Re: Manchester United Supporters Thread - So Obi is coming to OT??
There's nothing wrong with "I like I buy", but I think Chelsea did not buy the best there was. Real Madrid bought the best there was when they got Figo from Barça, Zizou from Juve, Ronaldo from Inter, Beckham from United... They were not available, but Real got them.
Chelsea got the best that was available... and put together a wonderful team with them. Deportivo did the same in 1991, when they bought Bebeto, Mauro Silva and Donato, they got some young talents from the club and was the runner-up that year. They have been a top team since then. Villareal got all the players that Barça, United, Milan or Valencia did not want (Sorín, Riquelme, Forlán, Roger, José Mari, Anderson...) and put together a wonderful team. Now have signed Tacchinardi, Kromkamp and they have an even better team... buying what it's available. Remember they are playing Champions League this year...
I think that is the way Jose and Chelsea have followed, and not the way United or Arsenal choose. And it has worked. Personally, I think it is good for football to let good teams win, above star-collections. Of course, when stars put together a good team they're invincible.
Just one more thing: Real Madrid have only started signing the best players, "I like I buy", since 2000. Previously, they just couldn't get what they wanted, not enough money and not enough stars to convince good players. Many times they ended up with a "second option" instead of the preferred one. Examples:
- Wanted Cafú (1992 or so), got Vítor.
- Wanted Savicevic, got Dubovski.
- Wanted Stojkovic, got Prosinecki.
- Wanted Figo, got Freddy Rincón.
- Wanted Klinsmann, got Solana.
- Wanted Henry, got Anelka.
- Wanted Ronaldo got Baljic.
- Wanted Vieira got Karembeu.
- Wanted Dunga got Rocha.
- Wanted Donadoni got Milla.
And then came Florentino, and at last Real Madrid signed well. They have spent more or less the same amount of money with Florentino than previously... but a lot better invested.