How bad is top-flight football going to be in 5 years?

[BD]

City winning 4 out of the last 5 premierships, and the league needing Liverpool to have a super manager and nailing key signings just to make it appear competitive. Without Klopp, City would be on 5 leagues in a row and heading towards more. City follow this up by signing one of the best young strikers in the world. Then we have Newcastle now trying to emulate what City have done, and presumably they'll be in the top 2/3 teams before long.

PSG throwing unlimited money at Mbappe, because they can. Sure it's funny seeing Madrid not getting what they want all the time, but soon everyone except for the oil-clubs will be able to offer this sort of money. Most of the best players will inevitably pool at City, Newcastle, and PSG.

This is different than United or Madrid or whoever buying the best players in the 2000's - the gulf here is on another level. What's the point of a club like Arsenal anymore - they'll be fighting for top 4 (soon to be top 5 with these CL rules coming in) at best for the foreseeable future, and have absolutely no chance of getting close to winning the league anymore. Unless they got bought over by a country of course. We're only saved by the fact we have so much money ourselves, but presumably over time we won't be able to live with these clubs/countries anymore.

 

[Pretzels81]

Relax; City is winning because they have Pep, and PSG remains a joke in Europe.

 

[Mb194dc]

Football will reform itself around that reality, eventually. People won't want to watch football if it goes as you suggest, when the money dries up, changes will be made.

 

[Relevated]

It's all relative. When we were dominating (even now), what is the point of a club like Everton existing? Like ten hag said today's, eras come to an end.

Yesterday Nottingham forest was winning the league and European cup's, today they're in a final to reach the 1st division, a division they dominated once upon a time.

Sure, maybe money has taken over the game, but even this era will change.

 

[Tavern in the town]

It’s all Pep. City spend ridiculous money before Pep but they didn’t have the monopoly they do now. It’ll be a lot more competitive once he fecks off.

 

[DevilRed]

Nothing lasts forever in football.

Eras change.

People have been saying the same thing about Manchester United and arsenal. Manchester United and chelski. Manchester united and citeh. Now its the dippers and citeh. If you go far back it was the dippers in the 80s.

I think la liga is going to struggle for a while. Don't let this years cup run by madrid fool you. They were far inferior team to both chels and citeh. Not taking credit away from madrid, but they definitely had a huge element of luck to make it to the final.

They are now struggling to attract the top talent to spain. Simply put, the oil clubs (and english clubs) can outbid them.

 

[Powderfinger]

City will come back to earth a bit after Pep leaves but overall the trend is only going to get worse. I don't think people are prepared for what Newcastle might end up spending if/when MBS decides that he doesn't want to be the small dick Middle Eastern club owner anymore. Or wait until China figures out that pumping a couple billion into West Ham would be a cost effective way to enhance their soft power and negotiating leverage in Europe.

People just don't want to face this reality but the only way out of the problem are regulatory structures that aren't completely corrupt and/or beholden to the countries owning these clubs. And the only plausible way to do that is some kind of super league, which gives the power to establish and regulate spending rules to member clubs themselves rather than UEFA or the UK government.

 

[JPRouve]

It's all relative. When we were dominating (even now), what is the point of a club like Everton existing? Like ten hag said today's, eras come to an end.

Yesterday Nottingham forest was winning the league and European cup's, today they're in a final to reach the 1st division, a division they dominated once upon a time.

Sure, maybe money has taken over the game, but even this era will change.

Money took over the game a long time ago, it was first with sugar daddies, then with capitalists and now sugar daddies mixed with capitalists.

 

[horsechoker]

Football's bubble will crash eventually and we could see a dark period for football. Out of the darkness, a hero will emerge.

 

[R'hllor]

If only others were owned by wealthy folks.

 

[Rockets Redglare]

United fans complaining about other teams being successful just sound incredibly bitter and entitled.

 

[Green_Red]

We used to think top 4 would pull away but now there's a top 6. With the financial strength of the league we have at any point the potential for a club to come from nowhere, Newcastle could be challenging for titles in the next 5 years, that would make potentially a top 7... then there's teams on the fringes who if they could hold onto their players could also push on into that top 6. If WH kept Rice for example they have a good player to build around and he should continue to develop. I think the future is bright for football, especially in England. City doing 4 in 5 years will change soon enough. Cycles.

 

[Theafonis]

City will go through some down years as soon as Pep leaves. Money can’t create competence (see United, PSG, even Chelsea this season). But it’s unlikely that will happen anytime soon.

Was hoping they’d win the CL this year so he would take his exit but maybe next year!

 

[waza7111]

According to this website our net spend is only £27 million less than City since SAF retired-

https://www.planetfootball.com/quic...alex-ferguson-man-utd-city-liverpool-chelsea/

No idea if it's true or not but if it is then it shows the value in signing the right players and having a great manager.

 

[Pexbo]

City winning 4 out of the last 5 premierships, and the league needing Liverpool to have a super manager and nailing key signings just to make it appear competitive. Without Klopp, City would be on 5 leagues in a row and heading towards more. City follow this up by signing one of the best young strikers in the world. Then we have Newcastle now trying to emulate what City have done, and presumably they'll be in the top 2/3 teams before long.

PSG throwing unlimited money at Mbappe, because they can. Sure it's funny seeing Madrid not getting what they want all the time, but soon everyone except for the oil-clubs will be able to offer this sort of money. Most of the best players will inevitably pool at City, Newcastle, and PSG.

This is different than United or Madrid or whoever buying the best players in the 2000's - the gulf here is on another level. What's the point of a club like Arsenal anymore - they'll be fighting for top 4 (soon to be top 5 with these CL rules coming in) at best for the foreseeable future, and have absolutely no chance of getting close to winning the league anymore. Unless they got bought over by a country of course. We're only saved by the fact we have so much money ourselves, but presumably over time we won't be able to live with these clubs/countries anymore.

Along with help from Referees to keep the title race tight.

 

[BlueMoonOutcast]

Without Klopp, City would be on 5 leagues in a row and heading towards more.

Without City Liverpool just win them all bar the United second place finishes so we'd have the same number of winners in the last five years as we do now.

 

[AltiUn]

Relax; City is winning because they have Pep, and PSG remains a joke in Europe.

PSG have apparently signed Luis Campos though so they might actually get their act together. Agree with City and Pep, he's an unbelievable manager but City's dominance starts and ends with him. They'll still challenge for titles when he leaves but more sporadically like Chelsea.

 

[AltiUn]

City will go through some down years as soon as Pep leaves. Money can’t create competence (see United, PSG, even Chelsea this season). But it’s unlikely that will happen anytime soon.

Was hoping they’d win the CL this year so he would take his exit but maybe next year!

He mentioned staying another decade recently

 

[B. Munich]

Relax; City is winning because they have Pep, and PSG remains a joke in Europe.

Not only PSG is a joke in Europe, Pep and City too.
Nevertheless, this is an alarming trend and while these state sponsored clubs might be good for a great laugh when they bottle a season or trophy, in the end the endless funds will bring them to the top.

100 million Euro after taxes! That's just madness, more 8 times more than other top players earn at the traditional elite clubs.

 

[Offside]

English football on the whole is going in the opposite direction. The top of the Premier League was as bad as the Bundesliga at the start of the century then quickly became competitive again.

We have just seen an insanely close title race. I don’t see it being bad at all.

 

[Lay]

English football on the whole is going in the opposite direction. The top of the Premier League was as bad as the Bundesliga at the start of the century then quickly became competitive again.

We have just seen an insanely close title race. I don’t see it being bad at all.

I don’t think the rest of the league is that good, even if it is better than the rest. The fact we finished 6th despite being utter shite for a season says it all.

I actually would prefer an 18 team league. I think the EPL will flourish even more so

 

[B. Munich]

I don't think people are prepared for what Newcastle might end up spending if/when MBS decides that he doesn't want to be the small dick Middle Eastern club owner anymore.

Spot on. Just imagine City beating Newcastle to the title by one point. Knowing the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, I'm sure MBS will spend money we can't even imagine now, just to make sure this won't ever happen again.
After all these oil states making billions of Petrodollars every day, so 2,3 or 5 billions are nothing to them.

 

[Sarni]

I said a while ago that City will get to 10 titles before we win another one but given what has gone on at United in recent years I am fairly certain that they will eventually surpass us in the number of titles, and may even get to 20 before we win another title. It is very unlikely United will have access to resources comparable to City owners anytime soon, and on top of that they have been managed much better which makes the difference even more emphasized.

 

[Calidad]

We used to think top 4 would pull away but now there's a top 6. With the financial strength of the league we have at any point the potential for a club to come from nowhere, Newcastle could be challenging for titles in the next 5 years, that would make potentially a top 7... then there's teams on the fringes who if they could hold onto their players could also push on into that top 6. If WH kept Rice for example they have a good player to build around and he should continue to develop. I think the future is bright for football, especially in England. City doing 4 in 5 years will change soon enough. Cycles.

Seems a horribly superficial and naive take on things.

 

[Dumbstar]

In 5 years Klopp will have left and I'll probably be winding down any interest in top flight football. Have been thinking about getting involved in local football for a while, I'll probably get a season ticket to Wimbledon AFC.

 

[Green_Red]

Seems a horribly superficial and naive take on things.

What part, the top 6 part is absolutely true. So is the Newcastle comment. They will be challenging in 5 years. West Ham comment is probably ambitious but they were one win away from finishing 6th this season. Expand on your comment.

 

[RedDevil@84]

City scored 99 goals without Haaland. They are going to get silly next season itself.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

City and Newcastle will completely dominate English football.
It’s inevitable.
A football club can’t compete with a state, else you risk doing a Barça.

 

[Moby]

English football on the whole is going in the opposite direction. The top of the Premier League was as bad as the Bundesliga at the start of the century then quickly became competitive again.

We have just seen an insanely close title race. I don’t see it being bad at all.

It was insanely close with one club playing out of their skin, avoiding injuries and having close to a perfect season vs one that had no strikers, had a defender go to jail, had their best cb injured for a decent time as well as their best player miss quite a few games.

 

[Bwuk]

Newcastle will win the league before we do.

 

[Offside]

It was insanely close with one club playing out of their skin, avoiding injuries and having close to a perfect season vs one that had no strikers, had a defender go to jail, had their best cb injured for a decent time as well as their best player miss quite a few games.

Come off it. Lpool have won both cups, won the league 2 years ago, are winning for fun in Europe and it’s been as close as it was yesterday before.

 

[Moby]

Come off it. Lpool have won both cups, won the league 2 years ago, are winning for fun in Europe and it’s been as close as it was yesterday before.

The point was Liverpool lost a couple of key players one season and were in danger of not finishing in top 4 and finished behind this united squad. Meanwhile city can lose key players to long term injuries or transfers but still continue to put the same insane numbers.

 

[ThierryFabregas]

It's all relative. When we were dominating (even now), what is the point of a club like Everton existing? Like ten hag said today's, eras come to an end.

Yesterday Nottingham forest was winning the league and European cup's, today they're in a final to reach the 1st division, a division they dominated once upon a time.

Sure, maybe money has taken over the game, but even this era will change.

This post misses a shedload of context. Notts Forrest never dominated the top league, they won it once after being promoted and then won 2 European Cups. That was possible in the past and will never happen ever again.

Football used to be a level playing field of competition. Now it's just a race of who is the richest billionaire and richest club. And because of that it's uncompetitive and has been for a long time.

 

[Offside]

The point was Liverpool lost a couple of key players one season and were in danger of not finishing in top 4 and finished behind this united squad. Meanwhile city can lose key players to long term injuries or transfers but still continue to put the same insane numbers.

Meh at the turn of the century Man United pissed the league without a half decent goalkeeper when Arsenal had the best back 4 about. Arsenal still managed to win things as Liverpool are. It’s always been like this I.e. competitive compared to a lot of other leagues.

 

[Vidyoyo]

The real question should be

How bald is top-flight football going to be in 5 years?

And I would say very. Klopp's not going to keep his forever.

 

[Zen]

Utd once won three on the bounce and casually brought in RvN and Veron to only go backwards, big time.
Chelsea once won back to back and casually brought in Shevchenko and Ballack only to go backwards...

Not worried.

 

[Orion.]

The Super League is football’s only salvation; having Spurs and Arsenal financially being able to attract the players who sit on City’s bench - the likes of Grealish, Ake etc while also regulating spending to ensure they can’t just stockpile more will make domestic football more competitive.

Saudi money will eclipse everything we’ve previously seen - Arabs with vast inherited wealth aren’t investors, they’re monopolists. FFP is dead, and they’ll start making statements of intent soon that only the other oil clubs will be able to keep up with.

 

[Iker Quesadillas]

PSG having infinite money doesn't matter that much imo. They're in Ligue 1.
Manchester City are a problem for the PL, I would imagine if Newcastle become similar and PL races become dominated by them, I imagine your fans will have an uproar.

 

[Noodle]

City and Liverpool will dominate for the short term at least. Both making huge strides off the pitch commercially to stay there, Liverpool more legitimately. But money doesn’t guarantee they will stay there. Look at Utd for a perfect case study, spent a billion and on a par with city and look what has happened.

I honestly think Chelsea and Spurs are going to kick on commercially too and then you have Utd’s ability to spend still unscathed. Eventually someone will put a top side together and challenge the current duopoly. Everyone said the league was dull when Utd won it every year and then Chelsea came along, then everyone said we’d dominate then Utd regained the league and then City came along etc

All this worry about Newcastle is a bit much at the moment, it’ll take 5 years at least to get anywhere near consistent top 4 let alone a title challenge. They have to do it slower than Chelsea or City due to PL rules and commercial restrictions

 

[Sviken]

I barely enjoy football anymore. The state oil clubs and the whole money thing is basically killing the game. Football needs to reform as a game and fast before it gets completely out of hand. In that respect I greatly respect Liverpool, even though I equally hate them. But for the life of me I will never respect or enjoy seeing souless sheikh clubs just running around and buying leagues. Like even as a fan, how can you derive an enjoyment of that? How do City fans or PSG fans enjoy this "success"? It's like playing a game with cheat codes. It'll make me bored to death.