[Albion] Gary Neville rant

[withdeanwombat]

This is about replacing the “champions” league with an elite group of teams who will largely remain the same season after season after season. It will be like American sports. Same fixtures pretty much every season, with, no doubt, the possibility of “franchises” switching cities.
These clubs will want to retain their domestic league positions, though probably not fussed about domestic cups, for which there will be no time, except possibly for their stiffs.

And, of course, complaints about fixture congestion will grow. There will be calls to reduce domestic league sizes to allow time for these “giants “ to prepare for their massive next game.Talking of Massive, are they in?

 

[BadFish]

This is about replacing the “champions” league with an elite group of teams who will largely remain the same season after season after season. It will be like American sports. Same fixtures pretty much every season, with, no doubt, the possibility of “franchises” switching cities.
These clubs will want to retain their domestic league positions, though probably not fussed about domestic cups, for which there will be no time, except possibly for their stiffs.

And, of course, complaints about fixture congestion will grow. There will be calls to reduce domestic league sizes to allow time for these “giants “ to prepare for their massive next game.Talking of Massive, are they in?

Why don't they just take over the MSL and do it there. If the model is sound and it is profitable then perhaps they don't need the big names of Europe to get things going.

Pay stupid wages to mercenary players and they will join.

That way we can not watch it to our hearts content. All the plastics get their soccer fix. Proper fans of the big clubs don't have to see their club ripped away from them.

Everyone's a winner.

 

[dadams2k11]

This (if only) ... Rio Ferdinand also sticking it to his previous club on BT sports at the moment

Ferdinand was also very eloquent on it post FA Cup. Easy to see the players as part of the problem but great to see their passion on this.

Link to Rio's rant as well.

https://youtu.be/NC08HPDlJlA

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Whataboutery makes me want to glass myself but we needed this kind of ranting from Neville (or any high-profile figures in the game) when there was talk about an ESL in the late 90s, or when the Glazers took over, or when Bury went under. It all has a contributory effect that leads to days like today. The game has long needed the proper regulation he's now so animated about and it shouldn't take an outlandish display of greed involving the top clubs to hasten that.

Not sure what Neville could have done when the Glazers bought ManUre. Also, I am unsure about the complaints about rich owners. I have heard some complain the Glazers are sucking money out of the game, and others complaining they are rigging the game by spending outrageous amounts of money on players. If both are true then the primary objection can be only one thing - jealousy and sour grapes by fans of other clubs.

Meanwhile at our club, there is a noisy minority queuing up to condemn our rich owner, and capitalism in general, over outrageous corporate arrogance and disdain for the true fan, as exemplified by the thin ends of the wedge: one ticket one ticket user; bottle tops; flasks; expensive replica shirts; poor quality half time pies; not being allowed to smoke etc. The game is now run by moneyment, whereas back in the 1960s, er.......

The more I think about it, the more I'm feeling a bit meh about the ESL (as we should learn to call it). A few clubs no longer want to play in the Champions' (sic) League or the Europey League and instead want a private knock about on Wednesdays. Given that most people on NSC loath the Champions' league (which you can play in even if you aren't a champion), what's all the fuss about? Apparently the EPL clubs want to carry on with the EPL and FA cup as normal. They are being told they can't. The ESL have already launched a legal challenge.

Back to your point, I think it's rather nice that people like Nevill are galvanized for a change. To criticise him and others seems to me to be
similar to the criticism of the taking of the knee :'Its too little too late; just a gesture; where were you back in the day?' etc.?

Anyway....we live in interesting times.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Radio 5Live phone-in today is all about this.

Lifelong Man Utd fan bleats "why weren't the fans consulted?" but then admits she'll still go along to Old Trafford to watch the matches. The co-presenter says instinctively it feels bad but that if it's on telly he'll watch it.

These fans are PRECISELY why these owners do what they want. They KNOW the fans will continue to pay and consume, and if a few leave there will be others to replace them.

I applaud the German clubs for structuring control of their teams in such a way that the fans still have the final say, not the money men,.

 

[Seasider78]

Radio 5Live phone-in today is all about this.

Lifelong Man Utd fan bleats "why weren't the fans consulted?" but then admits she'll still go along to Old Trafford to watch the matches. The co-presenter says instinctively it feels bad but that if it's on telly he'll watch it.

These fans are PRECISELY why these owners do what they want. They KNOW the fans will continue to pay and consume, and if a few leave there will be others to replace them.

I applaud the German clubs for structuring control of their teams in such a way that the fans still have the final say, not the money men,.

The match attending fan base is dwarfed by the global TV audience and markets. They don’t care about the fans in stadiums and the local community they are taking the ‘product’ where they can get the most cash for it.

Football fans and culture as we all understand it is being thrown under the bus and this is the culmination of years of the top elite clubs gorging in the trough of TV money.

Whilst the PL, UEFA and FIFA can talk tough about sanctions they are all just bleating about losing their part of the dirty money.

The whole thing stinks from owners who know the price of everything and the value of nothing

 

[D'Angelo Saxon]

What happens if god forbid one of the big 6 has a nightmare and gets themselves relegated from the premier league? Would they compete in the super league from the championship?

 

[hampshirebrightonboy]

Join the club. I’ve looked a complete **** on more than one occasion on here!

Same here. NSC doesn't take prisoners.

 

[Pavilionaire]

It'll get to the stage where Liverpool will field a weakened team against Everton because they have a huge 6-pointer against Real Madrid 3 days later.

And it probably won't stop with a European Super League. In 10 years time they'll be pushing for a World League.

 

[blue-shifted]

It'll get to the stage where Liverpool will field a weakened team against Everton because they have a huge 6-pointer against Real Madrid 3 days later.

And it probably won't stop with a European Super League. In 10 years time they'll be pushing for a World League.

Which will also include

 

[Pavilionaire]

The match attending fan base is dwarfed by the global TV audience and markets. They don’t care about the fans in stadiums and the local community they are taking the ‘product’ where they can get the most cash for it.

That ignores the fact that during Covid the away teams have been faring much better, and that can only be down to the absence of home fans cheering on their team.

You could argue that in order to do well in the European Super League the clubs will need noisy, passionate fans more than ever. The owners take it for granted they will be there come what may, but the fans of those top six are being treated like morons.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Which will also include

Teams we've never heard of, like the Tokyo Shoguns and the Mexico City Aztecs

 

[Clive Walker]

The ESL will have stadiums full of neutrals/tourists, id prefer empty stadiums to that.

The passion in the game will be well and truly gone. If you think the PL is plastic you haven't experienced the MSL.

 

[blue-shifted]

Teams we've never heard of, like the Tokyo Shoguns and the Mexico City Aztecs

Nahh

The only reason they are doing this with Man U etc instead of starting franchises from scratch is because those clubs already have massive brands around the world.

The Tokyo team never will have. What country they play in is now irrelevant, just the brand of the club.

If what you were suggesting is true the the FIFA world club cup thing would be the biggest competition in the world

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Competition Format
- 20 participating clubs with 15 Founding Clubs and a qualifying mechanism for a further five teams to qualify annually based on achievements in the prior season.
- Midweek fixtures with all participating clubs continuing to compete in their respective national leagues, preserving the traditional domestic match calendar which remains at the heart of the club game.
- An August start with clubs participating in two groups of ten, playing home and away fixtures, with the top three in each group automatically qualifying for the quarter finals. Teams finishing fourth and fifth will then compete in a two-legged play-off for the remaining quarter-final positions. A two-leg knockout format will be used to reach the final at the end of May, which will be staged as a single fixture at a neutral venue.

https://www.thesuperleague.com/press.html

So actually its just a new closed shop Champions League - each club plays 18 games and the eventual winners will play another 5 - so 23 in total.

Currently the winners would play 13 games total, 6 in group stage. The new proposals to be announced today would have the winners playing at least 17 games - maybe 19 - with 10 group stage games and almost half the teams involved in a play-off.

Its crap, but it would probably happen. It only really impacts England's domestic competitions heavily (cups and midweek fixtures), the other leagues will be less affected (B teams are stronger, cups less important)

Oh, and :

Chairman: Florentino Perez [Real Madrid]
Vice-Chairman: Stan Kroenke [Arsenal]
Vice-Chairman: Andrea Agnelli [Juventus]
Vice-Chairman: John W. Henry [Liverpool]
Vice-Chairman: Joel Glazer [Manchester United]

three Americans running European football. Dear oh dear.

 

[Springal]

So actually its just a new closed shop Champions League - each club plays 18 games and the eventual winners will play another 5 - so 23 in total.

Currently the winners would play 13 games total, 6 in group stage. The new proposals to be announced today would have the winners playing at least 17 games - maybe 19 - with 10 group stage games and almost half the teams involved in a play-off.

Its crap, but it would probably happen. It only really impacts England's domestic competitions heavily (cups and midweek fixtures), the other leagues will be less affected (B teams are stronger, cups less important)

Oh, and :

Chairman: Florentino Perez [Real Madrid]
Vice-Chairman: Stan Kroenke [Arsenal]
Vice-Chairman: Andrea Agnelli [Juventus]
Vice-Chairman: John W. Henry [Liverpool]
Vice-Chairman: Joel Glazer [Manchester United]

three Americans running European football. Dear oh dear.

Don't rule out Bruce Buck at Chelsea either ..

 

[blue-shifted]

So actually its just a new closed shop Champions League - each club plays 18 games and the eventual winners will play another 5 - so 23 in total.

Currently the winners would play 13 games total, 6 in group stage. The new proposals to be announced today would have the winners playing at least 17 games - maybe 19 - with 10 group stage games and almost half the teams involved in a play-off.

Its crap, but it would probably happen. It only really impacts England's domestic competitions heavily (cups and midweek fixtures), the other leagues will be less affected (B teams are stronger, cups less important)

Oh, and :

Chairman: Florentino Perez [Real Madrid]
Vice-Chairman: Stan Kroenke [Arsenal]
Vice-Chairman: Andrea Agnelli [Juventus]
Vice-Chairman: John W. Henry [Liverpool]
Vice-Chairman: Joel Glazer [Manchester United]

three Americans running European football. Dear oh dear.

Funny that Barca are signing up to a league where Perez is running the show. Just shows how screwed they are financially. Must be desperation

 

[Robinjakarta]

This is about replacing the “champions” league with an elite group of teams who will largely remain the same season after season after season. It will be like American sports. Same fixtures pretty much every season, with, no doubt, the possibility of “franchises” switching cities.
These clubs will want to retain their domestic league positions, though probably not fussed about domestic cups, for which there will be no time, except possibly for their stiffs.

And, of course, complaints about fixture congestion will grow. There will be calls to reduce domestic league sizes to allow time for these “giants “ to prepare for their massive next game.Talking of Massive, are they in?

Name changes, perhaps? Tottenham Tits? Arsenal? Gotta spice up the names to fit in with American ways.

And cheerleaders!

 

[brighton_tom]

The ESL will have stadiums full of neutrals/tourists, id prefer empty stadiums to that.

The passion in the game will be well and truly gone. If you think the PL is plastic you haven't experienced the MSL.

I have experienced a couple of MLS games and its really odd. Its like there is no connection between the fans & whats happening on the pitch. Zero atmosphere. Just a half full stadium of people eating hot dogs. If thats what the ESL ends up like then it will die on it arse.

 

[Clive Walker]

I have experienced a couple of MLS games and its really odd. Its like there is no connection between the fans & whats happening on the pitch. Zero atmosphere. Just a half full stadium of people eating hot dogs. If thats what the ESL ends up like then it will die on it arse.

and the chants, those weird really long chants. haha