Ambition

[Matt.NFFC.]

Let's put it this way, if you had been playing football since you were 5 for example, and you have strived for over 15+ years to get to the top of the game, playing every week on top money, then all of a sudden you move to a massive club, and barely play?

I'd be like, WTF am I doing and what a waste of talent and 15 years worth of effort.

I don't think I could do it, I 'd rather play football on good money (lets say £30,000 a week) and earn all the plaudits of years of hard graft than earn say 90k and fall of the radar and bench warm for 80% of the season.

What a waste.

Unless the master plan for many is to literally take the extra cash for a year or 2 then move on and play games again....I get that bit.

[Doobs]

Surely it is more an ego thing?  They might realise they aren't as good as Messi, but most must think they can for their way into the first team. 

Say if there was a team Pleno in the poker world.  If I joined his staking operation, I'd hope with a bit of training I could get in the first 11.  Maybe I wouldn't be able to play as well as Pleno himself, but would fancy I could compete with most of the rest after the training.  Of course if after 6 months I am out on my ear, was I ambitious or deluded.  I'd say the former, though guess there are thin lines.

[scotty2hatty]

What would you call downings decision?

I'm sure I saw Downing saying he wanted his football to have meaning, to have something to compete for. Got to applaud that. Prob on same money? Or little drop perhaps.

[hhyftrftdr]

Sure in the last few years a keeper turned down a new contract at Southampton I think it was, (Kelvin Davies?) to go play in the lower leagues as a No1 somewhere.

[hhyftrftdr]

Sure in the last few years a keeper turned down a new contract at Southampton I think it was, (Kelvin Davies?) to go play in the lower leagues as a No1 somewhere.

Right player, wrong scenario.

He turned down Prem League West Ham, instead signing a new 3 year deal at the Saints who were League 1 at the time.

[sovietsong]

I like to think that players want to stay with their local team, or the team that trained them & brought them through the youth network, however in reality at any point during that young players development if they hadn't quite met the standard the club would have ruthlessly cut them off, thousands get dropped every year.  Its not like these are lovely families that look after their children & then they choose to run away from home, the club isn't a family, fans might feel like it is but its not.  

I think that players make decisions for different reasons, some want to make money, others want to play & others want to win things even if it means playing less.  

We would all do something slightly different, i would stay at my local club, at least a think i would, but i support my local club so i feel some how connected to it as i see the ground every day & all my close friends support Leeds, if i supported a different team maybe i wouldn't feel this way.

Are bradley johnson, jonny howson, fabian delph, jermaine beckford or ross mccormack better off after leaving leeds to go on to bigger and better things?  I'm biased of course, but i'd argue that not many of them are.

[The Camel]

I like to think that players want to stay with their local team, or the team that trained them & brought them through the youth network, however in reality at any point during that young players development if they hadn't quite met the standard the club would have ruthlessly cut them off, thousands get dropped every year.  Its not like these are lovely families that look after their children & then they choose to run away from home, the club isn't a family, fans might feel like it is but its not.  

I think that players make decisions for different reasons, some want to make money, others want to play & others want to win things even if it means playing less.  

We would all do something slightly different, i would stay at my local club, at least a think i would, but i support my local club so i feel some how connected to it as i see the ground every day & all my close friends support Leeds, if i supported a different team maybe i wouldn't feel this way.

Are bradley johnson, jonny howson, fabian delph, jermaine beckford or ross mccormack better off after leaving leeds to go on to bigger and better things?  I'm biased of course, but i'd argue that not many of them are.

Fabian Delph is on 100k per week and playing for the probable Champions.

I would think he's better off at least.

[Doobs]

I like to think that players want to stay with their local team, or the team that trained them & brought them through the youth network, however in reality at any point during that young players development if they hadn't quite met the standard the club would have ruthlessly cut them off, thousands get dropped every year.  Its not like these are lovely families that look after their children & then they choose to run away from home, the club isn't a family, fans might feel like it is but its not.  

I think that players make decisions for different reasons, some want to make money, others want to play & others want to win things even if it means playing less.  

We would all do something slightly different, i would stay at my local club, at least a think i would, but i support my local club so i feel some how connected to it as i see the ground every day & all my close friends support Leeds, if i supported a different team maybe i wouldn't feel this way.

Are bradley johnson, jonny howson, fabian delph, jermaine beckford or ross mccormack better off after leaving leeds to go on to bigger and better things?  I'm biased of course, but i'd argue that not many of them are.

Fabian Delph is on 100k per week and playing for the probable Champions.

I would think he's better off at least.

Should never have moved to Leeds in my view. 

[TightEnd]

Are bradley johnson, jonny howson, fabian delph, jermaine beckford or ross mccormack better off after leaving leeds to go on to bigger and better things?  I'm biased of course, but i'd argue that not many of them are.

you are in a delusional fantasyland

johnson went to play in the premier league, and is now playing for a team challenging to get there

howson is in the premier league

delph went to the premier league, then england, then a bigger move

beckford went to the premier league, then part of two more promotion winning teams

mccormack was an odd move, but still got his cut of an £11m fee


same will happen to byram and the next group of home grown players, as the dysfunctionality at leeds ensures they are going nowehere for the forseeable future and all will be right to leave too

[POWWWWWWWW]

Let's put it this way, if you had been playing football since you were 5 for example, and you have strived for over 15+ years to get to the top of the game, playing every week on top money, then all of a sudden you move to a massive club, and barely play?

I'd be like, WTF am I doing and what a waste of talent and 15 years worth of effort.

I don't think I could do it, I 'd rather play football on good money (lets say £30,000 a week) and earn all the plaudits of years of hard graft than earn say 90k and fall of the radar and bench warm for 80% of the season.

What a waste.

Unless the master plan for many is to literally take the extra cash for a year or 2 then move on and play games again....I get that bit.

Surely this works both ways as well. You've worked hard all your life, why don't you deserve a shot at winning something, at playing in the CL? If a big club comes calling they obv think you are good enough, even for a squad role. You only get 25 men in a team. Being one of them in a team winning things consistently in a big achievement in itself. No one is going to stay at a mid table team and achieve nothing all their career when they can go and potentially win things, testing themselves vs the best in the world.

[scotty2hatty]

Let's put it this way, if you had been playing football since you were 5 for example, and you have strived for over 15+ years to get to the top of the game, playing every week on top money, then all of a sudden you move to a massive club, and barely play?

I'd be like, WTF am I doing and what a waste of talent and 15 years worth of effort.

I don't think I could do it, I 'd rather play football on good money (lets say £30,000 a week) and earn all the plaudits of years of hard graft than earn say 90k and fall of the radar and bench warm for 80% of the season.

What a waste.

Unless the master plan for many is to literally take the extra cash for a year or 2 then move on and play games again....I get that bit.

Surely this works both ways as well. You've worked hard all your life, why don't you deserve a shot at winning something, at playing in the CL? If a big club comes calling they obv think you are good enough, even for a squad role. You only get 25 men in a team. Being one of them in a team winning things consistently in a big achievement in itself. No one is going to stay at a mid table team and achieve nothing all their career when they can go and potentially win things, testing themselves vs the best in the world.

But, they may not be testing themselves against the best in the world if they aren't playing?