Apparently Kaka wants to know Manchester City's recruitment plan before signing on the dotted lines and selling his soul to Satan (if you believe some doom-mongers). Well Riki, if you're reading this -- and I assume you are since this blog has had quite literally dozens of hits over the past 5 months -- then here's the latest on City's spending policy: They've just signed Craig Bellamy for an "undisclosed fee" (read: A fee so enormous that frankly we're a little embarrassed to announce it).
Yes, that's Craig Bellamy, formerly of almost every other club in the Premier League. One must ask the simple question 'Why?'. Why would any team with ambition sign Craig Bellamy? If the papers are right and City do have a two-track transfer policy -- one for the Sheiks and one for Hughes -- then it's safe to assume that this signing comes from the latter track, in which case Mark Hughes really doesn't have a clue, does he?.
I've heard people expressing doubts about Hughes recently, and I have to say that I'm beginning to take that stance myself. Is he really qualified enough to be handling players like Kaka and Robinho? The football that City play doesn't suggest as much, nor does his eagerness to have Santa Cruz spearheading his attack.
As Sean Ingle said on Football Weekly concerning footballing style under Mark Hughes, it's "as cultured as Luton on a Friday night". I don't know what Luton is like on Friday's, but I'm guessing it's not very cultured, which is an apt description of the kind of football generally played under Hughes' tenure. Cesc Fabregas would certainly agree anyway, having famously (and rather tastelessly) asked Mark Hughes how he could ever have played for Barcelona given the fact his Blackburn side were in effect the anti-Barcelona.
I haven't been sure whether Kaka moving to City would please me or not, but with City's capture of Bellamy my mind is now made up. Kaka coming to the Eastlands would be horrible to see. The thought of him playing alongside the hazard that is Craig Bellamy makes my skin crawl, and it's something I hope doesn't happen for the sake of everything good and pure in this world. However, if Kaka can see past the badness in Bellamy (and I'm sure £500, 000 a week will aid him in gaining this perception) and thus decides to come to Manchester, then I have but one piece of advice for him: For the love of God do not bring your golf clubs with you. You'll only end up regretting it in the long run.
On a more serious note, I don't see why Kaka would want to come to Manchester City, and why A.C. Milan would want to sell him. I can't envisage the money being a factor in Kaka's decision due to the economic theory of diminishing returns if not his religious convictions, and so in my mind there is no other reason to join City. Champisons League football in one and a half years is the very best they can offer him, but with acquisitions such as Bellamy being made and a vigorous pursuit of Santa Cruz seemingly ongoing, it doesn't seem like City are buying the kind of players that win you Champions League football, and Hughes doesn't appear to be the kind of manager capable of orchestrating a team of that standard.
And so on a personal level it will most likely represent a major step backwards in the career of Kaka. Should he get out of Milan? I think so. After all, if they are prepared to sell one of the best players in the world then they really don't have any footballing ambition whatsoever and so it is time to get out of a sinking ship - a sinking ship that entertains players such as Senderos and Beckham no less...or more accurately, a sinking ship because it entertains such substandard players. I mean would Barcelona sell Messi? I honestly don't think they would for any amount of money, unless of course Messi himself wanted to leave. You just can't put a price on such talent, because it is one of a kind and therefore irreplaceable.
The bottom line is that football clubs don't exist to make money. There is nothing wrong with them making money of course, but first and foremost a football club exists in order to win trophies (unless you're Newcastle of course), and out of that the money and prestige comes. The Abu Dhabi group are trying to turn the game on its head by forcing clubs to value money more than talent and trophies. They're turning Indecent Proposal into a real life scenario, offering clubs $1m dollars to sleep with their best player...or something. Yes they are trying to score genuine talent, but so was Robert Redford. The means however is at the very least unconventional, and at worst extremely unethical.
I genuinely hope it doesn't work. Seeing Kaka in the Premier League would obviously be a major plus, but a potentially dangerous precedent will be set if a team battling relegation can acquire the services of one of the top three players in the world. I wouldn't blame Kaka for getting out of Milan, nor would I even blame him for joining City. Ultimately, the blame lands on those who choose to sell him. If Kaka feels expendable, then by all means leave. But by leaving to Manchester City he will be potentially wasting the prime of his career, and this is time that he will never get back.
It's a tough situation for all involved, and I'm still not sure what I think about it, even though I just said that I'm definitely sure what I think about it a few paragraphs ago. Something's not right about it though. I'm just not sure I can pinpoint it exactly. If anyone has any similar of contrasting opinions then do share. I'd be extremely interested to hear them.
Yes, that's Craig Bellamy, formerly of almost every other club in the Premier League. One must ask the simple question 'Why?'. Why would any team with ambition sign Craig Bellamy? If the papers are right and City do have a two-track transfer policy -- one for the Sheiks and one for Hughes -- then it's safe to assume that this signing comes from the latter track, in which case Mark Hughes really doesn't have a clue, does he?.
I've heard people expressing doubts about Hughes recently, and I have to say that I'm beginning to take that stance myself. Is he really qualified enough to be handling players like Kaka and Robinho? The football that City play doesn't suggest as much, nor does his eagerness to have Santa Cruz spearheading his attack.
As Sean Ingle said on Football Weekly concerning footballing style under Mark Hughes, it's "as cultured as Luton on a Friday night". I don't know what Luton is like on Friday's, but I'm guessing it's not very cultured, which is an apt description of the kind of football generally played under Hughes' tenure. Cesc Fabregas would certainly agree anyway, having famously (and rather tastelessly) asked Mark Hughes how he could ever have played for Barcelona given the fact his Blackburn side were in effect the anti-Barcelona.
I haven't been sure whether Kaka moving to City would please me or not, but with City's capture of Bellamy my mind is now made up. Kaka coming to the Eastlands would be horrible to see. The thought of him playing alongside the hazard that is Craig Bellamy makes my skin crawl, and it's something I hope doesn't happen for the sake of everything good and pure in this world. However, if Kaka can see past the badness in Bellamy (and I'm sure £500, 000 a week will aid him in gaining this perception) and thus decides to come to Manchester, then I have but one piece of advice for him: For the love of God do not bring your golf clubs with you. You'll only end up regretting it in the long run.
On a more serious note, I don't see why Kaka would want to come to Manchester City, and why A.C. Milan would want to sell him. I can't envisage the money being a factor in Kaka's decision due to the economic theory of diminishing returns if not his religious convictions, and so in my mind there is no other reason to join City. Champisons League football in one and a half years is the very best they can offer him, but with acquisitions such as Bellamy being made and a vigorous pursuit of Santa Cruz seemingly ongoing, it doesn't seem like City are buying the kind of players that win you Champions League football, and Hughes doesn't appear to be the kind of manager capable of orchestrating a team of that standard.
And so on a personal level it will most likely represent a major step backwards in the career of Kaka. Should he get out of Milan? I think so. After all, if they are prepared to sell one of the best players in the world then they really don't have any footballing ambition whatsoever and so it is time to get out of a sinking ship - a sinking ship that entertains players such as Senderos and Beckham no less...or more accurately, a sinking ship because it entertains such substandard players. I mean would Barcelona sell Messi? I honestly don't think they would for any amount of money, unless of course Messi himself wanted to leave. You just can't put a price on such talent, because it is one of a kind and therefore irreplaceable.
The bottom line is that football clubs don't exist to make money. There is nothing wrong with them making money of course, but first and foremost a football club exists in order to win trophies (unless you're Newcastle of course), and out of that the money and prestige comes. The Abu Dhabi group are trying to turn the game on its head by forcing clubs to value money more than talent and trophies. They're turning Indecent Proposal into a real life scenario, offering clubs $1m dollars to sleep with their best player...or something. Yes they are trying to score genuine talent, but so was Robert Redford. The means however is at the very least unconventional, and at worst extremely unethical.
I genuinely hope it doesn't work. Seeing Kaka in the Premier League would obviously be a major plus, but a potentially dangerous precedent will be set if a team battling relegation can acquire the services of one of the top three players in the world. I wouldn't blame Kaka for getting out of Milan, nor would I even blame him for joining City. Ultimately, the blame lands on those who choose to sell him. If Kaka feels expendable, then by all means leave. But by leaving to Manchester City he will be potentially wasting the prime of his career, and this is time that he will never get back.
It's a tough situation for all involved, and I'm still not sure what I think about it, even though I just said that I'm definitely sure what I think about it a few paragraphs ago. Something's not right about it though. I'm just not sure I can pinpoint it exactly. If anyone has any similar of contrasting opinions then do share. I'd be extremely interested to hear them.
7 comments:
You don't think Milan should sell him? Are you fuckin nuts!?! The powers that be at Milan aren't selling him to line their own pockets, they're simply bowing to what is an exorbitant price which becomes ludicrous when you consider the current football market where even Chelski cant afford to spend some rubels. I think you're looking at this from the wrong perspective if you don't mind me saying. City are in a world with not limits, they don't go by market values but the rest of the footballing world does. Therefore you must consider the opportunity cost of keeping Kaka. I would suggest 110mil could get you Villa, Silva and Arshavin with about 50mil to spare. So if Milan were offered those 3 players and 50mil for Kaka would you think it wrong for Milan to sell. Take advantage of these outlandish prices I say and revitalise what is an increasingly decrepit team. It makes perfect sense. Nonetheless delighted to see Kaka reject them. It would kill me to see Bellamy shouting his like idiotic mouth off at one of the greats of the modern age.
As irrelevant as it all is since Kaka isnt leaving, I can see your point. However, I just dont think selling talent like Kaka's is ever good business, but perhaps I'm overrating him. If it were Messi, I would say thanks but no thanks to Villa, Silva and Arshavin + 50m, and I think most of the Barcelona faithful would take a similar stance.
There's one other factor as well. If Milan got 100m, there is absolutely no guarantee given recent expenditure that they would spend it as wisely as you have suggested. I mean Jermaine Pennant was on their shortlist not so long ago.
All the same, it's hard to argue with your hypothetical scenario. Villa, Silva, and Arshavin + 50m for one player does sound like good business, in theory at least anyway. However, would clubs sell such players to Milan for 20m each? I reckon they'd jack the prices up since they know where the money came from.
Oh, and one more point. Milan have one Yoann Gourcuff coming back in the summer. He may not be Kaka, but he could well have been a very cheap replacement had Kaka left.
Sweeney you Black and Decker Dream Set Toolbox. Villa, Silva and Arshavin for £60m??
You idiot.
"Come on now... 'crash and burn' was meant in a wider, much longer term sense. That is to say I am supremely confident they will never sustain a consistent challenge on the top 3 (Liverpool just don't count) and that Hughes will be out of a job within a year to be followed by a string of overpaid, underachieving foreigners.
They don't have it in them to be within touching distance by Christmas and buying in January is a risk for a plethora of reasons. Not least, no one wants to sell their best players mid-season, prices are hugely inflated in January and throwing someone in mid season, not to mention throwing in a large number of starters (which is what they may well do), will end in tears.
Man City's success could very well depend on how Arsenal and Liverpool fare but ask yourself this, where are the strikers? How good is Shaun Wright-Phillips? Can Elano perform as well again as he did early on last season? With 3 other very good centre halves, is Richards going to have to play full back for the rest of the season? Why sell Corluka? Is there any reason to believe Hughes can cope with this kind of pressure? And just how dodgy is Kasper should Joe Hart get injured?
That's not even questioning Robinho, a man who if even a fraction of the tales are to be believed, is not of particularly sound mental health."
The above is a comment you left at the very start of September, and I have to say, almost all of it is coming true.
Liverpool still dont count, Hughes will be out of a job soon, City certainly arent within touching distance come january, they have just paid 14m for Bellamy and possibly 18m for De Jong, have failed to get a teams best player in January, their stirkers are nowhere to be seen, wright phillips isnt good enough, Elano cant perform as well this season, it is becoming clear that Hughes cant cope with the pressure, and given that Robinho has just walked out on a training camp it is fair to say that he probably isnt of the soundest mental health.
Over all thats a fairly remarkable set of predictions my friend. You certainly showed me anyway.
Idiot? Certainly not! It has been well documented that Valencia were in financial plight prior to the financial crisis and that I believe their people inside the club even admitted all their players were for sale. Given the credit crunch I can't imagine things have improved and I've heard it mentioned that the two could be got for 50mil. Arshavin is on his way to Arsenal for 15mil. So while not going as far to suggest you are the idiot Niall, perhaps your time in Asia has left you ignorant to the facts.
And just to retort to Declans comment. As far as I've heard Milan are bringing players like Beckham and Pennant in because word has it that they have no money so selling Kaka would allow them to rebuild a very aging team. I do think they could have been prone to some inflated prices though, thats a fine point.
Yeah Milan are actually in debt, so perhaps a 100m windfall would have done nicely. Still, as Brent might say, they've had had a mutiny on their hands if they let Kaka go.
I understand that they cant really go for the big boys, but Pennant? Pennant!? That one really just baffles me.
Man, they already turned down huge sums for Silva and Villa in the summer. Exact figures escape my memory but there's no way in hell you'd get either, now, last summer or next summer for less than 30m each. No way. Especially both as a pair. Maybe you'd get a deal for one but then the price of the other sky rockets as they've just lost a massive asset and need to keep the one that remains.
Plus, regardless of the financial situation at Valencia, Milan getting 110m will again drive up the price in the same way prices for Chelsea, Man City, Barca and Real are artificially high. It's all speculation as it's not gonna happen but you're effectively saying Villa and Silva for just over 20m each. And that's insane. I wonder how your time in football-mad Canada has affected your thinking?
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