Originally posted by nanren4ever:
Real Madrid had a season when they have Beckham, Figo, Raul, Zidane, Carlos in the same team. They didn't win anything. My point is simple. You can have all the good players in the team, but without a good coach, u cannot do anything. Also, pls remember that last and this season, Madrid had spend a lot too. Fabio Cannavaro, Emerson, Diarra, Robinho, Cincinho, Paulo Garcia, Carlos Diogo, Higuain, Gago are some of the players signed. And oh btw, 2003-2004 season was won by Valencia. Barcelona emerged only the next season onwards
I beg to differ ur opinion that Figo was probably the only good Portugese player playing aboard that year Porto won the Champions league. Luis Boa Morte was a good player for Fulham, and in fact it was after his move to Fulham in 2001 that he started winning Portugese caps. Pauleta was the star player for PSG and Portugal, Jorge Andrade was an outstanding defender in Spain for Deportivo. Figo attracted the most press because he played for Barca and madrid, and also because he had won personal awards before.
You said that Porto dived and play-acted their way to the title that year. U saying that is unfair, because u are denying the fact that skills, team-work, work-rate and a good coach were other factors that brought the success to the club. Its as good as saying Man U, if they win the FA Cup and EPL this year, won it because Ronaldo was diving his way to the title. Which is not true, considering that the team really played out of their skin to win it. Same goes for Porto.
Arsene Wenger, believe it or not has not been an angel either. He constantly denies the fact that his players are ill-disciplined(the number of red cards during his reign is appalling). And he is really not the great tactician we think he is. A measure of how great a manager is how many trophies he won. Arsene has won league titles and FA Cups, but where's the big ones like UEFA cup or the Champions League? This is the type of trophies that makes the difference between a good manager and a great manager.
Also, we can say that Arsenal was unlucky last year in the Champions League, losing to one of the best team in Europe. But what about this year? Losing to PSV is not the same as losing to Barca. Its obvious that in Europe, Arsene don't really get it.
And pls, the constant talk about Arsenal not having the type of transfer budget Chelsea has is of no validity, if u see how Man U, despite not having the strength of Chelsea in terms of players, and having to pay off the debts the new owners inflict on them, is doing so well too. Arsene constantly talks about how his youngsters cannot do the job, but when u consider that more than 10 years ago, after having 3 of his 1st team players sold off, SAF having to promote the Nevilles, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and David Beckham to the first team and subsquently winning the title is proof that all it takes, is actually a good tactician, and a flexible mind to change things when it is not going their way.
Yes, I believe most of us know that they played together in a team before but are you aware that apart from Raul who will be 30 in 3 months time, the rest of them were well over 30? And one even retired already with another 1 or 2 to follow very soon... Basically, they were not bought for the last 2 yrs, they were bought for the 2000, 2001 /2 campaigns. Which they did pretty well I would sayÂ… Over the last 2 yrs, Big names they may have been but their best years seem to have past long agoÂ… Its like you could say Chelsea have Drogba, Shevchenko, Ballack and Lampard but 5 yrs from now kind of thing, Do you strongly belief that they can still be playing like they are presently?
I am very well aware that Real spent quite a sum too but do you know how much? From the players that you have mentioned, I will put a rough figure on them… and the year they joint too… 2006: Fabio Cannavaro 20 million euros =13.5 pounds, Mahamadou Diarra €26 million = 17.5m, Emerson… probably less or around 10m pounds and RVN =10.5 pounds Total roughly $51m…
Compare to Chelsea 2006: A 30 yrs old Shevchenko - $30.8m, Mikel John Obi A player Man u bought for $4m only then immediately resold to chelsea for $16m - Salomon Kalou $8m - Khalid Boulahrouz $8.5m - A Cole $20m all in pounds Total = $83m. Do you see the difference? And if you take into account year 03, 04 & 05 as well and it could be quite a big difference as some yrs Real didn't spent that much cos this season in 06 they had a new president. Other players you mentioned, Robinho, Cicinho & Carlos Diogo were signed in year 2005. And Higuain & Fernando Gago were bought in Jan 2007 for a combine fee of 20m euros, roughly 13 to 14m pounds only for both players.
Also, I am well aware that Valencia won the 03/04 seasonÂ… Otherwise we wouldnÂ’t see Rafael Benitez at Pool today. Do you know that Barce were second that season? Yes, they were... When I said re-emerge, I meant they were coming back to their best which they proved by winning the following 2 seasons and are still leading this present day as we speak.
Figo was the best Portuguese player to be playing abroad at that time, There may have been others but he was the best. As for Luis Boa Morte that you mentioned, he joint Arsenal when he was only a 20 yrs old kid and a nobodyÂ… His development was mainly made in England. The other Portugues players that you mentioned, donÂ’t even deserve mention hereÂ… and it is not only because he played for Barce and Real and attracted the most press but rather he was the best player at that time that made Barce and Real fought for him. Winning those personal awards just distinguish him as a great player from an average one.
As to your Porto claim… I said, see very carefully… “i still feel that his Champions League win was a rather let-down to football, Cos i still can recall very clearly of the way his Porto team dived and play-acted their way to the title”... I never questioned their skills, team-work or work-rate for that matter cos if anything, any team that is going to win must have these basic qualities in them. Your example is a very strange one but anyway, if you were to trace back to united's games, you would have notice that no one actually dived apart from Ronaldo who may have only in the first Middlesbrough match. Throughout the whole season other than that, do you have other occasions?
But of course you also said “Which is not true, considering that the team really played out of their skin to win it.” But funny that you would single out Ronaldo, do you notice that he is also a Portuguese? Yes, its part of their antics i guess. The first year he was there, no one could deny he dived, his second yr was much lesser… and this season, you tell me how many times? I guess this is part of the Portuguese style of playing…
Did you actually watch Porto in 2003? Be honest... Almost every game you could see stimulation in them, players would be holding their knees rolling around the pitch tho there may have been very little contact or maybe even no contact at all until the opposing player is caution. Therefore it is not surprising that Chelsea gain the Divers tag after Mourinho took overÂ… My question is, do you remember them of such behavior? Well, I donÂ’t! I only know that they became famous for such antics after Mourinho became their manager.
Even Tiger Beer thinks so too... End of part 1...
