Suarez or Torres?

I take your point about the sulking but, with respect, I'd say you're falling into the trap of believing footballers give a t0ss about the club they play for. It's only the rarities like Gerrard or Neville who see their club as anything more than their employers.
It's only the fans who actually care.

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Mate I definitely don't believe that. But when they are at a club they should show a certain amount of loyalty. A player may want to leave, and I can't begrudge them that, but all I expect is that the player gives his all. It's only professional to do so. Torres sulked. Suarez is sulking. They don't owe the club anything, but they should behave professionally .

All to often the loyalty card is played. That "loyalty" card means jack. We don't care about loyalty when the player isn't good enough for our clubs, so on that basis alone, why should the player care about loyalty when he deserves a better club than the one he is at? Answer, he shouldn't. Answer - he doesn't. And fans need to accept that.

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Fair point, but loyalty to me isn't kissing the badge and saying that you love the club. I want a player to act professionally, that is, to give their all despite the circumstances. Yes we do sell loyal players, but there are various reasons for that, age, quality etc. For example Kuyt in his last season at the club probably knew he'd be going but he didn't down tools. That's professional. Suarez and Torres sulking when they wanted out isn't professional.

But when they are at a club they should show a certain amount of loyalty

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Why?

Us fans only demand a certain amount of loyalty if we regard the player as good enough to play for our team. If he isn't, then no matter how much effort he puts in, no matter how hard he tries, no matter how much he feels pride in wearing the shirt, if he isn't good enough, we, us fans, couldn't give a toss if he is sold.

It's only when a player is good enough that we care. So why should a player who is good enough to play at a higher level than our club currently is at care about us fans? For us fans, it's a lifetime commitment. For players, it's a career. One in which they want to achieve everything that they possibly can.

Because that club pays their wages. I work, they pay me and I will always be professional until the day I leave. Why should footballers be any different. Even if they want to leave I expect them at the very least to be professional.

I get your point, but i'm not like that, some fans may. Downing has left today. He gave his all, he wasn't good enough but I wasn't shouting for him to leave. In fact I was the opposite, I think he should have stayed as a squad player. In fact I don't think I've ever wanted a player to leave. I might think he was crap but as a player for my club I've backed him. I was backing Lucas when others were booing him. I've backed Henderson, Allen etc. players come and go, that's the wait it is. I just expect them to act professionally.

ecause that club pays their wages. I work, they pay me and I will always be professional until the day I leave. Why should footballers be any different.

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They're not. They're just in the public eye more, having their every move watched and examined.

You will remain professional to your current employer. Yet that won't stop you from applying for other jobs, having interviews at other jobs. You will only inform your current employer of such actions should it be the case that you succeed in getting another job. Yet it won't stop you from being professional.

Footballers sign a contract. We sign a contract. A difference is the time-line (in permanent employment, we don't tend to sign a contract for a specific length of time). Yet in the case of footballers, that contract is only ever valid as long as both parties (the footballer and the club) want it to be. At any time, the club can put the player up for sale. At any time, the player can request to leave. The contract in those cases are more about insurance - that is, the player can demand something back from the club if the club don't want to fulfill the contract, and the club can demand something back from the player if he doesn't want to fulfill the contract.

It's pretty simply really. And the beauty of it is - every single club and every single player knows how it works all too well. It's why transfer fees exist after all. The player is regarded as an asset by the club, and his value to the club is realised through his value as an asset to that club.

The vast majority of players will act professionally. They will train when asked, play when asked, even after they have expressed a desire to leave. Or even after the club has expressed a desire to sell them. And it is a two-way street. One that clubs recognise all too well. Clubs will seek to transfer a player they don't want, irrespective of his contract, but they are all too aware that it may well be that a player wants to leave, irrespective of his contract. It's the way football is.

Yet us fans all too often lose sight of that. It's only in the high profile cases (such as Suarez this summer) that it becomes an issue for us. When comments about loyalty rear their ugly, misguided heads. Yet the clubs we support will release numerous players every single season, will sell what us fans happily refer to as "deadwood", and us fans are either happy about that or don't give it a second thought. It only becomes a problem to us when we lose a player we don't want to lose, when a player we want to stay wants out. Only then does it become a problem.

Torres for me

His attitude was a disgrace.

Suarez has only ever shown 100%

Metro.

I wouldn't say Torres's attitude was a disgrace. As I remember it, he looked miserable under Hodgson (as most of them did) and then started to pick up a fit of form when Kenny came on board

torres

but shortlight is right

hodgson had a lot ot do with it.

torres' decline started literally to the day when Rafa was wrongly sacked

I don't hate either. In fact I still like Torres. It's funny as we got £50m for Torres yet smaller fees for Alonso and Mascherano and Reina played crap with all three also wanting out yet Alonso gets hero status, Mascherano is barely mentioned and some even feel sorry for Reina. I find it all strange.

You will remain professional to your current employer. Yet that won't stop you from applying for other jobs, having interviews at other jobs. You will only inform your current employer of such actions should it be the case that you succeed in getting another job. Yet it won't stop you from being professional.

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Of course, but I'm talking about players that sulk, like Suarez and Torres did. That's what I find unprofessional. If both left at the top of their game to bigger and better things I wouldn't have an issue. My issue is that they have sulked and downed tools. Whilst I may apply for other jobs, or gone for interviews I haven't say with feet on the table at my current job and refused to work.

If Suarez wants to leave, put in a transfer request. I won't begrudge him going to a better club. But in preseason he has had a chip on his shoulder. He hasn't trained properly and in the couple of preseason games he has played he hasn't given his all.