Jefferson Lerma

Neil Dawson said:
Part of the interest of football is how people see things differently! I genuinely believe Matt moved for money and the facilities/crowd. He has stayed loyal to that even though not playing.
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So he moved to play in front of the big crowds and stayed loyal to that even though he’s not playing in front of big crowds? Nothing to do with the big wage packet? :devilish:
 
DJ said:
So he moved to play in front of the big crowds and stayed loyal to that even though he’s not playing in front of big crowds? Nothing to do with the big wage packet? :devilish:
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As I understand it a number of smaller clubs including ourselves have offered him similar deals to leave.
 
One thing all of this has flagged up, bearing in mind all of these statements are written by PR companies anyway is wouldn’t it be great if a player one day came out and said

‘I understand the fans will be upset but I’m not a fan. Clearly as well, along with most other people I’ve never wanted to visit Saudi Arabia\Ohio\Croydon let alone live and play football there but after discussions with my agent it sets me and him up for life. So three years of s***hole life for a lifetime of counting the hookers snorting lines on my speedboats was an opportunity I’d have to be mad not to take’
 
Seems like nearly every season we hear/see reports that Matt Ritchie wants to move back near his family home.

Just saw a headline after searching re Matt Ritchie and it mentioned he was anxious to finally make move away from United, only it turns out this story was from two years ago.

But another headline for May this year says when his contract finishes this Summer he wants to leave and get more regular football.

Ritchie now 33-years-old has had interest from Championship, League 1 etc.

So maybe Saints or more likely Pompey might want his services to bring experience to their team in pursuit of getting out of League 1 up into Championship where there closest rivals will be next season.
 
Football isn't about a change of circumstances when you're 28.

It's about money.

The signing on bonus alone would have bee in excess of a few million quid.

Comparing a corporate career to a footballers is probably similar, in that you mainly move for money.

The only difference being that a corporate career doesn't end at 35.

I'm hoping Neil's new avatar after his next move isn't a full frontal nude.

He's getting more edgy with every new employer.
 
Neil Dawson said:
One thing all of this has flagged up, bearing in mind all of these statements are written by PR companies anyway is wouldn’t it be great if a player one day came out and said

‘I understand the fans will be upset but I’m not a fan. Clearly as well, along with most other people I’ve never wanted to visit Saudi Arabia\Ohio\Croydon let alone live and play football there but after discussions with my agent it sets me and him up for life. So three years of s***hole life for a lifetime of counting the hookers snorting lines on my speedboats was an opportunity I’d have to be mad not to take’
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This is the kind of thing that fans may fail to understand. Not only do footballers rarely, if ever, feel about a club like we do, some of them aren't even all that keen on the game. They just happen to be good at it and can make huge sums playing it. Seems inconceivable to us but there are some good examples out there of players who were quite open about it.

For example, Gabriel Batistuta when interviewed on Argentinian telly, said: “I do not like football, it is just my profession.”

What did he do with his spare time instead? Play polo. Obviously.

“Every time I went back to Argentina on holidays, friends would invite me to play polo,” he once told FourFourTwo. “I was curious to know whether I would be able to do it. I tried it out, and I ended up loving it. It’s a hobby, but I always try to improve my standard, because the better I play, the more fun I have.”

It might be Lerma loves football. Who knows for sure though.
 
I think non loving footballers will become more and more of a thing. You can see from the academy programmes on telly that have been made, so many of them are there because they’ve been drilled from before they’ve gone to school. Some dont catch the bug for the game by watching it because their parents and coaches are too busy drilling them in the wind and rain to play it. They never have that moment where they fall in love with it.
 
DJ said:
Personally, I don’t believe that to be true. He didn’t stay through any form of loyalty to “help us get back”. He stayed because financially it made sense to. He signed his contract and the plan was to always see it out and make a move at the end of it where he could get a hefty sign on fee etc.

If he had better options available he would have left as well.

Which I have no issue with, Nathan Ake and Callum Wilson both left for better career moves.

The issue I have is the fake “love” for the club and “new challenge” crap. He’s moved to a club that we will play twice where the sole challenge is the exact same one we have.

But as supporters we’re suppose to lap that up rather than the reality of it, which is it’s the best move he can make financially. That’s what it’s always down to.
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Agree. I don’t mind him moving to secure his financial future and maximise family security - totally understand it and pleased for him. Don’t like the “always be a cherry” bit (then stay given decent money and family settled) and getting motivated at palace’s objectives next season (mid table survival, boring football with a risk of hodgson again etc).

Also after 5 years, nice to get a final interview with the player rather than some PR ghosted release

He remains one of my all time favourite players and loved his iconic status but the end has tarnished it a bit for me
 
DJ said:
I think non loving footballers will become more and more of a thing. You can see from the academy programmes on telly that have been made, so many of them are there because they’ve been drilled from before they’ve gone to school. Some dont catch the bug for the game by watching it because their parents and coaches are too busy drilling them in the wind and rain to play it. They never have that moment where they fall in love with it.
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I think most do love the game at some point, or at least really liked it. I don't think it's possible to reach the top levels if you don't somewhat tbh, due to sheer amount of hours you'd be playing it to reach that level. You simply eoukd do other stuff more and therefore not meet standard to become a pro. I doubt many 13 year olds who are extremely takented at football are thinking I hate football, but it's a good career track for me.

I definitely think people would lose passion, love as time goes on though. Maybe as you get exposed to different elements over time whether it's fans abusing you/your family, cut throat cold financial side involving clubs, agents, sponsors, etc that coukd such joy out of it. Or strict diets, training regimes as game becomes more professional and science/analytical based compared to playing with your mates for hours each day in the summer holidays. Encouraged to cheat , feign injury to gain advantages over opponents where possible.

Whole thing becomes more and more removed from why you loved it as a kid.

Also parallels with business, where people say if you start a business about something you love/passionate about, there's a good chance you're attitude will change towards it when it's no longer a a hobby, passion but something you rely on for income.

Of course there's much worse ways to make a living, but just saying I can empathise with players or people in any line of work that lose love, enthusiasm over time for their industry regardless of how well paid they are.
 
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Yeah it would be excruciatingly painful to be on a training regime and strict diet for 40 thousand pounds a week.

Just fcking awful.

Poor little mites.
 
Neil Dawson said:
As I understand it a number of smaller clubs including ourselves have offered him similar deals to leave.
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And he very nearly did leave to join us on January deadline day a couple of seasons ago, until Newcastle pulled the plug at the last minute. Which brings me back to the point I made earlier, it isn’t always down to the player. Players sign contracts and if the move doesn’t suit the club that they are playing at then they have to honour it, whether they like it or not. For Lerma to leave he would have had to have actually had a viable option on the table willing to pay what we wanted, it wasn’t the case. But if it was then he’d been off like a shot, just like Wilson, Ake and Danjuma were the moment a viable move for all parties was on the table. And he’d have been right to do this too because it would have been in his best interests both in terms of his career and his financial status. This idea that Lerma chose to stay out of loyalty when we got relegated just isn’t rooted in reality in any way.
 
dragonm8 said:
Yeah it would be excruciatingly painful to be on a training regime and strict diet for 40 thousand pounds a week.

Just fcking awful.

Poor little mites.
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Dont think it’s claimed that they have an easier life than someone on the breadline or stressful life/death daily exposure like nurses. Just it becomes a job or chore like other jobs after a while
 
Was dreading today. A regular Friday work call with a group includes a Palace Season ticket holder

He wasn't rubbing it in much................
 
dragonm8 said:
Football isn't about a change of circumstances when you're 28.

It's about money.

The signing on bonus alone would have bee in excess of a few million quid.

Comparing a corporate career to a footballers is probably similar, in that you mainly move for money.

The only difference being that a corporate career doesn't end at 35.

I'm hoping Neil's new avatar after his next move isn't a full frontal nude.

He's getting more edgy with every new employer.
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I've given you a like for the full-frontal avatar. (Don't do it Neil)
 
DJ said:
I think non loving footballers will become more and more of a thing. You can see from the academy programmes on telly that have been made, so many of them are there because they’ve been drilled from before they’ve gone to school. Some dont catch the bug for the game by watching it because their parents and coaches are too busy drilling them in the wind and rain to play it. They never have that moment where they fall in love with it.
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Andre Agassi said this, about tennis.

Jeff isn't a fan of Boscombe. His agent is most definitely considerably richer now. Jeff will celebrate if he scores against us (which is fair enough).
 
NWCherries98 said:
Sad to see him a depart. No way is he a club legend in any way, shape or form.
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Always subjective! He played five years giving his absolute all in every game in five of the most successful years in our history. We’ve had few better players in 100 years so he will always be a legend to me.

I bet nobody has had their name sang half as much in those five years.

We pick our own legends though don’t we!
 
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