What do the best players want?

[Bruce Wayne]

I was reading a puff piece in the Guardian today about Ronaldo and how he might want to move away from Real, and the usual suspects were reeled off as possible destinations, including PSG, City, United, even Barca.

It got me thinking of legacy and all that, as those clubs are obviously already at the sharp end challenging for titles so it wouldn't be that big a testimony for him to go there and them be challenging for titles.

Now imagine he came to somewhere like an Everton (yes calm down - it's hypothetical), and with Ronaldo in our ranks we started winning titles, wouldn't that be a greater testimony to his influence as a player?

Sure, we might be able to pay a bit (a lot) less than he's used to, but imagine the legacy that would bring him as a player. I appreciate it's unlikely to ever happen, either for Ronaldo or players of his standing (including Rooney), but it did get me pondering.

 

[Big Neville Southall]

Well he could look at his influence with Portugal, and at times carried them, at other times even hindered them as they can be playing to him too often.

 

[PITA]

I was reading a puff piece in the Guardian today about Ronaldo and how he might want to move away from Real, and the usual suspects were reeled off as possible destinations, including PSG, City, United, even Barca.

It got me thinking of legacy and all that, as those clubs are obviously already at the sharp end challenging for titles so it wouldn't be that big a testimony for him to go there and them be challenging for titles.

Now imagine he came to somewhere like an Everton (yes calm down - it's hypothetical), and with Ronaldo in our ranks we started winning titles, wouldn't that be a greater testimony to his influence as a player?

Sure, we might be able to pay a bit (a lot) less than he's used to, but imagine the legacy that would bring him as a player. I appreciate it's unlikely to ever happen, either for Ronaldo or players of his standing (including Rooney), but it did get me pondering.

The days of Stanley Matthews are long gone.

 

[bluestevon]

I was reading a puff piece in the Guardian today about Ronaldo and how he might want to move away from Real, and the usual suspects were reeled off as possible destinations, including PSG, City, United, even Barca.

It got me thinking of legacy and all that, as those clubs are obviously already at the sharp end challenging for titles so it wouldn't be that big a testimony for him to go there and them be challenging for titles.

Now imagine he came to somewhere like an Everton (yes calm down - it's hypothetical), and with Ronaldo in our ranks we started winning titles, wouldn't that be a greater testimony to his influence as a player?

Sure, we might be able to pay a bit (a lot) less than he's used to, but imagine the legacy that would bring him as a player. I appreciate it's unlikely to ever happen, either for Ronaldo or players of his standing (including Rooney), but it did get me pondering.

Suppose its like saying your an absolutely top lawyer/accountant and for a tenth of the salary you could work for a charity and leave a real legacy of good work mate, 99.9% would go for the money.

Why aren't builders joining the organisations that go to third world disaster areas and contributing to a better world etc.

maybe not the same but a similar comparison in many ways

 

[admirschleck]

Last time that happened was when Maradona joined Napoli (if we don't count Payet coming to West Ham ), so it's very unlikely, but it would be great indeed. Unfortunately, that's never going to happen mainly because of an obvious reason - money.

Actually, now I think about it, South Americans tend to do that alot,coming to their local clubs and all that. Ronaldinho, Tevez, even Aguero said he's going back to Independiente at the end of City contract (2019) adding that he wants to go there when he's still in-form and not too old. Things like this are always class, class acts.

 

[Eggs]

....galactico players want to play for the galactico clubs. Non-galactico players want to play for the galactico clubs. Their legacy is not only about what they won it's about the club's they played for.

 

[Dithering Dougie]

Can he play the number 10 role?

 

[Eggs]

Can he play the number 10 role?

.....or even in goal.

 

[Ashtonian]

To a certain extent, a lot of young players from places such as south america, grow up dreaming of playing for your real madrid's of the game so that is their motivation to be at the club.

but generally, you have to go where the money is. Once you are retired then that is it, whilst people are offering to pay you 200 grand a week plus then you would be foolish not to take it. Those paydays don't exist when you hang up your boots.

@Bruce Wayne it is the same for managers isn't it? Mourhino faultering at chelsea now, what if he went to swansea, or bournemouth or any club like that and turned them into winners. owuld that not mark his managerial ability far more than winning trophies at the rich clubs? All that for example.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

To a certain extent, a lot of young players from places such as south america, grow up dreaming of playing for your real madrid's of the game so that is their motivation to be at the club.

but generally, you have to go where the money is. Once you are retired then that is it, whilst people are offering to pay you 200 grand a week plus then you would be foolish not to take it. Those paydays don't exist when you hang up your boots.

@Bruce Wayne it is the same for managers isn't it? Mourhino faultering at chelsea now, what if he went to swansea, or bournemouth or any club like that and turned them into winners. owuld that not mark his managerial ability far more than winning trophies at the rich clubs? All that for example.

Ronaldo is estimated to be worth $310 million. I don't imagine he'll be on the breadline anytime soon if he took a paycut to £50k a week when the interest on his fortune is likely to be multiple times that basic wage.

 

[Joey66]

Champions league football? and as much money in wages and sponsors they can get?

 

[Dithering Dougie]

To a certain extent, a lot of young players from places such as south america, grow up dreaming of playing for your real madrid's of the game so that is their motivation to be at the club.

but generally, you have to go where the money is. Once you are retired then that is it, whilst people are offering to pay you 200 grand a week plus then you would be foolish not to take it. Those paydays don't exist when you hang up your boots.

@Bruce Wayne it is the same for managers isn't it? Mourhino faultering at chelsea now, what if he went to swansea, or bournemouth or any club like that and turned them into winners. owuld that not mark his managerial ability far more than winning trophies at the rich clubs? All that for example.

Really?

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...on-a-year-working-for-sky-sports-9930757.html

I doubt any of the real star players have any trouble earning an incredible living once their playing careers end.

 

[riddick]

I've always thought similar to the wishes of the OP. Make your money but then why not go for a huge challenge and take a team on the cusp to greatness?

Same goes with managers. Sure, Mourinho is a great manager, but he's not really tested when you've got unlimited money to throw at fixing a problem. Moyes even made a comment about that how they spent like 40m in the January window when we went up against them in the league cup final. How good a manager are you really when you can fix a £30m mistake with a £40m replacement?

 

[Arteta2391]

to be around people that can make them even better

 

[Zatara]

Looking at recent speculation, the last contract Rooney signed to put him on £300k a week. If he wanted to play for us that was the time to run down his contract and come back as a hero.

Instead he basically flirted with Man City....