Liam Millar

[The Real Marc]

I’m pretty sure that’s standard. 

[TGAA_Star]

Yeah at least by going to Basel, he has a chance not just at Europa League football but ultimately Champions League football if he stays in Switzerland. Yeah playing in the Swiss league will actually help him to grow even more as a footballer.

[gigi riva]

FC Basel are usual particapants in Champs League , and are usually in the top tier of Swiss Football this will be good for Millar hopefully he makes the most of his opportunity.

Is Roger Federer a minority owner of  FC Basel or just a big time supporter like Rod Stewart is for Celtic

[SthMelbRed]

12 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

For me this is not the ideal move, but not a bad one. 

It's better to go to a football system where you can move inside that system. Mid table Netherlands or Turkey, 2nd division Spain or Championship. 

It's also better to go to a team that's not a bigger fish in a smallish pond, as you're at the top and can only move on by moving out. Then, you aren't going to move from Basel to a top league, or not easily. 

What I like is that it's a solid pro club. That it'll get to European competition. It's a fine spot for a young man with a baby looking for a move. 

Yeah. I remember a few years ago FC Basel signed a winger/wide forward from a lower profile football country. Wasn't really known, but had bags of pace and tons of work rate. Whatever happened to that guy? Mo Something or another, I think. 😉 

[Unnamed Trialist]

3 hours ago, SthMelbRed said:

Yeah. I remember a few years ago FC Basel signed a winger/wide forward from a lower profile football country. Wasn't really known, but had bags of pace and tons of work rate. Whatever happened to that guy? Mo Something or another, I think. 😉 

Look at their transfer history, it isn't great. They sold one player to a team in Ligue 1 this year, that is it. And they just signed Quintillà who is former Barça academy, who I saw when he was a kid, and he has just been floating about for a few years, including in USL. So Salah is a total exception.

What I don't agree with is everyone saying "perfect move", "couldn't be better". Actually, any of the 2nd tiers of the top four league would be better. Ligue 1, with a modest team, would be better. Netherland and Belgium and Portugal top flight would be better. Turkey too. Russia would be better, or a top team in Greece. So it is not the best move by any means, for what he was reasonably projecting it is probably below another 150 better club options.

I mean, even Gloire Amanda just signed for a team in a better league that is higher rated. 

[TGAA_Star]

8 hours ago, gigi riva said:

FC Basel are usual particapants in Champs League , and are usually in the top tier of Swiss Football this will be good for Millar hopefully he makes the most of his opportunity.

Is Roger Federer a minority owner of  FC Basel or just a big time supporter like Rod Stewart is for Celtic

I think Federer he is a big time supporter of FC Basel. But of course yes they usually are in Champions League so what better way for Liam to gain experience than by playing there? He would actually get playing time too.

[Greatest Cockney Rip Off]

3 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Look at their transfer history, it isn't great. They sold one player to a team in Ligue 1 this year, that is it. And they just signed Quintillà who is former Barça academy, who I saw when he was a kid, and he has just been floating about for a few years, including in USL. So Salah is a total exception.

What I don't agree with is everyone saying "perfect move", "couldn't be better". Actually, any of the 2nd tiers of the top four league would be better. Ligue 1, with a modest team, would be better. Netherland and Belgium and Portugal top flight would be better. Turkey too. Russia would be better, or a top team in Greece. So it is not the best move by any means, for what he was reasonably projecting it is probably below another 150 better club options.

I mean, even Gloire Amanda just signed for a team in a better league that is higher rated. 

I think that is a bit harsh of a take on their ability to sell on players for money to better leagues. Looks at their top three departures from the last ten seasons. They have a much better record then you portray.
 

 

[apbsmith]

15 minutes ago, Greatest Cockney Rip Off said:

I think that is a bit harsh of a take on their ability to sell on players for money to better leagues. Looks at their top three departures from the last ten seasons. They have a much better record then you portray.
 

 

Excellent post with that data, thx for sharing all that. 

Also, the last few transfer windows over the last 12-18 months have been quite irregular from the norm, due to covid. I expect things slowly starting to get back to normal moving forward with this summer window.

Edited June 28, 2021 by apbsmith

[Stryker911]

3 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Look at their transfer history, it isn't great. They sold one player to a team in Ligue 1 this year, that is it. And they just signed Quintillà who is former Barça academy, who I saw when he was a kid, and he has just been floating about for a few years, including in USL. So Salah is a total exception.

What I don't agree with is everyone saying "perfect move", "couldn't be better". Actually, any of the 2nd tiers of the top four league would be better. Ligue 1, with a modest team, would be better. Netherland and Belgium and Portugal top flight would be better. Turkey too. Russia would be better, or a top team in Greece. So it is not the best move by any means, for what he was reasonably projecting it is probably below another 150 better club options.

I mean, even Gloire Amanda just signed for a team in a better league that is higher rated. 

I suppose it's all subjective. In my opinion it's a good move. He gets to a top club in a good, but not great league. If he performs well, then he will move on. If he stays here for he rest of his career, he is still at the national team level. Whats kind of crazy is that a player for one of the top teams in Switzerland isn't a for sure starter for us.

In regards to Amanda, not sure being on one of the bottom teams is better than being on one of the best teams in a similar level league.

[narduch]

Interesting side note: Former Pacific manager Michael Silberbauer is an assistant at Basel.

[Obinna]

4 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Look at their transfer history, it isn't great. They sold one player to a team in Ligue 1 this year, that is it. And they just signed Quintillà who is former Barça academy, who I saw when he was a kid, and he has just been floating about for a few years, including in USL. So Salah is a total exception.

What I don't agree with is everyone saying "perfect move", "couldn't be better". Actually, any of the 2nd tiers of the top four league would be better. Ligue 1, with a modest team, would be better. Netherland and Belgium and Portugal top flight would be better. Turkey too. Russia would be better, or a top team in Greece. So it is not the best move by any means, for what he was reasonably projecting it is probably below another 150 better club options.

I mean, even Gloire Amanda just signed for a team in a better league that is higher rated. 

This is a bit ridiculous. Gloire Amanda? He just signed to a club promoted to the Austrian first tier. There is no comparison between them and FC Basal, even if you rate the Austrian league higher than the Swiss league, which feels like splitting hairs to me. 

Would a mid tier Ligue 1 club be better? Yes in terms of level, but you want Millar to play for a club where he can actually get minutes and stand out. At FC Basal he will get that opportunity, I believe.

Let's face it, he wasn't going to sign for a giant in Russia, Turkey, Holland, or Portugal. Isn't it better to play for a club like FC Basal than a mid table club in one of those countries? I personally think the FC Badal move is way more appealing and quite frankly I am surprised by how negative your view on it is. 

[CanadaFan123]

26 minutes ago, Obinna said:

This is a bit ridiculous. Gloire Amanda? He just signed to a club promoted to the Austrian first tier. There is no comparison between them and FC Basal, even if you rate the Austrian league higher than the Swiss league, which feels like splitting hairs to me. 

Would a mid tier Ligue 1 club be better? Yes in terms of level, but you want Millar to play for a club where he can actually get minutes and stand out. At FC Basal he will get that opportunity, I believe.

Let's face it, he wasn't going to sign for a giant in Russia, Turkey, Holland, or Portugal. Isn't it better to play for a club like FC Basal than a mid table club in one of those countries? I personally think the FC Badal move is way more appealing and quite frankly I am surprised by how negative your view on it is. 

Calling Salah a total exception for a transfer from Basel tells you all you need to know.

Re Austria v Switzerland.. He’s also directly contradicting himself from another thread on the young lad signing for Zurich. “With the exception of the exceptions, Swiss league is like Austria or the Scandinavians.”

So the leagues are similar but now he should sign for a lower level club... and it’s now conveniently a higher level.

Anyway, he’s been proven wrong by @Greatest Cockney Rip Off. This is a great move, period ... if it happens. He’s not at a stage to go to bigger clubs/leagues or he would have. He’s coming off a season for a non playoff League One side .. this is progression. 

Edited June 28, 2021 by CanadaFan123

[The Real Marc]

34 minutes ago, Obinna said:

This is a bit ridiculous. Gloire Amanda? He just signed to a club promoted to the Austrian first tier. There is no comparison between them and FC Basal, even if you rate the Austrian league higher than the Swiss league, which feels like splitting hairs to me. 

Would a mid tier Ligue 1 club be better? Yes in terms of level, but you want Millar to play for a club where he can actually get minutes and stand out. At FC Basal he will get that opportunity, I believe.

Let's face it, he wasn't going to sign for a giant in Russia, Turkey, Holland, or Portugal. Isn't it better to play for a club like FC Basal than a mid table club in one of those countries? I personally think the FC Badal move is way more appealing and quite frankly I am surprised by how negative your view on it is. 

That's his point, and if I'm reading him right I agree with him and am surprised no one else gets it (unless I'm on another planet and am not getting his point.)

A mid table club in any of those countries is a much better move.

The opportunity would be better on a team with less pressure to succeed at the top of the table, less pressure to qualify to the UEFA cup group stage, where a team is likely to be more patient, at a club that needs him to excel so they can sell him in a few years for profit and in a larger league with more exposure. 

Now, this is better than Charlton or Blackpool, which would be the easy move for a 21 year old with a child. But pefect this ain't.

Edited June 28, 2021 by The Real Marc

[Obinna]

57 minutes ago, The Real Marc said:

That's his point, and if I'm reading him right I agree with him and am surprised no one else gets it.

A mid table club in any of those countries is a much better move.

The opportunity would be better on a team with less pressure to succeed at the top of the table, less pressure to qualify to the UEFA cup group stage, where a team is likely to be more patient, at a club that needs him to excel so they can move him on in a few years and in a larger league with more exposure 

Now, this is better than Charlton or Blackpool. But pefect this ain't.

Is there a great deal of pressure at FC Basal to succeed at the top of the table? They do so every year. That's like saying there is pressure on PSG every year to win the French league. 

I think you can make the argument a mid table team in Holland/Turkey/Belgium/Russia is a better situation, but for me the argument would be that he'd be playing against better clubs in the league every week.

The pressure thing I don't put a great deal of stock in.

Those mid level clubs come with the pressure of not slipping down the table into a relegation battle, and you could argue a top team like FC Basal could afford to be patient with Millar since they have such a strangle hold domestically.

We shouldn't even be comparing those mid table teams with a possible FC Basal move anyhow, because none were linked to him. It was NYRB, Blackpool, Charlton and FC Basal, so if those are the options I think Switzerland may just be the best of the bunch. 

Edit: Young Boys ran away with the title this year, but the Swiss league feels a bit like the SPL, doesn't it? Would we be down on Millar if he were to sign with Celtic or Rangers? I don't think so.

Edited June 28, 2021 by Obinna

[Aird25]

Someone should tell all our league champions that they’d be better off on a mid-table team 

[Unnamed Trialist]

What you are all missing is that Liam has had sniffs and bites and even possible offers from teams in Championship and also in other 2nd tiers of the top four footballing nations in Europe. I know this for sure and so do many of you. So he is out there  in the market, and it did not happen.

If any of you had been asked to list the best 50 options, or 80, club by club, no one here would have named Basel. 

So let's stop with the spin, it is not the best move, it is just an okay move.

What I like about it is that he is a modest and honest player and his father also seems to be level-headed and realistic. He seems to aspire to be a good solid pro and be on honest clubs where he can get minutes and improve. And I am sure that will happen at Basel. 

I accept that their sell-on record is better than what I said, but it still is not anything spectacular. If he can move in 3 years to Bundesliga or a Ligue 1 club, or to a team with chances of being in EPL, nothing to argue about.

[Obinna]

18 minutes ago, Aird25 said:

Someone should tell all our league champions that they’d be better off on a mid-table team 

This post reminds me of the Larin to Rennes rumors that were floating around for a while.

Rennes are kind of a mid-table team, but in a superior league. Personally, I think staying at Besiktas and winning a few trophies was ultimately better for Cyle's development. 

We shouldn't overlook the psychological aspect of winning trophies.

[Unnamed Trialist]

23 minutes ago, Aird25 said:

Someone should tell all our league champions that they’d be better off on a mid-table team 

Because not a single player on Forge would give up the CPL trophy to be playing for Montreal in MLS. 

Or a mid-table team in any of the top 20 leagues in Europe. 

Really, the logic is so lame, it is a loser mentality and a sign of lack of ambition as a pro. 

[Obinna]

2 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

What you are all missing is that Liam has had sniffs and bites and even possible offers from teams in Championship and also in other 2nd tiers of the top four footballing nations in Europe. I know this for sure and so do many of you. So he is out there  in the market, and it did not happen.

If any of you had been asked to list the best 50 options, or 80, club by club, no one here would have named Basel. 

So let's stop with the spin, it is not the best move, it is just an okay move.

I think what you are missing here is that given the context (Blackpool, NYRB, Charlton), FC Basel is a great move. The reality is, those sniffs and bites are not out there now, at least not in public. If we consider all the clubs Millar was linked with in the past, this move wouldn't move the meter as much, but I for one am pretty excited about it and I hope it works out for him.

The biggest carrot is the prospect of playing European football. This year it will be conference, which is less exciting, but we could see FC Basel in Europa league proper or even the Champions League the following season. I like the English Championship, but it couldn't offer him that. 

[Obinna]

4 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Because not a single player on Forge would give up the CPL trophy to be playing for Montreal in MLS. 

Or a mid-table team in any of the top 20 leagues in Europe. 

Really, the logic is so lame, it is a loser mentality and a sign of lack of ambition as a pro. 

Would a single player on FC Basel give up any of their Swiss Super League trophies to be playing for Montreal in MLS?

[Aird25]

11 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Because not a single player on Forge would give up the CPL trophy to be playing for Montreal in MLS. 

Or a mid-table team in any of the top 20 leagues in Europe. 

Really, the logic is so lame, it is a loser mentality and a sign of lack of ambition as a pro. 

Winning is a losers mentality. Ironic

I'm sure the higher pay could entice a few Forge players. I don't find it fair to compare with a league with low wages and no track record of moving players on, but whatever. If you would just substantiate your bold claims then we wouldn't be having this conversation 

[Shway]

What I know…Basel won’t be his last club, So if it’s the next club in his journey where he’ll advanced his skillset as a professional then so be it. 

Maybe a change of scenery from the UK is what he needs. He’s a 21yo Canadian…not English. It’s not the end all be all if he doesn’t stay in the English or British pyramid.

[El Diego]

I think a lot of you guys are overthinking things. Liam is still young and has some more development to do. The most important thing for him is to play lots at a professional level, and to play in a team that will cultivate his abilities. Whether that's in the Swiss Super League, Eredivise, or Championship is immaterial. It is impossible to say what is the "best" move, and there are a large number of "good" moves out there.

[Unnamed Trialist]

38 minutes ago, Aird25 said:

Winning is a losers mentality. Ironic

I'm sure the higher pay could entice a few Forge players. I don't find it fair to compare with a league with low wages and no track record of moving players on, but whatever. If you would just substantiate your bold claims then we wouldn't be having this conversation 

No, the loser mentality is yours, not theirs.

You think a few Forge players might want to play in a higher league with better salary. To save your argument, by all means, let's say just a few just might have this mentality to prefer a Cup, angel or horse on a pedestal to a surefire pro career with the prestige and salary of a better team and league.

Daniel Imhof played in Switzerland, won the league, transfered to a Bundesliga 2 club which promoted, then played little. If that is Liam's career, great, but I think the ceiling is a bit higher, so enough with the spin. 

BTW, when Imhof played in Switzerland the only person on the board who reported on his weekly play was me, for years. Because no one else gave a rat's ass about him being there, even then.

 

[Obinna]

29 minutes ago, El Diego said:

I think a lot of you guys are overthinking things. Liam is still young and has some more development to do. The most important thing for him is to play lots at a professional level, and to play in a team that will cultivate his abilities. Whether that's in the Swiss Super League, Eredivise, or Championship is immaterial. It is impossible to say what is the "best" move, and there are a large number of "good" moves out there.

You're right. The best move for Liam is the one that allows him to further his development, so time will reveal if this was the right one, if it happens that is.