Diego Capel

[wcorkcanary 4,329]

SP Lisboa...apparently going to stoke, maybe , possibly etc.

My point is this, we all know what a tough season(apart from the wife and wages) rickaay had.

Can anyone , tell us , how previous movers from Portugal to prem have fared, i can think of a few obvious ones, but with euro football knowledge limited, would be interested to know about players coming direct from portugal to the prem. Its a big step up for sure.

Anyone got facts? or stats.?

[KeiranShikari_2 0]

We got relegated, mate.

[wcorkcanary 4,329]

Yep, true. Do you know any answers to my question?

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,777]

Cristiano Ronaldo did alright.

[chicken 0]

Ronaldo did ok, took him a good season to really settle though.

Plenty of pace and skill when he first moved to Untd but I can remember him struggling to cross and be a bit wayward at times.

[KeiranShikari_2 0]

Of f the top of my head I can''t think of many to be honest. These have been pretty successful though.Carvalho Matic Nani Ronaldo Meireles FerreiraValente

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,777]

[quote user="chicken"]Ronaldo did ok, took him a good season to really settle though.

Plenty of pace and skill when he first moved to Untd but I can remember him struggling to cross and be a bit wayward at times.[/quote]By his standards now, then yeah, his end product wasn''t great in his first year or two, but he was still a very good player- better than most wingers in the league at the age of 18.[quote user="KeiranShikari"]Of f the top of my head I can''t think of

many to be honest. These have been pretty successful though.Carvalho Matic Nani Ronaldo Meireles FerreiraValente[/quote]You can add David Luiz and Ramires as another couple of examples in recent times, and going back a bit further, there was a certain Dutch striker who did very well- Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink...

[Tetteys Jig 830]

Maybe not the last couple of years, but put Bosingwa in there from his good years at Chelsea. Deco did pretty well too.

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,777]

And in the interests of fairness, to balance it out, flops off the top of my head are:Ricky, obviouslyAndersonHugo VianaHelder PostigaMario JardelTiago, possiblyPedro Mendes is another one for the good pile though. Benni McCarthy was very good at first, but became a flop by the end.

[Tetteys Jig 830]

There''s a pattern emerging with the ''good'' and ''bad''. Physical ability.

The flops were either too weak or too fat. There is no doubting the technical standard of all the players mentioned, some of the flops have become big successes in other leagues but I guess the Premiership requires tip top fitness. As David Bentley alluded to, it''s far more regimented now in the premier league.

[ZLF 271]

Probably less needing tip top fitness but more physical strength;    I dont see spanish / german teams tiring at the end of games as they are less fit,  indeed a high pressing game favoured by guardiola requires a high level of fitness;    but undoubtely the english game at all levels is far more robust shall we say in its nature.   That the likes of a proven goal scorer like Jardel or Viana would be deemed a poor player is frankly ludicrous.

 

Something needs to change that circle of wanting physicality in the british game ahead of technical ability - we prefer players who run around like a headless chicken bowling opponents (and justify it by badging it passion or committment) ahead of players who can control a ball and pass to a team mate.     IMO it is a fundamental reason why England will continue to make it past the QF in any tournament anytime soon.   A very peculiar british obsession.

[grefstad 0]

[quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"]

Probably less needing tip top fitness but more physical strength;    I dont see spanish / german teams tiring at the end of games as they are less fit,  indeed a high pressing game favoured by guardiola requires a high level of fitness;    but undoubtely the english game at all levels is far more robust shall we say in its nature.   That the likes of a proven goal scorer like Jardel or Viana would be deemed a poor player is frankly ludicrous.

 

Something needs to change that circle of wanting physicality in the british game ahead of technical ability - we prefer players who run around like a headless chicken bowling opponents (and justify it by badging it passion or committment) ahead of players who can control a ball and pass to a team mate.     IMO it is a fundamental reason why England will continue to make it past the QF in any tournament anytime soon.   A very peculiar british obsession.

[/quote]

Tend to agree on your views.

However, watching Barcelona play Getafe or similar is not all exciting either. You can be passed to death, and bored to death.

Bottom line is, a supporter/spectator wants action. And British footie is action. A mix between technical ability and gutsy all-in performances is probably the best.

[Syteanric 1]

I seem to remember the last player we signed from a Portuguese club....