I was just looking at the Premier League clubs' summer spending out of interest at Wolfgang's Cardiff article when it struck me that something seems to have changed in terms of spending even since we were in the league.
I don't know if I'm being naive or blind not having registered it before but the spending is absolutely ridiculous not just at the top but throughout...
Total spend _ Highest player spend _ 2nd highest player spend
Southampton _ 36 _ 15 _ 12.5
Cardiff _ 30.7 (I've seen 32.6 elsewhere) _ 9.5 _ 8
Norwich _ 27 _ 8.5 _ 7
West Ham _ 21.5 _ 15.5 _ 6
Swansea _ 21 _ 12 _ 6
Palace _ 16.5 _ 6 _ 3
Hull _ 12.5 _ 5 _ 2.25
Sorry the formatting is a bit wonky.
Did we spend this much? I genuinely cannot remember spending anywhere near this much? Our CLUB RECORD for one player is 6.5 for Fletcher, approximately the same as the fourth and fifth biggest spenders of those above teams' SECOND most expensive player of JUST this window.
Is this a continuous growth or is it a fluke window? If we should ever find ourselves up there again...how could we ever hope to compete on this basis, let alone if fees continue going up?
Lunacy in the Premier League
posted on 20/12/13
Accepted wrongly by you maybe.
Sounds like clubs in the shake up have been discussing it very recently.
http://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/9270071/Top-European-clubs-discuss-superleague-plans
posted on 20/12/13
As the article concludes, it wont happen
posted on 20/12/13
It is as certain as the sun rising every day.
Maybe not by 2018, but football is global now and you only have to go into the BBC or sky sports sites to see where their priorities lay these days.
Once a TV deal can be formulated which suits the big clubs who have already once disbanded from uefa with the g 16 group or whatever it was called having a brief existence, you can guarantee it will come again, a natural progression.
posted on 21/12/13
Cinci, when will you ever learn. What Mr high almighty says is gospel, 'cos he gets all his info from Twitter.
posted on 21/12/13
Traditionalists are not going to be happy when the game is restructured. This will happen well before 2018 and will be an act of necessity, not outright greed.
Any club in huge debt - particularly American owner debt - is going to be in grave danger of extinction.
posted on 21/12/13
Can't ever see that happening Herb, the cowards at the FA will never come out against the Big 6.
posted on 21/12/13
comment by Cinciwolf (U11551)
posted 14 hours, 7 minutes ago
Accepted wrongly by you maybe.
Sounds like clubs in the shake up have been discussing it very recently.
http://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/9270071/Top-European-clubs-discuss-superleague-plans
..............................................................
So some Turk says there will be, the CEO of Bayern and President of the European Clubs Ass. says there wont .... and you go with the Turk
posted on 21/12/13
For the top clubs in Europe playing in the Champions League is a seasonal highlight. But not one of the top clubs in the top football nations like England, Spain, Germany or Italy would have the slightest interest in abandoning their domestic leagues in order to play in a European League. Its something that may well appeal to Galatasaray or Copenhagen or Celtic but not to clubs from thriving football nations.
So the chances of it happening are somewhere between nil and zero regardless of finances. And any club from one of those main nations that indicated they wanted to go in that direction would face a major revolt from their own supporters
posted on 21/12/13
How is your form going into today's game lads? Who are your danger men?
I fancy us to nick 3 points off you to be honest.
posted on 21/12/13
They will likely have both worlds DJ.
Just larger squads to accomodate both.
And Wolfgang, the Juventus owner acknowledged the conversations have been taking place, that in itself is a big deal.
I think you will find the domestic game will drop off as more and more young fans just jump on the glory train, a sad scenario but thats the way the game is going, nobody cares about the lesser clubs now.