EPL News 24/7There’s no value in writing anything more about the influence of money over the modern game, because that’s a battle than has already been fought and lost. It’s regrettable, but that’s just how it is.
Jack Rodwell’s move to Manchester City will be good for his career, but bad for his development. That may seem like a contradiction, but it’s not – realising your potential to its fullest extent and extracting the most out of your career are no longer the same thing. A move to Manchester City guarantees him a higher salary, medals, profile, and the Champions League – playing for Everton promises solely more first-team minutes. A lesser part in a bigger project versus a more integral role in something more mundane.
In this age of affluent behemoth clubs, that’s a trade off players are increasingly faced with.
It’s easy to say that Rodwell ‘won’t play at City’, or that ‘he’s sacrificing the crucial formative years of his career’ for a bigger wage, but he’s probably more than aware of that. In all likelihood, Rodwell will never exceed the 85 Premier League appearances for City that he’s already accumulated at Goodison Park, but again, that’s a situation which he probably accepts as a by-product of collecting something tangible from his career.
Medals and money always trump memories.
This is one of those transfers in which all sides can leave the table feeling victorious. Everton have got £15m for an above-average player who is probably not going to reach the heights to which he was projected to climb, and City have got a solid English player to act as back-up in an array of midfield positions. And Rodwell himself? All the obvious merits.
There’s no point debating this, because these types of transfers – and the player mentality which facilitates them – are so deeply embedded in the game that they just have to be accepted as part of football now.
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Andy your response to this article was embarrassing to your admittedly unsuccessful, pre buy the league City history.
Really you have changed your strategy? You have really moved away from buying anyone and everyone, just because you can.
Have you really moved away from buying players who take the cash knowing they will probably destroy their careers so they will never have to worry about money ever again. And really players enjoy winning trophies or leagues after contributing 5-10 games during the year or even 5 to 10 minutes?
Rodwell will never play for you regularly because he probably is 2 or 3 new city managers and reorganisations away from his prime because the minute one of your managers loses a few games he is out. Abu Dhabi wants vanity more importantly than player progression or youth policy. Just see the other 20-30 seldom used players you have gathering dust.
In 1998 you had crowds of 10,000 watching you and Chesterfield in the second division before you were we changed from a football club to a corporate flag waving exercise for Abu Dhabi.
Please don’t tell me City have changed their strategy, looking for youth or any other high moral ideals. City is a vanity pr exercise, nothing to do about football but if you enjoy it that’s fine by me. Not my cup of tea to be honest.
“Medals and money always trump memories”……not sure how you get to this….surely memories of being in a champions league or FA Cup final and winning the Premiership are the ones footballers wish to retire with rather than ‘staying up for another year!’.
The purchase of Jack Rodwell will also increase shirt sales in Southport. An up and coming market which City are, clearly, intent on exploiting to the full!
This is quite a shoddy article, ill-thought out and lazy. I expect more from the Owl.
The point of the transfer policy shifting from experienced (older) pros to younger talent is to ensure that City has something sustainable and long-term, not just to win trophies. The transfer fee wasnt that excessive, the players wages are not disclosed. This is one for the future and will probably step into NDJs shoes, should he move on now, or at the end of the season. It’s a bit of a gamble, Rodwell clearly has to improve if he is to become something more integral than, say, Adam Johnson.
The second thing to take note is that this happened quickly and quietly, yet there had clearly been ongoing discussions for some time. The agents touting players for massive fees didnt come into play at all & makes a welcome change from the over publicised “transfers” such as the RVP saga and De Rossi megabucks.
In future why not try to see what’s really happening, rather than regurgitate bitter opinions from ideology that’s stuck in the past. Get over yourself.
Jack rodwell could have come to chelsea for permelent fixture.