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chav slav 12:31 Sat Apr 14
footballs not what it used to be...

boring boring boring, no surprises, man u still win everything,arsenal,still in the top 4 ,money,money,money, man city and chelsea, footballs a game of 3 card brag, whose got the most money wins, as man city will dominate for the next 5 years,
too many foreign imports,lets take the cash out the equation, if man u win title, they spend the least on transfers/strengthening next season, salary cap lets make it an even playing field,so teams like your evertons,swanseas,westbroms, and west hams of this world might get a fair crack,

no team from a lower division will ever win the fa cup again, no team getting promoted will win the league in the top flight again in there first season,

there is no surprises, we may come up, we may not, but if we do, we're yo-yo like we have done since god was a boy...

Sir Alf 10:51 Sat Apr 14
Re: footballs not what it used to be...

you will get the odd exception as mentioned but it is much more of a monopoly for 4 or 5 clubs than it ever was.

Ok Liverpool dominated in the 80s but every now and again a Forest or Ipswich or even Everton and Villa would win the league. That will not happen again until the influence of money is negated. But that wont happen until Sky subscriptions decline or attendances fall on a scale that scares the crap out of Sky and the big club chairman who run the game.

Personally, I would like to see some form of cap brought in to stop the plastic teams like City and Chelsea and others simply buying Championships or perhaps a rule that says you have to include at least x player(s) who have been brought through the academy. That would also improve the standard of homegrown players again but I realise this is all a romantic notion and the height of achievement for most clubs is the odd game where we beat the likes of United, City, Chelsea etc...

The game sold its soul for money just like most humans being do.

Pagey 10:43 Sat Apr 14
Re: footballs not what it used to be...

charlie - I disagree to be honest. The league title has always been between a select few pretty much - just look at how Liverpool dominated throughout the late 70's and 80's.

They looked like they would never be toppled but they were and now Man Utd have earned the right to be winning trophies every year.

United will probably retain the Premier League this season too but they have had to dig deep due to the challenge of Man City and Tottenham to a point. The experience of United being the deciding factor for me.

However, next season we will probably have the likes of Man Utd, Man City, Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea and possibly Newcastle all competing at the top - I don't see how that can be boring? The bar is constantly being raised and that simply improves many other teams, Tottenham and Newcastle being a good example.

Cardiff should've probably beaten Liverpool in the League Cup final this year and the three promoted teams may all survive in the Premier League this season - maybe for the first time? I can't imagine that's happened too often recently?

Plus only the other night, Wigan deservedly beat Man Utd in a game that Man Utd were desperate to win. Recently we had Swansea beating Man City who badly needed the three points.

Plus, this coming midweek, we have Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich and Chelsea vs Barcelona. If that's all boring then I can't wait until the excitement kicks in!

charlie paynter 10:27 Sat Apr 14
Re: footballs not what it used to be...

Pagey, I agree the standard of football in games can be great (better than ever, you could argue). And sure, it's refreshing to see the likes of Swansea playing good football & doing ok in the top flight this year.

But that's not really the issue here though is it? The OP's main gripe was the bigger picture - how uncompetitive football has become outside of the top few clubs and how money dictates they will win practically everything. That, ultimately, is extremely boring.

Pagey 8:44 Sat Apr 14
Re: footballs not what it used to be...

Moaning bastards are the only thing ruining the game because it's as good as it's ever been.

The entertainment level is extremely high, the likes of Newcastle, Swansea, Tottenham and Man City have played exceptional football at times and, globally, the likes of Ronaldo and Messi are as good as anything before them.

If you can't enjoy the Premier League teams mentioned or the likes of Real Madrid or Barcelona then you simply want too much.

charlie paynter 8:06 Sat Apr 14
Re: footballs not what it used to be...

Greed is killing the game. Started back in 1991-92 when we, along with the other 21 top flight clubs, resigned from the Football League to get more TV money.

Over half of those clubs who resigned back then are no longer in the top flight & ultimately are probably worse off now for their decision. So we're partly to blame - and we were relegated that year so didn't even benefit immediately from the Sky money!

From that moment on the emphasis has been on cash rather than glory or loyalty. It's devalued the cups and, along with the Champions League, has enabled the rich to get richer & the gap between the haves & have-nots increase year by year - hence the top-flight & European football is ever more predictable.

Add into the mix player's agents, the Bosman ruling, & now international billionaire owners buying success & I think it's fair to say 'English' football has lost a lot of its soul in the last 20 years.

ted fenton 7:37 Sat Apr 14
Re: footballs not what it used to be...

6-0

And i actually opened up this thread ;-(

lewisnadasurf1 7:36 Sat Apr 14
Re: footballs not what it used to be...

You cant so no team will not win the FA Cup outside the top Div again, Millwall, Cardiff? Thats only in the last 10 years...

stomper 7:35 Sat Apr 14
Re: footballs not what it used to be...

Miserable buggers!

stomper 7:34 Sat Apr 14
Re: footballs not what it used to be...

Yesterday's not what it used to be.

Northern Sold 6:53 Sat Apr 14
Re: footballs not what it used to be...

Should copy the yanks with their draft system... ok we'll pick from Borstals rather than university's... but should do the job

"West ham have first draft and take Ricky Bricker from belmarsh"

bruuuno 6:50 Sat Apr 14
Re: footballs not what it used to be...

Yea, they should also put a stop to these billy big bollocks teams in the championship spending big bucks to get promoted in their first season

I.want.that.one 6:46 Sat Apr 14
Re: footballs not what it used to be...

Leonard Hatred 1:50 Sat Apr 14
Re: footballs not what it used to be...


They manage to have wage caps in Rugby, so why not football?

BRANDED 2:53 Sat Apr 14
Re: footballs not what it used to be...

Money talks bullshit walks.
Even with all their money Man City and Chelsea have failed to usurp Man U. Portsmouth did win the FA cup and Cardiff and Millwall have been in the final recently.
When looking at football you must look at the whole of Europe and seeing a team like Bilbao smash United gives all teams some hope.
Ultimately the best players want to lay for clubs most likely to win things or who will pay the best wages so money mostly wins.
These top teams will never accept a system where greater parity is accepted as they have far too much to lose.
It was fucked with the premier league and sky.

Chalkie the Ponce 2:38 Sat Apr 14
Re: footballs not what it used to be...

I don't see why they can't have a salary cap, it has worked in American sports.

i blame Jimmy Hill for the wages anyway.

xeastham 2:35 Sat Apr 14
Re: footballs not what it used to be...

Football died when they did away with terracing, hiked up prices, sanitised everything and from what I have seen banned tackling.

Leonard Hatred 1:50 Sat Apr 14
Re: footballs not what it used to be...

Can't have a wage cap. Would be unenforcable. They'd get round it with bonuses etc.

Pig__Destroyer 12:40 Sat Apr 14
Re: footballs not what it used to be...

I think football in this country should just be ended, all the teams broken up and all the foreign players sold to foreign teams.

Then, starting afresh, give all the teams a budget of say, £10 million to buy a team with. They can only buy British players, and there would be a limit on how much any one player can be worth, and a wage cap.

Then have a massive tournament to decide who goes to the premier league, championship and so on.

Once all the leagues are formed, each team in each league would get the same budget to spend on players every season. They could buy foreign players again, but still only allowed to spend a certain amount on any one player. And a limit to the number of foreign players in the squad.

The premier league would get the biggest yearly budget, championship teams a bit less, etc.

This would be REALLY EXCELLENT.

Pig__Destroyer 12:32 Sat Apr 14
Re: footballs not what it used to be...

I was just saying the exact same thing when I was pissed up down the pub the other night. Now that I'm sober, I still think the same thing. Hrmm.