Anyone feel PSG have gone backwards this summer? Lost their star player Zlatan and not replaced him
Is Verratti wasting his career away at PSG? (other stars who avoided big moves...)
- Thread starter Raees
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It's hard to tell, since they didn't replaced him because they want to base their success on the team instead of on a star player. Emery has been given the player he wanted.
I thought they really wanted him to stay?
I was surprised they were not involved in the Pogba saga at all though I don't think he was keen on the French League for this step in his career.
I deeply think:
- he was bored with the competition
- he was bored with the coach Laurent Blanc (a boring coach for many reasons BTW) who had renewed his contract in April (and after the fiasco in the ECL, he was still expected to continue with PSG)
- He knew Blanc wasn't the man of the situation to win the Champions League. Blanc was sacked 2 or 3 weeks after the decision of Zlatan to leave the club.
- he knew he couldn't make a better season with PSG
I think Zlatan is always looking for new challenges: Sweden, Netherlands, Italy, Spain then Italy, France, now England and certainly the United States after that.
It's fantastic for him to discover the EPL at his age and he knew it was the right time to join a big club there.
That is the impression I get of him.
You should ask @Downcast but there is a big difference between how they acted in the last weeks of Ibrahimovic and how they acted after it. I don't think they care all that much about Ibrahimovic and the second he left, it was clear that they weren't going to replace him with a flashy player.
He did well at Middlesbrough but at a bigger club he may have had a platform to have better career.
I prefer to compare Beckenbauer with Pelé as far as I'm concerned.
Where is Juninho (27 years in 2002) this day?
My God, how butthurt are you about Juninho
That's Juninho Paulista.
Perhaps if he'd tried his luck in one of bigger leagues, he would not be "the other Juninho".
The chairman of PSG has a big ego and can't say 'Zlatan has denied our offer and doesn't want to continue with us'.
The coach Laurent Blanc publicly said he did want him to renew his contract.
Zlatan has never said in 2016 'I want to pursue with PSG' but used to say 'We never know. Everything is possible in Football'.
For instance, he never took part in the before-games press conferences with PSG in the last seasons but did it just one time.
This time was in London before the 2nd leg against Chelsea because he did want to send the following message 'I am open to a new challenge in the EPL'.
Let's say there was a gentleman agreement between the chairman of PSG & Mino Raiola in the last months by saying that 'Any decision regarding the future of Zlatan will be taken by mutual agreement'.
You know well the QSI style: they are always looking for flashy offensive players but the mega stars can't or don't want to join PSG nowadays.
According to the press, PSG has tried to get Neymar.
The coach Laurent Blanc publicly said he did want him to renew his contract.
Zlatan has never said in 2016 'I want to pursue with PSG' but used to say 'We never know. Everything is possible in Football'.
For instance, he never took part in the before-games press conferences with PSG in the last seasons but did it just one time.
This time was in London before the 2nd leg against Chelsea because he did want to send the following message 'I am open to a new challenge in the EPL'.
Let's say there was a gentleman agreement between the chairman of PSG & Mino Raiola in the last months by saying that 'Any decision regarding the future of Zlatan will be taken by mutual agreement'.
You know well the QSI style: they are always looking for flashy offensive players but the mega stars can't or don't want to join PSG nowadays.
According to the press, PSG has tried to get Neymar.
He shouldn't stay in Ligue Un for long really if he wants to become a real gem.
Not at all, very much the opposite
Real or Barca? They only play each other a few times a year then a couple hard matches againt Atleti. PSG play in the CL too so Verratti is only missing out on 6 - 8 hard games in la liga. A challenge would be the PL
With respect to the status of PSG, which player which you could say is the best in the world in his position and for me Verratti is arguably the best, well in the top two in his position has retired playing their prime in just the French League.
I get the examples of Shearer, Mahrez etc.. but they're playing in the english league.. which despite its dips, is a historic league and considered one of the big 4 leagues. Same goes for the Bundesliga. Plus they are not potential greatest of all time in their positions, they're just good players.. Shearer was world class, but only bigger club he could have gone to was United. If he went abroad, it would have been a huge risk for his reputation as his style of play might not succeed there.. same can't be argued about Verratti.
I still think it would be a great shame that a guy who has the talent to match the likes of the greatest CM's of all time.. a modern day Xavi with possibly even more to his game could possibly see his entire career in the french league. The worst thing about that league is that no one really watches it, let alone the lack of quality competition. At the end of his career, all those league titles in an all time context will not really be worth that much especially if PSG still fail to make an impact in Europe.
La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, EPL.. you can't be telling me that the french league comes close to these 4 leagues.
@Gio I think Larsson secured his legacy with that moves to Barca and we saw for ourselves how brilliant he was even in that short spell with United. I still think he could have done so much more if he had played in a better league and his reputation would be even more enhanced.
Bottom line is that the player himself might not give two shits about the legacy aspect and probably really enjoys himself at PSG and feels comfortable there. That is fine, but the question of whether he has wasted his career or not.. falls to us the observers, not him. He'll think he's had a good career, but as football fans you can't be telling me you're happy about Verratti plying his trade there when we want this lad strutting his stuff against the best teams on a regular basis.
I just hope he reads this thread and fecking comes here.. him and Pogba would be perfect and he is meant to be really close to Zlatan.
I get the examples of Shearer, Mahrez etc.. but they're playing in the english league.. which despite its dips, is a historic league and considered one of the big 4 leagues. Same goes for the Bundesliga. Plus they are not potential greatest of all time in their positions, they're just good players.. Shearer was world class, but only bigger club he could have gone to was United. If he went abroad, it would have been a huge risk for his reputation as his style of play might not succeed there.. same can't be argued about Verratti.
I still think it would be a great shame that a guy who has the talent to match the likes of the greatest CM's of all time.. a modern day Xavi with possibly even more to his game could possibly see his entire career in the french league. The worst thing about that league is that no one really watches it, let alone the lack of quality competition. At the end of his career, all those league titles in an all time context will not really be worth that much especially if PSG still fail to make an impact in Europe.
La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, EPL.. you can't be telling me that the french league comes close to these 4 leagues.
@Gio I think Larsson secured his legacy with that moves to Barca and we saw for ourselves how brilliant he was even in that short spell with United. I still think he could have done so much more if he had played in a better league and his reputation would be even more enhanced.
Bottom line is that the player himself might not give two shits about the legacy aspect and probably really enjoys himself at PSG and feels comfortable there. That is fine, but the question of whether he has wasted his career or not.. falls to us the observers, not him. He'll think he's had a good career, but as football fans you can't be telling me you're happy about Verratti plying his trade there when we want this lad strutting his stuff against the best teams on a regular basis.
I just hope he reads this thread and fecking comes here.. him and Pogba would be perfect and he is meant to be really close to Zlatan.
If he loves living in Paris, makes a buttload of money and wins the league every year, I'm sure he'll be fine with his career by the time he retires.
PSG are not Barca or Real but they're on a par with anyone in the Premier League in terms of squad quality, if not better. PSG winning the Champions League in the next few years is far from impossible.
PSG are not Barca or Real but they're on a par with anyone in the Premier League in terms of squad quality, if not better. PSG winning the Champions League in the next few years is far from impossible.
Veratti the potential GOAT in his position? He didn't even make the Ballon D'Or short list in the past couple of seasons.
I haven't seen extensive amounts of Veratti but am hugely sceptical of how highly rated he seems to have become (on here anyway).
I haven't seen extensive amounts of Veratti but am hugely sceptical of how highly rated he seems to have become (on here anyway).
Not the best ever but one of the best ever. In terms of talent, just watch the video against Barcelona.. you can't be telling me that he doesn't look like a potential once in a generation talent. Ordinary footballers don't do that to Barcelona.
The fact you haven't seen extensive amounts of Verratti.. highlights the entire issue in a nutshell. No one sees enough of him because he's playing in a poor domestic league of little international significance.
A great man once said "It's Aon!", so in that spirit "it's Ligue 1!".
Would any club other than Barcelona guarantee him more money and trophies than PSG? I don't see why he would have to leave.
For perspective, he's only 23 and has as many league titles (4) as Cristiano Ronaldo.
For perspective, he's only 23 and has as many league titles (4) as Cristiano Ronaldo.
Great point. You should sell us Bellerin asap.
I have seen him play a decent number of games though and I remember when Jack Wilshere bossed the Barca midfield!
I do like Veratti as a player admittedly.
The lad looks like he is going to be the perfect replacement for Modric at Real, once he is past his best.
I wouldn't say he was wasting his career playing for PSG as he's playing with some brilliant players, more so wasting his career in Ligue 1, but I guess they go hand-in-hand.
I think staying with PSG for this season, and maybe next season would be good for him. I mean, he could move to a top club that's apart of a top league now but there's no rush. He's going to be working under a good manager in Emery, potentially playing in one of the best midfields in Europe alongside Pastore and Krychowiak, and challenging for every trophy available. He got a lot of time on his hands yet, and I think PSG will be a lot better this year so I wouldn't blame him for wanting to stick around to take part in Emery's project as they could well be real contenders for the CL. The reason I say he could stick round another year after that is because I think next year is where Emery's PSG will be at their best and he'd be a focal point in that team.
I'd like to see him in a better league, too, but I can completely understand his reasons for staying. I think he'll stay until around 2018.
I think staying with PSG for this season, and maybe next season would be good for him. I mean, he could move to a top club that's apart of a top league now but there's no rush. He's going to be working under a good manager in Emery, potentially playing in one of the best midfields in Europe alongside Pastore and Krychowiak, and challenging for every trophy available. He got a lot of time on his hands yet, and I think PSG will be a lot better this year so I wouldn't blame him for wanting to stick around to take part in Emery's project as they could well be real contenders for the CL. The reason I say he could stick round another year after that is because I think next year is where Emery's PSG will be at their best and he'd be a focal point in that team.
I'd like to see him in a better league, too, but I can completely understand his reasons for staying. I think he'll stay until around 2018.
PSG had Zlatan in his prime, you gimps.
For Larsson it was a nice footnote to his career and a further indication of his class. But his reputation was already nailed down and at Barca/United he actually wasn't quite the same swashbuckling player he was at his peak, so it wasn't a huge deal IMO. Unless we're really blinkered and refuse to acknowledge anyone outside of the big 3 leagues. Now if you're comparing Larsson with someone like Christian Vieri or Gabriel Batistuta, you'd give them the edge because of their proven goalscoring in a tougher league, plus all the comparable domestic and international kudos.
As for Verratti, if he's proving himself in the Champions League, in the big games in the French league, and for Italy, his reputation is secure. The only concern is if he is playing as a flat-track bully, only cutting it against poor opposition. But that's clearly not the case, so it's a moot argument.
It's such a ridiculous, elitist and dumb notion, isn't it?
Living in Paris, playing for one of the biggest clubs in Europe(regardless of weak league competition), making bucketloads of Euros, 23 years old.
What a fecking waste.
Mids don't even peak until their late 20's really, he has plenty of time to move on later on in life if he feels the need to play in another league. As is he's playing for a team competitive in Europe and probably making enough money to secure his and his child's future if he never works another day after leaving football.
What a fecking waste.
Mids don't even peak until their late 20's really, he has plenty of time to move on later on in life if he feels the need to play in another league. As is he's playing for a team competitive in Europe and probably making enough money to secure his and his child's future if he never works another day after leaving football.
How exactly is he wasting his career if he has been making such a huge name for himself? If anything by staying at PSG his stock has been climbing and climbing.
What a waste . Playing for a top 6 champions league side, living in one of the most beautiful cities in the world . Verratti should be ashamed .
Very true. You'd think that after 3 seasons in the abyss, United fans would learn a thing or two about fan elitism but still it's prevalent
Not really. It is a temporary blip and everyone knows it, just ask Pogba and Zlatan.
Arsenal on the other hand have been losing their best players for years now because they can't offer top trophies. PSG is different because the guarantee trophies but I don't think there is any question that some players will be turned off by the idea of playing in the French league with no competition. If Veratti is one of those I don't know.
PSG's failure to get past the quarters in the CL could well be costing Veratti a degree of recognition i.e. getting onto the Ballon D'Or shortlist. It is a legitimate questions to ask if he is wasting his career in terms of glory there. Especially if PSG continue to disappoint on the biggest stage of all.
@Classical Mechanic
It was a minor blip to our status as a club with title credentials. But the last 3 seasons have taught us that our one-sided dominance in the league since its inception is somewhat over.
But I digress. With regards to Verratti he's not wasting his career. He'd be if he stuck around for several more seasons. But his progress is happening at PSG. I think he'll definitely leave IF PSG win the CL
It was a minor blip to our status as a club with title credentials. But the last 3 seasons have taught us that our one-sided dominance in the league since its inception is somewhat over.
But I digress. With regards to Verratti he's not wasting his career. He'd be if he stuck around for several more seasons. But his progress is happening at PSG. I think he'll definitely leave IF PSG win the CL
There is a lot of disrepect here by some for a lot of clubs and leagues.
Also this mindset about going to X clubs to be a top player is a very annoying thing you have in the industry too.
If you're a decent/good engineer idiots will just ask "Oh hey why aren't you working at gooogle?! Faccebok?! " That's their definition of having it "made". /rant
If you're a decent/good engineer idiots will just ask "Oh hey why aren't you working at gooogle?! Faccebok?! " That's their definition of having it "made". /rant
But nobody watches French football. I don't think it's elitist to say a player of his quality should be displaying his talents on the biggest stage possible.
Imagine Ronaldinho stayed in France rather than joinIng Barca for example.
I don't know, is De Gea wasting his career with us?
Yeah but Wilshere injury free was ridiculously talented. Injury has prevented him from reaching his potential which was best english midfielder.
They did but he had given it a big shot at Barca and failed. No one can hold it against him, he tried to reach for the stars and ultimately failed due to a number of factors.. credit to him for trying and he has still achieved a remarkable career.
Of course his reputation is secure, but Gio are you telling me that if he stays at PSG and wins no CL, and lets just say Italy never win a tournament but get to semis/finals, his reputation won't suffer in comparison to a Xavi or Pirlo (guys he has the talent to compete with)?
Obviously if he moves to a tougher league by 26, then yeah this thread is pointless but it is based on the premise he stays at PSG for the prime of his career.
No one has provided an example yet of a potentially all time great quality of talent staying in a weak league for their entire career.
Nope, he's playing in the world's bestest and only league worth following . I reckon that's what the creator of this thread meant to say.
That doesn't take into account the point of the OP.
Nor is the premise of the thread, all top top world class players need to play at Bayern, Real, Barca and United. My point was that isn't it bit of a shame that Verratti isn't testing his talents on a weekly basis in the toughest and most recognised leagues in the world, where we have a better chance of enjoying his talents. Second point was, that if he does fail to win the CL with them, it could affect the nature of his legacy as his league wins in France wouldn't be valued that highly and rightfully so imo. That is it.