moon at that signing, and most were positive.
James Milner will never be better than he is today. At best, he's at his best, rather than past his best, and that means we'll not be able to get rid of him, should his form take a turn for the worse, which inevitably it will.
I think he's a good footballer. I don't think he plays a position that our most glaring deficiency. I don't think he's close to the best at any position. I think he's a player who is useful in a variety of positions, is above average for this league, and has a great motor (which will go as he ages). I don't think he's bad, certainly not as bad as Joe Cole, but I do think in the scheme of things, he's not that remarkable. The fact that a player of his caliber might walk into being captain, and be paid 150k a week is really fucking alarming to me. The former perhaps more than the latter, given inflation, and the fact that he's out of contract. It's more alarming for what it says about us than what it says about him.
It looks more likely that Can will be the one missing out.
Milner is defo a better RB than him. I think Can will eventually be a great player but he's still young.
Couple of concerns I have over Milner.
His energy and industriousness looks good in a highly talented setup like City. Can he translate that to a not so talented setup like ours.
Second, he is a player who relies heavily on stamina and energy and he is already 29. Such players normally have a very sharp decline once age catches up with them. Look at Gerrard. Barry is another example. Looked outstanding with Everton last season. This season he barely could keep up with the speed. Given that we are paying him 150 K per week, there is a very good chance that he will not be worth the money in the final few years of his contract.
His energy and industriousness looks good in a highly talented setup like City. Can he translate that to a not so talented setup like ours.
Second, he is a player who relies heavily on stamina and energy and he is already 29. Such players normally have a very sharp decline once age catches up with them. Look at Gerrard. Barry is another example. Looked outstanding with Everton last season. This season he barely could keep up with the speed. Given that we are paying him 150 K per week, there is a very good chance that he will not be worth the money in the final few years of his contract.
He should be playing in midfield. Milner signing will make that much less likely.
Yeah he should be in midfield. Still not too sure where though. He'll get games.
I used to say this and used to get shouted down when talking about transfer kittys.
'Yeah but 150K a week ra ra ra'. Every cunt's all once Joe Cole, twice shy in here.
What do you think Rooney, Falcao, RVP, Di Maria, Toure, Aguero, Silva, Kompany, Wayne fucking Bridge, Dzeko, Nasri, Navas, Costa, Hazard, Lampard, Terry, Matic, Willian, etc etc get paid?
If we've got a squad full of players who are happy to be paid less than 100K a week, then we're gonna continue to win fuck all.
You want top class winners in your side? You've got to pay the fucking cunts top dollar.
What do you think Rooney, Falcao, RVP, Di Maria, Toure, Aguero, Silva, Kompany, Wayne fucking Bridge, Dzeko, Nasri, Navas, Costa, Hazard, Lampard, Terry, Matic, Willian, etc etc get paid?
If we've got a squad full of players who are happy to be paid less than 100K a week, then we're gonna continue to win fuck all.
You want top class winners in your side? You've got to pay the fucking cunts top dollar.
Tbf there's only a couple of people moaning Ryan.
Milner is a very good signing if it happens.
Hes a terrific footballer. Pretty boring but boring in a Paul Scholes type of way (and no im not saying hes as good as Paul Scholes)
I have never been a massive fan, in particular having him in a wide role for England where he rarely delivers, but the last 2 years for Citeh in the centre his game has advanced almost to the point you cant recognise it. He controls games. Like proper controls them. He is a player who has grown into understanding himself and what he can influence on a football pitch.
I hope it comes off. He IS a winner. He is a terrific footballer and he would in an instant be the first name on our teamsheet..........well maybe Mignolet as hes number 1.
And why people are suddenly factoring in his wage as a FEE is beyond me. Do we quote Lallana at 43.5m or Coutinho at 36m? Because thats what they have cost us including wages over their contracts.
Or do we now not factor in the 18.2m we now save on Gerrard and Johnsons wage?
Hes a good player and will improve us on a FREE transfer. And earn less per week than Glen Johnson.
Hes a terrific footballer. Pretty boring but boring in a Paul Scholes type of way (and no im not saying hes as good as Paul Scholes)
I have never been a massive fan, in particular having him in a wide role for England where he rarely delivers, but the last 2 years for Citeh in the centre his game has advanced almost to the point you cant recognise it. He controls games. Like proper controls them. He is a player who has grown into understanding himself and what he can influence on a football pitch.
I hope it comes off. He IS a winner. He is a terrific footballer and he would in an instant be the first name on our teamsheet..........well maybe Mignolet as hes number 1.
And why people are suddenly factoring in his wage as a FEE is beyond me. Do we quote Lallana at 43.5m or Coutinho at 36m? Because thats what they have cost us including wages over their contracts.
Or do we now not factor in the 18.2m we now save on Gerrard and Johnsons wage?
Hes a good player and will improve us on a FREE transfer. And earn less per week than Glen Johnson.
Yes but paying top dollar doesn't make a player a winner. It's not an end in itself. Even in the list you actually selected there are a number of ageing, ineffective, bloated, vastly overpaid fading forces of little use to a team with a fight on its hands.
That's the other side of that coin. Milner isn't one of them: the problem with him, IMO, is that he simply should never have been on stellar money in the first place. He just got lucky he was flavour of the month when City were throwing money around, like Joleon Lescott and Wayne fucking Bridge.
That's the other side of that coin. Milner isn't one of them: the problem with him, IMO, is that he simply should never have been on stellar money in the first place. He just got lucky he was flavour of the month when City were throwing money around, like Joleon Lescott and Wayne fucking Bridge.
Thats probably quite true. But thats what we will need to pay to get a good player.
Personally I factor in the wages (and the signing on fee, if we ever discover what it is) as a fee insofar as they're above what you should expect to pay for a player of similar quality: ie to the extent that they're excessive.
I think £80k a week is about fair. Which leaves £3.5m a year as a de facto transfer fee.
Pete ive never heard anyone factor that in for any transfer we have ever made until this point.
I may have just missed it, but thats the first time ive heard a free transfer being 17.5m
Obviously I get the math behind it. I just dont get why just now its showed up. Like Gerrard came through the academy but weve paid him probably 60m in wages over the years, that doesnt make him a 60m signing.
Well you're right in that to be really consistent you'd need to analyse the wages of every player for 'value' and add/minus to/from the fee to get a 'fair' cost. And obv nobody's going to do that.
The reason I think it's ok to make an exception here is that
a) everyone knows bosmans aren't 'free'. We all know there's a premium in wages and signing on fee: they are actually very similar calculations to what clubs spend on transfer fees. The same cost/benefit analysis will be gone through when deciding what to offer to a bosman as to a club in a regular transfer. Whereas with normal transfers you can be pretty sure wages will be paid at a normal market rate.
b) he's already an overpaid player, coming from huge payers in Man City - so there's an expected premium even on top of the bosman factor.
So essentially I admit in principle it's wrong to make exceptions, but where the indications of excessive wages are so blatant I think it's a reasonable shorthand.
Barry was 33 when his level dipped dramatically, so was Gerrard,Milner has 4 years before he gets to that age. If he gets a 4 year deal and plays well enough he will probably get a 1 year extension but its unlikely hes going to be written off at 30, particularly as he has a lot less miles on the clock than Gerrard and Barry anyway.
If you think Milner had a similar imapct for City than Lescott or Bridge you are simply wrong.
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