Interesting article written, by David James, with some references to Leeds United. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/...ign=Feed: theguardian/football/rss (Football)
Pretty much agree with the article. While actually winning the league is highly prestigious, qualifying for the CL is the first priority on the Chairman's list at Man Utd, Man City, Tottenham, Chelsea & Arsenal. It's a cash cow that eroding the English leagues and probably most other leagues in Europe. I would go as far to say when a new manager takes up a job with one of these sides his brief is to qualify for CL football and not win the PL. Revert it back to the CHAMPIONS LEAGUE and I would have no complaints.
I have to agree, it really does need to go back to how it used to be. Only winners of their countries respected league titles qualify for the European cup. It does seem ludicrous that you can finish 4th and the following year be crowned Champions of Europe when you are not even Champions of your own country. Remaining teams go into the EUFA cup and maybe battle it out league style. The money is there in the game but when you have players draining £100k+ a week out of it and agents taking their cut we are creating a great divide. I have no doubt that the bubble will burst.
I've been saying this for a long time. The Premier League is not competitive. It's boring. Just look at the table, most of the season it looks like someone new is going to win the title, but it took them hundreds of millions of pounds injected by a billionaire owner to even get close to the monstrosity that is the dirty scum, then they go and lose out on the title any way. It's all about money and the scum are the ones who sold out to the premier league.
I think it is their fan base that keep them going and investing the run of success they had wisely and heavily into the youth set up. Chelsea and Man City are destroying it far more with the millions and silly fee's they are pumping into the chase.
Really hypocrtitical in parts. "I play to win" and "We lost in the final and I wish we'd lost in the 3rd round instead" just don't add up. "I think the desire just to play in Europe leads to medicority" and "I nearly joined Celtic because they were in Europe but then they were knocked out so I was just not as interested" I think the guy is thick as ****. He does not know what argument he is trying to make so he has got all confused and befuddled. The money is the most important bit in football. It allows you to compete higher. We should know this better than anyone. It was money (whetehr ours, or an investors, or bad credit) that gave us our "living the dream", nothing else, pure and simple. It was money that got Wilko to get us promoted. That team went on because it was a proper team to win Div 1 with some additions, but then it all went pear shaped again, until the money flowed and we brought in players who could compete again. And as the more money rolled in though European campaigns, the more we spent, and the more competitive we got. Until the money dried up. Then we died. Without the money, we go nowhere. Don't forget that. And by really knacking up the money side of things, we go further south. And this is the position we are soon to be in under Bates - because he has no idea how to develop the club. This year's accounts and next years will be a real turnup - if we are not already in administration.
Another example of money AFC Wimbledon and FC United of Manchester have stormed up the non-league pyramid. Wimbledon now in the League and FC United will be soon too. How? Massive money in comparison to their rivals. That is the only reason. Lots of supporters paying in to the club, everyone keeping involved and behind the club, and being able to buy and pay for the best players in comparison to other teams. Money is king. Since abolition of the minimum wage, always has been. And now, always will be. The only way our club will be successful is if we are there in huge numbers at our games HAPPILY spending shedloads, and seeing a requisite application of the same on the pitch in terms of the best players, coaches and managers. Bates can't see this. He doesn't see cashflow, and the cash cow that is the LUFC fan. It will be his downfall
Not sure where I read it but apparently manchester united were pretty well involved with Sky in the forming of the Premier League. They made quite a bit of money out of it, more than other clubs and that was a lot of the foundation that allowed them to set up their domination of the Premier League.
