argh1 Posted January 23, 2004 Share Posted January 23, 2004 I know......the response on Asian soccer is always ever so high But I'll post this anyway. On www.footballasia.com the last poll asks; which is the best league in Asia? I was surprised to see the results. Iran PL 56.5% K-League 20.8% C-League 12.3% J-League 7.9% UAE League 1.3% Saudi League 1.2% Given that in FIFA rankings Korea is 22, Saudi 26, Iran 28, Japan 29,UAE 77,and China is 85. Is it safe to say Iranians have more computers or that Saudi and Korea and the rest export more players? Or is there no comparison between domestic leagues and FIFA rankings[?] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amacpher Posted January 23, 2004 Share Posted January 23, 2004 quote:Originally posted by argh1 I know......the response on Asian soccer is always ever so high But I'll post this anyway. On www.footballasia.com the last poll asks; which is the best league in Asia? I was surprised to see the results. Iran PL 56.5% K-League 20.8% C-League 12.3% J-League 7.9% UAE League 1.3% Saudi League 1.2% Given that in FIFA rankings Korea is 22, Saudi 26, Iran 28, Japan 29,UAE 77,and China is 85. Is it safe to say Iranians have more computers or that Saudi and Korea and the rest export more players? Or is there no comparison between domestic leagues and FIFA rankings[?] There's a correlation between the 2, but not a direct relationship (look at Brazil with only the 4th or 5th best domestic league worldwide). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaku_bert Posted January 23, 2004 Share Posted January 23, 2004 speaking of asian leagues,I am wondering what kind of salaries are available in the k-league. Chris Marsden is a 35 year old mid-fielder playing at Southampton. He is out of contract at the end of the year and has apparently sewn up a deal to play in Korea. Apparently he is doing it because it is a big payday for him. That surprises me in that I figured he could go down a division in England and still make a bit of coin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mimglow Posted January 27, 2004 Share Posted January 27, 2004 There's no mention of salaries, but still a nice article on Marsden. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/feature?id=289579&cc=5901 Farewell to an icon Norman Hubbard In a surprising career move and a surprising Korea move, Chris Marsden is ending his five-year stay at Southampton. A very British icon will now become a Busan Icon. It's bye-bye to Chris Marsden (CliveMason/GettyImages) Two years in the K-League should provide a lucrative conclusion to Marsden's career. He has already become a footballing pensioner, turning 35 earlier this month. There are few older outfield players in the Premiership. But Teddy Sheringham, Marcel Desailly, Martin Keown and Denis Irwin have extensive medal collections and distinguished international careers. Any caps Marsden has merely camouflaged his most famous feature; his lack of hair. The Koreans may need to be reassured Marsden is 'only' 35. But the less hair he has had, the greater the financial and footballing rewards he has reaped for his longevity. Images of the younger and more hirsute Marsden are rare. Save for a seven-game loan spell at Coventry City, he spent his twenties scurrying around the lower leagues. Seeming the definition of Nationwide League journeyman, he played for Sheffield United, Huddersfield Town, Coventry, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Notts County, Stockport County and Birmingham City. Logically, he should be seeing out his playing days in the lower reaches of Division Three now. But in February 1999, Dave Jones paid £800,000 for Marsden as one cult figure - Carlton Palmer - made way for another. And for the past five years, Marsden has been scurrying around the Southampton midfield, ever more energetic than his appearance would suggest but without any pretensions to pace. Scouting in the lower divisions rarely involves looking at 30-year-olds with spells at seven clubs. Jones, probably the only top-flight boss to even consider Marsden, had managed him at Stockport. But his three successors, Glenn Hoddle, Stuart Gray and Gordon Strachan, have all made Marsden a cornerstone of their midfield. But a swift return to Division One beckoned when Marsden joined Southampton. Six wins in 14 games later, Saints stayed up while Blackburn, who spent £10million on more renowned midfielders that season, went down instead. A committed and distinctive figure, Marsden came to personify Southampton as the Matt Le Tissier era drew to a close. Affection for the resolutely unglamorous son of Sheffield manifested in nicknames like 'Marsdinho', 'the bald Beckenbauer' and 'Chris Marsden - Football Genius'; his team-mates preferred the more prosaic 'Mazzer'. But on March 2, 2002, the bald Beckenbauer scored a goal that drew comparisons with Diego Maradona, Ryan Giggs and John Barnes. With Southampton 2-1 up at Ipswich, Marsden picked up the ball just inside the home side's half, beat two opponents and just kept on running. Between the two centre backs, round the goalkeeper and away in celebration after an unconvincing tap-in with his rarely-used right foot. Yes! It's a Marsden, of Huddersfield Town, with hair in 1991 (NealSimpson/Empics) There have been few better goals in the Premiership and still fewer which have surprised the scorer more. It was also the result of an inspired change by Strachan as Marsden, a central midfielder his entire career, reinvented himself on the left wing. Like success, his best position came late to Marsden. At an age when other left-footers like Barnes and Gary Speed were leaving the flank for a more sedate role in the centre of midfield, Marsden made the opposite journey. He succeeded by recognising his limitations. Wayne Bridge, quicker, more skillful and a better crosser, did much of the winger's work while Marsden covered for him and came infield to make a third central midfielder. And at 34, Chris Marsden suddenly became one of the most acclaimed footballers in the country. Terry Venables nominated him as one of the players of the season as Southampton reached the FA Cup final and Marsden, vice-captain and the most prominent of Saints' odd brigade, got much of the credit. There were even fanciful suggestions that, were Marsden 10 years younger, he could be the answer to England's problems on the left flank. They were utterly unrealistic, of course, but Marsden was an antidote to more talented but wasteful players; indeed, much of Marsden's popularity stems from what he is not. Still, 'Beckham, Scholes, Gerrard and Marsden' has a certain ring to it. Sven-Goran Eriksson - the spoilsport - disagreed but the recognition Marsden received actually came 12 months too late; his best season was 2001-2 when he won Southampton's Player of the Year award. Nonetheless, Saints' FA Cup run had another Marsden moment, an impressively unathletic overhead kick to beat Wolves in the quarter-finals. Arsenal headed for a third successive final, but for Southampton and Marsden, this was a one-off. Rested for two games to prevent him picking up the booking which would have forced him to miss a first FA Cup semi-final, Marsden was promptly booked and missed two further Premiership matches. Not since Brian Kilcline in 1987 has such an odd figure led a team out in the FA Cup final. Jason Dodd, but for injury, would have captained Saints but Marsden's unlikely road to Cardiff brought a groundswell of support from his former clubs. Huddersfield and Notts County were in administration, but their players could dream of being the next Chris Marsden. Marsdinho: Celebrating a famous goal against Ipswich in 2002 (MikeFinnKelcey/GettyImages) But the FA Cup's bond with the underdog has been broken. Marsden and Southampton lost. A frustrating first half of this season suggested that, after a long pursuit, age is finally catching up with him. But when Saints visit Old Trafford on Saturday, there should be one member of the Manchester United side pleased he won't be facing Marsden. Up against World Cup winner Kleberson in August - were you watching, Sven? - substitute Marsden dictated the tempo of the game in the final half-hour with intelligent passing as Southampton won 1-0. So chants of 'Marsden for England' won't be heard at St Mary's any more (though he could be eligible for South Korea just after his 40th birthday). A grumpy old bald man, in the words of his manager, the Premiership will miss Chris Marsden - and that's the bald truth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
argh1 Posted January 28, 2004 Author Share Posted January 28, 2004 http://skysports.planetfootball.com/article.asp?id=182314&cpid= Although not about K-League, this recent J-League signining is said to be the highest at 1.8 million pounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue and White Army Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 No transfer fee, but Alpay will make US$1M per year at new K-League club Incheon United. Bloke on the left is United manager Werner Lorant, former gaffer at Fenerbahce and 1860 Munich. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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