So Ian Ayre has called to stop sharing international TV rights for the Premier League across all clubs equally.
And Dave Whelan has responded by saying it would kill Wigan and Blackeye. I am sure there are more convincing arguments against it out there somewhere.
Yes - like killing half of the PL clubs in the first year and squeezing out most of the others over the next few. While I want us to be top dog and beat competition, there would be less satisfaction in a competition where there was no realist opposition other than a the rich clubs - the ones who could benefit from this - i.e. chavs, manu, Liverpool and the Arsenal. (Citeh less so as although they have a sugar daddy, they don't have the same appeal internationally.
This is the real danger of business people just running the clubs for profit regardless of the needs of the game. We don't want the Spanish system of 2 clubs and then just also-rans. If that means we (PL teams) risk some success in European competition, I'd rather we did that and kept the PL with some semblence of open competition - it is difficult enough for a lot of clubs as it is without the situation being worstened.
I'm definitely not for this and the above post was more that I don't really like Blackeye and Wigan. However I'd say we're already in 'danger' of having two clubs that will be the main two and by some distance (like you say Real Madrid and Barcelona do have their own TV deals of course). The idea though (and Dave Whelan said this) that La Liga is not competitive elsewhere in the league is a fallacy. Or do we only determine a league's competitive quality by how many teams are likely to win its own league? And if that is the case then La Liga have had as many league winners as the Premier League has, starting from 04/05.
Chelsea and United have been the main 2 for years now. Before that it was ourselves and United of course. Now it looks like City may be the latest name to occupy the top 2. Very rarely has it been realistic to say more than 2 clubs can win the league over here. People talk about the top 4-5 here like there's an intense competition, when it's not really the case. It's always the top 2 and 3rd and 4th tend to be the also rans.
As for sharing the TV rights. People don't watch the pub teams abroad, they watch a small handful of big clubs. So you can understand why they'd like to maximise this revenue.
I doubt it would be allowed to happen though because of little Englanders like Whelan objecting.
Last edited by Marc Overmars; 13-10-2011 at 02:10 PM.
http://www1.skysports.com/football/n...s-fixture-furyKenny Dalglish has attacked the football authorities for their inability to rearrange fixtures and stop Liverpool playing two crucial games in 48 hours.
The Reds will now have to play in the quarter-final of the Carling Cup at Chelsea on November 29th, just two days after hosting Manchester City in the Premier League at Anfield.
"It is disgraceful in this day and age that players are being asked to play a key Premier League game and then a quarter-final in London just 48 hours later," Dalglish told the club's official website.
"It's understandable with the Spurs v POAK Salonika match and the TUC rally that the Met Police have said that our game cannot be played on the Wednesday.
"But it's surely the duty of the football authorities to think of other solutions which consider the welfare of the players and this clearly hasn't happened."
Liverpool have won the League Cup seven times and, along with Manchester City, have often played strong outfits in this competition.
Think carefully
Yet, Dalglish feels their loyalty to the tournament is not being reciprocated, as City themselves have to travel to the Emirates to face Arsenal two days after their league game.
"Here you have two clubs who have treated this competition with the utmost respect over the years and they are being treated like this," added.
"I'd be interested to know what the sponsors think of the situation and what it does for the reputation of the competition."
He continued: "We've got the situation that both ourselves and Manchester City were happy for the League game to be moved back to the Saturday so we both had proper time to prepare, but again we are told by the Premier League that this is not possible either for TV reasons and just to get on with it.
"The one thing I will say to our fans is to think carefully before buying tickets for the League Cup game because we do not want them spending their money and then we decide there is no other option but to use only young players in the tie."
Kenny needs to STFU tbh
"I really like Arsenal. Do you really like Arsenal, or only Arsenal with trophies?" - Dennis Bergkamp.
"Which Arsenal do they want back, the one Arsene created?" - Tony Adams.
Us and United played Sunday and Tuesday in the last round.
Would he be crying if they had Cardiff at home?
All the top teams have big squads now. And Liverpool don't have to play in Europe either.
So yeah, STFU and deal with it Kenny. He's very annoying.
So we'll play a weaker team against Chelsea and strongest in the league against City.
Unless he's bluffing. It's not like we're going to win anything else....
In the end though, does anyone really care? No.