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Why Santa Cruz has proved better value for Blackburn than Torres has for Liverpool
The Paraguayan striker's 19 goals in his first season have endeared him to Rovers fans. And statistics show that those goals have cost considerably less than those of Anfield's smash-hit new boy Fernando Torres.
by hamzah khan on 16 May 2008
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£3.5 million occasionally buys a regular Premier League scorer. It rarely buys a player who nets 19 goals in a season, and even if it does, that player would never leave one of the biggest clubs in Europe for a team that had just finished mid-table in the Premier League. Well, it did happen when Roque Santa Cruz left Bayern Munich for Blackburn Rovers.
Almost everyone would agree that Santa Cruz is the 2007/08 “bargain of the season.” He has not only been Rovers' best player, but also finished third in the Premier League scoring charts.
Initially, people did not know what to expect. Generally South Americans, especially strikers, have trouble adjusting to the Premier League (see Diego Forlan). Claudio Pizarro’s poor pre-season form did not help Santa Cruz’s cause but the Blackburn striker was not discouraged, and more than handsomely repaid his entire transfer fee.
Santa Cruz's goals so far have cost Blackburn £184,000 apiece (£3.5 million/19 league goals). By comparison, Fernando Torres has cost Liverpool £833,000 per goal - not to mention the additional £150,000 the Anfield club have to pay to Atletico Madrid for every 15 goals he scores, due to a clause embedded in their contract.
Comments (19)
by alan cavanagh on May 16, 2008
Yet another fatuous example of meaningless statistics from Sportingo's roster of amateur scribblers who care more about seeing their name on a headline than actually writing a decently researched article. Whilst I agree with the overall sentiment that Santa Cruz has been an excellent acquisition, to compare "value" or try to quantify the measure of the "bargain" is entirely pointless. For example you have measured the cost per goal this season, yet you could quite easily measure the net return per goal this season i.e. add up the points that the strikers' goals have secured and relate that to the respective clubs' league & cup positions. Now factor in the additional revenue those goals have secured as well as their average cost. This obviously would be an equally spurious and anal activity but i'm pretty sure that Torres's goals have assured Liverpool more revenue in one season alone that his actual purchase price (which in itself should be amortised over his 6 year contract) . Now don't even bother trying working out Ronaldo's value to United...
by Al on May 16, 2008
Maybe, we should value each goal, I'm pretty sure a winner in Milan is worth more than a winner at Craven Cottage !!!!!
by Graham May on May 16, 2008
Maybe when Sant Cruz is playing in the CL then we can start talking about his goals meaning value, not for a mid table Premier league team that will struggle to keep such player. Maybe you can compare them when they're possibly along side each other...! Lazy article
on May 16, 2008 on May 16, 2008
What a load of rubbish 1. Most of Santas goals have been tap ins this season. 2. Compare the importance of the goals.
Good value for money but not in the same league as Torres!
by Kanu Charles on May 16, 2008
MUMU how on earth will u compare
by Rovers Fan on May 16, 2008
What a load of rubbish 1. Most of Santas goals have been tap ins this season.
by Rushback on May 16, 2008
These type of articles are great for turning club fans against one another. Let's compare Anelka's goals against his price tag, how about Barren Dent? Liverpool fans will all agree that Santa Cruz has had a great season at Blackburn, we don't however feel we need to compare his game to Torres' first season. Liverpool and Blackburn have both aquired good strikers, let's leave it at that
by Shuaib Miyanji on May 16, 2008
Silly article. Yes Santa Cruz has been fantastic this season, and for 3.5m it is a big bargian. But you cant say his goals cost this much etc. Torres is a long term investment to Liverpool and at £20m i believe we bought the best striker in the world.
by Roy K on May 16, 2008
Err...that Roque Santa Cruz was a very good striker was never in doubt, even when he wasn't the most wanted striker at Bayern Munich. So that way Blackburn were lucky, really lucky to get him at that price. If Torres was unhappy at A.Madrid, I am sure you would have a host of clubs lining up for him at a cut price deal. So, this article, aside from facts, has no substance really
by chris n on May 16, 2008
Santa Cruz scored alot of goals for Blackburn, Torres scored alot of goals for Liverpool (I am a 'Pool fan and have a Blackburn fan mate) I told him what a great buy Cruz was and he's told me the same. He also admitted Torres's value of goals were more important. Two teams got 2 great strikers Blackburn are happy and Liverpool are happy, typical media punk trying stir something up
by estebanrey on May 16, 2008
Um, Benni McCarthy didn't go to the Africa Cup Of Nations. For some reason SA dropped him.
Pretty sure he was fourth in the premier league for goals scored
by Hampo Rovers Fan on May 17, 2008
Of course he is the best value - in the same way that Benni McCarthey (£2.5m) was last season, and Bellamy (£3.2) was the season before that! He certainly isn't as skillful or fast as Torres but the article has a point - a goal is a goal and Liverpool have the same to show as Rovers this season - NOTHING. I think it goes to show the brilliance of Mark Hughes and the Blackburn backroom team to source these strikers and thrash out deals for them on the cheap. That is how you manage a non top four football club, not by having a massive turnover of overpriced rubbish - we've certainly been there in the past! I don't think that Rovers have spent any more than a total of £6-7million in any pre season for quite some time (and when they did it was wasted on rubbish like Grabbi) - yet there they comfortably sit in the top half of the Premier League once again. We may not have been in with a shout of any trophies this season but I am proud of supporting the best small team that has ever been in the Premier League. Also another point I have no fear if we flog Bentley off for £15million... as far as I'm aware we only spent 750k to buy him and he seems to believe his own press that he is as good as Beckham.. yeah, sure. It would be a great bit of business on our part as he's far from consistent and has been none existent in the last few months (since his call up). When you have had the pleasure of seeing Damien Duff play in his prime and then compare the two - you realise how over-rated Bentley actually is. When Duff was at Blackburn he was absolutely world class, Bentley is talented but not in the same league.
by Martin Roberts on May 17, 2008
My son has scored more goals than Torres this season and he cost his club nothing! What fantastic value is that? OK so like Blaqckburn his under 13 side isn't in Europe or collecting quite such a huge merit payment as Liverpool but on this guys measure he's better value than Ronaldo too. What a great, sensible and insightful article.
by Ewood Jedi on May 17, 2008
Okay... the article does no more than reiterate what we all know... Roque AKA "Chico" is the Buy / Bargain / Catch of the Season... most pundits would agree. Torres is indeed class and without him Liverpool would not be in the Champs League... but what has he won Liverpool? nowt! Has he improved their league position? no... Has Roque... yes... finishing 7th is a great result for a small town club like ours... where we only spent £4mill in the closed season... Perhaps we should actually be comparing managers... "Bend Ze Knees" buys Torres for a squillion pounds and wins bugger all! Sparky buys Stanta Cruz for loose change and improves the league positon by 2 places (that's worth a 1 million straight off... mmmm.... I think the blues have it!
on May 17, 2008 on May 17, 2008
lets all laugh at the scousers... la la la... la la la
by simmie on May 17, 2008
... that Benitez is not as canny as they all seem to think... as soon as their yank owners realise that they know more about football than either Benitez or the Kop then perhaps the club can move on and get back to their "glory" days.... There are three premier leagues... the top three... the relegation contenders... and then the other group... of which liverpool just head up... without a 28 million being spent on "el Nino" (what a load of cock!) they would have finished 8th!
FIRST OF ALL NO ONE CARES ABOUT UR SON AND SECOND OF ALL BENITEZ IS ONE OF THE MOST HIGHLY-RATED AND SUCCESFUL MANAGERS AROND SO BOTH THE ARTICLE AND THE TWO COMMENTS I HAVE IMPLEMENTED INTO MY COMMENT ARE A LOAD OF BULL ****
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