|
Post by The Toxic Avenger on Aug 15, 2023 11:29:32 GMT
If he was so upset about all that (and I don't think all of those things really happened quite that way anyway), the decision to then sign a lucrative new contract seems a strange one... Presumably it was West Ham's own lack of ambition a couple of seasons later that led him to make the highly ambitious decision to go to China... Perhaps it motivated his decision to move to Inter? Perhaps players have more than one reason to do certain things? I'm sure it did motivate his decision to move to Inter from Bologna, that seems a bit of a straw man to introduce. That doesn't mean it motivated his decision to move to West Ham, whatever he claimed and claims. I don't see what changed in terms of ambition between the summer he signed his big, lucrative new contract and the following one when he demanded the move.That he behaved in almost entirely the same way 18 months or so later when a vastly inferior (but lucrative) league came calling would appear to confirm what his priorities were at that time.
|
|
|
Post by cvillestokie on Aug 15, 2023 11:45:36 GMT
Perhaps it motivated his decision to move to Inter? Perhaps players have more than one reason to do certain things? I'm sure it did motivate his decision to move to Inter from Bologna, that seems a bit of a straw man to introduce. That doesn't mean it motivated his decision to move to West Ham, whatever he claimed and claims. I don't see what changed in terms of ambition between the summer he signed his big, lucrative new contract and the following one when he demanded the move.That he behaved in almost entirely the same way 18 months or so later when a vastly inferior (but lucrative) league came calling would appear to confirm what his priorities were at that time. Who will ever know. Perhaps, he signed a new contract to protect himself so that if he didn’t get the move he wanted to a club that didn’t go on to get relegated that season, he would at least get something that he wanted? Can you not be ambitious and look for money? West Ham have a far greater potential as a club than we do. Similarly, perhaps the money was awesome in China and he convinced himself that the league had potential. The PL’s dominance won’t last forever. Empires always fall. Or perhaps he went to China to earn money but he went to West Ham because he felt Stoke were going in the wrong direction? Perhaps the two motives aren’t linked. Or perhaps his motivation to move from Stoke to West Ham has more in common with the move to Inter (that you rejected because it doesn’t fit your argument) than it does to China?
|
|
|
Post by The Toxic Avenger on Aug 15, 2023 11:53:37 GMT
I'm sure it did motivate his decision to move to Inter from Bologna, that seems a bit of a straw man to introduce. That doesn't mean it motivated his decision to move to West Ham, whatever he claimed and claims. I don't see what changed in terms of ambition between the summer he signed his big, lucrative new contract and the following one when he demanded the move.That he behaved in almost entirely the same way 18 months or so later when a vastly inferior (but lucrative) league came calling would appear to confirm what his priorities were at that time. Who will ever know. Perhaps, he signed a new contract to protect himself so that if he didn’t get the move he wanted to a club that didn’t go on to get relegated that season, he would at least get something that he wanted? Can you not be ambitious and look for money? West Ham have a far greater potential as a club than we do. Similarly, perhaps the money was awesome in China and he convinced himself that the league had potential. The PL’s dominance won’t last forever. Empires always fall. Or perhaps he went to China to earn money but he went to West Ham because he felt Stoke were going in the wrong direction? Perhaps the two motives aren’t linked. Or perhaps his motivation to move from Stoke to West Ham has more in common with the move to Inter (that you rejected because it doesn’t fit your argument) than it does to China? Maybe he thought the claret and blue really brought out his eyes but then watched Shanghai Surprise the night before the offer came in from China and took it as a sign from God? Forgive me if I bring Occam's Razor into play here...
|
|
|
Post by Robo10 on Aug 15, 2023 11:56:25 GMT
You obvs have an issue with him Toxic beyond any reasonable discussion so will leave you to it.
He was still a fabulous player, we signed for £2mill into the dogs home and sold for £25m.
He gave me some of my best memories and football as a Stoke fan (with Bojan and Shaq) in my 45 odd years as a ST holder.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2023 11:59:20 GMT
You obvs have an issue with him Toxic beyond any reasonable discussion so will leave you to it. He was still a fabulous player, we signed for £2mill into the dogs home and sold for £25m. He gave me some of my best memories and football as a Stoke fan (with Bojan and Shaq) in my 45 odd years as a ST holder. Comfortably the best footballer I've ever seen in a Stoke strip since I've been watching us (mid-late 80's).
|
|
|
Post by The Toxic Avenger on Aug 15, 2023 11:59:43 GMT
You obvs have an issue with him Toxic beyond any reasonable discussion so will leave you to it. He was still a fabulous player, we signed for £2mill into the dogs home and sold for £25m. He gave me some of my best memories and football as a Stoke fan (with Bojan and Shaq) in my 45 odd years as a ST holder. He was a brilliant player for us and gave me some great memories as a Stoke fan. I still think he was talking shit and went purely for the money. They're not contradictory opinions.
|
|
|
Post by cvillestokie on Aug 15, 2023 12:00:46 GMT
Who will ever know. Perhaps, he signed a new contract to protect himself so that if he didn’t get the move he wanted to a club that didn’t go on to get relegated that season, he would at least get something that he wanted? Can you not be ambitious and look for money? West Ham have a far greater potential as a club than we do. Similarly, perhaps the money was awesome in China and he convinced himself that the league had potential. The PL’s dominance won’t last forever. Empires always fall. Or perhaps he went to China to earn money but he went to West Ham because he felt Stoke were going in the wrong direction? Perhaps the two motives aren’t linked. Or perhaps his motivation to move from Stoke to West Ham has more in common with the move to Inter (that you rejected because it doesn’t fit your argument) than it does to China? Maybe he thought the claret and blue really brought out his eyes but then watched Shanghai Surprise the night before the offer came in from China and took it as a sign from God? Forgive me if I bring Occam's Razor into play here... By “bring in” you are including all comments we have both had about potential reasons, right? Given that neither of us have likely ever sat down and spoke to him about his reasons and only really have his word about ambition (which proved to be true given West Ham’s rise and Stoke’s fall) to go on, there’s not really much else to be said.
|
|
|
Post by The Toxic Avenger on Aug 15, 2023 12:31:57 GMT
Maybe he thought the claret and blue really brought out his eyes but then watched Shanghai Surprise the night before the offer came in from China and took it as a sign from God? Forgive me if I bring Occam's Razor into play here... By “bring in” you are including all comments we have both had about potential reasons, right? Given that neither of us have likely ever sat down and spoke to him about his reasons and only really have his word about ambition (which proved to be true given West Ham’s rise and Stoke’s fall) to go on, there’s not really much else to be said. Considering all those, yes, and then discounting the ones that require Olga Korbutt-level mental gymnastics to find plausible.
|
|
|
Post by cvillestokie on Aug 15, 2023 12:34:48 GMT
By “bring in” you are including all comments we have both had about potential reasons, right? Given that neither of us have likely ever sat down and spoke to him about his reasons and only really have his word about ambition (which proved to be true given West Ham’s rise and Stoke’s fall) to go on, there’s not really much else to be said. Considering all those, yes, and then discounting the ones that require Olga Korbutt-level mental gymnastics to find plausible. Yes, I would discount looking good in claret and blue as well. It’s a hideous combo that doesn’t suit anyone and definitely didn’t bring out the lack of color in his dark eyes.
|
|
|
Post by The Toxic Avenger on Aug 15, 2023 12:42:10 GMT
Considering all those, yes, and then discounting the ones that require Olga Korbutt-level mental gymnastics to find plausible. Yes, I would discount looking good in claret and blue as well. It’s a hideous combo that doesn’t suit anyone and definitely didn’t bring out the lack of color in his dark eyes. Hey, it's about as likely as 'empires always fall'...
|
|
|
Post by st3mark on Aug 15, 2023 15:55:40 GMT
Arnie I can believe. Joselu I'm shocked but pleased for him and how he's progressed. Choupo I am completely gobsmacked about his achievements since. I'm surprised Arnie at 34 is still getting moves like that. I was never his biggest fan but to me it looked like he wasn't enjoying it at times so to maintain the level he obviously has done is really impressive. I thought he was a class act. I wouldn't have expected him to be getting a move like this at 34 though.
|
|