[Football] Jonathan Wilson's article on Man City cup final.

[BBassic]

Wigan beat mega spending Man City 1 nil in 2013 - cup final upsets still happen.

In that season they spent, according to TransferMarkt so a pinch of salt required, ~£55m offset by ~£40m of sales.

Big money absolutely except when you compare it to what they're spending now. I mean they spent more than that just to get Mahrez (~£60m) this season. Last season they spent (again TransferMarkt, salt):

Aymeric Laporte - £58.50m
Benjamin Mendy - £51.75m
Kyle Walker - £47.43m
Bernardo Silva - £45.00m
Ederson - £36.00m
Danilo - £27.00m

And some others for around ~£200m in total or roughly four times what they spent when Wigan beat them.

It's insane.

I absolutely loathe them and their money.

 

[StonehamPark]

Either create a super league, or create real annual transfer and salary caps, across all teams in the top divisions.
Create a fair playing field where no one can buy their way to the top with elite squads.

Wishful thinking of course.

 

[Lethargic]

Roll on the demise of oil and the day it goes back to being a dusty shithole in the desert.

Not the case Abu Dhabi are now investing billions in renewal (solar energy) and cities of the future, unlike the idiots in Saudi Arabia the UAE realise that the golden egg oil is running out and they are looking at the next thing, these guys are here to stay. Check out Masdar City.

 

[Herne Hill Seagull]

I agree it's dull - I also didn't watch the final - but don't have a problem with City's wealth per se. For any club outside the elite (as City were, for a long time) what are they supposed to do? If you want success the only way in from outside is to buy it. You can't do it organically any more - you just lose your best players to the top of the food chain before you can work your way in. Look at Leicester - even as champions, they lost Kante straight away to a Chelsea side that didn't even have Champions' League football that year and Mahrez a bit later to a bit part at City rather than being one of the main men at Leicester. You stump up enough money to get those players to join you or you stay outside their little club.

And I've never bought the idea that the title ends up, apart from those extremely rare occurrences like Leicester, anywhere other than the wealthy clubs. Certainly not since Sky got involved, at any rate. We've been fed this myth that United dominated with a team of kids from their academy, for example, but even back during the Ferguson years they cherry-picked players from clubs who didn't want to lose them and paid a lot of money for them - Ferdinand, Carrick. Rooney and Berbatov for example. They basically hid Berbatov from Spurs, supposedly a big club themselves, and bullied Spurs into not reporting them for an illegal approach. Money has been the biggest factor for a long time now - where it's coming from and the number of zeroes are the only differences now.

 

[Change at Barnham]

There is an excellent piece in today's Sunday Times written by Palace chairman Steve Parish about proposals of the further protection and growth of Europe's elite sides.
It's behind a paywall so I can't copy it on to here (I read in an old fashioned paper).
I think most Brighton fans would support his view.

Can anyone copy it on to NSC?

 

[Peter Ward]

The dynasties with the money are definitely here to stay, but for how long will they keep up interest in their little hobby that is Citah?

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

The irony is that properly-applied FFP could balance things up but actually, by possibly denying City access to the Champions League, will force them to concentrate on the domestic treble again.

 

[southstandandy]

It helps too when your chairman has a direct link to your main sponsors so money can be almost spent on their club at a whim by directing it through 'official' sponsorship deals. No names mentioned.

 

[Bry Nylon]

The dynasties with the money are definitely here to stay, but for how long will they keep up interest in their little hobby that is Citah?

You can guarantee that should any of the other Big 6 become available Mansour would walk away fom City in a heartbeat in favour of a more glamarous NW club - or preferably a London-based club.

 

[sagaman]

A friend whose opinion I respect days that the Championship is much more interesting

Granted that others clubs are playing against the state wealth of an oil rich country I understand

Would love to see proper wages cap like in other sports

 

[Guy Fawkes]

The irony is that properly-applied FFP could balance things up but actually, by possibly denying City access to the Champions League, will force them to concentrate on the domestic treble again.

Would it?

How would it counter the extra income teams get for competing in Europe? How would it counter the massive deals the top 6 sides get for shirt sponsorship, main sponsors and alike?

Lower PL clubs won't be able to get the same levels of money for these that the top 6 can get, and that gives the top 6 the advantage, even with FFP in place

People seem to confuse FFP, thinking it means making an even playing field, rather than what it actually is, to stop teams running up massive debts and making them live within their means.

Griezmann is leaving Atletico this summer, and FFP is going to prevent Man City and PSG from buying him as there is a fee of 120m Euro. Without FFP, both would be looking to add him to their squad but can't because they can't afford to and still keep within their limits following their previous spending

 

[Surrey Phil]

Hopefully the Sheik’s will get bored and do one soon!

 

[supaseagull]

It won’t last. It never does. Look at Chelsea 15 years ago, United & Arsenal under Ferguson & Wenger. Liverpool in the 80s, even Blackburn.

There are very few English clubs who have dominated the game over here more than 15 over the last century. Only United and Liverpool have come close and even then they were rudely interested on a number of occasions.

The one difference City have is one the greatest ever club managers as United did with Ferguson.

Soon the Saudis will get bored and stop pumping money into City or something suspect will be uncovered and they will slowly fall away...shame!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Triggaaar]

Do you agree?

'But Saturday was miserable, the traditional showpiece of the English season reduced to a grim parade, devoid of any drama, there to satisfy the propaganda wing of a faraway regime. Perhaps some people enjoy watching eviscerations like this: Romans, after all, flocked to the Colosseum for fixtures between lions and Christians that were only marginally less one-sided than this. But even City fans did not seem particularly enthused, grumbling on the underground about a fifth trip to Wembley this season and cheering goals with the weary satisfaction that used to be reserved for a top-flight team battering a minnow in the third round.'

Yes.

'Watching Pep Guardiola’s side dismantle their opponents in the FA Cup final was gruesome and reflective of a trend across Europe that suggests the time has come for a super league'.

No.

 

[Acker79]

The irony is that properly-applied FFP could balance things up but actually, by possibly denying City access to the Champions League, will force them to concentrate on the domestic treble again.

It doesn't help that any time the authorities try to clamp down clubs run to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and get any punishment lessened, or even removed. Maybe it's just my perception from the outside, but it seems like the CAS aren't there as a sort of check and balance to prevent an arbitrary dictatorship from sports governing bodies, but to castrate them and help clubs/players get away with what ever cheating authorities have tried to punish them for.

 

[drew]

Yes, my thoughts are that what goes around comes around.

Eventually these money men will get bored and have other interests to fund.

Remember when the League started in 1888 that Preston were the big boys, then they went into demise and then every decade a new club became biggest.

Currently it is the big 6. Man U were the Man City equiv when Fergie was in charge but they have hit a blip.

Any club that has potential could be bought up by big spenders and the balance could shift.

Also, I like us having the big clubs to have a pop at and hopefully start getting some decent results against them.

Football may not be fair but life isn't, full stop,,

I think the maximum wage had a big part to play in the variety of clubs that were successful before the mid 60s.

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

Yes, my thoughts are that what goes around comes around.

Eventually these money men will get bored and have other interests to fund.

Remember when the League started in 1888 that Preston were the big boys, then they went into demise and then every decade a new club became biggest.

Currently it is the big 6. Man U were the Man City equiv when Fergie was in charge but they have hit a blip.

Any club that has potential could be bought up by big spenders and the balance could shift.

Also, I like us having the big clubs to have a pop at and hopefully start getting some decent results against them.

Football may not be fair but life isn't, full stop,,

I disagree. When Man Utd were kings and Ferguson was in charge the other teams (or rather the other BIG teams) were not disadvantaged by having a huge gap in finances they were disadvantaged by not having a Manager as brilliant as Sir Alex.

With City it’s different. They have funds in such huge heaps that no-one can hope to compete on anything like a level field. Klopp has shown that a brilliant manager can run them close but even LFC,with their massive wages and expensive players, are dwarfed by Man City in every respect except history and pedigree. What we’re seeing is not remotely satisfying or interesting...there is almost no chance of anyone realistically challenging them year on year...I fear that Liverpool will not be able to replicate this seasons efforts next season and the next whereas City can just keep ploughing money and superstars for ever, or at least until their state funding is ended by a war (or something similar)in the Middle East brings down that repellant ******* Mansour.

The days of a shock contender unseating the reigning champions are over. The PL is doomed to be a depressing parade for as long as anyone can see. RIP English football.

 

[drew]

I disagree. When Man Utd were kings and Ferguson was in charge the other teams (or rather the other BIG teams) were not disadvantaged by having a huge gap in finances they were disadvantaged by not having a Manager as brilliant as Sir Alex.

With City it’s different. They have funds in such huge heaps that no-one can hope to compete on anything like a level field. Klopp has shown that a brilliant manager can run them close but even LFC,with their massive wages and expensive players, are dwarfed by Man City in every respect except history and pedigree. What we’re seeing is not remotely satisfying or interesting...there is almost no chance of anyone realistically challenging them year on year...I fear that Liverpool will not be able to replicate this seasons efforts next season and the next whereas City can just keep ploughing money and superstars for ever, or at least until their state funding is ended by a war (or something similar)in the Middle East brings down that repellant ******* Mansour.

The days of a shock contender unseating the reigning champions are over. The PL is doomed to be a depressing parade for as long as anyone can see. RIP English football.

I think your doing a disservice to Liverpool. They were one result from beating Man City to the league and are probably favourites for the Champions League. That one result would have meant Man City only achieving the domestic cup double and Liverpool the league and champions league double. Pep will tire of Man City and move to another project and, as with Ferguson leaving Utd, the tide may turn. We can but hope!

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

I think your doing a disservice to Liverpool. They were one result from beating Man City to the league and are probably favourites for the Champions League. That one result would have meant Man City only achieving the domestic cup double and Liverpool the league and champions league double. Pep will tire of Man City and move to another project and, as with Ferguson leaving Utd, the tide may turn. We can but hope!

I’m not dissing Liverpool. What I’m saying is that LFC managed to run City a close race this season despite having pockets only a fraction as deep. But next season, and the one after and for as far forward as you like Liverpool, United, Chelsea and all of the other “big” teams will not be able to compete financially...City will be able to keep chucking money, players, managers or whatever it takes to maintain their advantage.

It also appears that city are moaning about FFP being applied to them...even,allegedly, breaching the already flimsy rules at the first opportunity. Their rationale? The claim that FFP was put in place to stop clubs being run into the ground by chairmen so desperate to achieve that they overspend and risk the clubs they run being wiped out by debt. City say “but it doesn’t apply to us as we’re owned by an oil rich country so we’ll never go bust” and therefore believing they should be allowed to spend whatever they want and sod all the other plebs.

It’s a mess.

 

[bhafc99]

Not the case Abu Dhabi are now investing billions in renewal (solar energy) and cities of the future, unlike the idiots in Saudi Arabia the UAE realise that the golden egg oil is running out and they are looking at the next thing, these guys are here to stay. Check out Masdar City.

Overall, you're 100% making the right point. Your examples aren't quite right though. Masdar City is over 10 years old now, and has largely fallen short of its initial vision – like many trailblazers, its job ended up being more opening the door to other more practical implementations (ie Mohammad Bin Rashid Solar Park) than achieving much itself. Something like KAUST in Saudi is overtaking it now: KAUST may not be monetising its efforts yet, but given another 5-10 years it will be – future sustainable energy, food and more will be created here. And KSA is looking beyond oil, very much so. The money now being poured into economic diversification projects by its Public Investment Fund is insane: again, we're at least a decade away from most delivering, but that's the plan – by the time "the oil runs out", Saudi, the UAE, Qatar etc – they'll all be the forefront of everything that takes over.