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FC Bayern has signed him... What a joke german football is. Now, how much time will he be given at Dortmund? Must have been one of the most expensive points to prove ever.
It's not the same! I have zero problems with Bayern signing the two best players of their closest rivals, why shouldn't they if they have the ability to? It's up to the likes of Dortmund/Schalke/Leverkusen to reach a level where they would be able to keep a hold of their players when Bayern come calling. But don't compare their situation to ours.What's the issue? Bayern are the number one club in Germany? Did you all react similarly when Ballack left Leverkusen for Bayern? Would you react the same if Barkley ran down his contract to sign for us?
I don't see how it's different? Anytime Everton, Tottenham, Southampton etc. produce quality talent we're all hoping we'll swoop in and sign them. It's natural progression for players to make that step up, as Lewandowski has done.It's not the same! I have zero problems with Bayern signing the two best players of their closest rivals, why shouldn't they if they have the ability to? It's up to the likes of Dortmund/Schalke/Leverkusen to reach a level where they would be able to keep a hold of their players when Bayern come calling. But don't compare their situation to ours.
Would you react the same if Barkley ran down his contract to sign for us?
I've said it before, the problem in the Bundesliga isn't Bayern buying the best players, the problem is that the teams behind Bayern are loosing their best players to the top teams in Europe anyway. Bremen lost Diego to Juve, Özil to Real and Mertesacker to Arsenal, they dropped in the league and are now fighting against relegation. Stuttgart lost Gomez to Bayern and Khedira to Real, sucks just as much. Leverkusen lost Vidal to Juve, incredible loss. Those players wanted to leave anyway, not because Bayern is the bad club that forces them to, some of them were interested to join Bayern, some not, all left anyway. Since the massive disaster with the pay TV deals in 2002, which lead to huge financial problems throughout the whole league, no German club besides Bayern was able to establish themselves at the top and even Bayern struggled to keep their best players against European top teams up until 2010.
The league is still in transition, needs more time to find a new identity and clubs to use the new ressources in an efficient way. I'm sure we'll get back to the position where the league was between '95 and 2002 when we had several different teams in finals of the three European competitions, but it takes time. The only way to avoid slow development is by allowing investors to take over clubs and therefore destroy any hope that quality work is rewarded after more years. Ask any neutral German football fan, if they'd prefered a competitive league in which Hoffenheim and Wolfsburg bought all the players from Dortmund, Gladbach, Bremen and Stuttgart and then fought for the title with Bayern? Somehow I doubt many would prefer that, if any at all.
So leaving Southampton for United is the same as leaving the two time German champions and Champions League finalists for their admittedly superior rivals? Our position in England today is so dramatically different from Bayern's in Germany that it's unreal. Maybe a decade ago you could have compared our scenarios, but even then we had Arsenal as the closest rivals and I don't think we ever stood a chance if we had tried to get Bergkamp/Henry/Viera. The thing is Bayern are twice the size and have much more spending power than any other club in Germany. We on the other hand are marginally the biggest club in England today and don't have anywhere near the spending power of our rivals. What Bayern do to second placed club in Germany can't be compared to what United do to 5th-15th placed clubs in the Premiership. Playing for Bayern automatically guarantees you a spot in the German team, playing for United doesn't even do the same with the England team.I don't see how it's different? Anytime Everton, Tottenham, Southampton etc. produce quality talent we're all hoping we'll swoop in and sign them. It's natural progression for players to make that step up, as Lewandowski has done.
Stupid comparisons to premiership. This is equivalent of United signing Henry and Vieira from Arsenal in successive seasons. Even when we signed RVP off them they were the 4th best team in the league.
Stupid comparisons to premiership. This is equivalent of United signing Henry and Vieira from Arsenal in successive seasons. Even when we signed RVP off them they were the 4th best team in the league.
Correct, they knew full well they'd lose him for free if they didn't sell him.Dortmund should have sold him in the summer. They knew this was going to happen.
It's not just those two. It's shamelessly and systematically hoovering up a huge amount of great players in the league. Podolski, Neuer, Gomez, Mandzukic, Gustavo, Frings, Effenberg, Matthäus, Elber, Brehme, Jeremies... it's just an endless stream of the best players from other clubs ending up at the one club at the top, that no other club in the league has a chance in hell of competing with financially.Because of what - getting Götze and Lewandowski? Why?
Agree with you. It's easy to say that it's the big bad Bayern buying all the talents from their rivals but could we honestly have seen the likes of Gotze and Lewandowski spending their primes with BVB? Or Reus and Gundogan? They would leave for somewhere else if not for Bayern. It's upto the rest of the Bundesliga to step up their game and match Bayern step for step. Can't see it happening sadly without substantial investment for outside which I think is difficult with the German rules for ownership.I've said it before, the problem in the Bundesliga isn't Bayern buying the best players, the problem is that the teams behind Bayern are loosing their best players to the top teams in Europe anyway. Bremen lost Diego to Juve, Özil to Real and Mertesacker to Arsenal, they dropped in the league and are now fighting against relegation. Stuttgart lost Gomez to Bayern and Khedira to Real, sucks just as much. Leverkusen lost Vidal to Juve, incredible loss. Those players wanted to leave anyway, not because Bayern is the bad club that forces them to, some of them were interested to join Bayern, some not, all left anyway. Since the massive disaster with the pay TV deals in 2002, which lead to huge financial problems throughout the whole league, no German club besides Bayern was able to establish themselves at the top and even Bayern struggled to keep their best players against European top teams up until 2010.
The league is still in transition, needs more time to find a new identity and clubs to use the new ressources in an efficient way. I'm sure we'll get back to the position where the league was between '95 and 2002 when we had several different teams in finals of the three European competitions, but it takes time. The only way to avoid slow development is by allowing investors to take over clubs and therefore destroy any hope that quality work is rewarded after more years. Ask any neutral German football fan, if they'd prefered a competitive league in which Hoffenheim and Wolfsburg bought all the players from Dortmund, Gladbach, Bremen and Stuttgart and then fought for the title with Bayern? Somehow I doubt many would prefer that, if any at all.
Dortmund should have sold him in the summer. They knew this was going to happen.
They are still in Europe. They'd be hoping he says his goodbye in the grandest manner possible.Dortmund should have sold him in the summer. They knew this was going to happen.
What were Bayern supposed to do anyway ? Not sign a great player out of respect for the neutral fans and some Dortmund weirdo fanboys ?
It's still true though, nothing has changed in the last 7 months?Your pet line was convincing when you signed Gotze, it does sound rather vapid now. The difference between Bundesliga and La liga is that at least there are 2 clubs doing it in Spain. Terrible.
Correct, they knew full well they'd lose him for free if they didn't sell him.
It really does. Credits to Bayern for not leaving any stone unturned to strengthen from a position of strength something which we so spectacularly failed to do after reaching 3 CL finals in 4 years.feck, that Henry and Viera comparison really hits it home. Incredible really.
Some do.People aren't blaming Bayern for doing it, they are just saying that the league is a joke.
I will just quote myself, because I´m too lazy to type that all again. Seriously, it is two pages ago and was brought up several times in this thread:Dortmund should have sold him in the summer. They knew this was going to happen.
Some do.
Makes me want to vomit thinking that our reaction to getting our asses handed to us by Barcelona in the 2009 CL final and losing Ronaldo was signing Valencia, Obertan and Owen. That was the time we were widely considered the second best team in the world.Completely bizarre how Dortmund handled this one!
Quote from June 12' 'Franciszek Smuda (Poland Coach): "Robert Lewandowski is going to Manchester United." [reuters]'
Good god, they have got a remarkably good team for the foreseeable future. Hard to not be somewhat envious of Bayern's policies/behavior as a United fan. Say what you will about German football, the key to success is to strengthen when you're on top and that is Bayern right now.
Which is my point, they should have sold him in the summer. It's like Rooney signing for City next January after they already bought our best player the previous season. It's a joke. They should have sold him when they knew he would be going there, even if they didn't get as much money for him as he's worth, it's better than none.I will just quote myself, because I´m too lazy to type that all again. Seriously, it is two pages ago and was brought up several times in this thread:
In Lewandowski´s case it is even about a lot of money, because according to multiple sources both Chelsea and Real made offers between 30 and 35 Mil €, which Dortmund would have accepted, if Lewandowski would have been willing to transfer. At that point he was already Bayern-bound, though, because they probably promised him enough (salary and cash for signing) to make him unapproachable for any other club.
That left Dortmund with two choices: keep him for another year and let him go for free or sell him last summer for a price Bayern could dictate (certainly way below his actual value), because Lewandowski was already certain to join them anyway and he is by all means a luxury buy and not someone they absolutely need.
No, it isn´t. Let´s say Bayern made an offer for 10 Mil € (can´t see them offering more than that). This amount of money stands in no relation to having a world class striker like Lewandowski for one year. You can say about the Pole what you want (the behaviour of his agent is disgraceful and some of his interviews were downright cnutish), but he is a full fledged professional, who contributed already in this season. Having Lewandowski can make the difference between qualifiying for the KO round of the CL or finishing on a CL spot in the first place. That alone would bring in more money that the marginal transfer fee.Which is my point, they should have sold him in the summer. It's like Rooney signing for City next January after they already bought our best player the previous season. It's a joke. They should have sold him when they knew he would be going there, even if they didn't get as much money for him as he's worth, it's better than none.
Bayern have always been hovering up the best players in Germany. Not sure whats the big surprise.
So you seriously see this as the best scenario? And as a Dortmund fan you're happy with how it's panned out?No, it isn´t. Let´s say Bayern made an offer for 10 Mil € (can´t see them offering more than that). This amount of money stands in no relation to having a world class striker like Lewandowski for one year. You can say about the Pole what you want (the behaviour of his agent is disgraceful and some of his interviews were downright cnutish), but he is a full fledged professional, who contributed already in this season. Having Lewandowski can make the difference between qualifiying for the KO round of the CL or finishing on a CL spot in the first place. That alone would bring in more money that the marginal transfer fee.
They can't afford to.If I was a Dortmund fan I would've wanted to watch Lewandoski rot in the reserves for the season.
Dortmund gave him a pay rise last summer to make sure he's still motivated to score goals for them in his last season there.If I was a Dortmund fan I would've wanted to watch Lewandoski rot in the reserves for the season.
They could've played Aubameyang up top.They can't afford to.