ACCORDING TO REPORTS, Jose Mourinho has made Chelsea star Willian a prime transfer target.
The new Manchester United boss is a big fan of the 27-year-old Brazilian and spent £30m to land him in August 2013.
His discipline, attitude and ability to easily conform to Mourinho’s system means the Portuguese is keen on bringing him to Old Trafford.
But, it won’t be a straightforward deal.
Willian is a crucial element in the Chelsea starting XI and incoming manager Antonio Conte will not want to lose such a high-profile player ahead of his first campaign in charge.
With rumours surrounding Oscar’s future too, the Italian will see them both as integral to his plans.
Money may be the deciding factor.
Right now, Willian is earning a reported £80,000 and United would increase that by a third.
In terms of a fee, it may not be far off the £50m given his development over the last three years, Chelsea’s reluctance to sell and the two years left on his current contract.
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Its very hard to judge players who played in the 30s when there is no footage of them. Mackay and lory meagher everyone knows about as being legends of the game. Mackay being one of the all time greats.
But other than these 2 there is probably too many players from that era.
I would definitely bring in dj, nicky rackard and Brian lohan. For nick o’donnell, ray cummins and jim langton.
@Gareth Ward: what are you on about? You take out the only player in the team who played for the whole of the 70s and replace him with a player from “that era”. You are as bitter as Griffin, who seems to think a Wexford team who won 6 all Ireland’s in the century deserve more players that Cork, who won 24.
@John Buckley: ray cummins wouldn’t look out of place in today’s game.
@John Buckley: Hahaha how am i bitter? I gave my opinion on it. Nicky rackard played in the 40s and 50s anyway. From what ive heard he was a phenomenal goalscorer, records prove that. Not knocking ray cummins at all, having seen him play i know how good he was. But i would just edge rackard ahead of him for his undoubted credentials.
@Gareth Ward: how can you make a judgement between the two when you have never seen Rackard play. His playing career overlapped 11 of the team.
@John Buckley: Its a team of the millennium, ive literally only seen brian whelehan and cummins from the actual team. So i can only do what anyone else is doing and give wn opinion based on previous opinions and stats etc.
Now rather than criticise my opinion, why dont you tell us what if any changes you would make to the team?
@Gareth Ward: who cares about your opinion; you have only seen 2 of the 15 play so you don’t have the knowledge to change that team. The people who picked the team have seen both Cummins and Rackard play so are a lot more qualified to give their selection. Who am I to change their team.
@John Buckley: You are ridiculous. Im giving my opinion same as everyone else and you come along just to pick holes without actually giving your own take on it. My opinion is as valid as anyone else who wants to comment on the subject, as its an interesting topic. If you dont have an opinion why even bother commenting?
@Gareth Ward: you are not the same as everyone else because no one else gave an opinion. Everyone else had the humility to know the people who selected the team were more qualified to pick the team. Seeing only 2 of the 15 players play means any team you pick can be ignored.
@John Buckley: So what you’re saying is only someone who is 145 years old can comment because they would be the only person who would be old enough to have seen every player. That would make for a very interesting debate wouldnt it?
I am not old enough to go back beyond the mid 80′s but having seen many of the recent re-runs of old matches on TG4 and Eir the best hurlers are from the 2000′s onwards, especially that great Kilkenny team who would have at least 4 definites on it, Delaney, Walsh, Shefflin, Reid.
@padraig whelton: team of the next millennium nominees so maybe!
@Joe Kennedy:
@Joe Kennedy: LOL
@Joe Kennedy: Everyone knows the team of the next millennium will be dominated by the hurling powerhouses of Samoa, Leitrim and Uzbekistan.
John Connolly what a player, had the pleasure of seeing him play. Only guy I seen play on the team that was picked was Brian Whelahan he was fine hurler. Nice spread of counties on the team that was picked.
Players gained reputations in different generations. Just watched the ’73 final on TG4 and it was a tough day for hurling but only 3 or 4 players looked like they could hold their own today.
Imagine going back to the 30s or 40s and how different the game would have been.
These teams are selected on reputation only.
Loughnane denigrated DJ for his own ends, he damaged his reputation and done in his chances.
It’s all the more surprising that Rackard was omitted because by reputation he was up there with Ring and Mackey and the Doyles.
You’d have to conclude that there was a ‘home town’ agenda at play.
If that team was picked again, what changes would be made? Well obviously the full foward would be Johnny Maher.