Best thing for the club
Neymar Jr | PSG | 2017/2018 performances
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
Best thing for the club
Nah, we got one of the world's best young players in Dembele. 5 years younger than Neymar. Not as good, but with just as great potential.
Huge disaster is a big big exaggeration. Players come and go all the time. That's why the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol, Scholes, Zanetti, Totti, Maldini etc. are rare.
There is no such thing as a 'heir' to Messi. Messi was A LOT better than him, and Neymar is half the player Messi still is. And Neymar is not 21 anymore. He's almost 26, and by the time Messi will really decline in a major way he'll be near 30, probably in serious decline himself at that age.
Barca got beat by Juve and PSG with 3-0 and 4-0 and Neymar played in both. I thought people have moved on from the same old argument that football is just about who has the most stars. Barca is in a better spot right now without Neymar, then they were last season with him.
Barca have moved on from Neymar and they're leading the best team in the world by 8 points. In fact, PSG dropped more points in poor Ligue 1 than Barca did in the no1 ranked league in the world, La Liga.
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Real are not the best team in the world atm.
Players come and go but Neymar isn't just any player. You lost a player who I'm pretty sure will end his career as an all time great and he still has his best years to come, that's never a good thing regardless of how good these first few months without him have been. Messi will only get worse from now on, he's getting no rest so far this season and as much as I like Dembele we still don't know how he'll turn out for Barça.
You may keep doing well domestically since Madrid look like they're declining too but this Barça team doesn't look like a team that will win the Champions League.
Also, right now Neymar is obviously not at the same level as Messi but I don't think he's as far off as you say. When the end of the season comes, we'll see hpw he does in the Champions League and the World Cup but I'm predicting him to step up and show why PSG paid that amount of money for him.
You know how biased I am in this topic, Neymar won't hold a candle to Messi at the end of their career, and he probably won't reach the production or impact of Cristiano either.
I think one of the key differences betweeen big could've beens and real legends is that, at some point in their career, they develop some sense of "this is my place and I'm going to do history here", when you reach that point, you'd rather not be in the Ligue 1 or playing for some 2nd tier team like Tottenham or Atletico (all due respect), either you go for the secure path and join a top 8 European club, or you are great enough to turn one 2nd tier team into a top 8 spending your whole career there.
Money is always a factor in that too, but this move made little sense from a competitive perspective, and I'm not saying this from bitterness, even one year ago I was saying that Neymar had little options to become a real legend, and the better (and somehow, easier) one was signing for Real Madrid even directly from Barcelona, so Neymar leaving was always a thought I had in the back of my mind, but not just leaving for the French league
Well he should given he's playing in the French league.
The problem is the other PSG stars play in the French league as well, and the league is so mediocre that Cavani and Mbappe will get amazing numbers as well. Neymar is not the only one to benefit from the poor league factor. The level of the league will inflate stats and performances for all good players. He'd have to score and asssit at an incredible rate to set himself apart from his teammates at PSG like Cavani, Mbappe, and from players like Falcao, or even Fekir.
Cavani has 13 goals, Falcao has 13 goals, Fekir has 11 goals. Neymar has 5. Fekir for example has 3 assists, and Neymar just 2 more. Fekir has 1 goal every 90 mins played. He won't get that ratio in a serious top league. Lacazette is a good example. He scored 28 goals last season in Ligue 1. He has 6 at Arsenal so far.
So bottom line, if the quality is not high enough, he won't be the difference maker and other players around him will be able to produce very strong numbers and performances consistently as well.
Playing in a league that is not in the spotlight is a major problem for any player. Neymar will have problems in matching even Zlatan's output in Ligue 1. His only shot is CL. If he has amazing games there, then he will get recognition at PSG. If not, he won't. What you do in the 5th best league is not very relevant, when you can't even be heads and shoulders above the rest of the players that play there.
No? Last time I checked they're CL back to back winners and Spanish champions. Until that changes, they are the best. Not to mention everyone and their dog here said they'll run away with the league because Barca have lost 'Messi's heir' and are basically shit.
Neymar is a top player, but he isn't exactly all time great material imo. That's a stretch. But if he wins 2-3 CLs in which he is the deciding factor, and if he wins the World Cup having an insane tournament, then you'll right, he'll enter the conversation. Tall order that.
About the bolded part, well, he has to be nothing short of incredible in both, considering he plays 75% of the time in a mediocre league and even there he's not setting the league on fire or anything in his first season.
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I think he'll prove you wrong and in the next few years we'll see Neymar writing his legacy. Brazil are looking great and besides the 2 World Cups in the next 5 years, the next Copa America will be in Brazil where they'll most likely be favourites. Playing for PSG allows him to rest and while Ligue 1 isn't nearly as bad as most people here say (certainly not mediocre at all) as long as he performs in the Champions League against the biggest teams in the world noone will care he was playing Amiens and Metz instead of Eibar and Las Palmas. All time greats are who they are because of what they do on the big stage, not because of some games against Eibar or Amiens and Neymar is in a perfect platform to show what he can do on the big stage.
Looking at where he is now I see him winning the Ballon D'Or at least once and winning at least one Champions League with PSG and one international title with Brazil while playing a huge part in both which would certainly make him an all time great in this sport.
I think it was fairly predictable this was going to happen given Madrid had a transfer window looking to improve 4 or 5 years from now instead of trying to improve the present and I was saying so before the season too, it's the same mistake we've seen big teams make after winning trophies. It's normal that most people were saying they were going to be better than Barça especially after the supercup games but I think the writing was on the wall after they missed out on Mbappe and I was saying that in the summer too.
I don't think anyone was expecting Barça to be as good as they are now but Madrid not being as good as last season was fairly obvious imo.
Always better to compare apples with apples and pears with pears:
1. Zlatan scored around 50 goals with PSG in his last season. Last year, Cavani scored a similar amount. Zlatan = Cavani = CF while Neymar isn't a CF
2. Lacazette scored 6 goals (including 1 penalty kick) in 12 games (including 3 as a sub). New club. Last season, he was always in the starting 11.
Next, he scored 11 penalties last season: it makes more sense to use stats without penalties.
I'm not a massive fan of him but his ratio goal per minute played is certainly decent given the context (first 6 months abroad, not an automatic starter...)
3. PSG isn't representative of the French league. Cavani was successful in Italy, is successful with Uruguay and PSG, so he has all the required skills to score an insane amount of goals in the UK.
Also, if I understand your reasoning:
- In France, his stats are inflated due to the "poor league factor"
- In Spain, I guess his stats were inflated due to the Barcelona factor
- With Brazil, I guess his stats are explained by the poor quality of the opposing teams
- M'bappé and Cavani are over-hyped in a certain sense: the proof is that Lyon (main offensive star: Fekir) and Monaco (main offensive star:Falcao) score
- Neymar is a flop because he isn't "head an shoulders above the rest" in a "mediocre league"
Getting Neymar in 2020 won't be so bad if he stays hungry 
No chance of getting him sooner
PSG will sooner sell everything and everyone else than him
No chance of getting him sooner
PSG will sooner sell everything and everyone else than him
@Ecstatic, Neymar plays in a very strong team and in a weaker league. His performances and stats should be going up from his Barca days, not down.
Wouldn't be surprised if this was all a plan by Neymar to join Real but not directly from Barca.
If he dominates the CL and international football playing in a second rate 1 team league wont matter one iota.
Always felt he'd end up there and still do. Just that negotating with PSG will be near impossible for them.
He's got 7 goals in 8 games and 5 assists, so they have gone up.
Madrid might want to offload Ronaldo and Benzema and do a full on rebuild.
He should maybe have thought this through, before going to PSG of all places, seeing how they dealt with Veratti wanting to leave
Not saying it won't happen, but unless Neymar was able to negotiate a clause/agreement in his PSG contract, I can't see them forcing to sell him. Not least when they're done with him, that is.
But yeah, of course no one can predict these things. And maybe he does have a clause or some sort of agreement for him to move on after giving them say 3-4 years, with maybe 1 or 2 UCL's in the bag etc.
He should maybe have thought this through, before going to PSG of all places, seeing how they dealt with Veratti wanting to leave
Not saying it won't happen, but unless Neymar was able to negotiate a clause/agreement in his PSG contract, I can't see them forcing to sell him. Not least when they're done with him, that is.
But yeah, of course no one can predict these things. And maybe he does have a clause or some sort of agreement for him to move on after giving them say 3-4 years, with maybe 1 or 2 UCL's in the bag etc.
I think Madrid have alot of talent on their books which could tempt PSG into selling. Ronaldo, Benzema, Kroos.. and PSG have an unhappy player on their hands.
I think Neymar was a masterstroke signing for PSG.. very valuable investment, and I reckon they can make a profit out of it very easily out of a desperate Madrid.
Yeah, like I said, you can't predict these things, but one thing is for sure, it's all going to hinge on PSG's intentions with Neymar and whether/when those goals have been reached, because they'd expect some sort of return on their investment, and it wouldn't necessarily be based on a monetary profit for them.
But yeah, if there's one or 2 higher profile footballers out there, Ronaldo is definitely one. One last contract as his powers are waning, a couple more league titles in a different league, if Mbappe develops as planned over the next 2-3 years, they could want to build the team around him because he's French etc etc etc.
Agreed on that point. Money means feck all to a moneybags club, but if they get groups of players in return, they might be stronger for it.
Sorry, just edited my reply as you posted
OOT, but Tottenham will win EPL ? Really ? They wont. Forever. Not in 5, 10, or 20 years more.
And for Barca fans who hated Neymar so much, watch the second leg against PSG when your "miracle" shite happened. It was Neymar who destroyed PSG. In all respect to Messias, he was dull in both of games.
I am not Madrid fans btw. United forever.
And for Barca fans who hated Neymar so much, watch the second leg against PSG when your "miracle" shite happened. It was Neymar who destroyed PSG. In all respect to Messias, he was dull in both of games.
I am not Madrid fans btw. United forever.
Except trades never happen.
More and more with Neymar I get the feeling that he wants to join Madrid and his move to PSG is just a way to get there indirectly because he knows he'd never be able to join from Barca. I fully expect him to kick up a fuss in a couple of years, or even next season and start making noises about the standard of the league before throwing stops and starting "fights" in training before forcing through a move.
PSG are like the Italian Mafia. Once you are in bed with them you don’t choose to leave. And it’s not going to be a happy exit even if he does. Veratti is finding that out now.
Khelaifi will lose face if Neymar leaves, so I don't think he will be allowed to go anywhere. The Neymar signing made the big boys sit up and look at PSG as a genuine force this season, and any sale within the next 3-5 years would lower that status again, no matter how many players PSG get in return.
Emery will be gone first before they try to move Neymar, all about damage limitation - we'll see what happens over the next few years but PSG is not a model to follow really
It depends on the player, if Neymar wants to leave he will definitely do anything. He can do a Costa and stay in Brazil after the World Cup or even start a conversation about being treated as a slave. You should remember Neymar has loads of money too so engaging in media wars all directed from Brazil won't be a problem.
Didn't Madrid sign the next Neymar in Vinicius? Them selling several world class players for a not very young anymore Neymar doesn't sound like good business to me.
Why are people even talking about a possible move? no one buys a player for that amount of money and ends up moving him on.
I'm suspicious that this whole thing is in some way orchestrated by both him and his agent, knowing full well that Barca wouldn't sell directly to Madrid. The way that Madrid players, including Ramos, have spoken openly about Neymar joining them, coincidentally at a time when these rumours of unhappiness have surfaced, is interesting. We all thought it kind of unambitious for Neymar to leave Barcelona for Ligue 1, of course, unless that wasn't the end game. There's something fishy about recent events surrounding Neymar.
Can't imagine Khelaifi letting him leave that easily or let PSG being part of this circus after paying nearly 200m for him.
That makes no sense, really, not least because Barca of course didn't 'sell directly' to PSG either. Neymar bought himself out of his contract, he could have just as well taken the money for that from Real instead of PSG.
I think it's hilarious how the press has created a storyline that there's even a remotely possible chance of Neymar leaving PSG anytime soon. It's simply not going to happen until the end of his contract at the very least. PSG has locked up Neymar's prime years, and I doubt Real Madrid will be very interested in him afterwards. We'll see how Vinicius pans out during that time, they may not even need Neymar if he does but that's still a long shot. We all thought Mbappe was a lock for Madrid, and look what happened? Apparently, the press can be full of shite every once in a while, and it's the Madrid-based press who is making all that noise to begin with, with the rest of the media jumping on the clickbait bandwagon and you're all discussing this as if that was even a possibility.
PSG forced Silva and Verrati to stay against their wishes and people think they'd sell Neymar?
True, way too much interest in this non starter.
It isn't interesting, news surface about Neymar being not 100% happy in Paris and Madrid just need to throw a bone to one of their journos in the Spanish media to spin some story about them signing him, then Ramos will get questions from the same journalists and of course he's not going to shit on Neymar, so we got ourselves a story.
This is just free and good PR time for Real Madrid, there's no reason to believe anything beyond that, this happened with Falcao, Agüero and Courtois (even with Mendieta 17 years ago before his disaster season with Lazio) with or without reasons to believe that a transfer was imminent or not. Any world class player that leaves La Liga will have some story about how he left for X club as a bridge to join Real Madrid in the future.
And with this I'm not saying they don't have a chance to sign him in the future, be it 2 or 3 years from now they will be in the best position to get him (lots of money, Ronaldo stepping down, etc), but if (or more exactly, when) they sign him it won't be because Neymar was planning to use PSG as a bridge to get there, he had a release clause, nothing was stopping Real Madrid from paying it last summer or in the next 3 if they really wanted him.
Did he cry again?
Yes. And I'm sure Thiago Silva cried too when he watched the press conference. David Luiz probably started sobbing like a baby when he read about it on Twitter.