It'll get football stopped...the future of the CL
Yes, the Champions League is becoming tedious. I know people say this every year, but the reality is biting and what is the future? What will be the result of the domination of the 'big four' in England? I have four basic contentions:
1. The money / debt situation is simply not fair. How can teams carry £600m of debt and still trade players? Of course they're going to win. Same for TV money...£60m a season for one club is not realistic. I am not an old time socialist and I know the arguments that money has always talked loudest in football but people will get sick and tired of it as we face a new economic reality. Last year's final saw two teams carrying £1.3bn of debt. Where is the skill or judgement in that? I know we have a cheek to talk but I believe even SPL must look at spreading its revenues more fairly and helping its weaker members to be competative.
2. What about countries that aren't England? How long will subscribers pay up to see a 'closed shop'? England is a relatively small market. What if the rest of us can't be bothered?
3. It is the same teams. All sport relies on fans having a belief (often misguided and almost always not met by reality) that their team might win something....what if the door slams shut? Look at EPL and SPL....teams in the bottom half are losing fans. Their reality is that they have NO chance before a ball is kicked. What if this spreads to CL? Four EPL teams and some familiar names acting as cannon fodder. Every year. We now face a situation where no league below 'top five' is likely to have a team in latter stages and the odd club that makes it will lose.
4. The way the EPL has used its money and domination has not been to build on the beautiful game. The style is one that poses real dangers to the game: the players are so fit, fast and mobile that there is no space. Not counting the mismatch in Lisbon almost game was a stalemate relying on set pieces....like American Football. The pitch size and goal size were decided in Victorian era when people were smaller, less fit and less mobile. Now a team like Liverpool can play a midfield 5 that can literally close off ALL zones...no-one can trap the ball, turn or pick out a pass. The result is tense stalemate which has its own attractions but is not football as we knew it, or loved it.
The last sixteen matches were generally tedious (A Madrid v Porto was quite fun) and if you watched them with sound down (as I did) then they were dull....the hype comes from the commentary and from told over and over that you're watching history being made. It might be true but in a way we cannot quite see at the moment.
Discuss this story on our message board.
1. The money / debt situation is simply not fair. How can teams carry £600m of debt and still trade players? Of course they're going to win. Same for TV money...£60m a season for one club is not realistic. I am not an old time socialist and I know the arguments that money has always talked loudest in football but people will get sick and tired of it as we face a new economic reality. Last year's final saw two teams carrying £1.3bn of debt. Where is the skill or judgement in that? I know we have a cheek to talk but I believe even SPL must look at spreading its revenues more fairly and helping its weaker members to be competative.
2. What about countries that aren't England? How long will subscribers pay up to see a 'closed shop'? England is a relatively small market. What if the rest of us can't be bothered?
3. It is the same teams. All sport relies on fans having a belief (often misguided and almost always not met by reality) that their team might win something....what if the door slams shut? Look at EPL and SPL....teams in the bottom half are losing fans. Their reality is that they have NO chance before a ball is kicked. What if this spreads to CL? Four EPL teams and some familiar names acting as cannon fodder. Every year. We now face a situation where no league below 'top five' is likely to have a team in latter stages and the odd club that makes it will lose.
4. The way the EPL has used its money and domination has not been to build on the beautiful game. The style is one that poses real dangers to the game: the players are so fit, fast and mobile that there is no space. Not counting the mismatch in Lisbon almost game was a stalemate relying on set pieces....like American Football. The pitch size and goal size were decided in Victorian era when people were smaller, less fit and less mobile. Now a team like Liverpool can play a midfield 5 that can literally close off ALL zones...no-one can trap the ball, turn or pick out a pass. The result is tense stalemate which has its own attractions but is not football as we knew it, or loved it.
The last sixteen matches were generally tedious (A Madrid v Porto was quite fun) and if you watched them with sound down (as I did) then they were dull....the hype comes from the commentary and from told over and over that you're watching history being made. It might be true but in a way we cannot quite see at the moment.
Discuss this story on our message board.
http://forum.followfollow.com/showthread.php?t=523567