Tiresias

Yep and I kinda think the domestic market has to be considered flooded, not sure that many more pubs to sign up etc etc. The overseas money may be where there is a load of room for more money but I think it's harder than the marketers think. I also think another scenario may be one of the oligarch types ruinously pulling out of a club suddenly for whatever reason, leaving one of the grand old clubs with massive financial obligations they can't meet. That could lead to a shock to the system.

I guess the issue is, is there a ceiling somewhere of global interest after which no-one will buy the product? The more I think about it the further away it feels in some ways, but in others how much more impersonal, how much less fan friendly and how many more walking advert dullard unromantic bullshit players can everyone tolerate?

Sigh yeah. Part of me can't wait till there's some 10 club super world league full of billion pound players then they can fuck off up their own arses and leave the rest of us alone. On the other hand, still feel a little twang of romance about the great European sides like Juventus and Real Madrid and that would ruin it.

To clarify above, everyone saw the big bucks and jumped for them, pretty much every football body / media body with any skin in the game scrabbled for it and gave no thought to if it may damage anything. Hard to say no, and in many ways the premier league etc is a terrific product, watched happily by many. However I dunno how much more room for expansion there can be, albeit I guess maybe markets outside europe can continue to grow. it does seem to me like it can't go on forever, and what if noone bids nuts money next time contract is out for tender?

Aye yeah not all anyone specific's fault really (TV side, the FA and the Premier League definitely have a lot of the blame at least in the UK), and yes clubs with rich owners should be safe, however should market value plummet it would hardly look great for them to have millions of their assets wiped out, and then the prospect of reduced income.

Well fucking onside, disgraceful refing

I refuse to believe it is sustainable, it'll all come crashing down at some point and there will be much schadenfreude. As long as NUFC doesn't crash and burn with it...It just seems so much like a bubble with valuations gone crazy and an assumption that more and more money will flow in. Having said that I should also put my money where my mouth is and go support a non league team proper

edit: Another €58m can be added soon for Mendy, taking it past €450m It'll look savvy in a season or two when to buy one kyle walkerish player you must buy the owner of the other club a functioning space programme or equivalent cost

'Elite' players these days are all about managing their own image etc, teams they are playing for etc are increasingly irrelevant. The marketing feels more important than achievements on the pitch. It's getting pretty sickening.

Aye absolutely needs to be ended, it's ridiculous

When it says we are preparing a 'late move' they think that means we will bid shortly jsut after the other bids etc, what it actually means is we will forget to send in the paperwork and will actually sign him in 2 years.

Lets not fight over who's a better midfielder, xavi or iniesta, you don't get to watch two players like that in the same side very often. Scholes was mint and should never have been shunted out of england sides for Lampard and Gerrard. It's the kind of stupidity only england could pull off

Increasingly obvious it's a bubble, which at some point will pop. All of a sudden no-one will be willing to match expected TV rights on the next deal and suddenly clubs will find themselves with ludicrous financial obligations and much less income, or something of the sort. It may be a long time till it pops who knows but it's getting so far out of line with any kind of sense.

Did a fantastic job coming off bench after being sidelined and still just fitting right in. Scored vital goals, best of luck to him.

In fact i bet his team composition at some point will be goalie, 2 right backs 1 centre back 7 attacking midfielders

Guardiola is perfectly willing to play more full backs than reasonable at the same time keep in mind

Wtf, Zab was getting old but christ at his peak he was three times the player Walker will ever be

What I suspect has happened is Ashley has told Rafa the budget and he has free reign and told Charnley to make sure he gets value for money and not blow it all on inflated prices. It's entirely in character for Ashley to tell his underlings different things and let them fight it out, and it's entirely unhelpful.

De Jong is never going to be injury free. Ever. I feel for him I really do but come on.

Hart should have retired after Pirlo humiliated him, he's been shit ever since

Hart is full of mistakes and bad with his feet. Maybe being harsh, he can be good but seems one of those who goes through bad patches regularly which is not helpful with a goalie. I am more of a fan of Navas than some, but he was often played at City just to stretch play not out of any likelihood he would do all that much himself. However would welcome his speed and hard work.

Yeah the social media PR from players these days is really annoying and feels created for a generation of fans who follow players rather than clubs. However I manage not to read either of their twitters much at all in the long run. Lukaku is a tremendously fun player to watch imo, shame he'll play for Mourinho ofc but still.

We should be aiming higher than a winger who switched wings at half time so he was on the side with the manager so he could always should instructions to him

bring him home