He hasn't managed more than 30 games in the last 6 seasons. The PL will probably take a further toll on him. Even Varane is like a terminator in comparison.
Neymar
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Feck it I need cheering up tonight so give him a loan offer with option to buy
I would too, maybe I am biased as a Brazilian, but Neymar is quality and would be amazing in a team that's not a Circus like PSG. He's still talented as fck.
He definitely divides opinion in our fanbase
MLS or Saudi beckons by the looks of it
Surprised at this age but I suppose he's probably priced himself out of a move elsewhere in Europe
Surprised at this age but I suppose he's probably priced himself out of a move elsewhere in Europe
Saudi’s perfect for the true, purist mercenaries. All the money but without the scrutiny and grief of PSG. Plus you’re not having to play against those bloody french players that actually try, now it’s just other mercenaries
In 5 years (or less), top players will probably be going to Saudi-Arabia in their mid-twenties. Just sad.
“Bloody French players that actually try” was never Neymar’s problem - he did very well in Paris, whenever he actually played. The issue is his inability to stay fit (and possibly mental motivation in recent years?).
It's a shame how late this has come. There would have been a time, years ago, when Neymar would have been my #1 most wanted player at United
He kinda brings the circus though
PSG once had the most formidable front 3 in Europe in messi, mbappe and Neymar. And now they’re looking like a mid table French team.
We’ve got that already with Antony
He glides past those French tryers with ease and puts up the performances and the numbers, problem is the injuries.
He’s a shameless mercenary though (which was my point). If he fecks off to Saudi when he’s still got a couple of years at the absolute top of European football then it’ll only confirm this.
Almost every top club would take him if he lowered his 1M a week wage demand or whatever outlandish number it is. He could actually go compete for a few years if he wanted to before going off on a payday sunrun. But he’s been on a payday sunrun since his mid-twenties
Absolutely tossed away his whole career after just 4 years at Barcelona. Did nothing of note after that. Wasted his whole prime at that joke of a club in Paris. His entire legacy in club football is those 4 years at Barca where he was truly elite in the last 2-3yrs. Earned a feck tonnes of money sure but way to destroy or not fulfill his footballing talents. That’s why I just can’t put him above Ronaldinho, Dinho’s career was also short but he made sure he destroyed everyone in his path in that prime and won everything.
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Fantasy football stuff on paper but the reality is they was playing with 8 men out of possession because that front 3 had zero work rate, can get away with that in France but not in Europe
Did they? Feel like you’ve just looked at the names and not watched how unbalanced they were. Galáctico transfer tactics always fail for a reason.
MNM never really worked. Team looks more balanced and probably stronger if RKM is brought in. Especially if Mbappé somehow plays this final year.
Saudi bids probably be the only thing that could recoup some of that insane Neymar transfer fee.
Saudi bids probably be the only thing that could recoup some of that insane Neymar transfer fee.
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This is one take on it for sure, but there is slight exaggeration on wasted his whole prime. Neymar is a top player there is no doubt in it. There are things that you have to take into account. One is Neymar World cup exploits, injury leading up or and during 2014/18/ and 22 hamstringed him from delivering the legacy. We are always, but player X is way better. That is not to discount Ronaldinho being a outrageously talented world class Player.
Thing is he joined PSG to win Ballon D'or and be on the very top of the top, not to be a top player and have a very good career, he could have been that in Barcelona also.
Ye it’s still formidable on paper. I never said about how they performed or tactics etc. surely it’s down to the manager aswell to get the tactics right and the best out of the team.
Cristiano is a dick. No one likes him. Oh…. I see your point!
Is it? It’s old Messi, Mbappe and Neymar. I think you’d look forward to facing them if you’re a good team because offensively you’ll get so much time and space. It’s not like they set loads of goal scoring records together either.
What do you mean mate?
You have a final to play.
Left wing position needs one player.
2015 Neymar or 2006 Dinho.
Who do you pick? Neymar for you??
I think that's an absurd decision
It's the X effect, you could imagine the three of them together could work a miracle any moment.
In practice, besides Neymar not being on the pitch regularly, just a massively top heavy team with a 3 man midfield struggling to plug holes that was widely inconsistent even in the league.
Mbappé is the only one interesting to hold to because he's in prime. The combination of bringing a much mure respected coach + refreshing the front line with smaller egos should, in theory, help.
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That was never the most formidable front 3. It never played out like that on the field.
Most teams would still want it as a front 3 though. If you’ve got a solid midfield and defence then you know with them 3 you’re gonna score plenty.
Counter-example : PSG last two seasons. The midfield and perhaps defence roster was not on that level, and the strategy post-Neybappé was to build them on the cheap but you know not exactly French midtable level either.
If Hernandez can stay somewhat fit and with Skriniar & Ugarte, the team should be more even up and down the pitch.
Only modern team to make it work was peak Barca, I think ?
Neymar going to Saudi Arabia ushers in a whole new era. It’s also sad; he’s checked out of football… literally and figuratively.
He’s always been that type of person though. I don’t think he’s an ambition person. I think he’s greedy and all about the money.
Nah, if Mbappe or young promising or world class talents start going there in bigger numbers, that means a lot more than an over 30 Neymar chasing money.
Whilst I don’t agree with the “it’s for passion and not money” thinking, it clearly is and they’re doing it for two reason only, short careers, some shorter than others via injuries etc and the tax on the PL is huge. You will see more and more under 30’s go there over the next few years then the discussion of a Super League will hot up again
Barcas front three worked though because Suarez is a grafter and Neymar was really good off the ball there (he he also been at PSG for the most part it’s worth saying) so they really only carried Messi and he obviously more than made up for it with his offensive output.
Still not 100% yet, but I would agree.
Him going there is him checking out.
There's no way he doesn't have suitors in Europe if he decided to take less money per year.
Might depend on the team, and 2015 Neymar is not his peak.
He became a much better player the following 2 seasons at Barcelona.
Why is that sad?
We thought the sun would never set on the Euro football empire.
But it’s positive that European teams are becoming reluctant to crazy unsustainable salaries.Neymar is rumoured to get 100m euro per year contract offer from the Saudi - it simply doesn’t make sense for European clubs, regardless of the level of the player
Having 3 of the best forwards in the world brings with it its own issues of egos and stat-chasing. That's why Ronaldo and Messi would probably have never worked in the same team. They were flying at the start of last season with Mbappé as striker and Neymar on left wing, so Mbappé starts whining he was going to leave if he doesn't get to play left wing. He was scoring lots of goals but he wasn't getting assists or involved in the game as much. So Galtier accommodates Mbappé on the left and Neymar as some sort of false 9 and it never clicks the same way. Neymar gets his usual injuries, Messi puts all his energy into the World Cup and is on holidays mentally.
I remember they scored 24 goals in their first 6 games in Ligue 1 last season, average of 4 a game, was fantasy football stuff. But from that point onwards they only average 2 goals per game in a so-called weak league, and went out of the CL not scoring over 2 legs against Bayern. A meek ending for the trio.
What a waste of career. At 25 he is one of the very best talent in the world, and on upward trajectory to challenge Messi and Ronaldo for Ballon D'ors.
Then it all went wrong from there, moving to farmers league for world record fee heading into best part of his career, end up playing part time football there with his partying lifestyle. Then going to spend his early retirement years at Saudi at age 31.
He has made some good financial decisions though.
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