One Liverpool fan in the Mailbox never wants to see Jordan Henderson at Anfield again. Also: Wrexham and Paul Mullin are paving the way to a very different, WWE-style type of football…
Get your views in to theeditor@football365.com.
Mullin the GOAT
Living Statesside, I’ve been following Wrexham’s exploits over here.
They just sold out 50,000 and 32,000 seater stadiums. From what I gather, they could easily have sold 80,000+.
I’ll bet very few of those turned up to watch United’s U-21s.
I’ve come to a few conclusions:
Thanks to Hulu, millions of American households know who Paul Mullin is.
Thanks to Hulu, millions of American households think Paul Mullin is the greatest soccer player ever.
Millions of the same American households don’t know who Messi, Ronaldo or Mbappe are.
When the episode airs, Nathan Bishop will be one of the most hated men in America.
Let that sink in. Now how long will it be before we have a version of football that is “sports entertainment’? Scripted and pre-determined like the WWE?
Terry, Texas
Hurt by Henderson
Henderson claims he’ll ‘always be a Red‘…
NO, you’re NOT a Red anymore! You’re a fu**ing SELL-OUT!!! You’ll never be a Liverpool Legend, and I hope you’ll NEVER be invited to Legend games, and that you’ll NEVER be allowed to Anfield EVER again! You’re a spineless hypocrite, and you’re WORTHLESS as a rolemodel and USELESS as a fellow human being! NEVER come back, selfish SELL-OUT!!!
Eirik (caps aren’t strong enough to express how VERY VERY hurt and angry I am), Norway
…Now that Henderson is truly on his way to Saudi, he’s had a chat with Soutgate about his England future.
Hopefully that was – “Hey boss, I’ve saved you a headache from all the Liverpool fans that would have called for your head if I wasn’t included in whatever future England squad. Because now that I’m playing in some strange best of league no one will blame you for leaving me out.”
Will
Everyone has a price
I admire your integrity Thayden, I really do. You’re a man of principles and I respect that. I would respectfully tell you that you are wrong though – everybody has a price. Everyone can be bought. I know I can for the right value (to move to Saudi it would take hundreds of millions of ££, but that would work) It might take whopping amounts of cold hard cash, it might need more than cash, but everyone has a price. I’m not going to argue with you about it , we’re both entitled to our opinions even if they are diametrically opposed. Keep your integrity, it is something sorely missing from modern society.
However, where I must take proper umbrage was your mentioning of the Nazis. Whether intended or not, your mail basically read as: ”if you do anything for financial gain, you’re a Nazi” and that renders your entire argument moo. Do you have a job? Do you get paid for that job? You don’t see yourself as bad as the Nazis do you? When Russia invaded Ukraine, the Forex markets went wild and I made a lot of money. It’s my job and my own business. Does that make me as bad as the pro-Putin hardliners? Footballers move for money, just like the rest of us. It doesn’t make them bad people. Might make them look hypocritical (hi Hendo) but it doesnt make them evil and it certainly doesnt make them Nazis.
Don’t critcise people for taking jobs/positions that offer more money unless you’re willing to admit that you too can be bought for the right price, just in your case it might not be cash. I bet if I offered you a job as Saudi’s head executioner in exchange for your kids never being ill or injured, you’d take it. I realise that is a slightly absurd suggestion, but its just to make my point.
Barely-legible rant over, back to work for me
Cheers
Clive LFC
Read more: Mbappe the €1billion target: Every player linked with Saudi Arabia transfer this summer
Even Johnny
For the love of God will John Nicholson please settle the philosophical debate around his ethics by confirming whether or not he would work in Saudi Arabia for the right amount of money? We’re all on the edge of our seats and deserve to know!
Answer the question once and for all, John! The F365 mailbox is waiting on you! There are some who believe you’re a man whose principles are so firmly in tact that no amount of cash would persuade you to shake hands with the sleazy Saudi’s! There are some who reject the very question itself! And there are others who think you’d abandon it all for the skyline of Riyadh and a cheap Saudi cigar!
Here’s my view. I reckon he’d sack in his job and settle in to Saudi Arabian life for anything above 6 figures. That’s legitimately what I think John Nicholson’s integrity is worth to him. I could be very wrong, of course.
Please, settle this debate forever… Who is the real John Nicholson?
Seb
Turns out you can say no
Does this mean Kylian Mbappe doesn’t love his family as much as Jordan Henderson?
Andy the Hammer
Please release me
The Caicedo, Kane and Mbappe situations got me thinking about release clauses and why more players don’t have them.
Caicedo is a high potential player who signed a new deal with a non-big-seven Premier League club after it became obvious there was a lot of interest in him. Tottenham is “the Harry Kane team”. Mbappe is a global superstar who knew he wanted Madrid and Madrid wanted him. Surely in each case the player had sufficient power to insist on a release clause that was attainable for interested clubs, even if it was still a lot of money. Grealish, Haaland and Szoboszlai (first three examples that came to mind) managed it, and it paved the way to transfers that seemed broadly acceptable to all parties.
I appreciate the players might need to accept slightly lower wages, although if everyone was doing the same thing it would all even out. The real reason probably has something icky to do with agents and their ability to take such large fees for transfers that are transparent and easy to execute, but I look forward to being enlightened by the mailbox.
Andy B – London
…I thought I mentioned in my last email that the original point of discussion (admittedly not explained very well) wasn’t specifically to do with Caicedo or Brighton but players in his situation who sign contracts – often cause what the f*** else are they going to do when someone offers them money they’ve only ever dreamed of seeing up until that point (see Henderson, Jordan or Player Going to Saudi Arabia, Any).
Btw, this is not the same as Harry Kane, who had much more leverage at the time than a young kid from Ecuador but has a dumbass brother. But, also, that was f***ed up, too. I was trying to provoke a discussion about whether or not this treatment of players fair – yes, contracts and all but we all know Levy was being a d*** and controlling “an asset” like he wasn’t a human being (was the point of contention whether or not a gentlemen’s agreement occurred or was it that he was an idiot for getting into a gentlemen’s agreement with a treacherous soul like Levy?).
Yes, Kane (Charlie) and Caicedo fucked themselves over – not uncommon in multimillion dollar negotiations where the corporations always have the leverage. My question and point of contention was it seems the goalposts are shifting similarly around Caicedo as they did around Kane – because that’s how it works. We all acknowledged it was shitty when it happened to Kane but threw our hands up because it’s Levy.
I particularly asked Brighton fans to chime in because I wonder – given Caicedo clearly wants to move on – if they as a club feel it would be fair to actually hold out for a price it doesn’t seem anyone is willing to pay anytime soon and prevent Caicedo from making a move (spare me “he should just be patient” arguments) that was more or less agreed he could do if he stayed on to make sure Brighton solidified their European place.
That was the language around the discussion at the time when Arsenal made a move in Jan. Brighton only previously ever intimated it would take something approaching £90 million to get Caicedo in Jan – and by all accounts said this price would get him this move if he just waited until the summer to ensure Brighton’s Prem place. Now it seems (again, unless it’s just posturing) that what gets him his move is a valuation that a completely different club made for a completely different player under completely different circumstances.
This is the name of the game, this is how it works. I get that. Is this fair though? And do Brighton fans feel their club is entitled to whatever fee the club wants to charge when they know they’re just extracting a fee from a player their brilliant scouting system happened to secure for a couple years when he doesn’t really want to be there anymore.
They’re not extracting this fee because they’re being forced to sell someone they’ve nurtured and tried to build a team around (a la Saka with Arsenal/Rice with West Ham) – they’re extracting the fee because they can. Again, if this is what they intend to do, I think it’s just pure capitalism (still find it funny that someone tried to throw this at me) and lacks humanity and is, therefore, BS.
Any club is well within its rights to charge however much they want for their asset regardless of whether or not that asset is a human being – that’s how capitalism works (unfortunately). This is really not a point I’m trying to debate and I’m also not trying to insinuate that Brighton and their staff and fans are evil per se, doing something wrong or doing anything we shouldn’t expect a corporate entity to do or fans want to see. Yes, he signed that contract. In my last mail, I noted he should know the price was always going to be more than £70 million given what happened last Jan.
But everyone’s mentioning of “he signed a contract” fails to put it within the context of how it actually happened. By all accounts this was not a contract extension in which a player intended to commit his future to a club – it was very clear when it was signed that both player and club knew the player still wanted to leave and player traded away leverage on the market for a bit of immediate financial security.
But because he signed that contract – something he probably wouldn’t have signed (relinquishing much control over his future knowing that he wants to move to a bigger club ASAP) if he and his family didn’t need the money so badly – is it fair TO CAICEDO for Brighton to shift the goal posts on what is an acceptable offer for him to get his move when they lucked into him rather than the other way around?
MAW, LA Gooner (I didn’t feel we were owed an extravagant fee for Cesc when he wanted to leave – and we were much more responsible for the player he became than Brighton seems to have been for the player Caicedo is now. And that’s Cesc – Caicedo will be lucky to end up being half the player.)
Halfway there
So then, what say you fellow mailboxes of transfer business done so far? Call it half-time in the transfer window with the madness surely coming to a head in the coming days and weeks….
Arsenal and Villa seem to have acquired a few notable players. City haven’t done much (thankfully) and so far I’d say Chelsea & Liverpool have lost more than they’ve gained. As for Spurs, I guess all depends on whether Kane goes or stays or the money from his potential sale is used wisely (LOL). Any further thoughts from fans of those clubs or others? And for Ed Q, looks like Palace are going backwards so far but I’m sure you can give us a more informed opinion on that? What about all the other clubs I haven’t mentioned, are Brighton going to kick on and have a run in Europe? Who of those promoted is best placed to ruffle a few feathers? Are Everton/West Ham/Wolves already targeting 40 pts for safety?
As for my club, Utd, I’m quite positive for the new season even though we only have 2 signings so far. And if you can’t be positive and full of hope now, when can you? Onana adds massively to how E10H wants to play from the back and Mount adds depth to the midfield. While Erikssen was out and Casemiro was banned Utd lacked cover, we now have depth in quality that means the midfield can be tailored to the best way to break down the opposition. I did kind of like Sabitzer but Mount is definitely an upgrade I don’t have any defensive concerns other than I would prefer that Maguire finds a new club as he is now a distraction at utd and it will be best all round if he rebuilds his career elsewhere. There is a fine player in there but like DDG, not the right fit for how E10H wants to play.
I fully agree with those that say Hojland is priced way too high. But assuming we get him or A N Other over-priced striker, all they actually need to do is be better than our non-scoring strikers Martial or Wout who we had to put up with all of last season. 70 to 90 million for improved attacking threat will be well worth it. Which leads be to my biggest concern for the new season which is the wingers. Both Anthony and Sancho have failed to live up to expectations of their price tags (and past performances in the case of Sancho) but I’d hope that with a real striker upfront forcing Utd to play Rashford wide where he should be and Garnacho also looking better than his expensively signed colleagues could force Anthony & Sancho to either up their game significantly or get used to getting splinters on their arses (as if that is possible these days in the fancy leather car seats players sit in these days).
Plus, if we had a quality striker, Martial would be forced to compete for his real position out on the wing which he is probably 5th choice now. I’d also love to see Kobbie Mainoo kick on. There is now quite a lot of competition for midfield places although that may work in his and the clubs favour by allowing him to be bedded into the side gradually. My one criticism of E10H from last season would be a lack of willingness to rotate the side. Not just for the sake of rotation/resting but for the sake of being less predictable to the opposition as to exactly the XI they will be facing. However, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt that he didn’t want to rotate much as the depth in quality was not there.
In conclusion, here’s hoping the second half of the transfer window bears some more fruit. A striker, maybe Amrabat too and if Maguire leaves along with some of the others linked with exits like McFred we could even add a central defender. That would be solid business and while not enough to put us into title contenders talk (which the media will talk us up into anyway no matter what happens), we may be in a place to gain ground on City and fare a lot better in the top 6 battles. Points-wise we didn’t do too badly but uor beatings were quite severe – that needs to stop for us to have any chance of challenging for trophies.
I did miss the elephant in the room of Greenwood. Who knows what will happen there but I do have to laugh at how his quality has been over exaggerated in his absence. Undoubtedly talented but don’t forget he was busy competing for game time with Martial and Rashford. While Rashford has proved his worth, Martial has not and who knows what would have happened to Greenwood and whether he can resurrect his career at all. I’ll say no more on that as no doubt they’ll be a million woke emails on the subject as soon as Man Utd make a decision on his future.
Jon, Cape Town (jealous of City who have a quality striker in Alvarez warming the bench who cost a measly 20 million – that fee might not get you Ricky Van Wolfswinkel this transfer window)
Early predictions
The infamous (amongst my FB friends), very early (had an hour to fill) and to be edited (transfer business to be conducted etc) Premier League predictions 23/24 from a Boro fan’s position of neutrality (almost partisan but for Coventry doing us over):
1. Manchester City – the obvious shout here could have been West Ham, building on my 6th place predicted finish of last season. However, they decided to focus on Europe, not only winning it, but kindly modelling exactly how to do it for Pep’s perennial league champions. That Norwegian lad Haaland might get going after a season of settling in – Pep’s signings usually show us what they can do during their second season. There could be slightly troubled waters ahead if they lose Bernardo Silva, as well as Gundogan, but Kovacic and (probably) Gvardiol are excellent additions.
2. Arsenal – their ever improving young players who needed a break have had a break. Saliba will be back, Rice is an upgrade, though Havertz is a big question mark. In the same way Odegaard was able to reignite his career, Arteta has the wherewithal to get the German firing. Not sure exactly how this can come to fruition yet, though.
3. Man Utd – I’m not going to make the egregious error of underrating them this season. Mount will improve the midfield & Onana speeds up build ups, but there are question marks on comparative squad depth. A lot of deadwood to still be sold but the prices being quoted are ridiculous. Can they go all out to get Kane? Two of Maguire, Fred, Sancho, McTominay plus 50 million? Or will Hojlund be the man?
4. Liverpool – immense firepower and Nunez can be a beastly number nine if he attacks space in their new system with pace, power and, most importantly, confidence. If Klopp has coached him to his ceiling and suppliers like Szoboszlei, MacAllister and Trent feed him appropriately, he could have a really big season. Defensively they need sorting. Mitoma showed us Matip has had his day and their first phase build up isn’t great. Van Dijk has dropped off from elite and Fabinho probably needs upgrading. Adding Ignacio to play RCB solves some issues, plus one of Romeo Lavia, Kouadio Kone, Tyler Adams or Florentino Luis would make for a top midfield.
5. Chelsea – it is Pochettino and not Potter or, worse still, Lampard. Nkunku and Jackson might just compliment each other. Keeping James and Chilwell fit is essential and retaining the excellent Levi Colwill is crucial. Caicedo would work so well with Enzo as a tempo controller, but that eventuality remains to be rubber-stamped. There’s some exciting players here who will benefit from good coaching.
6. Newcastle – regression, but not a disaster. Is Tonali really the 6 they needed? Unlikely. Does Harvey Barnes fulfil defensive responsibilities? Not evidenced. Isak and Wilson (if fit) could fire them to the top six, though injuries and Champions League progress could make this a big ask as teams effectively adapted their approach versus Newcastle last season to exploit half spaces behind the central press. Tempted to say 7th at this point because of the resurgence of…
7. Aston Villa – Pau Torres is only theirs because of Emery and he could easily be playing CL football. Prepare yourselves to see the English Sevilla with Diaby and Tielemans as major upgrades. Archer might play a minor role too – if he’s not at Boro it would be good to see him get a chance. This is a very good team in the making.
8. Spurs – Kane defines this one. At this point, I can’t see him staying and it would be no huge surprise if he leaves if there is pressure on Levy to cash in. Postecoglou has his work cut out with poor options in numerous positions and, while the Kane money would assist the rebuild long term, it will inevitably hurt them short term. Richarlison will need to wake up and focus on playing rather than aggravating. Expect a lot of open games with goals galore.
9. Brighton – I think De Zerbi is a really top coach who makes incredible in game adjustments (see 2-1 at Chelsea last season). Dahoud and João Pedro should link play well, though losing their excellent midfield pair would be tough. Gilmour might break through this season and Ferguson looks like a really proficient forward, amongst an array of exciting talents.
10. Palace – they seemed to click under Hodgson. Eze and Olise are exciting forwards and, if we are to lose him, Chuba Akpom might be a great fit as their central forward. Lerma strengthens the spine alongside Doucoure, with Guehi and Anderson behind. The Eagles should have no major problems this season. Cup run?
11. West Ham – here they are with no Rice, so the only answer go all out to get Paulinha, thereby relegating Fulham. Paqueta will excel this season, Aguerd being fit will make a huge difference. Do they have a forward? Jarred Bowen will be back to double digits so that might not matter so much.
12. Brentford – never bet against them. Especially if you are Ivan Toney. Schade and Wissa might compensate for his absence, while Mbeumo will continue to hit the post once a game. They will be unexceptional but untroubled.
13. Everton – At lot depends on keeping their own Onana and Fashion’s number 9, Calvert-Lewin, making more appearances on the pitch than the catwalk. Looking at their squad, they could be in trouble. However, Dyche, Tarkowski and McNeil know how to grind out 1-0s, especially versus Arsenal.
14. Bournemouth – investment ongoing and some interesting players onboard. Dango Ouattara is one to watch and Solanke will continue to get enough goals. Kerkez is a good addition at full back but Lerma is a huge loss. It would be good to see Brooks continue his recovery and have a good season.
15. Wolves – I’ve completely lost track of the Jorge Mendes FC squad. Having had a quick look at their players, I am no further forward in my appraisal. Probably should be alright with Lopetegui in charge, but Neves and Moutinho have been crucial in recent times.
16. Nottingham Forest – Morgan Gibbs-White will be a monster this season and he will Grealish Forest to safety. Their faith in Steve Cooper was and will continue to be a massive win. Shipping the distractive J-Lingz off should help matters. Keep Brennan Johnson and they will be fine.
17. Burnley – Vincent Kompany is an intelligent man with an infrangibile bond with another intelligent man along the road at Manchester City. James Trafford looks very good, the returning Weghorst might work for them and, with all that considered, they should have enough to survive. Watch out for Benson and Zaroury who looked good in the Championship.
18. Fulham – the Mitrovic situation will completely destabilise Fulham’s dressing room and disrupt their preparations. If West Ham or another shrewd team get Paulinha, it is massive trouble for Fulham. They could be in the bottom three all season. In any case, I can’t see how they can survive with Tim Ream still playing CB.
19. Sheff United – although they finished strongly, we tore them to pieces and exposed huge fragility in their ranks. The transfer dealings so far don’t inspire confidence and, besides Ahmedhodzic, Sander Berge and Ndiaye, I don’t think any of them would start at any other Premier League club besides…
20. Luton – great coach in Rob Edwards (silly Watford), but they have punched above their weight to an unfathomable degree already. I can’t name five of their players and I sincerely hope Akpom doesn’t go there to get relegated and not reach double figures, thereby undermining last season’s promise. If they are to stay up, Edwards will have to have the best managerial season in Premier League history.
Cordiali saluti,
AC in Milan
