The British & Irish Football Thread

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by tob

No billions being pumped into Arsenal but the likes of City,United and Chelsea is a different story.
I be happy to see Leicester win the title too as its not Spurs but this small team mentally they keep going on about is getting annoying now.
They are a Premier League status club with a big stadium and big crowds and foreign investors which bring me back to my point why didn't they look at challenging at the top more often instead of believing their small team status and taking that to the pitch with them.
Don't know what you mean by over the top worship with the big clubs just loyal fans you see with other clubs only difference is more oversea fans through the bigger clubs legacy and history.

Simple. They can't go out and make 40 or 50 million signings without putting their future at risk. The top clubs can. That, right there, is the difference. Also, the Likes of Chelsea and M City are just snapping up all the best youngsters with the greatest potential and putting them in their youth/reserve squads.

[tob]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Simple. They can't go out and make 40 or 50 million signings without putting their future at risk. The top clubs can. That, right there, is the difference. Also, the Likes of Chelsea and M City are just snapping up all the best youngsters with the greatest potential and putting them in their youth/reserve squads.

But the likes of Leicester and Sundeland might not go to that level on a transfer fee but you do put the money back in on big contracts mostly wages for your players too which rivals the likes of Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool and so on.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by tob

But the likes of Leicester and Sundeland might not go to that level on a transfer fee but you do put the money back in on big contracts mostly wages for your players too which rivals the likes of Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool and so on.

It's not a level playing field Tob, never will be. Genuine world class requires those multi millions I spoke of.

[Geoff D]

Agreed with Steed. Leicester didn't wake up in August and think "we're gonna challenge for the league this year", their ascent really has been a perfect storm of players hitting the form of their lives and having a number of traditional challengers like Man U and Chelsea falling by the wayside, leaving the field clear for whoever wants it the most.

[tob]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

It's not a level playing field Tob, never will be. Genuine world class requires those multi millions I spoke of.

But the Premier League is the only league in Europe that the bottom can beat the top, this season has been down to the big four or five having there problems and Leicester stepping up so if for example they win the title steedeel and they hold on to their star players invest big for the challenge of champions league then the future as a club if done right can go in the right direction and that should be a example to middle table teams or lower.

[Geoff D]

What example? To take advantage when the big teams aren't playing well? If Leicester had PLANNED this then you'd have a point tob...but they didn't. It's been a very rare occurrence to have so many big clubs misfire so badly at the same time which is what's left the door open for people who are literally in the form of their lives.

The EPL truly is one of the most competitive leagues in the world, yes, but even so: only 5 clubs out of 47 different participants have lifted the title between them in 23 years of EPL football. If that's not a closed shop I dunno what is.

[edit] Heck, Leicester breaking through like this could have the opposite effect: instead of heralding a brave new template for smaller clubs to follow it'll only make the stumbling giants spend even MORE money next season, their ever-present sense of entitlement having been wounded by being squeezed out by the likes of lowly Leicester. It'll probably be another 20 years before we see a run like this again.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by tob

But the Premier League is the only league in Europe that the bottom can beat the top, this season has been down to the big four or five having there problems and Leicester stepping up so if for example they win the title steedeel and they hold on to their star players invest big for the challenge of champions league then the future as a club if done right can go in the right direction and that should be a example to middle table teams or lower.

It can only be great for Leicester but i stand by my point Tob.

Anyway, work tomorrow guys so I need to sign off.

[tob]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

What example? To take advantage when the big teams aren't playing well? If Leicester had PLANNED this then you'd have a point tob...but they didn't. It's been a very rare occurrence to have so many big clubs misfire so badly at the same time which is what's left the door open for people who are literally in the form of their lives.

The EPL truly is one of the most competitive leagues in the world, yes, but even so: only 5 clubs out of 47 different participants have lifted the title between them in 23 years of EPL football. If that's not a closed shop I dunno what is.

But i believe Geoff that if Leicester win it they can take this rare form this season and turn it into something they have never experience and challenge among the top 5 or 6 on a more consistent basics in the future with this season being a platform.
Then that should be seen for some other club to take us by surprise again next season because i expect the big four to have similar issues again next season.
Arsenal will have the same issues that we have every season.
Man.United are still in the dark with Ferguson's legacy and expect big changes again in the summer with them.
Man.City will make big changes under Guardiola that might affect them in the early stages of next season and the same for Chelsea.
So maybe we are seeing future thread from a team outside the elite who can surprise us every season or at least for the next two seasons.

[Pizzamorg]

The EPL is a combination of elitism and refusal to let go of the past. Many of the Big Five supporters have said Leicester don't "deserve" to win the league, suggesting that a top four spot is not something earned but paid for, which is disgusting.

But Tob is right, in a roundabout kind of way. There are plenty of clubs in the EPL who are seen as "Big Boys" on the back of past achievements but have in recent years not lived up to that status. Clubs like Everton, Liverpool, United etc so really this season isn't that big a change really, it's just we're still expecting United and so on to storm the league like they did a few years ago.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by tob

But i believe Geoff that if Leicester win it they can take this rare form this season and turn it into something they have never experience and challenge among the top 5 or 6 on a more consistent basics in the future with this season being a platform.
Then that should be seen for some other club to take us by surprise again next season because i expect the big four to have similar issues again next season.
Arsenal will have the same issues that we have every season.
Man.United are still in the dark with Ferguson's legacy and expect big changes again in the summer with them.
Man.City will make big changes under Guardiola that might affect them in the early stages of next season and the same for Chelsea.
So maybe we are seeing future thread from a team outside the elite who can surprise us every season or at least for the next two seasons.

IF they turn it into a lasting legacy and IF we have several big boys stutter and stumble again next season then sure, I can see where you're coming from, the door will be left open for another team to fill the void at the top. But Spurs aren't gonna go away, I can see Liverpool coming good under Klopp and City/Utd/Chelsea/Arsenal will be there or thereabouts, having thrown even more money at their respective problems. Add to that Leicester's own possible repeat of this season and next season is gonna be more congested than ever at the top, I think.

[tob]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

IF they turn it into a lasting legacy and IF we have several big boys stutter and stumble again next season then sure, I can see where you're coming from, the door will be left open for another team to fill the void at the top. But Spurs aren't gonna go away, I can see Liverpool coming good under Klopp and City/Utd/Chelsea/Arsenal will be there or thereabouts, having thrown even more money at their respective problems. Add to that Leicester's own possible repeat of this season and next season is gonna be more congested than ever at the top, I think.

Yeah that's my point as i say this could be a one off or we could see a new thread over the coming seasons.
P.S Arsenal don't throw money at their problems Geoff we just repeat them.

[tob]

Originally Posted by Pizzamorg

The EPL is a combination of elitism and refusal to let go of the past. Many of the Big Five supporters have said Leicester don't "deserve" to win the league, suggesting that a top four spot is not something earned but paid for, which is disgusting.

But Tob is right, in a roundabout kind of way. There are plenty of clubs in the EPL who are seen as "Big Boys" on the back of past achievements but have in recent years not lived up to that status. Clubs like Everton, Liverpool, United etc so really this season isn't that big a change really, it's just we're still expecting United and so on to storm the league like they did a few years ago.

Pizzamorg i have never said that Leicester don't deserve the title and i said in previous posts we are not going to do it so i like to see Leicester win it than Spurs.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by tob

Yeah that's my point as i say this could be a one off or we could see a new thread over the coming seasons.
P.S Arsenal don't throw money at their problems Geoff we just repeat them.

You still spunked £42.5 million on Ozil, that's a heck of a chunk of dough in anyone's book and is the sort of up-front spending that the lesser lights can only dream of. I know that's a rarity for youse and it doesn't stop Arsenal from playing like princes one week and paupers the next, but still...

[tob]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

You still spunked £42.5 million on Ozil, that's a heck of a chunk of dough in anyone's book and is the sort of up-front spending that the lesser lights can only dream of. I know that's a rarity for youse and it doesn't stop Arsenal from playing like princes one week and paupers the next, but still...

I know but as you said its a rare thing under Wenger where elsewhere like City and United its more common.

[Penton-Man]

Does the Prem need a salary cap like football in the NFL?

reference for the definition of its salary cap: http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2015/3/2...-tag-explained

[tob]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Does the Prem need a salary cap like football in the NFL?

reference for the definition of its salary cap: http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2015/3/2...-tag-explained

I would like to see a salary cap penton but i can't see it happening in football.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by tob

I would like to see a salary cap penton but i can't see it happening in football.

Because football (soccer) is an international sport? And the Prem would then play second fiddle to leagues in Spain, Germany, Italy, etc.?

Are there salary caps in any of those other countries?

[tob]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Because football (soccer) is an international sport? And the Prem would then play second fiddle to leagues in Spain, Germany, Italy, etc.?

Are there salary caps in any of those other countries?

No salary caps.

[Steedeel]

Great win lads. Couple of injuries though I hear. Still, worth it with a tie against Watford?

[tob]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Great win lads. Couple of injuries though I hear. Still, worth it with a tie against Watford?

Thanks steedeel.