1. SubscriberPonderable
    chemist
    Linkenheim
    Joined
    22 Apr '05
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    653703
    19 Apr '21 09:51
    Mine: The very very rich try to get even richer...I do hope that the UEFA and FIFa holds their line and the whole operation ends in a big crash.

    (Not that I think that FIFA or UEFA had a lot of credibility, but they still have more than those breakaways "super" league.
  2. SubscriberRuss
    RHP Code Monkey
    RHP HQ
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    19 Apr '21 10:24
    @Ponderable

    Mourinho just sacked - timing is interesting.
  3. Joined
    03 Apr '19
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    25268
    19 Apr '21 10:45
    @Ponderable

    A league you can't get relegated from isn't a league. They become like exhibition matches if it is the same clubs over and over. I don't think players will want that. Especially if the authorities ban them from playing internationals and ban the clubs from all other real competitions. They become like the Harlem Globetrotters. Show teams for players who no longer want to compete. I think player power will sink it as a result. I don't think traditional fans would watch it either. It looks like a nonstarter to me.

    As for the greed, there is greed on both sides. All fighting each other for the golden goose. UEFA is totally corrupt as is FIFA. They happily send clubs to finals in Kyiv and Azerbaijan for bribes. Give the clubs' fans next to no tickets because more money is made from the ones that end up on the street. Make players play too many games because they want more from world club cup etc. Create finals real fans can't attend. So what if the clubs want more for themselves than for the corrupt governing bodies and premier league. At least the clubs give back to the local community and distribute money to lower leagues through player purchases etc. UEFA and the authorities don't do those things. In fact UEFA have been trying to evolve the European Cup into a European League for years. Ever since it stopped being the way more credible competition between the champions of all the European Nations. UEFA just want to own it for themselves.
  4. Joined
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    12363
    19 Apr '21 18:50
    @russ said
    @Ponderable

    Mourinho just sacked - timing is interesting.
    Meh. Sacked from a club which will never even be considered for the Superleague. IYAM, that will only become interesting - and in that case, interesting in a very legal sense! - if José is now hired as press chief for the Soupers.
  5. Subscribervenda
    Dave
    S.Yorks.England
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    20 Apr '21 13:071 edit
    Football,like all sport, has changed so much over the years that if a football fan from the 1950's came back to life he wouldn't know what he was watching.
    Liverpool,Manchester etc aren't Liverpool and Manchester at all.They're a bunch of internationals albeit talented ones.
    They certainly don't represent English cities.
    Sponsorship and investment has changed the game beyond recognition and sadly I don't think you can ever go back to division one to four at 3pm on a Saturday.
    This idea is just the latest money spinning extension.
    I say let them go if they want, but on no account let them play in any domestic competitions.
  6. Joined
    03 Apr '19
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    25268
    20 Apr '21 13:49
    Rumour has it Mourinho was sacked for refusing to take training as a protest against the Super League. Actions like that could tip the balance the right way. If this is the moment where they lose the managers, players and fans they really have killed the golden goose. Liverpool fans have a good tradition of taking positive action, like when the new owners made a move to price out local supporters three years ago. The club quickly reversed their ticket price announcement after getting a taste of see what your product looks like without the crowd and the atmosphere, following an organised walk out.

    I wouldn't watch matches in a league with no relegation or promotion and I wouldn't watch the other competitions if Liverpool were kicked out so that would be one season ticket holder gone and most people I know are saying the same.

    @Venda you can say these clubs don't represent their local cities, but you try getting a season ticket. Most of them have been handed down through generations of local families. The dates of birth of some of the alleged season ticket holders would make you laugh.
  7. Subscribervenda
    Dave
    S.Yorks.England
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    20 Apr '21 19:27
    @relentless-red said
    Rumour has it Mourinho was sacked for refusing to take training as a protest against the Super League. Actions like that could tip the balance the right way. If this is the moment where they lose the managers, players and fans they really have killed the golden goose. Liverpool fans have a good tradition of taking positive action, like when the new owners made a move t ...[text shortened]... ocal families. The dates of birth of some of the alleged season ticket holders would make you laugh.
    Aye.I suppose it all changed years ago when foreign players were allowed to play anywhere in the world.
    I know what you mean though about loyalties.
    If every club were renamed after the moons of the solar system the stalwarts would still support who they have always supported
    I know this is a different issue but I think the premier league would be a fairer competition if only so many overseas players were allowed to be signed.
    That way,the rich clubs and owners wouldn't be allowed to buy so many of the worlds best players.
    And loaned players.
    Why do clubs with 50+ players on their books need loan players?
    The whole thing is biased towards those with the most money.
    I think some years ago someone predicted a final league table based on the finances of each club in the division.
    The prediction at the end of the season was (not)surprisingly quite accurate.
    Occasionally there'll be surprises, but not often
  8. Joined
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    20 Apr '21 20:09
    @venda

    I don't mind seeing the best players in the world play. I see that as a real privilege.

    People forget that money isn't controlling the game as long as there is promotion and relegation. Leeds Utd got Champions League money. They signed big wage contracts on the back of believing it would be self perpetuating. When they were relegated they had a fire sale of players to get out of the contracts. Two years ago my kids were surprised to hear they were ever a big club. That was in the days when everybody knew that big money competitions were ruining football and the likes of Leicester could never compete with the Leeds Uniteds anymore. The likes of Brighton, Bournemouth and Wigan could never play in the Premier League as money had ruined football.

    (nobody would have believed that third tier Man City could beat Wigan in a cup final and of course they were right about that one.)
  9. Joined
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    20 Apr '21 22:442 edits
    @relentless-red said
    @venda

    I don't mind seeing the best players in the world play. I see that as a real privilege.

    People forget that money isn't controlling the game as long as there is promotion and relegation. Leeds Utd got Champions League money. They signed big wage contracts on the back of believing it would be self perpetuating. When they were relegated they had a fire sale ...[text shortened]... t third tier Man City could beat Wigan in a cup final and of course they were right about that one.)
    Not too sure about some of that, Red

    When was "in the days when everybody knew....likes of Leicester could never compete'?? 'The likes of.....could never play in PL'?

    Surely 'smaller club's such as Swindon, Bradford, Blackpool, Reading to name just a few, were able to get into the PL, and in some cases put up a decent show? (Well, probably only Reading, to be fair!)
  10. SubscriberPonderable
    chemist
    Linkenheim
    Joined
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    653703
    21 Apr '21 07:24
    Seems like the super league is not coming any time soon now, that the six English clubs pulled back.

    It is time however to transform UEFA and FIFA as some have correctly written here.
  11. Joined
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    25268
    21 Apr '21 13:371 edit
    @blood-on-the-tracks said
    Not too sure about some of that, Red

    When was "in the days when everybody knew....likes of Leicester could never compete'?? 'The likes of.....could never play in PL'?

    Surely 'smaller club's such as Swindon, Bradford, Blackpool, Reading to name just a few, were able to get into the PL, and in some cases put up a decent show? (Well, probably only Reading, to be fair!)
    That's true and the Premier League is something all small clubs can aspire to get into. That's the point of my reply to @venda so I'm probably not being clear (too tongue in cheek). He was saying that all the money in the Premier League already spoiled football so what's the difference. I was pointing out that it didn't change the fact that big clubs still went down and small clubs still got a run in the top flight. There were still underdogs and shock results. The demise of Forest and Coventry City being good examples that nothing was guaranteed by being in the Premier League when big money arrived.

    @venda was saying what would be different as money had already spoiled it. I was saying that ESL was something completely different and a closed shop with no promotion or relegation would spoil it in a way that Premier League money didn't.
  12. Subscribervenda
    Dave
    S.Yorks.England
    Joined
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    21 Apr '21 14:271 edit
    @relentless-red said
    That's true and the Premier League is something all small clubs can aspire to get into. That's the point of my reply to @venda so I'm probably not being clear (too tongue in cheek). He was saying that all the money in the Premier League already spoiled football so what's the difference. I was pointing out that it didn't change the fact that big clubs still went down an ...[text shortened]... losed shop with no promotion or relegation would spoil it in a way that Premier League money didn't.
    The premier league is in effect 3 separate leagues.
    1.Those that have a good chances of winning it(the so called "big six" )
    2.Those that are never really in any danger of relegation and generally finish 14th or higher
    3.Those that will always struggle -the remaining six clubs.
    The last group changes most years.Some are dubbed yo yo clubs I think the term is.
    The one common policy in all these cases if they are not performing well is sacking the manager.
    If only that were the policy in the real world!!
  13. Joined
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    25268
    21 Apr '21 16:05
    @venda
    I would agree except the membership of those three tiers keeps changing. People have short memories. In days gone by Leeds were big six, Chelsea and City were not. Nottingham Forest could never go down. Leicester could never win the league or displace Arsenal in your top six as they are doing right now...

    The distinction is that ESL guarantees the big six always remain so. It's a bid by the club's owners to ensure a return on their investment with no possibility of change and no hope for any other club.
  14. Joined
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    16942
    22 Apr '21 16:54
    They achieved what they set out to, lets announce a new ESL a day before the new CL format is revealed, everyone talks about the ESL and how happy they are it didn’t work and no one discusses the horrendous new CL format where a team can finish lower than someone who misses out but qualify themselves. Total rubbish.
  15. Joined
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    23 Apr '21 07:03
    @trev33 said
    They achieved what they set out to, lets announce a new ESL a day before the new CL format is revealed, everyone talks about the ESL and how happy they are it didn’t work and no one discusses the horrendous new CL format where a team can finish lower than someone who misses out but qualify themselves. Total rubbish.
    UEFA are so corrupt I'm sure they could have just bought the new CL format and probably did. I think they genuinely wanted to go one step further and have an ESL. A guaranteed secure future for their franchises. They've just settled for an even more corrupt Champions League.
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