Putting the two Manchester teams and to a certain degree Liverpool aside for a moment, do Premier League clubs outside of London find it hard to compete with the pull of the capital?
I think a player having to choose between say Spurs and Everton or say Palace or Stoke, with all else being equal tend to go for the London team.
Sunderland and Newcastle suffer from this more than any other clubs. They both have big stadia and huge loyal fan bases but constantly struggle to attract good signings. I believe being in a virtual wasteland is a major reason behind both teams struggles. I even read a, possibly tongue in cheek, article on "A Love Supreme" suggesting Sunderland move thier training centre near London to counter this and fly the players up north for home games.
As I said the two Mancs teams and the red scouse do have a certain pull, but I think they suffer from not being in lovely warm southern Europe in the same way the rest of England suffers from not being London. All three struggle to attract the worlds best players and in the case of the two Mancs this is not due to lack of either Champions League football or money. Rather that Barcelona or Madrid have cooler shops and a nicer climate than Manchester.
I'm sure this is true and I think it will become more pronounced, with English teams falling behind in Europe and non London teams, in general, falling behind those capital based.
Player recruitment outside of London.
posted on 20/1/16
Well this thread has taken a turn for the worst...
posted on 20/1/16
Answer:
No
Clubs offer so much cash that even the likes of Iturbe step down from top quality Italian clubs.
posted on 20/1/16
Anyone who says they joined the club because of their history is talking bollox. To be fair the players that usually state this on signing are going to Liverpool or Utd in most cases and usually on contracts that will be earning them shytloads. I'm sure if they were on pittance you wouldn't see them near the club with a ten foot bargepole.
In order of importance it depends on the calibre of player:
World class players it would be CL first then wages.
Good players it would be wages first then if its a good team its a bonus.
Squad players wouldn't care as long as they getting paid reasonably well.
That's my opinion anyway.
posted on 20/1/16
I would say lack of decent competition in your position and a deal you would be first choice would be first.
Who would move to a club where the competition for your position is better than your level?
posted on 21/1/16
There is little more to London than say Tottenham High Road and the Holloway Road. There are some seriously upmarket areas in London that I doubt you will find in any other city in Europe.
posted on 21/1/16
Paris?
posted on 21/1/16
London is a dumb. The air pollution alone is enough reason not to go near the place. Couple that with the poor whether, unbelievably high living costs and of course the residents who can't stand to look each other in the eye and you've got a cesspool that no sane person would live in.
posted on 21/1/16
The seriously upmarket areas Sandy mentions are populated by dodgy Arabs and even dodgier Russians.
posted on 21/1/16
Yorkshire is where it is at, declared the third best region in the world. Glad I settled here!
posted on 21/1/16
Behind Eritrea and Chechnya?