With all the money over here, and even the Super powers from abroad unable to compete financially, the best players will invariably end up in our league. Is the rest of Europe become some sort of wasteland? In the CL now, our 3rd, 4th or 5th best team could probably beat almost anyone on the continent. In the EL, no country’s 3rd to 6th best stand a chance against an equivalent from England. We’re on the brink of our second all English CL final and EL final in 3 years.
Ultimately, is this level of PL strength good for football as a whole? Do we want a situation where there isn’t much left outside? Inter won their league with PL cast offs. Great clubs like Juve and the Spanish ones are skint and can’t compete. Will the whole point or prestige of European football become lessened if the only teams that can really challenge you are from within your own league?
Some may feel ‘feck them, this is great’ - but if nobody else has any money outside of the PL, then the PL in itself basically becomes the Champions League. There’s more value in winning it than the CL. The team 6th in our league could win that. Real and Atletico, who are fighting it out for La Liga were both easily disposed of by Chelsea, a team that hasn’t been in the PL title race all season.
I know it’s early days yet in any longer term prediction, but I’m just looking at the financial forecasts more than anything. The situation won’t change, and as the league’s decline, they will just lose sponsorship money. I wouldn’t be surprised if West Ham make the top 4 or top 6, go out and spend big money, then start slapping top teams about in Europe next season themselves.
Ultimately, is this level of PL strength good for football as a whole? Do we want a situation where there isn’t much left outside? Inter won their league with PL cast offs. Great clubs like Juve and the Spanish ones are skint and can’t compete. Will the whole point or prestige of European football become lessened if the only teams that can really challenge you are from within your own league?
Some may feel ‘feck them, this is great’ - but if nobody else has any money outside of the PL, then the PL in itself basically becomes the Champions League. There’s more value in winning it than the CL. The team 6th in our league could win that. Real and Atletico, who are fighting it out for La Liga were both easily disposed of by Chelsea, a team that hasn’t been in the PL title race all season.
I know it’s early days yet in any longer term prediction, but I’m just looking at the financial forecasts more than anything. The situation won’t change, and as the league’s decline, they will just lose sponsorship money. I wouldn’t be surprised if West Ham make the top 4 or top 6, go out and spend big money, then start slapping top teams about in Europe next season themselves.