Leighton Baines

devilish said:
Before joining Everton, Baines was at Wigan and the only two clubs bidding for him were Sunderland and Everton. At Everton he gained confidence, he improved and became an English international.
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He was massively linked to pretty much everyone and was very highly rated which is why he cost millions of £s. You make it sound like he was some unknown who Everton discovered and took a gamble on.

A fantastic signing for Everton for sure but lets not re-write history here.
 
duffer said:
He was massively linked to pretty much everyone and was very highly rated which is why he cost millions of £s. You make it sound like he was some unknown who Everton discovered and took a gamble on.

A fantastic signing for Everton for sure but lets not re-write history here.
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Ah being massively linked with many clubs...same as Bebe was linked with Real right?

The truth is that the only two clubs bidding for him back then where Sunderland and Everton and he moved for the latter for the rumoured massive sum of erm 5-6m. At Everton Baines gained confidence (there were times he even questioned himself if he was good enough for the EPL), he became one of the best EPL full backs and an English international.
 
LR7 said:
So you think Baines didn't push to move here because he is Anti-Glazer?
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I think he didn't pushed a move because he's a decent person. Everton turned him from a low EPL club level player with confidence issues to one of the best EPL fullbacks and an international. Why should he backstab them by giving them a transfer request in a bid to lower the price when the club who wanted him is the richest franchise in football? Surely Everton deserved and needed the money more then we do right?

As I said, we keep complaining of how greedy players have become. For once we've found one who is grateful towards his club and would only leave if with its blessing. Questioning his ambition sounds cocky for me. Its the same shit my Italian mates used to say when the likes of Robson and Giggs refused to go to the richer Italian clubs back in the 80s and 90s.
 
devilish said:
Ah being massively linked with many clubs...same as Bebe was linked with Real right?

The truth is that the only two clubs bidding for him back then where Sunderland and Everton and he moved for the latter for the rumoured massive sum of erm 5-6m. At Everton Baines gained confidence (there were times he even questioned himself if he was good enough for the EPL), he became one of the best EPL full backs and an English international.
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I think you'll find the man who gave him that confidence and helped him become the player he is now, is currently the manager of Manchester United, so I don't see why 'Everton believing in him when no one else did' (as you say) is a reason to stay there when in fact David Moyes was responsible for that.


Fwiw I'm glad we didn't get him, but your reasoning is poor, just like the thing you said about the Glazers on the previous page.
 
LR7 said:
I think you'll find the man who gave him that confidence and helped him become the player he is now, is currently the manager of Manchester United, so I don't see why 'Everton believing in him when no one else did' (as you say) is a reason to stay there when in fact David Moyes was responsible for that.


Fwiw I'm glad we didn't get him, but your reasoning is poor, just like the thing you said about the Glazers on the previous page.
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The manager is just a cog in the system. In very rare circumstances they become highly important such as SAF was. However many of them are nothing but highly paid employees. What makes a club are its owners and the fans. The former device the policies and strategies of a club and were it heading to. For example the Venky's ruined Blackburn, the Edwards turned United from a football club to a PLC and the Agnellis were the first owners in Italy who believed that a club should be financially self sustainable. The latter will stick to the club whatever happens and will significantly shape the mentality of the club. For example Lazio has a substantial number of fans who are fascists, Liverpool have a substantial number of fans who are deluded and United have a substantial number of fans who believe that the club should play attacking football and should always keep an eye to youths. Between Busby and SAF we've had plenty of third rated managers but our mentality never changed

Returning to Baines I am pretty confident that if United and Everton agreed to a fee then Baines wouldn't have turned us down. However the fact that he didn't pushed the deal which would surely made him richer and increase his chances of winning important honors made me respect him more. It means that there are still players around who are loyal to their employees. That is something to be praised rather then criticized.
 
devilish said:
The manager is just a cog in the system. In very rare circumstances they become highly important such as SAF was. However many of them are nothing but highly paid employees. What makes a club are its owners and the fans. The former device the policies and strategies of a club and were it heading to. For example the Venky's ruined Blackburn, the Edwards turned United from a football club to a PLC and the Agnellis were the first owners in Italy who believed that a club should be financially self sustainable. The latter will stick to the club whatever happens and will significantly shape the mentality of the club. For example Lazio has a substantial number of fans who are fascists, Liverpool have a substantial number of fans who are deluded and United have a substantial number of fans who believe that the club should play attacking football and should always keep an eye to youths. Between Busby and SAF we've had plenty of third rated managers but our mentality never changed

Returning to Baines I am pretty confident that if United and Everton agreed to a fee then Baines wouldn't have turned us down. However the fact that he didn't pushed the deal which would surely made him richer and increase his chances of winning important honors made me respect him more. It means that there are still players around who are loyal to their employees. That is something to be praised rather then criticized.
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Not trying to improve yourself as an individual gains Zero respect from me. Money was just a bonus.
 
Mainoldo said:
Not trying to improve yourself as an individual gains Zero respect from me. Money was just a bonus.
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That's the same kind of reasoning Italian fans used to have when the likes of Giggs and Robson refused to join the then superior Italian clubs back in the 80s and early 90s. Needless to say that I disagree which that reasoning.

I am sure that Baines would be thrilled to join Manchester United. It would mean more money and a realistic chance of winning honours which career wise will be done in a safe environment (Moyes knows him well and would support him). It just that he doesn't want to back stab the club who made him the player he is now by handling a transfer request.
 
Elliott said:
How ironic is that coming from someone who judges a player based on 45 minutes of footie?
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Ish84045 said:
I don't want us to sign Baines as I'd rather give Fabio a chance, or worst case, sign someone like Coentrao or Shaw if Moyes really wants to sign a lb but your post is just a bit OTT.

You judged him on 45 minutes? Clearly Baines is talented and EPL proven. He's been probably the best and most consistent lb over the past 2-3 seasons. That's why Moyes would be interested in signing him.
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Point accepted, but i was shocked at how average he looked compared to the other players. And its not as though he was playing against a team of any great ability. Against such opposition, I'd have expected to have seen a glimpse of his much vaunted attacking prowess. But I didn't. It wasn't simply me, my brother in law who was with me was even more scathing and were most of the fans around me.
 
Ekeke said:
Oh no, Baines has lost that group of fans. His career is over as he knows it
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Heart = broken.
Leighton-Baines-pa_2991004.jpg
 
fecking cracking goals, the second one was :drool:
 
His FKs were the main reason I would have been excited to see him in a United shirt.
 
The most electrifying icon in sports entertainment.

But on a serious note, what a majestic left foot he has.
 
I must say I really wanted us to get him. Would have improved our whole team.
 
He is brilliant. He brings more to the table than Evra. I'd expect us to go in for him again.
 
Brwned said:
Does that mean you think he is better than Evra was at his peak?
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(He's definitely not.)

Still not at all bothered that we didn't get him. Evra is underrated amongst United supporters who take his assets for granted and only see his flaws. We need someone to be his replacement one day, but he's more than good enough to be a top European club's first choice LB now, so I'd rather we go for someone a bit younger than Baines. Fabio is perfectly good back-up for now.
 
I don't see us going for him next summer, we might try our luck again in January but Everton clearly don't want to sell unless it's funny money.

He is a quality player but his age is against him.
 
Baines is a mediocre defender, scoring 4 good freekicks a season doesn't compensate.
 
Ramshock said:
But...but Evra we have Evra and he is 28 and and...oh feck off
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It seems to really upset you that some people don't think Baines is that great. That's a bit weird, don't you think?
 
Sixpence said:
:wenger: And that's relevant to?

Not bothered about the past. Baines would be an upgrade right now.
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Strange reaction to a simple question. I just wanted to know whether you thought the fact that Baines has more to his game made him a better player, as Evra has just as much to his game now as he did then. He was just better at them. In fact he's a threat from set pieces and is a better crosser now so he has more to his game than back then.
 
Goooose said:
It's ridiculous that he's not England's first choice left back.
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Mental but England for years have been picking player on reputation/big name basis rather than what ability they have or what they bring to the team. See Carrick/Scholes for reference.
 
Irwinwastheking said:
Mental but England for years have been picking player on reputation/big name basis rather than what ability they have or what they bring to the team. See Carrick/Scholes for reference.
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Oh yeah, it's been going on for years, but at least it was a somewhat harder choice in the past. It's clear as day who our best LB is at the moment. I still hope we sign him, would almost be like having Irwin (the real one, no offense) back in the side.
 
Yep. I was an advocate for the transfer and tbh I couldn't care less how much of the Glazer's money we spend or if it makes financial sense.
 
Baines could have a good 4-5 years left.
 
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