Mitchell1978
Senior Member
Hamstring problems can be a bitch, Diego Costa is still stuggling with it dating back to the end of last season.
24 - Thomas Vermaelen
- Thread starter FlyLo
- Start date
DonAndres
Wild Man of Borneo
Intermittent discomfort is to be expected with such a chronic injury but if he's at the end stages of recovery, it shouldn't take more than a few weeks of therapy/training to get him in good condition. I believe he is still training regularly with the team in full sessions which means that his condition isn't that bad (players like Xavi/Douglas etc. were told to train individually after knocks as small as foot bruises so you have to be relatively fit to be with the whole group).
I find it disturbing when football fans dismiss the finances associated with a poor transfer as insignificant and inconsequential. A dollar wasted is a dollar which could 've instead gone in to youth development, overseas schools or any social/philanthropic project. Blowing away 10 m€ or whatever "nothing" amount (and thats not including the player wages) over a transaction that most likely has zero returns is lamentable. Its understandable to risk on potential and youth, not on a player nearing 30, who's not even the best in his position, hoping that he'll of be utility IF he recovers from his persistent injury issues. But he's a "handsome devil" and "verminator", enough to justify his signature for most folks. 
Alarcón
New member
No, they would have just paid back an additional 10m of our debt.
We needed another defender and we got one... If the club thought that buying Vermaelen would have "zero returns" then they wouldn't have bought him. It's way too early to claim that he will fail here.
which is never a bad thing.
Like the board always make such wise football decisions. Keirrison, Henrique, to name a few.
Kohe321
New member
If he recovers properly and goes long without injury, playing many games and playing to the level which he has done in the past (which I think he can), he will have been well worth the price. A bit early to start writing him off I think. 
He's a great player, let's just hope this injury goes away and that the less physical La Liga can keep him injury free. Barca, and especially now under Lucho, seems to be very careful and good at treating injuries.
He's a great player, let's just hope this injury goes away and that the less physical La Liga can keep him injury free. Barca, and especially now under Lucho, seems to be very careful and good at treating injuries.
Alarcón
New member
I'm not saying that, but to me your statement implied that they knew he was going to be shit and still threw money out of the window instead of doing something more useful with it, which isn't what happened; if anything, their football knowledge just isn't very big and we can't complain about that, we've known this for years.
Those were dodgy deals, nobody thoght they'd become good.
Kerrybai
New member
I find it disturbing when football fans dismiss the finances associated with a poor transfer as insignificant and inconsequential. A dollar wasted is a dollar which could 've instead gone in to youth development, overseas schools or any social/philanthropic project. Blowing away 10 m€ or whatever "nothing" amount (and thats not including the player wages) over a transaction that most likely has zero returns is lamentable. Its understandable to risk on potential and youth, not on a player nearing 30, who's not even the best in his position, hoping that he'll of be utility IF he recovers from his persistent injury issues. But he's a "handsome devil" and "verminator", enough to justify his signature for most folks.
30 is fine for a defender, and if he finds his initial Arsenal form then he will pay back that 10 million.
You wins some you lose some. At least give Vermaelen a chance before you dismiss him as a waste of 10 million.
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evilhita666
Barçapocalypse NOW!
What bothers me about this is that we already knew he was going to spend way too much time sidelined... I criticized the medical examination and the signing of an injured player, and right now I stand by that...
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