ESL – The first rant of many…
I’m not doing a ratings for last night’s game as the game itself, the result and indeed the race for top four just all seems so insignificant in light of what else is going on.
To be honest, I don’t know where to start with this tale of greed and epic betrayal. Let’s start with the fiendish plan itself. The so called big six still want to play in the Premier league and collect all the money and prestige that comes with the greatest league in the world, they just want to set up a closed shop version of the Champion’s League but what exactly does that do to the Premier league? Well that’s simple, it kills it as a competition and as a spectacle.
Effectively if this idea was to go through, there would be nothing to compete for between 2nd and 18th place. Doesn’t matter if you finish top four because the cartel won’t let you come and play in their Super League unless you’re invited. It also doesn’t matter if you’re Arsenal – sitting mid table, scraping a last minute draw with Fulham, nope that doesn’t matter either, you’re still in the big money league. In fact Spurs and Arsenal being in it at all is a joke. Based on what? Previous achievements? Such as never having won the European cup? Not winning a title in decades? It’s an absolute sham. Where are Ajax with 4 European cups? Benfica with 5? Great clubs who earned the right to that status through organic success on the football pitch.
Then we have City who 20 years ago were playing Wycombe Wanderers in league two and they’re another team with no European cups. Chelsea are another who’s lack of history even has a song about it! This deal would create a continent full of leagues like the SPL. No money, poor product, poor spectacle.
So that’s the practical side of it and why it is a complete non starter but more importantly where are the ethics in this? There are none.
FSG arrived promising to respect our clubs history and values. To keep us at Anfield, never sell naming rights to the stadium and so on and many (myself included) fell for it. I thought at the time is there really such a thing as American businessmen who respect traditional values and history from another country? I thought we’d been lucky and found the exception to the rule. How wrong I was…
The backhanded, under the table nature of this deal is truly sickening as well. To have no consultation with managers, players or fans in this is absolutely disgusting and watching Jurgen last night trying to shoulder it himself after what has already been an extremely difficult season for him personally, made me want to smash my TV and burst into tears at the same time. How dare they? HOW F**KING DARE THEY???
Everything I love about LFC – the history, the fans, the Anfield atmosphere, the European nights, Justice for the 96… FSG have spat in the face of all of that and of our very ethos as a club. What about the derby? What about supporting local provincial clubs like Tranmere and Marine? What about being pillars of your community with your standing and vast wealth? But no, no interest in that. They couldn’t care less if the footballing pyramid collapsed completely, as long as they get richer… and richer… and richer…
Ultimately, this is a shameless American money grab and we actually need the despised plastic clubs to rescue this situation. Why them? Because they don’t need it. They don’t need the extra money, they’re bankrolled by bottomless pits of petrodollars. What do City and Chelsea need a European super league for? Only prestige if it were to supersede the champions league. So we’ll destroy the footballing pyramid that has existed for over a century for what? Greed and egos? Bill Shankly must be spinning in his grave.
Anyway, as I said in the title, that’s the first ESL rant but I’m sure it won’t be the last. I just had to vent some of my feelings and I feel like I could write pages of it yet. You’ll be pleased to hear I won’t but if anyone else feels the need to vent about it, then feel free to send in an article or just use the comments section.
A week ago of someone had said I would be signing of an article today with this then I would have laughed but there’s nothing else for it. FSG OUT!!!
Recent Comments