That’s just untrue, Drogba Kalou Obi Mikel at Chelsea for years, the Toure brothers at top clubs for most of the 2000s, Inaki Williams at Athletic. Could go on and on. African players are not less valuable because of AFCON, this sounds like you’ve made up an argument in your head and are working backwards to justify it, rather than basing it in reality.
Athletic is a bit different, since they rarely sign players from other clubs.
But, anyway, if you have the choice between two players who are similar, and you know that you’ll miss one of those two players two months every 2 years, who would you objectively choose? I’d choose the one who isn’t going to the Africa Cup.
Right, that’s what YOU would do. But I don’t think football clubs operate with that rationale, and that’s my point. Everyone is saying “this is what I, a fan, would do” and I don’t think that’s what large footballing clubs are thinking about.
This isn’t from a fan perspective, but from a management perspective. If I can get two assets, one that is regularly working and one that stops working for 2 months every two year I get the one that is regularly working.
Right, but it’s not like they stop working for shits and giggles. They stop working to go represent their country at a prestigious international tournament. So it’s a little bit different and you would be a callous manager to deny that.
That’s just untrue, Drogba Kalou Obi Mikel at Chelsea for years, the Toure brothers at top clubs for most of the 2000s, Inaki Williams at Athletic. Could go on and on. African players are not less valuable because of AFCON, this sounds like you’ve made up an argument in your head and are working backwards to justify it, rather than basing it in reality.
Athletic is a bit different, since they rarely sign players from other clubs.
But, anyway, if you have the choice between two players who are similar, and you know that you’ll miss one of those two players two months every 2 years, who would you objectively choose? I’d choose the one who isn’t going to the Africa Cup.
Right, that’s what YOU would do. But I don’t think football clubs operate with that rationale, and that’s my point. Everyone is saying “this is what I, a fan, would do” and I don’t think that’s what large footballing clubs are thinking about.
This isn’t from a fan perspective, but from a management perspective. If I can get two assets, one that is regularly working and one that stops working for 2 months every two year I get the one that is regularly working.
Right, but it’s not like they stop working for shits and giggles. They stop working to go represent their country at a prestigious international tournament. So it’s a little bit different and you would be a callous manager to deny that.
Is it callous as a manager to not even want to be put in that situation?