Raphinha

[The Subhuman]

We got value for Ralph imo…. Complete bollox all the conspiracy s**t

[whiteswan]

We got value for Ralph imo…. Complete bollox all the conspiracy s**t

I actually agree faaip. We made good money on his transfer. Certainly he will shine more now with brilliant players around him. He had to do just about everything at Leeds, now he's free to shine amongst all the other diamonds.

[Jaydog]

We got value for Ralph imo…. Complete bollox all the conspiracy s**t

What did we sell Ralph for. Who was Ralph btw.
Joking aside you haven’t explained value. As Swannie pointed out we made good money. Yes we did but was it enough. To call it value to me means we got more than we had any right to. More than he is worth.
If 19 shops sell something for £20 and shop 20 sells it for £15 then that is clearly a value purchase. Barca got value and are already benefiting. Funny how when you get something far too cheaply it seems to perform even better than you thought it would

[White Riot]

What did we sell Ralph for. Who was Ralph btw

Ralph is Ralph Malph from Happy Days "Heeeeyy Cunningham"

[Jaydog]

Ralph is Ralph Malph from Happy Days "Heeeeyy Cunningham"

Of course. Silly me

[whiteswan]

Just been thinking. Man City got Haaland for a really ridiculous sum, because he had a release clause. Raph had a ridiculously low release clause if we got relegated. Raph, I think, kept us up in the Prem on the last day of the season therefore saving the club millions.........

Just a different way of looking at things

[Victor_Notts-17]

Just been thinking. Man City got Haaland for a really ridiculous sum, because he had a release clause. Raph had a ridiculously low release clause if we got relegated. Raph, I think, kept us up in the Prem on the last day of the season therefore saving the club millions.........

Just a different way of looking at things

Yeah I get that but... he was still worth a lot more than we accepted so that argument is always going to be raised! Personally, I'd have told Barca/Deco to go get phucked until they come back with a proper offer but obv's, we needed the money! Raph signed a deal til 2024 and if he didn't want to agree to it, he shouldn't have signed it IMO. Paul Madeley signed a contract without even reading it in the 70's because his employer meant something and he appreciated being here. Long gone are the days when a supposedly legal binding contract meant anything. We'd have been a lot better this season with an unhappy Raphinha than we are going to be without one at all. Again, all hypothetical/irrelevant but you get the idea...

[1964white]

Yeah I get that but... he was still worth a lot more than we accepted so that argument is always going to be raised! Personally, I'd have told Barca/Deco to go get phucked until they come back with a proper offer but obv's, we needed the money! Raph signed a deal til 2024 and if he didn't want to agree to it, he shouldn't have signed it IMO. Paul Madeley signed a contract without even reading it in the 70's because his employer meant something and he appreciated being here. Long gone are the days when a supposedly legal binding contract meant anything. We'd have been a lot better this season with an unhappy Raphinha than we are going to be without one at all. Again, all hypothetical/irrelevant but you get the idea...

We are going to miss Raphinha as are Bamford & Gelhardt, Dan & Jack are not in his class by a long chalk. I'm hoping Sinisterra will provide us with a bit more quality going forward. Time will tell!

[whiteswan]

Yeah I get that but... he was still worth a lot more than we accepted so that argument is always going to be raised! Personally, I'd have told Barca/Deco to go get phucked until they come back with a proper offer but obv's, we needed the money! Raph signed a deal til 2024 and if he didn't want to agree to it, he shouldn't have signed it IMO. Paul Madeley signed a contract without even reading it in the 70's because his employer meant something and he appreciated being here. Long gone are the days when a supposedly legal binding contract meant anything. We'd have been a lot better this season with an unhappy Raphinha than we are going to be without one at all. Again, all hypothetical/irrelevant but you get the idea...

70's long gone
Money talks now and we needed it unfortunately, also many footballers have become spoilt brats. Power has been handed to them. The Bosnan ruling saw to that. Too much money in the game now.

[andrewjohnsmith]

We got value for Ralph imo…. Complete bollox all the conspiracy s**t

Not saying it's a conspiracy. And looks great business considering what we paid for him. But Raphinha was absolutely worth 70m plus.

[whiteswan]

Not saying it's a conspiracy. And looks great business considering what we paid for him. But Raphinha was absolutely worth 70m plus.

But only if someone was prepared to pay it and if Raph wanted to go there. Barcelona was his only choice and we needed to sell....

[The Subhuman]

Not saying it's a conspiracy. And looks great business considering what we paid for him. But Raphinha was absolutely worth 70m plus.

Not when there was only one buyer and yes we could have kept him but why risk a serious injury/loss of form and a contract 6 months to a year shorter.. FFS I'm not even a believer in the Marsch system. (I think 2 up front is dinosaur thinking and I think you need at least one winger) and I think we'll be fine. We've done some excellent work in the market so far, just up to JM to put it all together

The buck always stops with the coach, a great one can the best out of players, a good one should have this squad safely mid table this season 10th-14th... even an average one should have us safe and for me that's all that's key. We hang on as long as we can and it will get easier if we do

[andrewjohnsmith]

But only if someone was prepared to pay it and if Raph wanted to go there. Barcelona was his only choice and we needed to sell....

Agree. I think his value is around 70 million. We could say 70 million or f/o. But Barcelona don't have the money now like they did when they were splashing out on Coutinho. Then what? Would Raphinha have refused to go to Chelsea. Would we have had him moping around until the next window? I think he's worth more than what we got - but we didn't have much choice.

In the end we made a tidy profit. We got Kristensen, Roca, and Adams for the same money we received for one player. Not bad business.

[weasel]

Yeah I get that but... he was still worth a lot more than we accepted so that argument is always going to be raised! Personally, I'd have told Barca/Deco to go get phucked until they come back with a proper offer but obv's, we needed the money! Raph signed a deal til 2024 and if he didn't want to agree to it, he shouldn't have signed it IMO. Paul Madeley signed a contract without even reading it in the 70's because his employer meant something and he appreciated being here. Long gone are the days when a supposedly legal binding contract meant anything. We'd have been a lot better this season with an unhappy Raphinha than we are going to be without one at all. Again, all hypothetical/irrelevant but you get the idea...

Huge difference when moving to a different club might have seen a pay rise equivalent to around £50 a week in today's money. Wouldn't be worth the upheavel of having to move your home, move family, kids to a new school, having to get used to a new team etc. If players back then could have tripled their wage by moving club then loyalty would have gone out of the windows.

[The Subhuman]

Huge difference when moving to a different club might have seen a pay rise equivalent to around £50 a week in today's money. Wouldn't be worth the upheavel of having to move your home, move family, kids to a new school, having to get used to a new team etc. If players back then could have tripled their wage by moving club then loyalty would have gone out of the windows.

Also huge difference as back then we were the f**king cream ....

[Jaydog]

Not when there was only one buyer and yes we could have kept him but why risk a serious injury/loss of form and a contract 6 months to a year shorter.. FFS I'm not even a believer in the Marsch system. (I think 2 up front is dinosaur thinking and I think you need at least one winger) and I think we'll be fine. We've done some excellent work in the market so far, just up to JM to put it all together

The buck always stops with the coach, a great one can the best out of players, a good one should have this squad safely mid table this season 10th-14th... even an average one should have us safe and for me that's all that's key. We hang on as long as we can and it will get easier if we do

You’re obviously a risk averse person and I’m not. Serious injury, loss of form but what if the more likely scenario happens. Increase in form leading in to a WC & then he dazzles there. It’s all down to opinion. No one is right or wrong. I’d always gamble when you’re holding the cards.

[Cjay]

La Liga are standing there ground and are refusing to allow Barcelona to register new signings including Raph and Lewandowski.

Barcelona still need to sell players like De Jong (who won't go because Barcelona owe him millions and Braithwaite (who won't go because Barcelona owe him money).

They need to lower there wage bill.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomsanders ... 617ea32bab

[1964white]

Ha ha, that news makes smile

[Irish Ian]

Ha ha, that news makes smile

He could always ask to come back to us on loan to keep himself match fit...

[whiteswan]

He could always ask to come back to us on loan to keep himself match fit...

Now there's an idea