Admittedly, Chelsea and Man City have got through before the gate got shut (although City's tail might have got stuck on the way through). Would we want football to be based on who's got the richest owners though? I wouldn't, it makes a mockery of the game and the teams people have been supporting throughout there lives. My point is that the teams that are in the Champions League have ambitions beyond just cementing fourth place and end up loaded with crazy player wages. All they need is one bad season and they're shown to be overstretched - how will Man Utd do based on their Summer spending and lowly finish last year? They'll be looking at the books and sweating I'd guess. Liverpool look likely to miss out on a top four finish but bought heavily in the Summer (bear in mind what we heard about bit-part Borini's wages for example too). It's all margins and it has the bigger clubs worried except Arsenal I'd expect but they've spent years being cautious and, sadly, exploiting their popularity at the expense of their soul as you point out. Tickets should be conditionally cheaper as part of the TV rights package IMO but there'd still be a clamour at the Emirates anyway.
