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Premier League to discuss Salary Cap - I think the horse has already bolted

Discussion in 'Southampton' started by fatletiss, Nov 15, 2012.

  1. fatletiss

    fatletiss Well-Known Member

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    Some of my questions were rhetorical rather than advocatory; I believe the standard of the league would be worse if the best of the best moved to leagues abroad. I do believe that more home grown players would come through though; of what standard technically, I don't know. I certainly didn't advocate fewer foreign players, although that may happen if the riches weren't here; or at least the top quality ones wouldn't come.

    Interesting piece from Brian Noble. We watch a lot of Super League in our house with a wife from Wigan and I'll give what he is saying some thought. That league is certainly enhanced with foreign coaches and foreign players, but that is drifting off topic slightly. My concern if they lifted the salary cap would be that teams would over do it and go bust. Bradford themselves are in serious financial trouble now and I'd like to understand what Brian Noble attributes their demise to. On the field they have not been the same side for a few years; that can't be put down to having the salary cap.
     
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  2. Dan

    Dan Well-Known Member

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    I know a lot of people would support a salary cap purely because it means more English players - sure, that's nice, it'd be great if the Premier League was full of top level English players but there just aren't that many out there as shown by the distinct lack of English talent abroad. Are they being stopped from improving because of foreign players taking their place? Possibly, but the better ones come through anyway. I mean, if we think about it, just a few examples. Eden Hazard could have moved to most of the teams in the world, but chose Chelsea. Would have have chosen Chelsea if Real Madrid were offering twice what Chelsea did? Similar with Oscar, or Robin van Persie to United, or Ramirez to us, or even players staying in the country - if Barca offered Bale twice what he's on at Spurs, he'd be off. There's no doubt that players of the caliber I've mentioned are one of the most brilliant things about the Premier League, and I feel it'd be a real shame to let those opportunities slide. But as I said, if it's a choice between these players for 10/20 years then nothing, I know what I'd take.

    I don't know nearly enough about Rugby to comment on Noble's views, I just saw it as an interesting example of being anti-salary cap. Either way, with UEFA running these Financial Fair Play initiatives (which I don't know much about, admittedly) are they not making strides towards making the game more sustainable?
     
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  3. PompeyLapras

    PompeyLapras Well-Known Member

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    Would having a poor standard of football be that bad? I don't see why having the 'best league in the world' is the be all and end all of football. At the end of the day, English clubs are competing against each other, not the teams in Italy or Germany or wherever so how good those leagues are doesn't really concern me.

    Oh and I'm not one of those people who support a salary cap in order to see more English players, I don't really mind too much what nationality someone is and a player should get through on merit, not by virtue of being English. I support it because the salaries are ridiculous and it means football teams are built on foundations of sand.
     
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  4. Dan

    Dan Well-Known Member

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    Sure, it may not matter to you, but for me, the opportunity to watch some of the best players in the world play is the biggest appeal of the Premier League. Who would you rather see play - Eden Hazard or Mark Yeates? Robin van Persie or Richard Cresswell? Nemanja Vidic or Krystian Pearce? I'm exaggerating for effect, obviously, but the point remains - seeing those kinds of players is really the best thing about the Premier League.
     
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  5. pass the football

    pass the football Well-Known Member

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    What nonsense! I love my girlfriend the way she is but I'm sure if I set my mind to it I could think of a few improvements <laugh>
     
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  6. ImpSaint

    ImpSaint Well-Known Member

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    Can i turn it on it's head a little and say:

    I think it would be fantastic if all the glory glory teams DID implode leaving the sensible ones like Saints, Everton and Arsenal to do things properly.
     
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  7. Clem Fandango

    Clem Fandango Well-Known Member

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    .

    Less foreign players would come over. Which means the England time might improve. I can't imagine too many English players leaving for foreign lands... I can't imagine the likes of Wayne Rooney learning Russian or French.
     
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  8. RLSGM

    RLSGM Member

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    Maybe they should use a system similar to that of the American's NFL pay structure, where say 4 key players can earn up to so much, the next 3 first team regulars so much, then rotation players earn another level and all reserves less than that. And youth similar to how it is currently.

    That way there is real progression in the game, and you dont get paid to sit on a bench, this would also mean that teams cant spend money left right and centre on the best players and never play them. Obviously the higher acheiving clubs would have higher boundries of pay, but I think this would sort out the 'unfairness' as players would know there place at the club in question and if they dont like it, they will have to go to a team where they are considered a key player, but chances are thats lower down the leagues where they may earn more money, but play a lower standard. I believe it would sort the boys from the men. Also leagues would become tighter which i think is good for the neutrals and the league as more people will watch exciting or tense games.
     
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  9. SAINTDON13

    SAINTDON13 Well-Known Member

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    When you think of our Ramirez signing, what was it for? To increase the gates? To improve the Team? To indicate we mean business? To accentuate Corteses ego? Other?
     
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  10. TheSecondStain

    TheSecondStain Needs an early night

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    To use another cliché after the thread title - better late than never.
     
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  11. Archers Road

    Archers Road Urban Spaceman

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    Dunno. But I think I'm going to enjoy watching him play for at least one season, hopefully many more.
     
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  12. pass the football

    pass the football Well-Known Member

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    All of the above?

    Mainly though it's because he is a good prospect surely? He's a high-profile player in global terms compared to all our other players, but he's hardly a household name so it can't just be for commercial reasons.
     
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  13. PompeyLapras

    PompeyLapras Well-Known Member

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    Yes but at what cost? Personally I think a financially sustainable league, where teams are at a more even financial footing as a result of a wage cap, is much preferable to watching a bunch of big stars who you can still watch on TV anyway if they go abroad. And by that logic, people wouldn't have interest in leagues below the Premiership.
     
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  14. Dan

    Dan Well-Known Member

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    In which case that logic is pretty sound - I don't have the numbers, but it can't be too hard to imagine how viewing figures vary between Match of the Day and the Football League Show, especially as time goes on.

    I have to disagree though. I know when I go to a football match, I'm getting excited about the players I'm about to see. I'll think "who are we playing today? Ooh Liverpool? Great, a chance to watch Suarez!" rather than "I'm so excited about these two teams built on sound financial foundations! Nothing gets my blood pumping faster than a stable balance sheet!"

    All I know is, I'd rather be watching players the likes of Cazorla than the likes of Marvin Bartley. Personal choice.
     
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  15. pass the football

    pass the football Well-Known Member

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    Fixed that for you ;)

    You only have to look to Germany though; bigger crowds than we have here, cheaper tickets, sensible wages, everyone's happy.
     
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  16. PompeyLapras

    PompeyLapras Well-Known Member

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    The football show is on at stupid o'clock, what explains why viewing figures are much lower than Match of the Day. Also you get big attendences in the Championship and there's a much smaller pool of highly (over)paid players in that league.

    When I go to a football game, it's to see an entertaining game of football with goals, excitement and hopefully my team winning. I don't really care who's playing. Saying that it was pretty awesome to see Kelly Smith in person when I saw GB Women v New Zealand Women at the Olympics. However, while it's nice see star players, it really doesn't matter to me to the extent that I would affect my viewing choices. Otherwise I'd go watch Arsenal Women play, who are full of famous internationals, rather than Portsmouth Women who I barely know the names of any of the players.
     
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  17. TheSecondStain

    TheSecondStain Needs an early night

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    Please don't take this as disrespectful, Dan, but as part of the modern day SKY promoted Premier League generation, I believe you are programmed to look out for opposition stars. You are expected to get excited about the big teams coming to St Marys. It has been ever thus, since the dawning of the PL. However, there are football supporters who are still around who don't give a toss about the opposition. They go to see their team turn them over, and it doesn't matter whether they play Grimsby Town or Arsenal, no disrespect to either club. The prospect of seeing players like Suarez doesn't induce the smallest atom of effort in me to decide whether I want to buy a ticket I can ill afford.

    Of course, if he was playing for Saints, that would be a different matter. :)
     
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  18. fatletiss

    fatletiss Well-Known Member

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    To be clear, my drive isn't to have more English players, but that would possibly be a side effect.
     
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  19. fatletiss

    fatletiss Well-Known Member

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    Cliche? Tut, they were carefully thought out words &#55357;&#56836;
     
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  20. Dan

    Dan Well-Known Member

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    I don't know if I'd say it was "programming", that assumes I enjoy watching great talents without actually knowing why as I have been "programmed" to do so, where I would take it as a part of me being a very big fan of the sport, as well as being a fan of Southampton. That's why I watch Match of the Day and other football on TV, because I love the sport and I love watching the best in the world play. I know it's different for you because you only care about Southampton, but that's a difference in how we watch the sport - I love the sport and have a particular favourite team, whereas you are indifferent towards the sport but love a team specifically. As such I'm not surprised you wouldn't care for opposition players, but I know I do - whether that's because of the generation of football I've been brought into or not, I don't know, I just know the final result.
     
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