I agree, but it sums up the inequality of the system as far as football is concerned. Just as the Premier League is a financial elite, the top 6 is an elite within the PL, and at the moment Man City are on their own in the top 6. The same is true of the other 4 big leagues in Europe, although the Premier League is by far the richest. Wenger might not look like he’s a pauper at the gate to clubs outside the top 6, but compared to City, and maybe United, he is.
Oh yeah not saying I disagree at all, just find it quite funny. I've made no secret of my opinion that the the entire game at the top level is ****ed. I'd add that even Chelsea can't compete now which is ironic as they started/accelerated it.
Yes, remember when Chelsea were the first club ever to field a top-flight team without a single British player, enabled by the wages they could pay to the top players? That was the early days of Roman’s reign, but they’ve been overtaken by a few clubs now. It’s a dog eat dog world!
I'm with the others. Win the FA cup. If we go down we can sing "You can shove your Premier League up your Arse" like the Lincoln fans do.............. .................while trying our damned hardest to get (back) promoted to it. lol
However much you dislike Utd, Liverpool or Arsenal (I don't personally, despite Utd having the most annoying fans in the world) you can't deny that they have all earned their place at football's top table tbrough decades of achievement.
Standing with the FA Cup in his hands, Lawrie was asked if winning the Cup was a consolation for not getting promotion. "Yes" he replied without equivocation Would winning it the following year compensate for another failure to win promotion? "No" he said, equally certainly. I have a lot of sympathy for the 27 years and bugger all to show for it argument, but we mustn't think that going down would be a quick ramble through 1970's memory lane. It would be seriously ****. I do not want us to do a Wigan. Of course, if Man City don't turn up next round and we were to find ourselves at Wembley on Harry's wedding day already relegated I'd want the Cup. But right now it will be failing to win those important games in March that will hurt. Had we blown a 2 goal lead on Saturday it would have been annoying, but I would have recovered by the time I got to the car park. Talking to West Brom mates afterwards they were frankly untroubled. If we lose at home to Stoke I will be seriously pissed off.
Have to agree, the only place to be is the Premier league. Would love another trip to Wenbly but that's the icing on the cake.
Pretty simple really this: Win the Fa cup. Too young in 76 And what a memory for my lad to watch his team lift the fa cup. Let’s face it the premier league is utter bollocks
If Saints (and the other 14 whoever they may be each time there is a vote) continue to hold out against the "big 6" demands for more of the share of the TV money then they will do what they did to UEFA and threaten to make their own competition. UEFA caved into David Dein's group back then and the big clubs of Europe won. Then they will either have to go through with it or look like fools. We all know what they will do in that situation. And then we can have a proper competition at the top of the English League again. As for Man City being on their own in their own elite within the Prem. They do have lots of money and they do spend a lot however Man U are the ones that have paid more for their record signings. Sounds silly but Lukaku and Pogba's transfers make Man City's look sensible in comparison and even Di Maria cost more. There is no question that Man Utd have more spending power. They have just "chosen" not to spend for the past decade and have had to spend over the past couple of seasons to catch up. Purely from their history and what they represent I'm not sure there are many players that choose Man City IF Man Utd is also on the table. As for the Arsenal all foreign squad. They were the first to field an entirely non-British matchday squad including bench. They did it several times if I remember rightly. That was a different era though where the Premier League was weaker and the big sides played their reserves against the lower teams saving them for Europe. And thus they were doing very well in Europe through that era with Premier League teams dominating the latter stages. That is the reason they haven't done as well in Europe for the past few years. The Premier League is stronger and if you field your 2nd 11 against the bottom 3 in the PL now you are not even guaranteed a draw (although we might challenge that statement.) Thus the top teams are having to play a semblence of their strongest 11 in the PL to compete. This season it looks like they have overcome that although they are still not playing second string in the PL. They do seem to have fitter and much much better players overall than in previous years. Dare I say it they seem to have more Brits in their first 11s as well.
Much chat about the economics of football on the thread and I find that very appropriate as a basis for my opinion - namely that the FA Cup is now a truly second rate competition. Of course I would like us to win it. I want us to win everything but I'd much prefer to watch us against some of the world's finest teams and players week in week out on what is now a significantly more level playing field than it ever has been.
