Southampton FC are just there to make up the numbers. And so are Everton FC, Bournemouth, Stoke and West Ham. So are Portsmouth, Chesterfield and Sheffield Wednesday. We are all equal, in that we are all equally here just to make up the numbers. Frankly the only clubs that matter are Manchester United, City, Chelski, Arsenal and Liverpool. The rest of us are just there to provide opposition, players and fixtures and someone to show on TV when they're playing one of the clubs that matter. Maybe a little bit of excitement when one of us pointless clubs beat one of the teams that matter allowing the Premier League to market itself in China to gain more money to give to Manchester United, City, Chelski, Arsenal and Liverpool. Aside from that, not at all. Every season is more pointless than the last as all but a few clubs hurtle towards a meaningless position in the league table, unless you get relegated or reach Europe and if it's the Europa League, you don't even care anyway. Regardless, finish 5-17 does it matter? Does it matter the season after that? Or the season after that? What are you progressing towards? What's the end goal? Winning the Premier League? Ha, fat chance. Not unless you want to fire up the cash furnace, make sure you have enough cash to incinerate though. What good is a five year plan when a team can just buy their way into the top 4 and the media metaphorically suck them off while they do it? What's the point in playing a game where all the die are loaded? Before anyone mentions Leicester, that was a total fluke and will never happen again.
Well we still have a lot to prove in Europe so there is still European qualification to play for. Also those things called cups are pretty fun too, you of all people should know that.
Apart from us and Wigan, both of whom were flukes, it's the same few club that matter that win it year after year. As for Europe, most teams seem to care more about qualifying for it than competing in it. Plus, getting the Champions League failures in the Europa League hugely devalues the competition.
Every season is more pointless than the last as all but a few clubs hurtle towards a meaningless position in the league table, unless you get relegated or reach Europe and if it's the Europa League, you don't even care anyway. Regardless, finish 5-17 does it matter? Does it matter the season after that? Or the season after that? What are you progressing towards? What's the end goal? Winning the Premier League? Ha, fat chance. Not unless you want to fire up the cash furnace, make sure you have enough cash to incinerate though. What good is a five year plan when a team can just buy their way into the top 4 and the media metaphorically suck them off while they do it? What's the point in playing a game where all the die are loaded? Before anyone mentions Leicester, that was a total fluke and will never happen again.[/QUOTE] Fred Nietzsche ladies and gentlemen..
The financial gap between the exceedingly large and the merely large is closing, though. The pound's nosedive delayed that a bit, because it reduced the purchasing power of the middle tier versus European clubs, but minnows like Bournemouth have more power in the market right now than many of the historic giants on the continent. That's a bit nuts, but in a globalized game that gives also-rans the ability to compete for players that would have never been in their budgets before. So there will be more Leicesters. Maybe not title-winners, but teams that break into the top four, if perhaps temporarily.
You lot, Wigan, Birmingham and Swansea have all won either EFL or FA cup within the past 10 years. Of course the bigger clubs will win more often but 4 examples there show it can be done and is done every few years. As for europa, I agree that it is ridiculous how certain teams like West ham focus on qualifying for it then field crap teams and don't care that they go out. Saints however actually value europa league (still went out but meh!) Not just making up the numbers, we are striving to achieve the unlikely yet possible! N.B Whilst I agree that Leicester was a fluke you can't completely ignore that it happened. Still shows the "impossible" can be achieved.
Fred Nietzsche ladies and gentlemen..[/QUOTE] I've never read any Nietzsche, although perhaps I should. Though you've encouraged me to re-watch the Eastern Philosophers v the Western Philosophers ERB
Oh b0ll0cks. Wish you had posted this at the start of the season before I wasted my money on the shirt and tickets. If it was all about wanting to win trophys year after year wouldn't we all just support Chelsea, city and utd and be done with it. You have taken football as black and white and you have taken emotion out of the game. I'd rather experience the highs and lows of an also ran than go through the motion of a robotic winning machine. I will long for one of those flukes like Leicester last year and Portsmouth in 2008.
Nope. Football and supporters killed the Goose when they made it Golden by handing over their money to SKY. It turned fans into supporters who were more interested in clubs across the country or the World. Clubs that supporters have zero emotional involvement in beyond an imaginary connection best known to themselves. Throw your SKY subscriptions away and football just might return to what it was before money got at it. Or it would implode completely. Or some other company would step in. We know it would be the latter. So, I can honestly say, because I've never had a SKY subscription, and never will, mainly because 1] I knew this would happen, and 2] I won't be bought by a criminal. - You've done it to yourselves.
The game was ruined when the Premier League was formed. And like above I have never even thought about paying for any TV let alone SKY tv.
What you've done there is assume all football fans should be like you. I love football, therefore I choose to have different football available to me. I find part of your post massively insulting and you have no right to tell me I'm more interested in clubs across the world. Such a high and mighty comment and it makes me think "what gives you the right to tell me I've been bought" It is such a pompous view. So you can understand a little better why I love football, here is my history: I was born a boy in the 60s and therefore that generation of people bought me lots of footballs to play with and guns/soldiers. I liked them all but enjoyed chasing that round thing most. I played with the other boys in my street on the small patch of grass and the road until I was about 5 when my Mum took me to the local boys team, where I joined in playing with the local older team. Then at 6/7 I was taken to watch my first match at Southampton. I then played every day, every week, every month for every year for about the next 10 years. In that time, I spent the first of those 5 years watching a live game at a ground maybe once a season and that was Saints (we couldn't afford more) and then when I was 11/12 I got a season ticket with my mate and his Dad (oh and by the way they didn't support Saints, but they loved football and Saints was nearer than their team). I fell in love with that excitement surrounding football. In summary, I found football before I found Saints and I think the majority of boys find football before they find a club. The emotional attachment grows after you've found the sport you enjoy and then you fall for your club, so don't go telling people that they are more interested in clubs across the world. It might just because we have a greater love of the sport then you and understand the roots of how we found our club, or simply it might be that we are more open minded than you. You've said a million times you don't care for other football only Saints, but that doesn't mean that's the A1 fan position. I love football but only love one team! Finally I think you need to change one of your last points or add a third one that says this: You just don't love football and that's probably closer to the truth than the other two.
Woah That's strong. Yes the money in the game is ridiculous. Making football more accessible to everyone is a bad thing.?????? Don't get me wrong, you can't beat going to a live game but for those that can't, work, money, age, illness, game sold out then what an opportunity to see the game. Didn't have sky when I was a kid and lived,drank and slept football. Just had MOTD or the big match highlights. Would we have the best players, the best managers in the world at our grounds without the premier league? Football has evolved, the world has moved on but the enjoyment and emotional of football still goes on. Just remembered, I relied on ceefax when I was a kid, staring at a screen, waiting for the scores to change. No thanks
Glad you went to the effort of posting that. Well done. No need. Comment or disagree by all means but don't be rude.
RAWMOK: Just remembered, I relied on ceefax when I was a kid, staring at a screen, waiting for the scores to change. No thanks The joys of Ceefax Tension and fear in equal measure when the page started to change. On balance, I prefer Sky.
