Making the Premier League more competitive.

[Shearergol]

When folk get sick of seeing a procession year in year out they'll stop subscribing to SKY. SKY will then reduce its financial input.

 

Clubs in too deep will be fucked.

 

You seriously think that? The fact that Man United/Chelsea/Arsenal dominate the league doesn't stop me watching other football.

 

I do think it's fair to say the public are probably very near to the limit of what they're prepared to pay on a monthly basis for the coverage. Especially as it's easier and easier to get it via 'other' means.

 

I don't think that's down to the monopoly though, more down to the stupid prices and free coverage on the net.

[Dave]

When folk get sick of seeing a procession year in year out they'll stop subscribing to SKY. SKY will then reduce its financial input.

 

Clubs in too deep will be fucked.

 

You seriously think that? The fact that Man United/Chelsea/Arsenal dominate the league doesn't stop me watching other football.

 

I do think it's fair to say the public are probably very near to the limit of what they're prepared to pay on a monthly basis for the coverage. Especially as it's easier and easier to get it via 'other' means.

 

I don't think that's down to the monopoly though, more down to the stupid prices and free coverage on the net.

 

They go hand in hand though don't they? The less competitive it is, the less easy it is to justify £45 a month or whatever.

[Parsley]

I've got a good one.

 

Abolish the Champions League and revert back to the European Cup format. 128 teams from various leagues and make it a 2 legged knock-out competition. f*** seedings. So if Man U draw Milan in the second round, one of them is out and doesn't rake in as much money. The best team will win it every year and more teams will get further and earn more money than they ordinarily would have under this league system which means the big clubs can afford a slip-up or 2.

 

It's a bit radical I know...

 

I think they should make the Champions' League what it says on the tin - only Europe's league champs should be entered into your standard cup format as you suggested imo. It just seems stupid to have teams like Arsenal finishing 4th then reaching the final of the so-called cup of champions. Would even out the playing field more financially too.

[chicago_shearer]

No more club academies.  14 or 15 year olds shouldn't be signing contracts with clubs anyway.  If they have talent, they should go into a national pool and then go in for a draft once they turn 17 or 18 with poorly performing clubs getting the better prospects.

 

That's probably the worst idea I've read about how to change football. I assume from your name that you're American?

 

Clubs in this country should be enhancing their academies, not getting rid of them.

 

Yes, because that's worked well for England hasn't it?  Producing shit players and the very few good ones ending up at the richest clubs.  Even the smaller club academies with a good record like Crewe lose all their talent to richer clubs as soon as they show signs of development.  How are average clubs supposed to strengthen their academies when the incentive for young kids is to play for Man Utd or Arsenal etc.?  When a mid range club like Southampton get lucky and develop a player like Walcott, he inevitably moves on.  It would be better to get kids playing and learning under professional coaches and then worrying about contracts when they grow up.

[Guest optimistic nit]

I've got a good one.

 

Abolish the Champions League and revert back to the European Cup format. 128 teams from various leagues and make it a 2 legged knock-out competition. f*** seedings. So if Man U draw Milan in the second round, one of them is out and doesn't rake in as much money. The best team will win it every year and more teams will get further and earn more money than they ordinarily would have under this league system which means the big clubs can afford a slip-up or 2.

 

It's a bit radical I know...

 

I think they should make the Champions' League what it says on the tin - only Europe's league champs should be entered into your standard cup format as you suggested imo. It just seems stupid to have teams like Arsenal finishing 4th then reaching the final of the so-called cup of champions. Would even out the playing field more financially too.

 

i think that'd be fucking retarded myself, and you'd have to invite all the leagues in europe, so teams in macedonia get places in the cl ahead of the manu's and arsenals. it'd turn into the club world championship, where there's 1-2 teams (in this case 4-5) that can win it, and the rest all get thrased 8-0.

 

same goes for the 5 points on that list the thread starter made on page 1.

[Guest optimistic nit]

No more club academies.  14 or 15 year olds shouldn't be signing contracts with clubs anyway.  If they have talent, they should go into a national pool and then go in for a draft once they turn 17 or 18 with poorly performing clubs getting the better prospects.

 

That's probably the worst idea I've read about how to change football. I assume from your name that you're American?

 

Clubs in this country should be enhancing their academies, not getting rid of them.

 

Yes, because that's worked well for England hasn't it?  Producing shit players and the very few good ones ending up at the richest clubs.  Even the smaller club academies with a good record like Crewe lose all their talent to richer clubs as soon as they show signs of development.  How are average clubs supposed to strengthen their academies when the incentive for young kids is to play for Man Utd or Arsenal etc.?  When a mid range club like Southampton get lucky and develop a player like Walcott, he inevitably moves on.  It would be better to get kids playing and learning under professional coaches and then worrying about contracts when they grow up.

 

its not working as bad as everyone claims for england actually, and it works pretty well for spain, france, germany, holland and the like.

adding a 25% sell on clause to all transfers under 18 and ensuring that the selling club gets its fair share of the wealth is how it should go, and incentives for the club to use that structure to improve their academy would also be an idea.

[Parsley]

I've got a good one.

 

Abolish the Champions League and revert back to the European Cup format. 128 teams from various leagues and make it a 2 legged knock-out competition. f*** seedings. So if Man U draw Milan in the second round, one of them is out and doesn't rake in as much money. The best team will win it every year and more teams will get further and earn more money than they ordinarily would have under this league system which means the big clubs can afford a slip-up or 2.

 

It's a bit radical I know...

 

I think they should make the Champions' League what it says on the tin - only Europe's league champs should be entered into your standard cup format as you suggested imo. It just seems stupid to have teams like Arsenal finishing 4th then reaching the final of the so-called cup of champions. Would even out the playing field more financially too.

 

i think that'd be f****** retarded myself, and you'd have to invite all the leagues in europe, so teams in macedonia get places in the cl ahead of the manu's and arsenals. it'd turn into the club world championship, where there's 1-2 teams (in this case 4-5) that can win it, and the rest all get thrased 8-0.

 

same goes for the 5 points on that list the thread starter made on page 1.

 

If the champs of Macedonia won their league and Man Utd didn't then so be it, at least in this case it does the name of the competition some bloody justice. It's a format that's worked in the past and so as it reduces the amount of income the top 4 receive, it also benefits the competitiveness of the Premiership.

[Guest neesy111]

The football bubble will burst,

 

if that russian bastard ambrovich hadn't come in wages and transfers would of defo gone down, instead everyone had to spend to compete with them

 

they have in every other country, gone are the days real buying 50 million + players

 

when season tickets are going up and up, with the current financial climate (oil, electricity, food) prices ppl will simply say enough is enough

 

i'm in this situation now, whether it's worth it

 

SKY have been a disaster for the football fan, we wouldn't be paying sky high prices if these gave clubs the tv money and when that ran out, tickets went up and up

[midds]

The football bubble will burst,

 

if that russian bastard ambrovich hadn't come in wages and transfers would of defo gone down, instead everyone had to spend to compete with them

 

they have in every other country, gone are the days real buying 50 million + players

 

when season tickets are going up and up, with the current financial climate (oil, electricity, food) prices ppl will simply say enough is enough

 

i'm in this situation now, whether it's worth it

 

SKY have been a disaster for the football fan, we wouldn't be paying sky high prices if these gave clubs the tv money and when that ran out, tickets went up and up

 

Utter drivel.

[Wullie]

The television money for the Champions League is astonishing and is what has created this massive gulf, particularly in the Premiership. If something is to be done, it has to be a revamping of this obscenely financed competition.

 

Amazing that they get so much really - personally I couldn't give two fucks about the CL if NUFC are not in it other than a vague interest in seeing other British teams crash and burn - not often seen these days, more's the pity.

 

Too many glory hunting arseholes are at the root of the problem.

[Shearer9]

If there is to be a solution, it has to be at the European level.  No point in having an even English league if all the teams are equally shite.

 

Sorry if I don't have too much sympathy for the people who berate the bad influence of Sky, but everyone is perfectly happy to have a little Ronaldo(and whoever else) jizzfest in other threads, while complaining about the evils of the corporation in ones like this.  I agree that Sky could probably make about as much money by making things a lot easier for the fan as far as kick off times go.  But Sky really signaled the end of the dark ages in English football and allowed England to have the  first real worldwide superstars.  Say what you will about the effect that money has on the teams at the top and the "achievment gap" between top 4 and everyone else, as well as championship v. premiership, but Sky ushered in some of the greatest 15 years of football the country's ever seen.