Chelsea up for sale?

[Gash]

Good riddance Chelsea!

[Benwell Lad]

A lot of truth and inevitability in what old Uli is spouting there in finest Ginglish.

One things certain - it aint ever gonna be the same as it was and 5 years from now the English Premier League will have a very different look about it.

 

 

Theres a lot of 'willing it to be true' too. He sounds just like the German finance minister willing the British economy to fail.

 

Quite typical of the Germans actually, I was in Berlin most of last week and one of the big discussions was how much the NHS is on German telly, with them saying how thats falling apart too.

 

A pattern emerging?

 

I don't think he's willing failure more heralding it. I think the German financial minister was probably doing the same.

I think most of Europe would welcome the English game losing it's financial clout and a return to a more level playing field and that seems to be happening.  In general I think Germans admire the English game and are less anti than some other nations about our recent dominance.

As an Englishman I would like to see the possibilty of a Czech, Romanian or Bulgarian side competing seriously in the European cup as a club built on tradition and national talent rather than 4 English clubs who have bought success and have virtually no local players. (Man Utd excluded - credit where due)

 

P.S. I think most of Europe holds up the NHS as a classic example of inefficiency and how NOT to spend money. My limited experience would certainly say other European countries (even the poorer Eastern ones) seem to get much better value for money in their health services.

But that's another whole big discussion...........

[ChezGiven]

A lot of truth and inevitability in what old Uli is spouting there in finest Ginglish.

One things certain - it aint ever gonna be the same as it was and 5 years from now the English Premier League will have a very different look about it.

 

 

Theres a lot of 'willing it to be true' too. He sounds just like the German finance minister willing the British economy to fail.

 

Quite typical of the Germans actually, I was in Berlin most of last week and one of the big discussions was how much the NHS is on German telly, with them saying how thats falling apart too.

 

A pattern emerging?

 

I don't think he's willing failure more heralding it. I think the German financial minister was probably doing the same.

I think most of Europe would welcome the English game losing it's financial clout and a return to a more level playing field and that seems to be happening.  In general I think Germans admire the English game and are less anti than some other nations about our recent dominance.

As an Englishman I would like to see the possibilty of a Czech, Romanian or Bulgarian side competing seriously in the European cup as a club built on tradition and national talent rather than 4 English clubs who have bought success and have virtually no local players. (Man Utd excluded - credit where due)

 

You mean Platini?

 

Agreed about the general sentiment but the idea of an open free market for labour, goods and services across the EU wasnt our idea, it was franco-german. When its not to their advantage, they lobby for changes that re-set the system back to their advantage. Personally think, fuck em.

[Benwell Lad]

A lot of truth and inevitability in what old Uli is spouting there in finest Ginglish.

One things certain - it aint ever gonna be the same as it was and 5 years from now the English Premier League will have a very different look about it.

 

 

Theres a lot of 'willing it to be true' too. He sounds just like the German finance minister willing the British economy to fail.

 

Quite typical of the Germans actually, I was in Berlin most of last week and one of the big discussions was how much the NHS is on German telly, with them saying how thats falling apart too.

 

A pattern emerging?

 

I don't think he's willing failure more heralding it. I think the German financial minister was probably doing the same.

I think most of Europe would welcome the English game losing it's financial clout and a return to a more level playing field and that seems to be happening.  In general I think Germans admire the English game and are less anti than some other nations about our recent dominance.

As an Englishman I would like to see the possibilty of a Czech, Romanian or Bulgarian side competing seriously in the European cup as a club built on tradition and national talent rather than 4 English clubs who have bought success and have virtually no local players. (Man Utd excluded - credit where due)

 

You mean Platini?

 

Agreed about the general sentiment but the idea of an open free market for labour, goods and services across the EU wasnt our idea, it was franco-german. When its not to their advantage, they lobby for changes that re-set the system back to their advantage. Personally think, f*** em.

 

Undoubtedly. He hasn't pulled any punches but there are others too.

Pretty much agree with your view on the franco-german orchestration of the EU free market, but in football terms I'm just an old fashioned romantic who would like to see some of the great European clubs from smaller poorer nations have a chance to compete again.

[madras]

A lot of truth and inevitability in what old Uli is spouting there in finest Ginglish.

One things certain - it aint ever gonna be the same as it was and 5 years from now the English Premier League will have a very different look about it.

 

 

Theres a lot of 'willing it to be true' too. He sounds just like the German finance minister willing the British economy to fail.

 

Quite typical of the Germans actually, I was in Berlin most of last week and one of the big discussions was how much the NHS is on German telly, with them saying how thats falling apart too.

 

A pattern emerging?

 

I don't think he's willing failure more heralding it. I think the German financial minister was probably doing the same.

I think most of Europe would welcome the English game losing it's financial clout and a return to a more level playing field and that seems to be happening.  In general I think Germans admire the English game and are less anti than some other nations about our recent dominance.

As an Englishman I would like to see the possibilty of a Czech, Romanian or Bulgarian side competing seriously in the European cup as a club built on tradition and national talent rather than 4 English clubs who have bought success and have virtually no local players. (Man Utd excluded - credit where due)

 

You mean Platini?

 

Agreed about the general sentiment but the idea of an open free market for labour, goods and services across the EU wasnt our idea, it was franco-german. When its not to their advantage, they lobby for changes that re-set the system back to their advantage. Personally think, f*** em.

doesn't every country do that.....we've done it enough in the EU.

[merlin]

A lot of truth and inevitability in what old Uli is spouting there in finest Ginglish.

One things certain - it aint ever gonna be the same as it was and 5 years from now the English Premier League will have a very different look about it.

 

Theres a lot of 'willing it to be true' too. He sounds just like the German finance minister willing the British economy to fail.

 

Quite typical of the Germans actually, I was in Berlin most of last week and one of the big discussions was how much the NHS is on German telly, with them saying how thats falling apart too.

 

A pattern emerging?

 

The Germans are right, though - the British Economy is stuffed.

It was built on a base of sand, with the Govt banking on ever-rising house prices(to make people feel rich and spend equity in their property in order to fuel an unsustainable consumer boom.

 

This was fuelled by irresponsible lending(AND borrowing) from Banks etc and finally collapsed when the whole ring-a-roses ended as Banks realised that the CDOs(sold-on mortgages) weren't worth the paper they were written on...worse still(and this applies all over Europe, not just the UK), there are still LOADS of these things being held by banks who won't admit how much bad debt they actually have, which is why lending is tight...

 

Govts over the past 30 years have ALL been responsible for building up this situation, because they all thought the UK could live on London's Financial services, and Service Industries like Call centres etc plus Retail....

A country of 60m plus CANNOT exist like this unless it has Natural resources to sell(like N.Sea Oil etc) - those are now dying out, hence dependence on Russia for Gas in Europe.

 

Germany WILL struggle for a while because the rest of the Western World cannot now keep buying machinery, BMWs and Mercs etc., but they have all the technology in place for when the recession eases.

The UK has given too much of its Industrial base away, or allowed it to deteriorate....

 

There will be huge questions for politicians to answer over the next few years, and I doubt that any of them have the answers....!!

 

Naturally, football is NOT immune from this downturn, and Hoeness shouldn't gloat too much about the falling pound ; once Germany starts slowing(and it is already), the Euro will ALSO fall, and the pound is now worth about 1.10 Euros whereas it was hardly worth 1 last week....

 

Unless you are like Man C with a megarich owner, things are going to get tough ; SKY subs will start falling, so maybe they will have less to pay into football.

 

Big changes ahead methinks....

[merlin]

A lot of truth and inevitability in what old Uli is spouting there in finest Ginglish.

One things certain - it aint ever gonna be the same as it was and 5 years from now the English Premier League will have a very different look about it.

 

 

Theres a lot of 'willing it to be true' too. He sounds just like the German finance minister willing the British economy to fail.

 

Quite typical of the Germans actually, I was in Berlin most of last week and one of the big discussions was how much the NHS is on German telly, with them saying how thats falling apart too.

 

A pattern emerging?

 

I don't think he's willing failure more heralding it. I think the German financial minister was probably doing the same.

I think most of Europe would welcome the English game losing it's financial clout and a return to a more level playing field and that seems to be happening.  In general I think Germans admire the English game and are less anti than some other nations about our recent dominance.

As an Englishman I would like to see the possibilty of a Czech, Romanian or Bulgarian side competing seriously in the European cup as a club built on tradition and national talent rather than 4 English clubs who have bought success and have virtually no local players. (Man Utd excluded - credit where due)

 

You mean Platini?

 

Agreed about the general sentiment but the idea of an open free market for labour, goods and services across the EU wasnt our idea, it was franco-german. When its not to their advantage, they lobby for changes that re-set the system back to their advantage. Personally think, f*** em.

 

This is true, but it always has been - UK politicians are quite happy to go along with it because they get nice tax-free jobs in the EU after Westminster...

Blair gave away Britain's budget rebate back to the EU after a hazy hint by the French that they MIGHT review the Common Agricultural Policy(from which their farmers benefit hugely)....

what happened? No reform and you guys now pay MORE tax to cover for the increased contribution...

 

Just one small thing....there are plenty more...

[ChezGiven]

Agreed about the CAP and rebate, Blair was wak as fuck as he wanted a better standing in Europe and to be seen to be playing along. The whole thing was completely driven by Chirac's desire to retain the conservative rural vote in France, nothing more or less.

 

The reason why British football is so rich is because of the amount of people who watch it on the telly, in the UK, in Europe and particularly in Asia. Even the Americas. The Sky subs will fall in the UK but international revenues may hold up quite well.

 

The impact on Chelsea and other clubs of the recession will level out the playing field imo rather than hand advantage to Euro clubs with less debt. You can be debt free but if no one is arsed about your league then viewing figures and revenues are low. I get the Bundesliga virtually for free in France.