Summer Transfer Thread and Gustavo Cisneros Type Rumours.

[Rory]

Obviously my thought process is very different to that of professional footballers, but I struggle to understand why so many of them care so much about England. I'd rather have my balls waxed by Abu Hamza than get involved in the horse shit of international football.

And that's not a national identity thing, because if I were a cricketer I'd absolutely want to play for England above anything else.

[Drummond]

Obviously my thought process is very different to that of professional footballers, but I struggle to understand why so many of them care so much about England. I'd rather have my balls waxed by Abu Hamza than get involved in the horse shit of international football.

And that's not a national identity thing, because if I were a cricketer I'd absolutely want to play for England above anything else.

I think as a player it's different. It's supposedly the pinnacle. As fans it's shit, there are friendlies galore, whereas in cricket there's no such thing.

Even rugby is different a bit these days as there are so many internationals.

[Rory]

Obviously my thought process is very different to that of professional footballers, but I struggle to understand why so many of them care so much about England. I'd rather have my balls waxed by Abu Hamza than get involved in the horse shit of international football.

And that's not a national identity thing, because if I were a cricketer I'd absolutely want to play for England above anything else.

I think as a player it's different. It's supposedly the pinnacle.

I know what you mean, but how much of that is media hype? For every Euros final or World Cup semi-final, there are ten qualifying games against Latvia or Jamaica, and five friendlies against New Zealand or something.

Same with the Champions League. The media focus is on the San Siro, the Bernabeu. But most CL games are played in the Letzigrund stadium or the Polish Army Stadium.

They play against better quality most weeks in the PL.

[Risso]

They play against better quality most weeks in the PL.

I think it's just in a footballer's mindset that international football is the peak. You're getting chosen from all available players of a certain nationality, and as long as you're not Scottish you get to play at a major tournament every couple of years.

[dave.woodhall]

It might not be the same thing but I interviewed almost all of the Legendary 14 and asked if they'd prefer the medals they won to even one cap. Every one went for the medals.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Obviously my thought process is very different to that of professional footballers, but I struggle to understand why so many of them care so much about England. I'd rather have my balls waxed by Abu Hamza than get involved in the horse shit of international football.

And that's not a national identity thing, because if I were a cricketer I'd absolutely want to play for England above anything else.

I think as a player it's different. It's supposedly the pinnacle.

Surely the pinnacle would be playing for one of the better countries that have a realistic chance of winning something. As a Germanic nation, I'm surprised more players don't try and find a long lost Saxon relative.

[Rory]

They play against better quality most weeks in the PL.

as long as you're not Scottish you get to play at a major tournament every couple of years.

Or Irish.

[Rory]

It might not be the same thing but I interviewed almost all of the Legendary 14 and asked if they'd prefer the medals they won to even one cap. Every one went for the medals.

I don't expect anyone to agree with me, but if I were paid the same amount for each, I'd rather score once in front of the Holte End than score 100 times for England/Ireland/anybody else I may qualify to play for.

I know it isn't a simple either/or, and there are lots of things to consider, but for me, that's what football is all about.

[Drummond]

It might not be the same thing but I interviewed almost all of the Legendary 14 and asked if they'd prefer the medals they won to even one cap. Every one went for the medals.

That's different because it's the Villa. ;-)

[Risso]

It might not be the same thing but I interviewed almost all of the Legendary 14 and asked if they'd prefer the medals they won to even one cap. Every one went for the medals.

I don't expect anyone to agree with me, but if I were paid the same amount for each, I'd rather score once in front of the Holte End than score 100 times for England/Ireland/anybody else I may qualify to play for.

I know it isn't a simple either/or, and there are lots of things to consider, but for me, that's what football is all about.

I agree with you, but most players don't play for their boyhood club though.

[LeonW]

This nonsense about 'not understanding what goes on in the real football world' seems to be the modern catch all for "I don't want to explain the reality further, because it will make me look bad." It's idiotic on Joe's part to say Tweet that after the interview he gave. If he's trying to control the perception of his leaving he's failing badly and just making it worse each time he opens his mouth. I suspect he's going to understand exactly what 'goes on in the real football world' the first game back he plays at VP.

[Rory]

It might not be the same thing but I interviewed almost all of the Legendary 14 and asked if they'd prefer the medals they won to even one cap. Every one went for the medals.

I don't expect anyone to agree with me, but if I were paid the same amount for each, I'd rather score once in front of the Holte End than score 100 times for England/Ireland/anybody else I may qualify to play for.

I know it isn't a simple either/or, and there are lots of things to consider, but for me, that's what football is all about.

I agree with you, but most players don't play for their boyhood club though.

Nope, true so.

[RichardBatchelor]

The drink driving incident, any other player, any other club, we are hammering them. Could easily have been 100 times worse. The signs were always there, we chose to ignore them.

In any other job he'd have been sacked and quite likely gone to prison.

Please correct me if I’m mistaken, but I think he was done for reckless driving, not a drink-driving related offence, so unlikely he’d have gone to prison whatever his profession.

[Villan82]

The section of support that you'd describe how exactly?

I guess the more exteme / highly strung?

Feel you have been on a wind up since the Rat walked out on us.

[Ian.]

It might not be the same thing but I interviewed almost all of the Legendary 14 and asked if they'd prefer the medals they won to even one cap. Every one went for the medals.

I don't expect anyone to agree with me, but if I were paid the same amount for each, I'd rather score once in front of the Holte End than score 100 times for England/Ireland/anybody else I may qualify to play for.

I know it isn't a simple either/or, and there are lots of things to consider, but for me, that's what football is all about.

I agree with you, but most players don't play for their boyhood club though.

Nope, true so.

It’s Risso.