Raúl González Blanco (Raúl)

[Red or Dead]

I thought this guy deserves his own thread and he should definitely be on top of Melbourne Heart's "Potential Marquee List".

 

Date of birth: 27.06.1977

Place of birth: Madrid

Height: 1.80cm

Nationality: Spain

Position: Striker - Secondary Striker

Market value: £875,000 / €1,000,000

Player's agent: Ginés Carvaja

 

I thought I compile some more info about him here:

- He's currently at Al-Sadd Sports Club in the Qatar Stars League - apparently contract is running out this season

- He's not chasing World Cup glory so he doesn't need to be at a big club in a big league.

- He is the all time greatest scorer in the UEFA Champions League with 71 goals .

- He spent 16 years of his career at Real Madrid where he played 550 games and scored 228 goals, that's 1 goal every 2.4 games.

- He also played 66 games for Schalke and scored 28 goals, that's 1 goal every 2.35 games and he helped Schalke to the 2010-11 UCL semi-final

- He captained the Spanish National Team from 2002 for four years until his retirement from International Duty after 102 games and 44 goals (2.31g/pg).

 

- On 19 February 2012, he scored the 400th goal of his career, at that time, 323 with Real Madrid, 44 with Spain, and 33 with Schalke. On 5 April 2012, in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League match against Athletic Bilbao, he scored his 77th goal in a European competition.

- At a press conference on 19 April 2012, Raúl announced he was leaving Schalke after his contract expired in June, and that "my future is not in Europe."[wikipedia]

One concern with getting him to sign for Heart is this comment in Wikipedia, "Previously, it was expected that Raúl would have finished off his career in the United States or Qatar and he also received a lucrative offer from an unnamed Russian club. Raúl chose Schalke because they made it to the Champions League for the 2010–11 season." He is now in Qatar, does this mean he's gone there to retire?

 

Can someone on here who has contacts at Heart or who works/volunteers for Heart or is on the Supporters Representative Group to contact Didulica or whoever it is we need to contact to get onto his agent (mentioned above) to stop this guy from retiring in Qatar and convince him to ply his trade in Melbourne?

[Ando]

I have JD on speed dial. I shall ensure that the club is well aware of your intent to sign Raul.

[Red or Dead]

I have JD on speed dial. I shall ensure that the club is well aware of your intent to sign Raul.

Why does the part in Italics sound like you're writing/reading it with a monotonous voice? 

[DutchPride]

Yes.

[Melburnian]

I have JD on speed dial. I shall ensure that the club is well aware of your intent to sign Raul.

Make it happen.

[natalie182]

As a female Heart supporter, I approve of this idea.

[jw1739]

Hmm. 6,500 members or thereabouts. Not all adults of course, not all flush with funds. But $100 per member would raise $650,000...

[biancorosso7]

If I was chipping in money for a marquee, I would want to know how much money they are putting in, and consequently, the terms of the offer to the player.

 

Possibly a PDS showing what they intend to do re: playing style, marketing, revenues etc wouldn't go astray either.

 

Would I put $100 in for Raul? Maybe. But I'd give $500 for a few other names floating around on the forum.

[Red or Dead]

Hmm. 6,500 members or thereabouts. Not all adults of course, not all flush with funds. But $100 per member would raise $650,000...

Sidwell did say at the Heart Fan Forum that we, the fans are in fact "Plan B"...so if that means we activate that plan a little earlier for the benefit of the club and to guarantee longevity and sustainability, I'll fork out $100 to get a great player like Raul to the club...who do I transfer the money to?

If the club can match what we raise and we get a kick-ass Marquee it's a win-win for all.

Edited March 13, 2013 by Red or Dead

[belaguttman]

He's be a great signing but a little wasted unless we also have a midfield that can deliver quality balls to him. as we can see with ADP at Sydley, a thoroughbred surrounded by donkeys is somewhat less effective. We need to not just sign a player like Raul but also ensure that we get maximum value from him, we don't want a Jets type situation where the whole team is forced to chage style and tactics to accomodate an expensive marquee. The FFA has already said that they would 'help' cover the cost of a marquee.

[Melburnian]

The right marquee can get more sponsors on board, FFA assistance and revenue from different sources.

Make no mistake I would donate money to get the right marquee for sure but we shouldn't be Plan B, we should be Plan C or D.

The club needs to get out there and attack potential sponsors and be creative in raising revenue from these sources.

For Raul, I would definitely donate the cause, but pestering supporters for money is not always a smart move and should be last ditch.

[Bozza]

Midfield trio of Garcia, Germano & Marcel (with Kalmar if he continues to develop in the mix as well) would provide some decent service. Especially with Garcia sitting at the top, where he should be.

Would be a great signing if it happened, would give the club a widder appeal, especially overseas, and perhaps bring in a fair few more viewers, tickets however I can't even guess!

[biancorosso7]

If the club can match what we raise and we get a kick-ass Marquee it's a win-win for all.

 

As Melburnian stated, the Club shouldn't be matching what the Fans raise for a marquee.

 

As an example, what should happen is:

 

A.           The Club says, we have $800K for a marquee for 1 season. THEY MAKE AN OFFER TO RAUL OF $800K FOR 1 YEAR.

 

B.            If Raul rejects, they then approach the FFA, and say, we have $800K for which we want to bring Raul to Heart - what will you contribute? The FFA then is in a position where they 1) should feel pressure from past experiences; and 2) come back and say, OK, we would be happy to contribute $300K to the cause. THEY MAKE AN OFFER TO RAUL OF $1.1M FOR 1 YEAR.

 

C.            If Raul reject, then the Club needs to consider 1) if he is worth more than $1.1m; 2) can they get someone who will produce the same results (on and off field) for that price: or 3) if Raul is the continued path, approach sponsors and/or 3rd party investors to top up the offer. THEY MAKE AN OFFER TO RAUL OF $1.1M FOR 1 YEAR, PLUS 3rd PARTY SPONSORSHIP/INVESTMENT.

 

D.           If Raul still rejects, then the Club needs to consider 1)-3) again, and then, if still desparate, ask the fans for contributions (minimum amount required).

Edited March 13, 2013 by biancorosso7

[jw1739]

He's be a great signing but a little wasted unless we also have a midfield that can deliver quality balls to him. as we can see with ADP at Sydley, a thoroughbred surrounded by donkeys is somewhat less effective. We need to not just sign a player like Raul but also ensure that we get maximum value from him, we don't want a Jets type situation where the whole team is forced to chage style and tactics to accomodate an expensive marquee. The FFA has already said that they would 'help' cover the cost of a marquee.

Of course. I didn't mean to hijack the thread by the way.

 

The first test of how ballsy the club is about the next 2-3 seasons is coming up very shortly, when a large number of players come out of contract:

Bolton;

Colosimo;

Coyne (short-term);

Garcia;

Hoffman;

Meeuwis (short-term);

Germano;

Thompson;

Kalmar;

Fred;

Tadic;

Dugandzic.

Walker (NYL);

Mitchinson (NYL).

 

This where we have to make decisions not based on sentiment and mateship but on how we want to structure our game in the future (what we are doing either doesn't work or the players we have don't fit the plan - but that's just JW's opinion and for another thread). It's really not about money any more, because from next season FFA will be picking up the wages bill up to the salary cap.

 

If we are not prepared to be hard-nosed about the players coming out of contract, then, as you rightly say, forget about Raul or any other marquee for that matter, because it means we are not fair dinkum about winning the league.

 

We will know very shortly.

[Kiro Kompiro]

He is a name, fit and goal poacher.

 

And the last one is why I'd say no.

 

Lets not make the mistake that others have made by just picking a name with no idea of how he will complement the overall game plan. ( Lets have a game plan first FFS)

 

Who for example will thread the passes for him to poach off?  Or do we hope for the 6 yard scramble toe poke all season.

 

He's not noted for his free kicks either.

 

Del Perio has set the bench mark of what a marquee needs to bring to the table: IMO we need an attacking creative midfielder that can finish and bring others into the game.  On field leadership as well.  Without him, Sydney would be nowhere. With him they're finals contenders. Imagine if Sydney actually had some decent players around.

 

Oh we also need a CB and I'd buy out Madaschi's contract, pissing Colosimo and Thompson off should free up some cash.  But this is another story..

[Bozza]

We shouldn't be afraid to pay for Madaschi (or someone of his talent + professionalism + work-rate). Would be a key figure at the back, we all know that.

 

Also, Heart do get plenty of chances only to have them come unstuck at the front. Someone like Raul could not only offer a better target, but could also bring plenty of experience to the art of scoring, that he could share with the rest of the front third... potentially could help all three forward positions with someone of his calibre, without even scoring a goal for us.

[Melburnian]

Monday night and the two derbies are two games that showed we just needed someone who knows how to put the ball in the back of the net.

Raul has done it in much better leagues than the a league for a long time!

Who else is out there attainable?

[biancorosso7]

Monday night and the two derbies are two games that showed we just needed someone who knows how to put the ball in the back of the net.

Raul has done it in much better leagues than the a league for a long time!

Who else is out there attainable?

 

Realistically, I think that depends on how much money we are working with.

[marteaux]

If the club can match what we raise and we get a kick-ass Marquee it's a win-win for all.

As Melburnian stated, the Club shouldn't be matching what the Fans raise for a marquee.

As an example, what should happen is:

A. The Club says, we have $800K for a marquee for 1 season. THEY MAKE AN OFFER TO RAUL OF $800K FOR 1 YEAR.

B. If Raul rejects, they then approach the FFA, and say, we have $800K for which we want to bring Raul to Heart - what will you contribute? The FFA then is in a position where they 1) should feel pressure from past experiences; and 2) come back and say, OK, we would be happy to contribute $300K to the cause. THEY MAKE AN OFFER TO RAUL OF $1.1M FOR 1 YEAR.

C. If Raul reject, then the Club needs to consider 1) if he is worth more than $1.1m; 2) can they get someone who will produce the same results (on and off field) for that price: or 3) if Raul is the continued path, approach sponsors and/or 3rd party investors to top up the offer. THEY MAKE AN OFFER TO RAUL OF $1.1M FOR 1 YEAR, PLUS 3rd PARTY SPONSORSHIP/INVESTMENT.

D. If Raul still rejects, then the Club needs to consider 1)-3) again, and then, if still desparate, ask the fans for contributions (minimum amount required).

I agree with Bianca

[FB.]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHEH5_ogGDU

 

^^^what Ton1no would do if Raul ever came and played for us      

[dazman]

I have JD on speed dial. I shall ensure that the club is well aware of your intent to sign Raul.

Yes please!

 

If we can get him it would be epic for this club in so many ways, especially in getting us out of victory's shadow.

[MaliMate]

^^^what Ton1no would do if Raul ever came and played for us

Ol' mate Rambo doesn't even get a stretcher

[marteaux]

 

Yes pls

[HeartFc]

As a heterosexual male heart fan who can still appreciate an attractive man, I approve the idea.

[Jimmy]

 

Yes pls

If he's coming from that I doubt he'll be overly impressed with our 5k crowds

[Melburnian]

Yes pls

If he's coming from that I doubt he'll be overly impressed with our 5k crowds

Then it's up to us to lift it up. I'm sure if he comes and we get our act together we can build the crowds significantly.

[dazman]

 

Yes pls

If he's coming from that I doubt he'll be overly impressed with our 5k crowds

Then it's up to us to lift it up. I'm sure if he comes and we get our act together we can build the crowds significantly.

He played for Schalke for 2 seasons, and now he's finishing his first season in Qatar, where average crowds are waaay smaller than ours.

[jdec]

I'd be more than happy to chip in $100 for Raul, i think its a great idea

[toogood18]

Would love Raul to come, doubt he will though. 

[ton1no]

ohh mate....  tears to my eyes if he came here... the level of obsession.. Rambo is close lol

 

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHEH5_ogGDU

 

^^^what Ton1no would do if Raul ever came and played for us      

[ton1no]

If Raul came to play...... COME THE FUCK AT ME ACG!!! hahaha

but seriously... will stab anything or anyone getting in my way of kissing Raul's forehead...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOeGQbwI61c

[mulhollanddrive]

OK, I'm on board. 

 

But if we get someone of this calibre, we need a better manager. 

 

Don't need a Durakovic or Crook type who don't have the confidence to manage a team with a star player.

[belaguttman]

JA has worked in teams that have managers managing star players since he arrived in Europe. The difficulty he'll have is not with managing stars, its with managing his mates that he also played with.

[Shahanga]

 

The difficulty he'll have is not with managing stars, its with managing his mates that he also played with.

Honestly I'm surprised people make such a big thing of this. Isn't this just a normal part of "being the boss" no matter what your job is? The Poms might get worked up about it because of their history of class separation but surely it shouldn't worry anyone in this country. Is there something special I've missed in this??  

[Bobbobbobmarley]

nek minnet, we get Valeri/Kisnorbo as our marquee

[HeartFc]

Nek minnet we fold.

[moops]

The difficulty he'll have is not with managing stars, its with managing his mates that he also played with.

Honestly I'm surprised people make such a big thing of this. Isn't this just a normal part of "being the boss" no matter what your job is? The Poms might get worked up about it because of their history of class separation but surely it shouldn't worry anyone in this country. Is there something special I've missed in this??

I think it could be very bad, being to buddy buddy and not providing a healthy dose of discipline. It could also affect team selections and motivation for those on the fringe, even the starting 11 proper.

As for marquee, I realy havn't thought about it, but Raul could be viable.

[Tony999]

Hmm. 6,500 members or thereabouts. Not all adults of course, not all flush with funds. But $100 per member would raise $650,000...

Sidwell did say at the Heart Fan Forum that we, the fans are in fact "Plan B"...so if that means we activate that plan a little earlier for the benefit of the club and to guarantee longevity and sustainability, I'll fork out $100 to get a great player like Raul to the club...who do I transfer the money to?

If the club can match what we raise and we get a kick-ass Marquee it's a win-win for all.

 

PM me and I'll give you my account details. I'll pass on the money to the club once I get everyone's donation

[Red or Dead]

I've been digging around for news and details about Raul's contract with Al Sadd FC, but this is all I could find:

 

"The club did not give any further details but Spanish media reported that Raul, 34, had signed a one-year deal with Al Sadd." [Goal.com]. And according to Wikipedia Al Sadd FC won the league last season so he accomplished what he and the club set out for him to achieve.

 

Time to move on. Time to come to Melbourne Heart and help us do the same I think!

[MaliMate]

Watched him play a few months ago. Would still tear the A-League IMO.