City signed Silva in 2010, they hadn't even gotten CL once at that point FFS. No trophies either.

comment by Erik (U21750)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by No-name (U21614)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by Erik (U21750)
posted 1 minute ago
He wasn't that good back then.
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Yes he was, almost every top club in Europe were linked with and wanted him.
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No they weren't, hence why man City pre the success were able to sign him.
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Real Madrid wanted him but he still went to City.

Yeah of course, he chose Man City before they'd achieved anything over Real Madrid. Aside from Tevez their best players were Craig Bellamy, Gareth Barry and Adebayor. Why wouldn't you sign for them over Real Madrid?

Matic as well was rock solid, hence why we struggled last season when he replaced him with Bakayoko.
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Just because we got replacing Matic wrong doesn't make selling him a mistake.

He never recovered from the horrific game he had at White Hart Lane, Hiddink preferred Mikel and had he not fallen out with the latter over the Olympics Conte likely would have as well.

comment by Erik (U21750)
posted 1 minute ago
Yeah of course, he chose Man City before they'd achieved anything over Real Madrid. Aside from Tevez their best players were Craig Bellamy, Gareth Barry and Adebayor. Why wouldn't you sign for them over Real Madrid?
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Wages and/or a more prominent role.

So Conte played Matic all season over Cesc and Chalobah even though he wasn't good?

comment by No-name (U21614)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by Erik (U21750)
posted 1 minute ago
Yeah of course, he chose Man City before they'd achieved anything over Real Madrid. Aside from Tevez their best players were Craig Bellamy, Gareth Barry and Adebayor. Why wouldn't you sign for them over Real Madrid?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Wages and/or a more prominent role.
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Which other teams wanted Silva?

comment by Erik (U21750)
posted 38 seconds ago
So Conte played Matic all season over Cesc and Chalobah even though he wasn't good?
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No, he played Matic because Cesc couldn't defend (which was crucial in a 2 man CM in Conte's system) and Chalobah simply isn't very good even compared to post WHL Matic.

comment by Erik (U21750)
posted 56 seconds ago
comment by No-name (U21614)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by Erik (U21750)
posted 1 minute ago
Yeah of course, he chose Man City before they'd achieved anything over Real Madrid. Aside from Tevez their best players were Craig Bellamy, Gareth Barry and Adebayor. Why wouldn't you sign for them over Real Madrid?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Wages and/or a more prominent role.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Which other teams wanted Silva?
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Chelsea, for one.

comment by No-name (U21614)
posted 41 seconds ago
comment by Erik (U21750)
posted 56 seconds ago
comment by No-name (U21614)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by Erik (U21750)
posted 1 minute ago
Yeah of course, he chose Man City before they'd achieved anything over Real Madrid. Aside from Tevez their best players were Craig Bellamy, Gareth Barry and Adebayor. Why wouldn't you sign for them over Real Madrid?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Wages and/or a more prominent role.
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Which other teams wanted Silva?
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Chelsea, for one.
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No they didn't. I know that for a fact lol.

comment by No-name (U21614)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by Erik (U21750)
posted 38 seconds ago
So Conte played Matic all season over Cesc and Chalobah even though he wasn't good?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
No, he played Matic because Cesc couldn't defend (which was crucial in a 2 man CM in Conte's system) and Chalobah simply isn't very good even compared to post WHL Matic.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yet Mikel would have displaced Matic from the team?

comment by Erik (U21750)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by No-name (U21614)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by Erik (U21750)
posted 38 seconds ago
So Conte played Matic all season over Cesc and Chalobah even though he wasn't good?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
No, he played Matic because Cesc couldn't defend (which was crucial in a 2 man CM in Conte's system) and Chalobah simply isn't very good even compared to post WHL Matic.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yet Mikel would have displaced Matic from the team?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He already had (under Hiddink).

comment by No-name (U21614)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Erik (U21750)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by No-name (U21614)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by Erik (U21750)
posted 38 seconds ago
So Conte played Matic all season over Cesc and Chalobah even though he wasn't good?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
No, he played Matic because Cesc couldn't defend (which was crucial in a 2 man CM in Conte's system) and Chalobah simply isn't very good even compared to post WHL Matic.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yet Mikel would have displaced Matic from the team?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He already had (under Hiddink).
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Didn’t Benitez drop Terry? And Scolari drop Drogba?

comment by Erik (U21750)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by No-name (U21614)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Erik (U21750)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by No-name (U21614)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by Erik (U21750)
posted 38 seconds ago
So Conte played Matic all season over Cesc and Chalobah even though he wasn't good?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
No, he played Matic because Cesc couldn't defend (which was crucial in a 2 man CM in Conte's system) and Chalobah simply isn't very good even compared to post WHL Matic.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yet Mikel would have displaced Matic from the team?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He already had (under Hiddink).
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Didn’t Benitez drop Terry? And Scolari drop Drogba?
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Both of which were the correct decisions at that time.

comment by No-name (U21614)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by Erik (U21750)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by No-name (U21614)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Erik (U21750)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by No-name (U21614)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by Erik (U21750)
posted 38 seconds ago
So Conte played Matic all season over Cesc and Chalobah even though he wasn't good?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
No, he played Matic because Cesc couldn't defend (which was crucial in a 2 man CM in Conte's system) and Chalobah simply isn't very good even compared to post WHL Matic.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yet Mikel would have displaced Matic from the team?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He already had (under Hiddink).
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Didn’t Benitez drop Terry? And Scolari drop Drogba?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Both of which were the correct decisions at that time.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Are you saying Drogba and Terry were on better form then the players in that position at that time?

Drogba definitely was

comment by Erik (U21750)
posted 16 minutes ago
Drogba definitely was
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh how you've just contradicted yourself

Anelka was outscoring DD and was top scorer in the PL throughout that season, so is goals in forward players not as important all of a sudden?

comment by No-name (U21614)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Erik (U21750)
posted 16 minutes ago
Drogba definitely was
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh how you've just contradicted yourself

Anelka was outscoring DD and was top scorer in the PL throughout that season, so is goals in forward players not as important all of a sudden?
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Schools in session!

Wahl you need to understand that players can play the same position, but in different roles. Many strikers are acclaimed for how they bring others into play rather than scoring, and some wingers are known for getting in behind, whereas others hug the touchline or find space between the lines.

I have read your same argument over and over again about goals and stats, but statistics really only go only so far, and numbers alone need context.

Football overall is a team game, so what good is counting the number of goals scored, when one player might play next to Xavi and the other Meireles. Likewise, what good is it counting assists when one creates for Ronaldo, and the other to Bendtner. One might play under Pep, and the other Sam Allardyce.

Zidane played as an attacking midfielder, very similar position to Hazard, yet scored very moderately too.

Why do people still try and reason with wahl lol permanently wrong and never admits it just picks and chooses stuff from people’s sentences. Probably been knocked out too many times

Neymar having a nightmare with ball retention tonight, something hazard is just so good at.

Everytime I see an article has gone 100/200+ comments Erik's always debating

He's not completely wrong on the Hazard issue. Stats can be misleading but when people want to throw around titles like 'best in the world' they are relevant. With players like Messi & Ronaldo in the game today, a player who takes up the advanced roles Hazard does needs to score more goals to warrant that title immaterial of the players around him or who his manager is, that's just a fact.

The two main arguments advocating Hazard's case to cover up the stats not being at best of the best level also would've applied to Sanchez while he was at Arsenal, and no-one ever refers to him as the best player in the world. Besides Ozil, he was a class above everyone else and Wenger was his manager - not a defensive manager, just an utterly clueless one, much better

The general conscious of Hazard from analysts, pundits and rival fans I find pretty accurate. He's one of the best players in the world but just lacks a few things preventing him from entering into the class of Messi & Ronaldo. He's among players like Suarez, Neymar, Mbappe, Griezmann, etc... in that category below them.

I’d have him over Neymar in the pl any day of the wee.

Hope your watching Erik and jlou. Mo salah having an absolute nightmare lol. Woeful performance. Can only play on the shoulder it seems