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Honestly, they're an absolute disgrace are those comments from Lukaku. They don't read as abominably badly as they are because we're used to such things. But it's f***ing terrible and yet another sad indictment on the state of top level football. Regardless of how poorly the lad has been playing. Like I said in the other thread, f*** trying to build anything; the media would have you believe that the elite has been established beyond any mutiny, and the lack of loyalty from players outside that elite only helps to consolidate the divide. "Who the f*** are Everton, this club that spent millions on me and wanted to build their future around me? I would rather sit on the bench at City, thanks."

 

It's happening with so many players who hit a run of form or show some potential. Carroll, Ba and Cabaye are three that recently played for us who hit form and then felt they were bigger than us. This at a time where we were doing alright and were performing like something vaguely close to a competitive sporting institution (the preliminary phases of the rot had set in by the time Cabaye wanted out, tbf to him).

 

Just pisses me off. If the ingredients are right, the gap is closeable. We were the fifth best team in the country in 11/12, and Southampton are brilliant at the moment, too. Everton have done okay in the recent past as well - as a neutral I'm sorry to see them stutter this year. I thought Swansea had potential to be one of the best teams in the country too but their three main people (Michu, Bony and Laudrup) couldn't be arsed building and presumably just wanted the fast-track and bigger wage slip. The fabled top four doesn't need to be set in stone but there's some characteristics of football - in general - that mean 99.9% are always playing catch-up or are always having to retreat to the drawing board.

 

Yes, generationally there have always been 'the bigger boys', but the idea of the elite has never been championed and perpetuated like it is today. Since Sir Alex packed it in the league is actually in a state of flux, and with the rate of which things change (eg, clubs swapping managers every five minutes/more money coming in for everyone - to name two things that are very different to ten years ago), there is an exploitable opportunity. Which is what Southampton are doing this season and f***ing good on them; I hope they finish as high as possible.

 

But as long as this mentality that Chelsea, ManC, ManU, Liverpool, Arsenal (and recently Spurs, since they - to their credit - moulded some glamour into the squad in the shape of Bale) are the only ones entitled to success, you'll get disloyal wanks like Lukaku trying to perpetuate the divide.

 

Frustrating. Anything is possible in football but - as much as they love a 'true underdog story', like us in 11/12 or Soton today - the media won't let you believe it. There are other contributing factors too; like the supporters. Rather than get militant, people would rather swallow mediocrity and consider anything above 10th an achievement - running parallel to the arrogance of the supporters of those 'bigger boys'. ManU's poor, poor fanbase last season for example. Arsenal's too. How dare they only finish 4th every year and not win a trophy for 7 years? And people have the cheek to claim we have a sense of entitlement.

 

Meh. Ramble.

 

Great post, York. Actually probably worth pointing out too that Cabaye actually felt bigger than us, if that's how you want to phrase it, on the back of a poor season for him personally. He didn't really hit top form for us till his final 3 months here. 

O0 Great posts.

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The problem is that the occasional seasons where teams like Swansea and Southampton threaten only camouflage the underlying discrepancies. As long as a handful of teams can pay even squad players nearly six figures per week, agents and players near the top echelon will want a piece.

 

The 2012-13 figures are here:

 

http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2014/may/01/premier-league-club-accounts-debt-wages

 

Man C 233M

Man U 181M

Chelsea 179M

Arse 154M

Liverpool 132M

----------------

Spurs 96M

----------------

QPR 78M

Villa 72M

Fulham 67M

Everton 63M

 

Everton's total wage bill was a third of the club that Lukaku left.

 

Without magic money, the only way to build a consistent threat is to produce loads of kids and pray that you can create an environment that they want to stay in. Spurs have a solid commercial base and high ticket prices, Newcastle have the potential for the commercial base and matchday revenue, but outside of that there's little hope.

 

Picking up cheap players from abroad can be an important supplement, but such players are very, very unlikely to develop the deep connection to a club that someone who's been there since the age of 15 will have. You need to do both, as Southampton have shown.

 

I mean, this is all very Captain Obvious, but every once in a while it is laid bare again. The discrepancy in player wages is the bottom line.

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The problem is that the occasional seasons where teams like Swansea and Southampton threaten only camouflage the underlying discrepancies. As long as a handful of teams can pay even squad players nearly six figures per week, agents and players near the top echelon will want a piece.

 

The 2012-13 figures are here:

 

http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2014/may/01/premier-league-club-accounts-debt-wages

 

Man C 233M

Man U 181M

Chelsea 179M

Arse 154M

Liverpool 132M

----------------

Spurs 96M

----------------

QPR 78M

Villa 72M

Fulham 67M

Everton 63M

 

Everton's total wage bill was a third of the club that Lukaku left.

 

Without magic money, the only way to build a consistent threat is to produce loads of kids and pray that you can create an environment that they want to stay in. Spurs have a solid commercial base and high ticket prices, Newcastle have the potential for the commercial base and matchday revenue, but outside of that there's little hope.

 

Picking up cheap players from abroad can be an important supplement, but such players are very, very unlikely to develop the deep connection to a club that someone who's been there since the age of 15 will have. You need to do both, as Southampton have shown.

 

I mean, this is all very Captain Obvious, but every once in a while it is laid bare again. The discrepancy in player wages is the bottom line.

 

A threat to what, specifically?

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Ah in that case fair enough, yeah. I thought you might have been referring simply to that elite group of teams which often gets heralded as being impenetrable, when it clearly actually is - with the right specifications. The title itself, granted, is probably another matter. The richest of the rich probably have that sewn up for the foreseeable, which has been a constant throughout the Premier League era. Not sure what it was like before.

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The problem is that the occasional seasons where teams like Swansea and Southampton threaten only camouflage the underlying discrepancies. As long as a handful of teams can pay even squad players nearly six figures per week, agents and players near the top echelon will want a piece.

 

The 2012-13 figures are here:

 

http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2014/may/01/premier-league-club-accounts-debt-wages

 

Man C 233M

Man U 181M

Chelsea 179M

Arse 154M

Liverpool 132M

----------------

Spurs 96M

----------------

QPR 78M

Villa 72M

Fulham 67M

Everton 63M

 

Everton's total wage bill was a third of the club that Lukaku left.

 

Without magic money, the only way to build a consistent threat is to produce loads of kids and pray that you can create an environment that they want to stay in. Spurs have a solid commercial base and high ticket prices, Newcastle have the potential for the commercial base and matchday revenue, but outside of that there's little hope.

 

Picking up cheap players from abroad can be an important supplement, but such players are very, very unlikely to develop the deep connection to a club that someone who's been there since the age of 15 will have. You need to do both, as Southampton have shown.

 

I mean, this is all very Captain Obvious, but every once in a while it is laid bare again. The discrepancy in player wages is the bottom line.

its reasons like this why I do despise financial "fair" play, theres nothing fair about it since its trying to stop the only way to break up the cozy club as City have demonstrated. As for Southampton, I fear they might try to pull the same trick as last summer (ie sell loads and try to improve again) and it may (probably) will blow up in their face. After all it is in theory to use the money from sales to try to improve but it only takes fucking that idea up once to fall apart and back worse than when you started this process.

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Sky Sports News HQ ‏@SkySportsNewsHQ 1m1 minute ago

 

Sky Sources: West Ham sign Brazilian striker Nene on short-term contract

 

This guy used to run the show for PSG, think he was the top scorer one season in the Ligue 1 or at least close to as he seemed to score every other week. Very technical player, no idea how he'll do in the PL though and with age I don't see him being a success. Was part of the Santos with Elano, Robinho, Diego and couple other players that was unbelievable back in early-mid 2000s.

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Trust Felipao to know every single Brazilian in the world.

 

:lol: Nah, the few coming out of the Brazilian league at the moment I don't know. Do follow the ones who are relatively successful in Europe though. I remember Nene complaining how Zlatan took him off his throne as he was a fan favourite at Paris and Zlatan basically forced him to the bench and then away from the club.

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He's not exactly an unknown in European football tbh, he did use to be a class act like Flip said but I haven't seen him since he went to the Middle East. He's probably s**** now.

 

Who watches middle eastern football? :lol:

 

 

 

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Trust Felipao to know every single Brazilian in the world.

 

:lol: Nah, the few coming out of the Brazilian league at the moment I don't know. Do follow the ones who are relatively successful in Europe though. I remember Nene complaining how Zlatan took him off his throne as he was a fan favourite at Paris and Zlatan basically forced him to the bench and then away from the club.

 

What's that little cunt named Mosquito up to these days, Flip?

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Trust Felipao to know every single Brazilian in the world.

 

:lol: Nah, the few coming out of the Brazilian league at the moment I don't know. Do follow the ones who are relatively successful in Europe though. I remember Nene complaining how Zlatan took him off his throne as he was a fan favourite at Paris and Zlatan basically forced him to the bench and then away from the club.

 

What's that little c*** named Mosquito up to these days, Flip?

 

Trying to break into the senior side and get regular games. Always gets games and goals for the national youth teams, but at Atl Paranense he's probably not impressed considering he's played few games. Still young, but Brazilian players that don't play at the top level at 18-19 I have no hopes for, so it be a pleasant surprise if he had a successful career.

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