OK, so this is a little experiment and investigative exercise for, the transfer muppets amongst us. I want to compile a tier list for potential signings and then see who we manage to get by September 1st and into what bracket our signings have gone. The tiers are as follows: S-Class – The elite. Superstar talent already world renown and the best this generation of players has to offer. We’ll not be getting anyone from this bracket. Examples: Messi, Ronaldo, Xavi, Yaya, Iniesta etc. Pay bracket: £50m + & £200k+ wages A-Class – Potential S-Class players who will – or are expected to - one day be marquee talents, either that, or older players who never quite make it to superstar for whatever reason, but are far and away above the average and on their day can easily produce a world class performance. In a dream world, our signings would come from this pool. Examples: Hazard, Neymar, Aguero, Martinez, Benzema, Ganso, Rodriguez, Munian etc. Pay bracket: Pay bracket: £30m - £40m + & £125k - £200k wages B-Class – Top-end domestic (any league) and/or Europa (Copa) level talent who have shown and proven themselves over a number of years, expanded to the continental game and we’re talking about those who show solid, natural progression and need a bigger club to take the chance on them. Younger players who weren’t touted as potentially top tier, but via performance, prove themselves to have greater potential than first proffered. Examples: Llorente, Kagawa, Modric, M’Vila… Pay bracket: £20m - £30m & £70k- £150k wages C-Class – Players who weren’t touted in their teens or formative years but come on in leaps and bounds in sudden bursts of performance that suggest there’s an upward trend that could become very interesting for potential suitors. Many from this group could well move on to B or even lower-ended A-Class players. Examples: Sigurdsson, Cleverley, Dempsey, T.Cahill, Dembele etc. Pay bracket: £10m - £20m & £40k - £70k wages D - Class – Players who have shown some promise and would be high on the priority list for mid-table clubs but would rarely grab the attention of the CL-level sides let alone those hoping to challenge for it on a seasonal basis. Examples: Adam, Downing, Zamora etc.. etc. Pay bracket: £5m - £15m & wage dependant on how good their agent is… generally around the £40k - £50k mark L.Y - Players in their last year of contract… we’ll probably be looking at this bracket very closely. Llorente, Van Persie (technically not) & Kagawa etc fit. Pay bracket: free - £20m wage £50k - £200k+ U – Unknowns. Completely off the radar talent for most of the top clubs who defy classification because they’re almost certainly being bought because those who are paid to scout, see something special in them, no matter what they have or haven’t done yet. Low fee and very low wage. I’ve purposely became vaguer as the list descended as I would like for us to discuss and debate the players without any tinge impinging on the process. As well as sorting out a list and then waiting to see what happens, I’d also like to know what you’d class as a great summer for us according to these categories. Let’s say we’ll get four players in this summer. Break down how you’d like that to look in terms of class. We’re not Barca, RM, City or Chelsea, so please, no: S, A, S, A type shenanigans. Personally, I think we’d have done incredibly well with one A two B’s and one from any lower bracket, whilst two A’s would be amazing. I’ll update the open list when a player for said bracket is agreed upon by consensus. We can fill out the S bracket for oop: and giggles if you lot want.. would be quite entertaining just to see who would be put there. List: S: Messi, Ronaldo, Xavi, Yaya, Iniesta, Ibrahimovic, Kompany, A: Neymar, Moura, Martinez, Mats Hummels, Kroos, Goetze, Benzema, Falcao, Reus, Ozil, Ribery, Robben, Munian, Ganso, Rodriguez, Aguero, David Silva, Thiago Silva, Hart, Tevez, Terry, Cech, Llorente*, Drogba*, RVP*, B: Pato, K-P Boateng, Muller, Modric, Gaitan, Bale, Herrera, Alba, Sahin, Gomez, Kagawa, Vertonghen, Eriksen, Huntelaar, Cavani, Milito, DiMaria, Cazorla, Dzeko, Srna, Hernanes, Riccardo Montolivo, Stevan Jovetic, Papadoupolos, Jantschke, Can C: Van der Wiel, Cabaye, Strootman, Dembele, Moses, Hoilett, Suseata, Moussa Sissoko, Belhanda, Capoue, Mbiwa, Harnik, Schurrle, Fuchs, Blaszczykowski sp?, Podolski, Stegen, Ilkay Gundogan, Sessegnon, McClean, Fellaini, Sandro, Rodwell, Tiote, Kwadwo Asamoah, Mauricio Isla, Juan Vargas, Ever Banega, Benedikt Howedes, Luuk de Jong, Herrmann, M'Vila D: Clyne, Kovacic, Zaha, Sebastian Giovinco, Diego, Christian Zapata, Oscar de Marcos, Rasmus Elm, Nacer Chadli, Javi Garcia, L.Y: Llorente, Drogba, RVP, U: Di Natale, Matija Nastasic, Gotoku Sakai, Yesil, Mitchel Weiser
if this list is to be realistic then S is probably going to be empty. unless this is a fantasy type thing
Wow, that is potentially a huge thread ds! I will start out adding my thoughts bit by bit here, as it's so big. Domestic epl based a class, not at united: hart, kompany, silva, aguero, tevez, rvp, Terry, cech, and that's about it. Many straddle the line of a/b for me, but are just not consistent enough, or are cannotplay enough due to age to be clear a. Edit: are you only wanting available players ds, ones who coldpossibly move?
I'm very interested to see how this turns out. Can I just put forward some names? A: Martinez Mats Hummels Kroos Benzema Falcao Reus Ozil Ribery Robben B: Sahin Gomez Kagawa Vertonghen Eriksen Huntlaar Cavani Milito DiMaria Cazorla C: Van der Wiel Cabaye Strootman S Kompany Pique Lahm Hazard Zlatan LY: Drogba Van Persie U: Di Natale If I've done something stupid/wrong don't hesitate to let me know. This sounds like fun.
I suppose we could do two separate ones. Or an all-inclusive one with asterisks marking those viable for us? Beings as we have the whole summer, we may as well try something mammoth. Should be entertaining enough to not die out within a week, one would hope.. we could just let SirM and johno argue about Bundesliga players, that'd be a full summer by itself!
A Neymar Moura B Modric Gaitan Rodriguez Bale (imo) Herrera (imo) Alba C Dembele Moses Hoilett Suseata Moussa Sissoko U Clyne Kovacic sp? Zaha
I like what I see here, not sure about Moses or Hoilett though, I think they are D if Susaetta is C. Who is Moura? edit: nvrmnd
Schurrle C Fuchs C Blaszczykowski sp? C Podolski C Stegen C (will probably move to a B next season) Ilkay Gundogan C
I'd place Clyne as a C myself Syed, as opposed to U. And I'm not sure about Moura as an A?? Has he done shown enough over there to elevate him to that status? @DS. I'd actually favour us creating two threads for this. One to classify our own players, and one for everyone else, available or not. I am genuinely interested to see what consensus, if any, there is regarding our own squad right now. It could also serve as a useful bench mark for us coming September 1. I'm happy to get that thread started if everyone else would be interested. Also, where would a player who was touted through his teens at an A level, but has never really kicked on once he hit his twenties fall in your eyes. I'm thinking somebody like a Ben Arfa? Sandro - B Rodwell - B Tiote - B (maybe C?)
Tiote a C for me, Fellaini is a better player than him. Rodwell a C forme as well. Basing on talent James, no he hasnt but he is what 19?
I could see the argument of Tiote being a C. He's had a very good season, but he does have limitations. I actually think his success is as much about the pairing with Cabaye as anything. Cabaye has been quietly impressive given how much he cost. He's pulled out some sublime passes this year, with a very good range to back it up. Regarding Moura. I see the potential, especially given his youth, but he's never really been quite in that A range bracket. I'd like to see him deliver even more in South America first before I elevate him to that status. For me, an A level has to be an absolute head turner in multiple areas of their game at that age. But he is very, very close, that's for sure.
/D?? for Rodwell? Really Johno? I rated him a B, and could accept an argument for a /C level, but to get down into D territory?
Apart from United who do not have a midfield to speak of, which CL club would be interested in Rodwell in anything other than a project?
Sure, go ahead and make the thread; I've feeling both in here would rapidly confuse. Ben Arfa's injury was a really bad one. It's hard to categorize someone like him at the moment. He'd have been an A/B for me before the injury. I think I made a post about him in one of the transfer threads before he went to Neecastle, too. Those who are highly touted and coveted before 20, are, by default, a B, for me, and in the majority of cases, an A, which is why they're so sought after in the first place. Rodwell's stock has to plummet given he can't stay fit for more than a month at a time.
I had always placed Rodwell as a B through his teens based on that potential and some performances at various levels of the game. However, I do acknowledge he needs to drop a level now due to those fitness concerns and the associated stunting of his development. However, a D level is a bit much Johno. Read the suggested description of that level. He would still be of interest to an CL level team from around Europe. Maybe not an A class level team, like a Madrid, Barcelona or City, but yes to many others. I bet he would be of interest to any club in England, even now, not called Man City (or maybe Chelsea).
It is like you didn't read my post which was less than 30 words. Let me repeat because I cannot make it clearer through changing the words... which CL level team would take him on as anything other than a project? imo there are plenty Europa League teams he wouldn't crack too.
Wha??? He would struggle to get into any of those teams as anything other than a squaddie. He's not an improvement for Spurs, he is not the right fit for Arsenal and he would be depth for Newcastle. Chelsea is a laugh. You must be on a wum.