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This is great news cos it means liverpool won’t win the premiership for at least anuvver 5 years
On the flip side the champions league is likely to end up at Anfield a few more times during that time
I can’t get excited about some guy making millions of pounds managing a club owned by foreign billionaires. The premiership went to the dogs some time ago.
Come come Graeme – "gone to the dogs years ago"!
It’s never been better. We’re lucky in this country to have the ability to attract the best players – – (and managers) whatever their nationality. The rest of the world (especially messrs Platini and Blatter) look on with barely concealed envy.
If you went to the circus, would you want to see the best acts from around the world for your money or a bunch of native second raters?
It ‘s an international game now at club (and management) level This is one thing that the English have come out tops in; rejoice. Don’t be such a curmudgeon. The next time you shell out £40 or so to go to a Premier League match, rejoice that you’re seeing the best club soccer in Europe (possibly the world).
Ah! – I hear the naysayers – er – say, "just wait until Sky get fed up and stop putting in the big bucks; what then eh?"
Well, until that happens, just enjoy it; indulge yourself. Subscribe to Sky Sports and Setanta and stop moaning. You’ve never had it so good.Imsomniac – i’m not English. I just think the EPL has went downhill in terms of entertainment value. So many average players on massive wages has killed it. The English clubs backed by foreign owners are killing the European transfer market. It’s also not right that so many clubs can spend outwith their means.
I’ll watch a game if there’s a couple of bob on it, otherwise i’m not really interested to be honest.
I don’t think the standard of entertainment or excitement in the Premiership in recent years has fallen; what do others think?
Graeme, is it resentment that those involved in the Premier earn such big pay cheques? Isn’t that just the market talking though? And what’s wrong with that? There are probably lots of other sportsmen (American footballers; golfers; basketball players; formula 1 racing drivers) who earn more than the top soccer players – does that diminish your enjoyment of watching them compete?
Okay – so you’re not English, but why should ENGLISH dominance of the transfer market p!s$ you off? Would it if it were Spanish or Italian football that had the money? There will always be a leader of the pack. In League dominance it’s currently the English Premiership. It hasn’t killed-off the game. So what if an average player earns REALLY good money. Good luck to them – if I could get top dollar for being average at my profession then that would be great. But I can’t. That doesn’t mean I must turn my back on any area where reward seems to outstrip talent. If you used that yardstick to eschew things, you’d never watch a film again – some of those modest actors get paid big sums; tut tut.
You say it’s not right that clubs spend beyond their means. Do you just mean English clubs? Real Madrid weren’t exactly a paragon of fiscal rectitude – and there are many other overseas clubs that use "creative" accounting. Why do you just slag off the Premier League?
Borrowing, owing money etc. is part and parcel of commercial practice, whether it be a football club or a local light-industrial company. It’s called commerce; it’s been a part of the real world since commerce began. I ran my own (very small; very very small) limited company for a few years when I was younger. My bank knew there would be times when I needed to go into the red but knew (or hoped they knew) that it could be repaid from future profits enabled by their loan. The same applies to Premier League soccer clubs. Don’t be resentful of ithere being English. English soccer is multi-national, unjingoistic, embracing the best players from around the world, whatever their colour or background (christ – even Joey Barton!!!). Graeme – enjoy it while it lasts. If it should turn out that Premier League clubs go tits up because of financial failings – laugh; it won’t cost you or me a penny.. If you love the game of football, yet can’t love the Premier League, perhaps it’s because you’re simply anti-English and you must ask yourself if you would feel the same way if it were La Liga or Serie A that was the dominant league. Or – are you really Michel Platini?I’ll try and break down your questions as quickly as i can via making brief points.
I think the entertainment standard has fallen from the 90s early 2000s because there are no Cantonas or Crazy Gangs and what have you. There were things in the 90s that stood out, that today have no comparison in my book. I’m prepared to accept that it might just be that i was younger back then, so it probably seemed better anyway.
I don’t necessarily resent those who get paid massive money, i just don’t care about them. They always talk about themselves and their contracts, sorry but i don’t give a sh*t that they will be earning millions of pounds. People who stick out when i mention this are Lampard and Drogba and the like.
With regards to you question about other sports and whether or not what they earn effects my enjoyment of them, then it all depends whether or not money has diluted their passion or will to win.
The English dominance in the transfer market pisses me off a bit because nobody else can compete. Teams like Celtic and Rangers can’t afford 2nd rate players anymore because they will be out bid by teams who aren’t as half as big as them i.e Wigan Athletic and Fulham
I’ve no idea what you having run a limited company has to do with anything. I’m not business minded, but i know what it means for a club to spend within their means, and alot of English club don’t i.e Chelsea and Man City, which for me takes away alot of purpose.
Beep beep, all aboard the offended bus as far as the anti-English agenda goes. We’re talking about football here. I would be happier if La Liga or Serie a was the top league if they spent within their mean, and not ruin the transfrer market.
You now appear to have a league where teams don’t attack all out because they’re too scared to lose, given the cost of relegation. I also question the commitment and will to win of many of the players.
There are too many games on the box, but if i had to watch any other league, it would probably be one from La Liga, Bundesliga or South America.
I don’t think the standard of entertainment or excitement in the Premiership in recent years has fallen; what do others think?
I personally wouldn’t say the standard has dropped, yes players such as Henry, Cantona, Biscan
have left the premiership but i’d say the current players such as Ronaldo, Torres, Rooney, etc are just as talented. The one negative for me would be the way players diving has gradually become a common sight.Entertainment and excitement wise last season the title was decided on the last day, as were the last 2 relegation places, i don’t recall any of the other leagues going into the last set of games in that situation, i maybe wrong though. Again there is a negative, it is getting slightly repetitive with bloody United winning the league!
The English dominance in the transfer market pisses me off a bit because nobody else can compete. Teams like Celtic and Rangers can’t afford 2nd rate players anymore because they will be out bid by teams who aren’t as half as big as them i.e Wigan Athletic and Fulham
Yes England do dominate the transfer market, but would you be complaining if it was the other way round with teams like Inverness and Falkirk outbidding Liverpool and Man Utd? Not going to happen i no but you get the point
Personally, id like to see Fifa introduce a worldwide transfer and salary cap, it would take a few years but eventually it would surely only benefit the game?
No i don’t see your point Danny. Falkirk and D Utd have nothing to do with this. This is about hundreds of teams not being able to compete by buying players at a reasonable price.
If you’re all happy with it, then that’s what counts because you all support these clubs.
I personally couldn’t give a toss, and see it for the fake empire that it is. On the other hand, i wouldn’t expect any of you to give a toss about the SPL.
One or two English clubs get credit like Arsenal, who spend within their means. The Championship will probably be a better league to watch the EPL within the coming years.
Thanks for your considered reply Graeme. We’ll have to agree to disagree over the entertainment value of the Premier league now in comparison to the days of Cantona etc.
The point about my ex Ltd Comapny days was merely to state that borrowing is a legitimate commercial act and doesn’t necessarily mean that a firm (or football club) is badly run – financially – a concept that Platini & co just can’t get their heads around.
It doen’t matter if it’s a pack of hounds, the FTSE100, puppies at a bitches teats, kids in a classroom or football – THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A LEADER.. In soccer, it’s the English Premier League – hasn’t always been, won’t always be – but at the moment it is. So what’s your gripe – that English teams rather than say, Italian or Spanish teams, are keeping the better players out of Scottish soccer? Or should no League be allowed to thrive?Danny – why should a footballer be constrained when negotiating a contract for his service but a golfer or a folk singer or a plumber (for example) shouldn’t?. If some daft club directors are prepared to pay a footballer more than another why shouldn’t they? If they make a bad decision, then the team suffers, fans stay away, they maybe get relegation; that’s the market; that’s life. People (fans, footballers, managers, directors) make decisions. We don’t yet live in a kind of East German statist control-freak society. Why should footballers not have a free hand to negotiate their contract?
Insomniac, there’s nothing wrong with borrowing in order to buy. However, there are some club like Chelsea and Man City who are a bank to themselves, and don’t have to pay it back. Man City can automatically write off £350m because they don’t have to operate the way football clubs should in my opinion – this goes for any club and not just English.
Do you like Godolphin in horse racing and what they do ?
Graeme,
I like having the opportunity to see the best – be it footballers, horses, actors, singers etc.
There are indeed clubs (man City) who’ve got so much cash behind them that they can distort things, but that’s the beauty of soccer, it’s no guarantee of success. When such teams – like Man City – struggle, we can all laugh at them.
Godolphin? Good for horse racing? Maybe not a topic for this forum, but I’d say yes.No i don’t see your point Danny. Falkirk and D Utd have nothing to do with this. This is about hundreds of teams not being able to compete by buying players at a reasonable price.
If you’re all happy with it, then that’s what counts because you all support these clubs.
I personally couldn’t give a toss, and see it for the fake empire that it is. On the other hand, i wouldn’t expect any of you to give a toss about the SPL.
One or two English clubs get credit like Arsenal, who spend within their means. The Championship will probably be a better league to watch the EPL within the coming years.
My point was say the majority of owners of premiership teams leave, in the process leaving the clubs they leave in serious debt preventing them from competing in the transfer market.
These owners then target clubs in Scotland, so you’ve got your Abromavich’s buying the likes of Inverncess, this results in the best players in the world being bought by Scottish teams. As a supporter of one of these Scottish teams your seeing the best players in the world playing in Scotland week in week out, whilst the major English teams are in the situation Celtic and Rangers are in now, would you still be complaining?
There’s always going to be one country dominating the transfer market, unless FIFA intervene, as i’ve already said limit the amount clubs worldwide can spend on transfers and wages. This means club’s can’t go and effectivley go and buy success and have to rely on developing youth players, it also would make managers / coaches earn their money & its only going to have a positive impact on International football with more homegrown players being developed.
Danny – why should a footballer be constrained when negotiating a contract for his service but a golfer or a folk singer or a plumber (for example) shouldn’t?.
Because at the end of the day a footballer is essentially being payed millions for playing a game, that given the opportunity many people would play for free, adding to this arguably the people that would play for free would play with more commitment and passion than some of these players being paid millions. (The same would apply to Golf and Folk Singers)
A plumber on the other hand probably hates having to work day in day out doing a job they hate. They’d have to get educated on their trade and also gain experience. Why should a footballer who only kicks a ball around be payed so much more money? If both were to disappear who would be missed more ? Im fairly sure people could find another way of entertaining themselves other than football, could a plumber be replaced ?
No Danny, i wouldn’t want billionaires investing in Scottish clubs and bringing all the best players in the world to our league. Fair enough if people came in, allowed some Scottish clubs to spend a bob or two, as long as they drew in the crowds and balanced the books. I’d like to see some Scottish clubs spend a million quid on a player and what have you, but this 40 million quid transfers and 200 grand a week wages isn’t welcome in my book.
Danny.
From the age of 5 two kids come home from school and practice for at least 3 hours a day, one on the piano, one with a football.
All weathers, come what may, one lad practices his football skills. He’s ambitious, he wants to be better than all others, he wants to get to the top.
Likewise, his neighbour practices on the piano – doesn’t skive off to watch tele or play football or tick with his mates. He’s ambitious, he wants to get to the top, to be better than other pianists.
They both love their respective interests and devote themselves to excellence in their field. They would do it for nothing if they had to but…
At 18, one gets offered a phenomenal sum to play with a top orchestra and sign a record deal. The other gets offered a similar sum to sign for a soccer team.
Why should the soccer lad have his earnings restricted and the pianist not?
To suggest that, because lots would love to play football for nothing and therefore pro’s earnings should be restricted is laughable in its naivety. Lots of people would love to play golf or drive fast cars – or indeed play the piano or violin or cello or maybe play snooker or tennis or be a jockey. Do you get the head of Formula 1 or record companies or the Snooker Authorities or the Jockey Club or the LTA or film studios or the Jockey Club saying that exponents in their field should have a wage cap?? Of course not. .
I’m jealous of Premiership footballers’ wages but don’t want to see them capped; why do you ?I see your point,
My main problem is with the likes of Drogba at Chelsea, clearly he’s a talented player however whilst playing under Scolari he under performed week in week out, watching him it seemed as though he’d rather be anywhere else other than on the pitch. Do you think he deserves to be paid over 100 grand a week with his attitude ?
have left the premiership but i’d say the current players such as Ronaldo, Torres, Rooney, etc are just as talented. The one negative for me would be the way players diving has gradually become a common sight.- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.