[Mikus LFC]

Money is king!

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[Mikus LFC]

You might be right Lucky. Global streaming/broadcasting has changed things & reading up a bit more about it, the game is quite popular over there. Also, I think Europe is having to come to terms that it’s just not that wealthy anymore on the global stage. Indeed, about 15 years ago, Europe’s economy was apparently $1.5 trillion larger than the US’s. However, today the US economy is bigger and by some distance.

Via https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/06/23/adam-tooze-economic-gap-united-states-europe-growing

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[Mikus LFC]

Yeh Lucky, I was thinking more sustainable from a viewing figures point of view. I think the early league in the US with the New York Cosmos in the 70s broke down because the TV revenues declined. But with the Saudi league, they obviously don’t need to worry about TV money. But if they don’t get the viewing figures, or if they start off ok and decline, will it last?

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[Mikus LFC]

Who is actually televising these games in Saudi Arabia? (Not that I’m greatly interested in watching them). Presumably they’ll be broadcast around domestic league games so as not to clash with them? Just looks like another New York Cosmos story when Pele joined them in the 70s. But will the greater availability of worldwide broadcasting/streaming make it more sustainable in the long term?

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[Mikus LFC]

Well the outlook for next season already looking quite different from just a few weeks ago. Players going to Saudi Arabia undoubtedly now going to have a significant impact on the Premier league. I don’t think Liverpool expected to lose both Henderson & Fabinho this summer (if both go) and you can’t beat experience in this league and squad depth. Also, whilst they’re not all going to Saudi Arabia, City seem to be losing quite a few big players. Mahrez, Gundogan & Bernardo Silva are all still matchwinners and they can’t just be replaced like that. Kyle Walker also still a very good player (if they all leave).

The winners at the moment seem to be Arsenal who don’t seem to be losing any star players and are watching their rivals losing big players, whilst they are strengthening themselves. Obviously lots can still happen but as I say, you can’t just swap an experienced existing star player for another just like that. The new season could be quite open now.

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[Mikus LFC]

Another one off to Saudi Arabia. I think ideally we would have kept him to keep a bit of cohesion in the dressing room. But this was ultimately going to be a transitional season ahead no matter what. If it gives a new guy more minutes of the pitch, that’s not a bad thing. Suspect we could see 2 more additions in midfield now, particularly if Fabinho leaves too. If Thiago were to leave as well, can’t think of a time where a team has a completely new midfield going into the new season. But this transition should have happened more gradually over the years rather than waiting this long and all at the same time.

🚨 BREAKING: Jordan Henderson has accepted Al Ettifaq proposal. There’s verbal agreement in principle. Contract agreed.

Deal now depends on Liverpool and Al Ettifaq discussing on the fee, no chance to let him leave for free 🇸🇦

Hendo spoke to Klopp today and there’s green light. pic.twitter.com/wJ2CyaHu60

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 13, 2023

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[Mikus LFC]

Hence that’s why managers are often screaming on the touchline to try to keep their players disciplined and one’s like Pep are even still badgering their players after they’ve won the game. I actually think this is why Mount was in demand because imo these players are actually very tactically disciplined and do follow the instructions of the manager to a ‘t’ and even if you only have a few of those players in the whole team, I think their example rubs off on others.

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[Mikus LFC]

Yet these clubs generally appear to be better run clubs than others because they ruthlessly get the best people in to run the club as opposed to looking to former players. Hence why I suspect a lot of Utd fans want the Qatar bid to win.

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[Mikus LFC]

Yeh I’m not sure there’s been any groundbreaking transfers yet in the league, i.e. transfers that will have a significant impact on the team taking them up a notch or two. You obviously tend to pay a premium for internal premier-league transfers because they already have experience of the league so should hit the ground running. Long way to go in the window yet.

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[Mikus LFC]

I’m so very sorry for your loss. May he rest in peace. Please be assured of my prayers for all of you. It won’t be the same place on here. Paul felt like the ‘father of the house’ on this forum and am sure he imparted his wisdom on to all of us.

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[Mikus LFC]

GJ, it’s true that throughout the ages, teams have had periods of domination. But if you look through the historic tables throughout those ages, you still had a constantly changing mix of teams competing for the league, because for me, it was more of a level playing field in terms of the players because I think, whilst we may argue loyalty has always been somewhat of a myth in football, I do think players historically tended to lean more towards entertaining and enjoying the game vs *obsessing* about winning every trophy every season. I just don’t think players were as obsessed with such things back then. But now we very much live in the social media climate where players have become brands in themselves and it very much is all about winning everything every season and making a name for *yourself*. I think we’ve very much lost the ‘community club’ in that sense.

So it’s not so much that I blame City. They’ve executed their plan to almost perfection. I lament the changing culture of the game to one that is increasingly corporate/business like with not just winning, but for me, is effectively about obliterating your opponents. Reading about Klopp’s time at Dortmund, you can’t help but feel the poignancy of the relatively brief period Dortmund had success, only for Bayern to quickly copy the recipe and immediately buy some of Dortmund’s best players for ‘normal service’ to be resumed.

And this is not limited to football, I think it’s effectively in all walks of life. We lose independent shops/services from our towns and they get replaced with faceless corporations who I think are more obsessed with maximising their expansion than they are with serving the public.

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[Mikus LFC]

I’m very sorry to hear there has been no reply. Nine, you have my prayers for you indefinitely.

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[Mikus LFC]

City now feel like Bayern do in the Bundesliga.

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[Mikus LFC]

Starting to feel a bit like the LIV golf exodus this.

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[Mikus LFC]

How are Chelsea affording these players? Thought they had to sell after spending so much over the last year?

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[Mikus LFC]

Thing is though, as Sean rightly says, it probably won’t make a difference to the transfer budget if the Qataris come in. As I said in my post above, what’s more attractive about these owners from a footballing point of view is that they tend to run the clubs better than others. If you look at some of these established clubs, too much power I think is given to former players and managers. I think that happened with Fergie when he reportedly recommended Moyes. Then you had Roy Keane recently bemoaning of “jobs for the boys” given to previous players. You look at Chelsea who have given the managerial job to Lampard twice in recent times. Edu, former Arsenal player is now sporting director at Arsenal. I doubt the Qataris would do this, they’d just get the best people they can in.

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[Mikus LFC]

It’s not all about the money with City & Newcastle. City have got a very good recruitment team in. And Newcastle already look to be spending pretty wisely in the short time the new owners have been in. I think a problem with the established clubs: Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea & Arsenal, is that they’ve perhaps become a bit too cocksure of themselves, thinking they’re too big not to be able to challenge every few years or so. OK, it took some time with City to get all the ingredients there, but they’ve been ruthlessly determined to get to the top spot for years and they’ve very much got there now. I don’t think there’s much football politics at these clubs in how things should be done, just a cold steely determination to get the best people in. Compare with fans of the established clubs constantly putting pressure on their owners to make a big signing or spend money which probably worsens the decision making at these clubs.

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[Mikus LFC]

The worry thing is, I don’t know who will genuinely be able to compete with City next season. I think if we get the midfielders we’re currently linked with, they’ll probably need a season to bed in because they’re still young with limited international experience, and Nunez still has a question mark over him up top. So top 4 should hopefully be reached, but a title challenge not for me. Indeed looking at the spines of Liverpool, Chelsea, Man Utd & Arsenal, I don’t think they’re good enough. Yes, players can be added over the coming months, but looking at who’s currently being linked, I just don’t see anything groundbreaking so far.

But if you look at Newcastle, they had the joint best defensive record last season, so have a great base to build on. Barella looks a potentially astute signing. They went under the radar and reached top 4 last season when no one predicted it. If they add more quality here and there, they could have a very good season.

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[Mikus LFC]

I suspect Dzeko would have converted one of those chances had he still been on the pitch.

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[Mikus LFC]

Best team won, Inter offered nothing up top until the last 5 minutes, basically playing the percentage game for me.

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