50 Worst Things About Modern Football

I think both Steaua and Red Star were very big teams at the time.
If they would have had the money English teams have now they would have been HUGE...

I know Red Star best: Prosinecki, Boban, their Romananain sweeper (who also played Steaua), the free kick specialist who lateron played for Lazio and Inter, the guy who became Ac Milan's star when they beat barcelona in the final (sorry can't remember names today).

I recently heard an interview with kenny Dalglish where he said that that Red Star team was the best he ever saw...

There is good football outside England you know...
 
I agree with Dalglish. That season they were absolutely the best I have ever seen. But in the final, they played for penalties from the first whistle.
Again though, there just isn't the worldwide appeal that United, Liverpool, Arsenal have. Even before that Prem boom, these temas were famous worldwide and the money they get from the foreign fanbase added massively to their success. Teams like Leeds would have to sustain a challenge for many years to become household names. Chelsea haven't even managed it yet, but they're getting there.
 
I think you'll find that Red Star along with Partizan can boast roughl 2.5M fans each and Steaua has a similar situation with regards to Dinamo in Romania.

The problem for these clubs in eastern Europe like everything else is related to money.

Once state support via the Army and state ceased these clubs struggled having to adapt to a market economy and unable to hold onto their starlets and academy products could no longer hsband them into their own sides.

its only recently that with improvements in the economic situation of these states that matters have started to ease but the clubs can still in no way compete on the wages front, unless as in Russia there are extremely wealthy criminal oligarchs involved.

And yet again this is what is causing the gap between clubs. The Sky deal for instance here means the top 20 clubs will always be inordinately richer compared to everyone else,

Tier two clubs such as mine may get upto £2M pa ,those in tier two £0.5M and those in tier three £100000 a year if they are lucky.

The Premiership clubs get somewhere in the region of £30M pa. How can the pyramid compete ? If you have a bright young player you cannot afford to match wages even if said player ends up in the Premiership clubs reserves and invariably gets loaned out for two-three seasons more often than not.

And the CL format ensures that the top four clubs rake in an extra £10-15M per season . It allows them extra spending power in the transfer market, cache to attract players , and as its broadcast globally ensures a healthy merchandising stream predominantly from the Orient and latterly India.

And it becomes a vicious cycle as that extra money means that it effectively ensures a top four finish next season and so on. Manchester United can afford to play Tevez as a reserve for instance when he is world class.

It would take a very rich backer to break this 'cartel'.

Those clubs such as Nottingham Forest who slipped out before the enormous TV deals came along have felt the pinch and subsequently struggled.

They are a big club but it would depend on your definition:
1.trophies won
2.supporter base

In which case Preston NE can be classified as such .

Nottingham Forest have won 2 European Cups which is two more than Chelsea or Arsenal (no matter the format )and can be registered as such but with the current situation of football there is not a hope in hell of them ever challenging for anythign ever again.

Its a shame that a clubs sucess is more reliant on its finances than anything else. Take the SPL when before the 90s teams such as Aberdeen with good management and player buys and Hearts in the sixties(who just happenend to have a decent crop of kids come through together at the same time) could compete with the Old Firm.

Nw the financial muscle of these two is so great that they can hoover up any decent Scottish talent and supplement it with foreign buys.

Which means instead of dissolving clubs (which will never happen) the history and traditions are too strong there needs to be a serious look at a players draft, salary cap and more even distribution of TV revenue among all clubs.

Something which ensures a competition like the NHL for instance in North America maintains more competitiveness through season after season.

The problem is the bigger clubs will see this as a threat to themselves and will undoubtedly threaten to breakaway from UEFA promptong UEFA to cave in.

The power lies with these few clubs sad to say and nothing will change this in the forseeable future. Why throw away the oppurtunity of maintaining yout stranglehold on your league to competitors ?

Its no coincidence that the monies behind the EPL mean the ever increasing presence of English clubs in the CL final stages (despite most of the squads not fielding English players or those from the British Isles) and a degree of upset from Continental clubs who cannot compete with the obscene salaries offered to players.

It wont be long before the likes of a Messi will opt to head for the EPL and more of the top South Americans instead of going to their preferred destinations of La Liga or serie A end up here.

Its not good for football . Once upon a time a club could dream like mine of climbing from the lowest tier of football to finish runners up behind Liverpool through good management and a little bit of funding from a certain Elton John , but those days will remain a memory unless radical changes are implemented.

Football is about dreams and for many across a range of clubs those have died or been altered to a mundane 'lets just stay in this division for the cash'.
 
I guess seeing how you can't really stop clubs from getting the money, should a cap be put on the spending? I can't really see any other way of stopping this. A limit like £30-40million a season I think would be reasonable. And I'm talking about total spending, not per signing. I guess that way you can stop the Chelsea's and the Man City's from buying a squad worth of players every transfer window.
Or maybe you can split the 20 teams in the league and put them into 5 groups of 4 based on where they finished in the previous season. So 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th would be group one, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th in group two, etc. And then have a different transfer cap for each group where the further up the tiers you go, the less you can spend. Which means the bottom 4 have the most freedom while the top 4 can spend the least.
 
Rune - a lovely post bud. Sounds similar to the NFL. I'd love to see it - the top teams really would have to work hard to stay on top then. As it is at the moment if you can get momentum at winning the league, you can stay on top for 10/15 years, like Liverpool in the past and Man U now.

It certainly would be a lot more refreshing - but it's never going to happen until the bottom falls out of the money pit.
 
Great posting Albiceleste.
I'm not sure i agree with Rune though.
I think it's a good thing that there are new challengers like Man City, Chelsea and Offenheim.
Of course the fans of Man Utd want a status quo...or at least new rules that in fact mean a status quo...
 
The good thing with the idea above is that billionaires are only gonna want to take over lower teams where theres more freedom to spend rather than buying a top team and pushing them even further to widen the gap at the top.
Thats more likely to bring in new challengers than anything else.
Plus with lower teams costing less to take over, that option would look even more attractive to buyers. And knowing that the top teams have a handicap in the transfer windows would give you another advantage.
 
RuneEdge said:
The good thing with the idea above is that billionaires are only gonna want to take over lower teams where theres more freedom to spend rather than buying a top team and pushing them even further to widen the gap at the top.
Thats more likely to bring in new challengers than anything else.
Plus with lower teams costing less to take over, that option would look even more attractive to buyers. And knowing that the top teams have a handicap in the transfer windows would give you another advantage.
Click to expand...

I can see the advantages in that...
 
How about the F.A buying all the players and every manager has picks at the start of the season. The team that finished bottom has first pick. It would be a good TV event too.
 
marukomu said:
How about the F.A buying all the players and every manager has picks at the start of the season. The team that finished bottom has first pick. It would be a good TV event too.
Click to expand...

I actually think that is a splendid idea.
I have a variation on it: work with a salary cap and a minimum of players who come from English academies or clubs.
All the new foreign players should be in that draft that you propose...
In your idea a iconic player like Giggs or Carragher or Scholes (who stayed throughout their carreer with the same club) would play every year for another club. That's not good for the fan's indentification with the club...
 
I dont think the salary cap would be to keep the Ronaldos away from United, but make them think before sign Tevez to be a squad player.

Kinda of like NBA, big franchises still have their idols, and they think if its worth to have a big salary not playing, like Marbury at Knicks.

The problem I see is that some football players develop really fast some even have that 'on form' season but are nothing more than good players.

Making they constantly renew contracts.

Also the different range of leagues.
 
I don't know Stef...i don't really care how it's done, but i want a more open competition.
I know you are a fan of one of the biggest clubs, but i think that in the long run the lack of competition and the predictability will damage the big clubs too.

To me one of the biggest charms of football is that the game in itself is unpredictable. The weakest team can win matches.

I used to be a big cycling freak.
Cycling is a sports (as opposed to football, which is a game). In a very physical sport like cycling, the best athlete nearly always wins...certainly in the big competitions like the Tour de France...you know who the best contender will be and you know he will win... i don't like that.
 
Players acting like they are injured when they clearly are not just to influence the referee into booking another playing or really ‘selling’ a foul.

I’m disgusted when I see players barely getTING tapped and they let out a horrific scream like they are being tortured to death. They then proceed to hit the deck and roll over like they’re having some sort of seizure, holding a part of their body that wasn’t even contacted with the slightest of touches.

FOR GODS SAKE. YOU ARE MEN. YOU HIT THE WEIGHT ROOM ALMOST EVERYDAY. STOP ACTING LIKE A BUNCH OF GIRLS (No offense to girls). GET THE FUCK UP.

When I play, you don’t show any sign of weakness. You don’t go down and act hurt and if you do get knocked down, you get the fuck straight up and tell them they play like a cheerleader, then proceed to try and knock them down even harder.

Man the fuck up! Unless I see blood or a bone sticking out your shin then I don’t expect to hear screams and gymnastic rolls.

They call themselves men and yet they act like a bunch of kids. I’ve seen more guts in 11yr old kids.

++++

Referees. FFS, I want you to ref the game. Stop with the fucking over-gesturing and flashing cards just so you get your dirty mug on the tv.

Take your time to get the decisions right – THINK about it. Track the fucking ball please to see if a player touched it on a tackle. Use your brain and play the advantage you douche – get that whistle out of your mouth for a couple of seconds longer to see what develops (you can always call play back)

Allow some contact for gods sake, this isnt netball. If guys want to square up to eachother, let them do it – they are pussys and it never goes anywhere and if it does that’s what teammates and captains are for – step in if people start throwing elbows.

Stop the rape in every penalty area in every game in every league in every country. It looks stupid and isn’t part of football.

Stand the fuck up for yourself and stop being intimidated by players JESUS!

Consult with your Linesman on penalty situations PLEASE – 2 pairs of eyes are better then one.

Be big enough to realize when you’ve made a mistake and change your mind if it means making the right call – we’ll respect you for it.

Make gutsy calls instead of playing it safe

Tell the mouthy fuckers to shut the fuck up
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom