Comparing the top 4 Euro Leagues

[lanman]

Originally posted by ECMoney
I will give you another few players to think about.

1. Nuno Gomes (Portugal --> Italy) FLOP!
2. Claudio Lopez (Spain --> Italy) FLOP!
3. Ronaldo (Spain --> Italy) FLOP!
4. Christian Vieri (Italy -->Spain) INSTANT STAR!
5. Zinidine Zidane (Italy --> Spain) INSTANT STAR!
6. Rivaldo (Spain --> Italy) FLOP!
7. Hakan Suker (Turkey --> Italy) FLOP!
8. Patrick Kluivert (Holland --> Italy) FLOP!
9. Paul Gasgoine (Scotland -->Italy) FLOP!
10. Genarro Gattuso (Italy --> Scotland) STAR!

1 Fair enough, although the Portuguese league is hardly the worlds best
2 No complaints.
3 Flop????? Are you serious? He was the best player in the world when he joined Inter and scored goals for fun.
4 Star at Juve before he went to Atletico.
5 Best player at Juve, best player at Real.
6 Hasn't played enough to be judged.
7 And??? Turkey does not possess a top quality league.
8 He was still a teenager - give him a chance.
9 England(get your facts right)-->serious knee injury-->Italy
10 Scotland-->Italy STAR!

[ECMoney]

Originally posted by lanman
1 Fair enough, although the Portuguese league is hardly the worlds best
2 No complaints.
3 Flop????? Are you serious? He was the best player in the world when he joined Inter and scored goals for fun.
4 Star at Juve before he went to Atletico.
5 Best player at Juve, best player at Real.
6 Hasn't played enough to be judged.
7 And??? Turkey does not possess a top quality league.
8 He was still a teenager - give him a chance.
9 England(get your facts right)-->serious knee injury-->Italy
10 Scotland-->Italy STAR!

OK I will answer each one with a little comment.

1. Nuno Gomes was a great goal scorer, not only in the Portuguese league but remember Euro 2000. He was world class. What happened when he played for Fiorentina? I think he scored something like 8 or 9 goals in 2 years!!!

2. We agree there!

3. Ronaldo was one of the best players, but c'mon. He was on the stretcher more than he was playing for Inter. You are right about this one, instantly Ronaldo was a superstar for Inter as I beleive he had one or two big years right away and then the injuries started to kick in.

4. How was Christian Vieri a star for Juve, he was a bench warmer and got very little minutes. He then moved over to Spain and LED THE LEAGUE IN GOALS. That should sum up all arguments right there...hahaha. HE LED THE LEAGUE IN GOALS WHEN HE WAS 23 YEARS OLD. What if Vieri moved over to La Liga now, he would pop them in there like hot cakes.

5. Zidane was a superstar for Juve and he moved over to Spain and continued to shine, that is just proving my point!

6. C'mon man, hasn't played enough. The entire season is pretty much done, he was a huge flop and could not adjust to the Italian Serie A. He has the skill but the defence is too much for him, he doesnt have the room he needed. If he went from Barcelona to the EPL he would have continued his excellent form. My point is valid here!

7. Suker was a Top quality world class striker, he moved over to Italy to just waste time and room on the Inter bench.

8. Kluivert was not a teenager in Italy, he played for Milan not that long ago and just plain stunk! He had nothing to show in Serie A, he was miserable and was pretty much kicked out of there.

9. Gazza was skilled and had everything but in Italy he never really did a thing. As soon as he left Italy he played well again for Glascow, did he not?

10. Gattuso was a nobody, he then moved to the Glasgow Rangers and was a star in the midfield and a work horse.

[lanman]

What about:
Marco Matterazzi - mediocre at Everton, regular starter for Inter.
Massimo Taibi - enough said.
Fabrizio Ravenelli - Juventus top scorer now playing for Derby in the lower reaches of Division 1.
Carlos Marinelli - Boro reserves to Torino first team.
Jon Dahl Tommasson - one of Newcastle's worst ever players, now at Milan.
Andrea Silenzi - scored goals for Torino, embarrassed himself at Forest.


And of course there was Diego Maradona - who never set the world alight at Barcelona, but single-handedly won the title for Napoli.

[Clan]

Originally posted by ECMoney
Did he really play that bad there? HE only played a few games for Chelsea, something like 8-10 games!
He left Italy and played well for Real Madrid, he played so well that the same coach (Fabio Capello) brought him back to Italy when he returned to coach for Roma.

He was with Chelsea for almost a full season.The reason he only played in a few games is because he spent most of his time there after his first few starts in the reserves.His wages were 40,000 quid a week and it was the joke of the league...somewhat like Bogarde is today.

The point about him going to the continent and reenergising his career--i though he went to a French club though, not Real madrid--just reinforces the fact that he simply couldn't handle the fast paced English game.
The final nail in his coffin was when a fellow countryman, Claudio Ranieri, droped him for good and then loaned him out.

[WatfordFC Fan]

Originally posted by Guinho
Having just watched the AC Milan- Inter match, I have to say that if this is the famous Italian league and Champions league, give me MLS any day. 22 players who have no touch with a football, can't complete a simple pass, with abysmal first touches, not one ounce of creativity on either team. I just finished watching a whole series of crosses with almost no pressure end up around 15 yards off target. Man, Eddie Lewis would be looking up for you guys if this is any indication. This match was an absolute affront to any notion of the "beautiful game." What a horrible waste of time. I do not have the words to describe the attrocious lack of quality I just witnessed. THIS is the vaunted European game? Just hand me a barf bag!

G.

It is blatantly obvious that you have absolutely no idea about football.

[ECMoney]

Originally posted by lanman
What about:
Marco Matterazzi - mediocre at Everton, regular starter for Inter.
Massimo Taibi - enough said.
Fabrizio Ravenelli - Juventus top scorer now playing for Derby in the lower reaches of Division 1.
Carlos Marinelli - Boro reserves to Torino first team.
Jon Dahl Tommasson - one of Newcastle's worst ever players, now at Milan.
Andrea Silenzi - scored goals for Torino, embarrassed himself at Forest.


And of course there was Diego Maradona - who never set the world alight at Barcelona, but single-handedly won the title for Napoli.

Ok Matterazzi is a good one. I told you there are some but I think Matterazzi's game has really develped over the past few years as he is now an Italian National regular as well.

AS for Taibi, hmmm....he was never good to start with wherever he played...hahah

Fabrizio Ravenelli was coupled with Roberto Baggio for years on Juventus and partnered with Vialli. He lacked speed and skill but was a workhorse, he might be an exception because as soon as he left he lost his two biggest assets (Baggio and Vialli)...haha. He didn't have skill to do anything on his own anyways. But he did still score some goals in England and wasn't that bad.

Carlos Marinelli - dont know much about him but Torino doesn't count for much...haha

Jon Dahl Tommasson - he played one year for Newcastle about 6 or 7 years ago. How old was he 20? 21? Since then he has played well everywhere else and has blossomed his game completely. BAD EXAMPLE!

Diego Maradona - Your kidding right! HE WAS MAYBE THE GREATEST PLAYER TO EVER LIVE. PLUS Maradona had more off-field problems then anyone you can name. Who knows what was running through his head. But when he wanted to play, he was the best around!

[ECMoney]

Originally posted by WatfordFC Fan
It is blatantly obvious that you have absolutely no idea about football.

Dont even waste your time with him, that is a joke!
When I want a good laugh I will read his comments...hahah

I think I am going to print them out and bring them to work.

[ECMoney]

Originally posted by Clanblue
He was with Chelsea for almost a full season.The reason he only played in a few games is because he spent most of his time there after his first few starts in the reserves.His wages were 40,000 quid a week and it was the joke of the league...somewhat like Bogarde is today.

The point about him going to the continent and reenergising his career--i though he went to a French club though, not Real madrid--just reinforces the fact that he simply couldn't handle the fast paced English game.
The final nail in his coffin was when a fellow countryman, Claudio Ranieri, droped him for good and then loaned him out.

OK Pannucci is one you can add to the list. I told you there were a few but not many! Pannucci did play for Monaco for a bit then went to Real Madrid where he re-energised his career and is now back with Roma (with Fabio Cappello on board). He is a good defender, not sure what heppened when he played for Chelsea.

[lanman]

Originally posted by ECMoney
OK I will answer each one with a little comment.

1. Nuno Gomes was a great goal scorer, not only in the Portuguese league but remember Euro 2000. He was world class. What happened when he played for Fiorentina? I think he scored something like 8 or 9 goals in 2 years!!!

2. We agree there!

3. Ronaldo was one of the best players, but c'mon. He was on the stretcher more than he was playing for Inter. You are right about this one, instantly Ronaldo was a superstar for Inter as I beleive he had one or two big years right away and then the injuries started to kick in.

4. How was Christian Vieri a star for Juve, he was a bench warmer and got very little minutes. He then moved over to Spain and LED THE LEAGUE IN GOALS. That should sum up all arguments right there...hahaha. HE LED THE LEAGUE IN GOALS WHEN HE WAS 23 YEARS OLD. What if Vieri moved over to La Liga now, he would pop them in there like hot cakes.

5. Zidane was a superstar for Juve and he moved over to Spain and continued to shine, that is just proving my point!

6. C'mon man, hasn't played enough. The entire season is pretty much done, he was a huge flop and could not adjust to the Italian Serie A. He has the skill but the defence is too much for him, he doesnt have the room he needed. If he went from Barcelona to the EPL he would have continued his excellent form. My point is valid here!

7. Suker was a Top quality world class striker, he moved over to Italy to just waste time and room on the Inter bench.

8. Kluivert was not a teenager in Italy, he played for Milan not that long ago and just plain stunk! He had nothing to show in Serie A, he was miserable and was pretty much kicked out of there.

9. Gazza was skilled and had everything but in Italy he never really did a thing. As soon as he left Italy he played well again for Glascow, did he not?

10. Gattuso was a nobody, he then moved to the Glasgow Rangers and was a star in the midfield and a work horse.

4 Why did it take so much money to prise Vieri from Juve then?

5 How does this prove your point? It's like saying Zidane was a star in Estonia and then a star in Germany proves the Estonian league is better than the German League.

7 Suker has never performed outside of Turkey.

9 Gazza never rehabilitated properly from his injury (his own fault), and then shortly after broke his leg. The Paul Gascoigne people saw at Lazio was not the same Paul Gascoigne you saw at Tottenham. Saying he was a star in Scotland afterwards is pushing it - he only played 4 games a year against decent opposition, and he never played well for Rnagers in Europe.

10 See the point above about the overall quality in Scotland. He went from a star in a poor league to a star in a good league.

[lanman]

Originally posted by ECMoney
Ok Matterazzi is a good one. I told you there are some but I think Matterazzi's game has really develped over the past few years as he is now an Italian National regular as well.


The same can be argued for Henry, Kluivert, Vieri, Gattuso etc.

You might want to take into account that in Italy Henry was played primarily as a winger - it was not until he signed for Arsenal that he played as a regular striker.

[ECMoney]

Originally posted by lanman
4 Why did it take so much money to prise Vieri from Juve then?

5 How does this prove your point? It's like saying Zidane was a star in Estonia and then a star in Germany proves the Estonian league is better than the German League.

7 Suker has never performed outside of Turkey.

9 Gazza never rehabilitated properly from his injury (his own fault), and then shortly after broke his leg. The Paul Gascoigne people saw at Lazio was not the same Paul Gascoigne you saw at Tottenham. Saying he was a star in Scotland afterwards is pushing it - he only played 4 games a year against decent opposition, and he never played well for Rnagers in Europe.

10 See the point above about the overall quality in Scotland. He went from a star in a poor league to a star in a good league.

4. Well Vieri was an up and coming star for Juve and they were not going to let him leave for nothing. Vieri back then was EXACTLY like Fabrizio Miccoli right now. Miccoli is owned by Juventus but they had no room for him so they loaned him to Perugia where he played great this year. He will be back with Juve for next season and will be a great striker for years to come.

5. Zidane proves my point my saying a star left Serie A and moved over to La Liga and continued to be a star just like he was. BUT a star in Spain (Rivaldo for example) comes to Italy and then what happens? Zidane proved the movement is flush and continued his stardom!

As for the rest, you are right about Gazza.
Gattuso was a nobody in Italy before went to Glasgow where he played well and became a star and then returned back to Italy.

[ECMoney]

Originally posted by lanman
The same can be argued for Henry, Kluivert, Vieri, Gattuso etc.

You might want to take into account that in Italy Henry was played primarily as a winger - it was not until he signed for Arsenal that he played as a regular striker.

Ok but the numbers from Italy going abroad and not playing well are 10x less than players coming into Italy and not playing well.

[sinner78]

Originally posted by ECMoney


Lets look at some examples.
From England-->Italy and from Italy-->England
1. Paul Ince -

2. Robbie Keane -

3. Thierry henry

Lets look at the other side of the table:
1. Gianfranco Zola -

2. Paolo DiCanio -

3. Massimo Maccarone -




Dont talk crap ,lad.
Those examples are ludicrous.

Paul ince
Was a reasonable performer for Inter Milan .
The claim that he was "booed out of town" is fiction.

Robbie Keane
Never had a chance in the inter milan team..
How many games did he start?? Did they ever give him a run in the first team?? errr no they didnt.
How can you be a failure if you dont even get a chance to play??

Thierry henry
You really showed your total lack of knowledge on this one.
Juve played henry as a left wing back and never gave him a run in decent run in the first team.
They never played him as a striker .It was arsenal who converted him to a striker .It took him about 4 or months to adapt to the striker role but once he hit form he hasnt looked back since.


Franco Zola
His goal return is pretty modest if you actually check his record for chelsea.He's a good little player but its not like he has won any championships or been a major top goalscorer.
He has been a decent player on a not-bad team..
nothing more ,nothing less.

paolo di canio
Di canio has a high profile but he has never been a major player in any trophy winning team.
He has played for sheff weds and west ham and won nothing...He generally scores about 12 league goals a year .Thats nothing special is it???
Played for mid-table clubs ,won nothing and a mediocre goal record...
BIG DEAL!!!!!

Massimo macarone
hahahaha dont me laugh with this one.
Maccarone came to boro after being italys top player at the european under-21 championships in Switzerland. He had a big reputation despite the fact that he played for Empoli.
He scored a handful of goals at the start of the season ,had a goal drought in mid season ,lost his place in the starting 11 ,threatened to go home and hasnt been seen since...
what a joke of an example....


The good thing about the last 4 years when italian clubs did crap was that I didnt have to read rubbish written by mouthy gobshites like yourself.
Arrogant contempt for every other league .

I respect all the top leagues in europe... spain,italy,england ,germany ,holland or whatever..
You're just a armchair wanker fan who jumps on the serie A bandwagon to have an excuse to bash other peoples football.
Gloryhunters like you are pondlife.

[Dark Savante]

Originally posted by ECMoney
I am going to be the devils advocate to your post and I want you and everyone else to answer back to me when they get a chance.

First of all there are only 3 big leagues. Italian, Spanish, and English. The German is a distant 4th and they are definitely in 4th. Out of the Top 3, alot of people have different views but I want to bring something up and you can answer me back with what you think.

I think that the Italian Serie A is the top league and always has been. YES they slumped in Europe for the past 2 years but everyone has slumps from time to time and they are now back (as you notice two teams in the final of the Champions League). Anyways that has nothing to do with my argument, my arguement is this.

I love soccer, I watch and follow soccer and all leagues. I watch all leagues when I get a chance and living in Toronto I get the opportunity to watch 4-5 Serie A games a week, 3-4 English Premiership games a week, and 3-4 Spanish La Liga games a week along with a few from Germany and France. My good friend of mine plays in the German league and I try to follow him as much as I can. Anyways,
EVERY SINGLE player that plays in the Italian league can leave Italy and play in any other league and will be a Star or even a Superstar meanwhile when other Superstars come to the Italian league from elsewhere they do nothing and are bench warmers.

Now you are probably thinking that I am full of sh*it but sit back and think about it and get back to me when you want to prove me wrong as there are very few stars who come to Italy and do well, meanwhile almost every single player that leaves Italy to go elsewhere is an automatic star.

Lets look at some examples.
From England-->Italy and from Italy-->England
1. Paul Ince - he was a superstar in England. He came over to Inter-Milan for 1 or 2 years and he just stunk. He could not put two passes together. He was boo'd right out of town and driven back to England where he then flurished again instantly.

2. Robbie Keane - what a joke. He is a great player in England and for Ireland but as soon as he came over to Italy he looked like he never played soccer before in his life? He was completly lost, WHY....because he really isn't that good!

3. Thierry Henry - he is a superstar, he is an amazing striker. But before he went to Arsenal he played for Juventus and didn't do to much. I know he was young then so this might be an exception but he would not do well in the Italian league as his style clashes in Serie A.

Lets look at the other side of the table:
1. Gianfranco Zola - he was a star in Italy, he moved over to Chelsea and he was an instant star there not only played well but winning EPL player of the year two times in a row. He was and still is a wizard in the EPL and he is almost 37 or 38 years old.

2. Paolo DiCanio - he was an average player in Italy, then he moved over to West Ham and VOILA, SUPERSTAR status. He has had great success instantly and is still a leader for West Ham.

3. Massimo Maccarone - he was in Serie B last year, now he is scoring goals for Middlesbourgh and playing well all year. Surprise Surprise.

THIS THEORY does not only work for Italian players, it works for all players that leave the Serie A and move over to the EPL. They are instant stars but who ever comes over to the Italian league can't do jack.

Same works for Italy to Spain and vice versa.

NOW, I WANT you guys to reply to this message and name me a player that has went to Italy and done well from another league or of someone who has left Italy and hasn't done a think in another league. IT will take you a few minutes as there aren't that many, just proving that Serie A is the #1 league and still is in terms of talent and skill.

Italy - No longer the best league in Europe. Formerly Italy was THE place to see the best football on the planet with attacking skills that just had to be admired to unlock such negative, defensive teams. Teams in this league are obsessed with tactics and tend to strangle attack minded players - that's why usually when ITalian attackers leave ITaly and go to Spain or England they do really well cos they actually have some room to operate in - The Italian league breeds the best defenders. Discpline is of the highest order in Italy players know their roles and are always expected to stay where their manager tells them to. such restriction has stifled even the best talents - Rivaldo can't get to grips with the restrictive nature of the football in serie A - In Italy you will see the best squads in Europe with millions of pounds worth of talent just sitting on the bench - because the teams are so cautious they make sure every aspect of the team is covered with a strong player on the bench which often leads to player discontentment and team rifts. In the early and mid 90's Italian football was fantastic - towards the end of the 90's into this decade the balance of power shifted away from Italy as teams from other countries sussed how to play against Italian teams. Defenders give their all to shut out opposing players often getting booked or red carded to stop a goal this can lead to very stiff games with few chances for either team. At it's best this league has alot to offer with teams playing the footballing equivalent of chess and often you can witness moments of greatness from an individual trying to breach the opposition. At it's worst this league is so dull you wll literally fall asleep in your chair as each team cancels the other out with neative tactics and a lak of ambition in going for the decisive goal. 3points are great a point is expected and 0points is a disgrace.


I wrote this on the very first page of this thread.

These days the best attacking players have no interest in going to Italy only to be stifled by negative, dull tactics in which they are restricted to a more linear style of play.

The current generation of 'soon-to-be' world stars such as Ronaldinho, Aimar, Rooney, Robinho, Diego, D'Allsendro aren't going to be seen in Serie A..La Liga is the 1st option then EPL..

Apart from money why would an upcoming flambouyent attacking player want to go to Serie A anymore?

Oh and David Platt went to Italy and was a star.

[Mobile]

Originally posted by ECMoney
I am going to be the devils advocate to your post and I want you and everyone else to answer back to me when they get a chance.

First of all there are only 3 big leagues. Italian, Spanish, and English. The German is a distant 4th and they are definitely in 4th. Out of the Top 3, alot of people have different views but I want to bring something up and you can answer me back with what you think.

I think that the Italian Serie A is the top league and always has been. YES they slumped in Europe for the past 2 years but everyone has slumps from time to time and they are now back (as you notice two teams in the final of the Champions League).

Basically I disagree that Serie A is and always has been the top league.

In my opinion there isn't much to choose between the big 3 but English clubs have won more trophies than clubs from any other country. That is a fact - and it would suggest that Serie A has NOT always been top in Europe. In the late 1970s and early 1980s English clubs dominated.

And what happens if Italian clubs suffer another 'slump' next year? It could easily happen.

[Jawz10]

Originally posted by Dark Savante
These days the best attacking players have no interest in going to Italy only to be stifled by negative, dull tactics in which they are restricted to a more linear style of play.

The current generation of 'soon-to-be' world stars such as Ronaldinho, Aimar, Rooney, Robinho, Diego, D'Allsendro aren't going to be seen in Serie A..La Liga is the 1st option then EPL.. One, Rooney should never be mentioned with any of those players. Two, Ronaldinho and D'Allesandro have already shown interest in playing in Serie A as well as other talents not mentioned such as Van Der Vaert etc. . .

Apart from money why would an upcoming flambouyent attacking player want to go to Serie A anymore? Ummm, because the clubs are huge, the players are world famous and its the ultimate proving ground for any player. It may not be the most attractive but there is no doubt it is the most difficult to play in. Ask all the flamboyant players who are already there.

Basically, if your argument were true none of the fantastic foreign players who are there now would be there. Duh.

[ECMoney]

Originally posted by sinner_ronald_monk
Dont talk crap ,lad.
Those examples are ludicrous.

Paul ince
Was a reasonable performer for Inter Milan .
The claim that he was "booed out of town" is fiction.

Robbie Keane
Never had a chance in the inter milan team..
How many games did he start?? Did they ever give him a run in the first team?? errr no they didnt.
How can you be a failure if you dont even get a chance to play??

Thierry henry
You really showed your total lack of knowledge on this one.
Juve played henry as a left wing back and never gave him a run in decent run in the first team.
They never played him as a striker .It was arsenal who converted him to a striker .It took him about 4 or months to adapt to the striker role but once he hit form he hasnt looked back since.


Franco Zola
His goal return is pretty modest if you actually check his record for chelsea.He's a good little player but its not like he has won any championships or been a major top goalscorer.
He has been a decent player on a not-bad team..
nothing more ,nothing less.

paolo di canio
Di canio has a high profile but he has never been a major player in any trophy winning team.
He has played for sheff weds and west ham and won nothing...He generally scores about 12 league goals a year .Thats nothing special is it???
Played for mid-table clubs ,won nothing and a mediocre goal record...
BIG DEAL!!!!!

Massimo macarone
hahahaha dont me laugh with this one.
Maccarone came to boro after being italys top player at the european under-21 championships in Switzerland. He had a big reputation despite the fact that he played for Empoli.
He scored a handful of goals at the start of the season ,had a goal drought in mid season ,lost his place in the starting 11 ,threatened to go home and hasnt been seen since...
what a joke of an example....


The good thing about the last 4 years when italian clubs did crap was that I didnt have to read rubbish written by mouthy gobshites like yourself.
Arrogant contempt for every other league .

I respect all the top leagues in europe... spain,italy,england ,germany ,holland or whatever..
You're just a armchair wanker fan who jumps on the serie A bandwagon to have an excuse to bash other peoples football.
Gloryhunters like you are pondlife.


Hey sinner_ronald_monk,
If you read my first post I said I was just going to be the Devil's advocate. I am not jumping onto the Serie A bandwagon, nor do I disrespect the other big leagues (England and Spain). I think that the Italian and Spanish leagues are ranked #1 and #2 (no specific order). I think that the English Premiership is ranked 3rd and then the German league is ranked 4th.

I have been watching soccer for 2 decades now and have seen many stars come to Serie A and fail miserably. If you dont think that Paul Ince failed when he came over to Inter-Milan you are mistaken. He could not put two straight passes together and was just driven into the ground by the media in Serie A. Serie A is not an easy place to play, if you do not perform instantly the media is all over your back and you can't even sleep at night! Paul Ince found this out the hard way.

Anyways, what if a player like Francesco Totti or Alessandro Del Piero (who are both stars in Serie A) moved over to the English Premiership. What if Totti joined Newcastle, Man United, Leeds? I can almost guarantee you that he would have instant success anywhere he played as playing in Serie A prepares you well and allows you to perform at a high level everywhere else.

[ECMoney]

Originally posted by Dark Savante


The current generation of 'soon-to-be' world stars such as Ronaldinho, Aimar, Rooney, Robinho, Diego, D'Allsendro aren't going to be seen in Serie A..La Liga is the 1st option then EPL..

Apart from money why would an upcoming flambouyent attacking player want to go to Serie A anymore?

Oh and David Platt went to Italy and was a star.

What a joke! D"Allesandro has been dying to play for Juventus and most likely will be playing for Juventus starting next season. He has been linked with Juventus management for some months now.
Ronaldinho is finally planning on leaving PSG and where do you think he is headed, Inter-Milan are the lead candidates for him as we speak. If you want proof I will send you a link to read all about it. Rooney, if he came over to Italy right now he would be smothered and then sitting on the bench without a drop of confidence in his body whatsoever. It would be the worst move of his career. He would not do well in Serie A, I can guarantee you that.

AS for David Platt, I beleive I mentioned him already when I started posting. He played well in Serie A and I beleive years ago he made a comment that Serie A is on another level than the EPL. Alot more challenging and competitive. I recall him stating that the EPL only has 3 or 4 teams who can beat you on any night but the Serie A have 13-15 teams that can squeeze the life out of you with foriegn stars on almost EVERY SINGLE TEAM IN THE LEAGUE! I recall Ruud Gullit backed him up as well as Gianluca Vialli after he made those comments as they all played in both the EPL and Serie A. There you have it, one Englishman, one Italian, and one Dutch all with the same opinions!

[Jawz10]

Originally posted by sinner_ronald_monk
Robbie Keane
Never had a chance in the inter milan team..
How many games did he start?? Did they ever give him a run in the first team?? errr no they didnt.
How can you be a failure if you dont even get a chance to play?? Yes they did. But, he was behind VIERI AND RONALDO in the pecking order. It wasn't his fault.

Thierry henry
You really showed your total lack of knowledge on this one.
Juve played henry as a left wing back and never gave him a run in decent run in the first team.
They never played him as a striker .It was arsenal who converted him to a striker .It took him about 4 or months to adapt to the striker role but once he hit form he hasnt looked back since.He played as a left winger, not wing back. And he is a Wenger, always was at Monaco and he still drifts out there to dribble by opponents. Trying him at center foward was a genius move by Wenger.


Franco Zola
His goal return is pretty modest if you actually check his record for chelsea.He's a good little player but its not like he has won any championships or been a major top goalscorer.
He has been a decent player on a not-bad team..
nothing more ,nothing less.
Wasn't he voted greatest Chelsea player of all time, or was at least in the running? I could be wrong.


paolo di canio
Di canio has a high profile but he has never been a major player in any trophy winning team.
He has played for sheff weds and west ham and won nothing...He generally scores about 12 league goals a year .Thats nothing special is it???
Played for mid-table clubs ,won nothing and a mediocre goal record...
BIG DEAL!!!!!

Scored goal of the season, has a chant named after him, is generally loved and hailed as "brilliant". . . And besides would Kevin Phillips score 12 goals in Italy, James Beatie? Patrick Kluivert? The answer to all three is no.


Massimo macarone
hahahaha dont me laugh with this one.
Maccarone came to boro after being italys top player at the european under-21 championships in Switzerland. He had a big reputation despite the fact that he played for Empoli.
He scored a handful of goals at the start of the season ,had a goal drought in mid season ,lost his place in the starting 11 ,threatened to go home and hasnt been seen since...
what a joke of an example....
That Borough even bought him is funny though because the opposite would never happen.


The good thing about the last 4 years when italian clubs did crap was that I didnt have to read rubbish written by mouthy gobshites like yourself.
Arrogant contempt for every other league . I for one am not arrogant, Serie A has done well but is still not at the pinnacle. It seems people like you are the ones instigating conflicts because you don't like opposing opinions.

[Mobile]

Originally posted by Jawz10
One, Rooney should never be mentioned with any of those players.

Why not? Coz he hasn't got a fancy-sounding Spanish name?

How much have you seen of the kid? He is a phenomenal talent - he won man of the match on his England debut against the team that finished 3rd at the World Cup - he has scored quality goals against top opposition this year - and he's only 17.

To say he should never be mentioned with those other players (and apart from Ronaldinho, that lot have done absolutely ******** all on the world stage) is rather stupid.