Teams who have sold their best player...

[Zippy]

and have become better afterwards.

 

In an attempt to be positive in light of Suarez's likely departure I thought it would be good to try and think of some examples of teams that improved straight after selling their best player or one of their best players.

 

These are from memory so please excuse any mistakes:

 

Us after selling Keegan.

Us after selling Rush.

Everton after selling Lineker.

Everton after selling Rooney.

Arguably Juventus after selling Zidane.

Valencia after selling Mendieta.

Dortmund after selling firstly Sahin and secondly Kagawa (Obviously whether they were their best players is open to some debate).

 

Sure there must be some others?

 

(PS I recognise that almost all of those teams listed above were in a much stronger position in every way than ourselves but I am just trying to illustrate that hopefully if it does happen and we respond effectively we can still progress.)

[Guest San Don]

and have become better afterwards.

 

In an attempt to be positive in light of Suarez's likely departure I thought it would be good to try and think of some examples of teams that improved straight after selling their best player or one of their best players.

 

These are from memory so please excuse any mistakes:

 

Us after selling Keegan.

Us after selling Rush.

Everton after selling Lineker.

Everton after selling Rooney.

Arguably Juventus after selling Zidane.

Valencia after selling Mendieta.

Dortmund after selling firstly Sahin and secondly Kagawa (Obviously whether they were their best players is open to some debate).

 

Sure there must be some others?

 

(PS I recognise that almost all of those teams listed above were in a much stronger position in every way than ourselves but I am just trying to illustrate that hopefully if it does happen and we respond effectively we can still progress.)

 

With the exception of Dortmund, I'd say all those other examples are historical. Where are those teams now, exactly?

[Bjornebye]

i'm so glad we have another thread about suarez who hasn't even left yet.

[Zippy]

With the exception of Dortmund, I'd say all those other examples are historical. Where are those teams now, exactly?

 

True but the decline of those teams IMO is due to mistakes further down the line rather than anything to do with selling their best players.

[Kevin D]

It is a lie. You don't do more with less. You do less with less.

[Neil G]

Newcastle and Andy Cole.

 

Mancs and Cantona, although he retired rather than being sold.

 

Not that either of those are comparable to our current situation.

[Pureblood]

Derby County after Seth Johnson.

[Zippy]

It is a lie. You don't do more with less. You do less with less.

 

You can improve if you replace a world class player with two or three very good ones. Obviously it depends on the fee you receive and how you spend it though. If we had spent the Torres money a lot better we could easily have been a much better team the season after he left. Sadly we squandered much of it.

[The Golden Eel]

Newcastle and Andy Carroll

[George Costanza]

The best recent example is Inter losing Ibrahimovich and getting Eto'o, Sneijder and Milito in.

 

Most other examples are top/successful clubs losing top players but because they are top clubs they can cherry pick a top class replacement from virtually any other club.

 

Unfortunately we are not currently in that position.

[Trumo]

We need to get back to the sort of pre-eminence which dictated that any player who left us was on their way down. Perhaps we've been so spoilt in the past and taken it for granted that this would always be the case, and that's why it is so uncomfortable for us when one of our top players decides to leave to better themselves elsewhere. It is unpalatable to us that players don't think their prospects of winning trophies, playing in the top competitions or earning the really big money will be enhanced by staying with us. Somehow we need to get back to where we want to be, and a large part of that involves keeping the best players, because we can't dismantle and rebuild with the sort of effectiveness that sides like Porto do every single year.

[TheFridge]

With the exception of Dortmund, I'd say all those other examples are historical. Where are those teams now, exactly?

 

Yeah, and it won't be long at all before Dortmund are in decline, the only way will be down for them due to the pillaging of their best players, they remind me a lot of the quality Ajax team of the mid 90s that ended up getting pillaged after back to back CL finals.

 

At least Ajax got a European Cup out of it though, pity for Dortmund that they won't.

[Jonjo Baldy]

Arsenal

[TheFridge]

You can improve if you replace a world class player with two or three very good ones. Obviously it depends on the fee you receive and how you spend it though. If we had spent the Torres money a lot better we could easily have been a much better team the season after he left. Sadly we squandered much of it.

 

And the season just gone.

[Neil G]

Arsenal

 

 

When?

[Jonjo Baldy]

When?

 

They sold Fabregas, and still managed to get 4th.

 

They sold Nasri, and still managed to get 4th.

 

They sold Van Persie and still managed to get 4th when everyone was saying without him they wouldn't, but they used their money and rebuilt their attack.

 

Not a bad job, and selling their best players didn't exactly make any difference to them with or without. Just like us with Suarez. We finished 8th, then 7th and next season it will be 6th without him.

[Neil G]

They sold Fabregas, and still managed to get 4th.

 

They sold Nasri, and still managed to get 4th.

 

They sold Van Persie and still managed to get 4th when everyone was saying without him they wouldn't, but they used their money and rebuilt their attack.

 

Not a bad job, and selling their best players didn't exactly make any difference to them with or without. Just like us with Suarez. We finished 8th, then 7th and next season it will be 6th without him.

 

 

They haven't got better though. They've stayed at the same level.

[Garrincha]

Porto after every single player they sell. If we get 50-60 million for Suarez it's not inconceivable that it could take us to the next level, if we spend the money sensibly.

[Guest The Big Green Bastard]

Arguably Juventus after selling Zidane.

 

Disagree. Juve have been shit in europe since that sale.

[ChrisM]

I'm beginning to think Jonjo Baldy has had some sort of catastrophic head injury.

[kalasoma]

Atletico Madrid after Torres, then after Aguero and Forlan.

[Jonjo Baldy]

They haven't got better though. They've stayed at the same level.

 

Arguably they have got better as a team and not reliant on one or two stars anymore.

[Guest The Big Green Bastard]

Rivaldo leaving Barca.

Ronaldo leaving Barca.

Ronaldinho leaving Barca.

Maradona leaving Barca.

 

Amazing to think how many world class players they have had and ultimately failed in europe until Messi came along.

[Zippy]

Disagree. Juve have been shit in europe since that sale.

 

Think the Nedved team won Serie A twice and got to another Champions League final in the years after Zidane had left.

[Guest The Big Green Bastard]

Think the Nedved team won Serie A twice and got to another Champions League final in the years after Zidane had left.

 

Nedved better than Zidane, have you just got back from the pub?