Premier League 2010/11 general thread

[prinnysquad]

Oh look, Muppet Show is at Villa Park again. Prick.

Talking of pricks ... one up front for Sunlun! 2-0 down already. GOOD WORK. Bruce's philosophy seems to be that attack is the worst form of defence, in a team leaking goals.

[abigsmurf]

Sturridge is doing amazing things at Bolton.

He could've been doing amazing things at Chelsea if Ancelotti had actually started him...

[prinnysquad]

Shambles. 4 lost off the belt. The decision not to sign a centre forward in January is ruining the season ... a monumental oversight from Chunk.

And shame on FammyDodd for not beating 10-man Mags. If our pampered tossers had a rocket up their arse and some self-pride like the Mags obviously do from recent results/situations, then we wouldn't be sinking like a hard ****. Coming back from 4 down against the Arse ... we would never have done that in a million years. Too scared and poorly motivated.

Another lousy sporting day.

[merf]

http://swissramble.blogspot.com/2011/03/sunderlands-problem-is-not-their-fans.html

one for you Sunderland fans, a nice disection of how financially stuffed you are and I never realised how you are in the Chelsea, Man City, Villa, Stoke group of being funded by a wealthy sugar daddy way beyond your means.

[prinnysquad]

I read that last night. That fact is not a surprise. Although thankfully, the loans aren't 'owed' in the traditional sense. What is a surprise is how poor the board's exploration of sponsorship and the commercial avenues is. Sunderland were financially stuffed after getting relegated and needed bailing out by Drumaville. They still owed big time when Short bought the club. He's erased much of the old debt, and should he pull out, they'd just have to flog flog flog to reduce the wage bill. In the meantime, the chief exec et al should try to pull in greater revenue to narrow the gap in spending and means. Probably why they got in Miliband The Defeated as a new profile-enhancing bod.

That gap is always going to hapen when a wealthy owner comes in.

[merf]

highlights the interesting problem too that the new UEFA financial fairplay initiative brings in, as in spending to get better a team like Sunderland don't currently meet the criteria financially to play in the competitions they are striving to qualify for, so whilst being well intentioned it could be actually building an even higher wall around the cosy champs league club that the big teams belong too.

[prinnysquad]

It is an odd one. If we ever got to Europe, it could raise the club's profile enough to open new revenue streams, and become more self-sufficient. But under UEFA rules, we probably wouldn't be allowed into the competition anyway. We'd have to reduce expenditure to live within our means. That may involve reducing the wage bill, thus weakening the squad and rubbishing our own chances of getting into future Euro competition.

How many clubs in England could currently reach a European position in the league without spending big? I can't see anyone getting into the Champions League beyond a handful of clubs who currently have the already-established worldwide brands and considerable commercial, including tv, income. Like you say, a closed shop. It's almost as if UEFA are saying that the old business adage of 'speculate to accumulate' isn't an option. Unfortunately for everyone else, they need to do that to stand a chance of getting on the same platform as the traditionally big clubs.

[abigsmurf]

The thing with UEFA is the two examples they give of sensible financial practices are incredibly flawed: Barcelona (benefit from incredibly favourable loans garnered through government influence), Arsenal (big stadium, most expensive ticket prices in the UK, Champions league year in year out... Made a £2-6mill loss)

[merf]

Arsenal's was a mid-year loss not a full year loss and I think it will be fully reversed and back in the black at full year. The way season ticket and tv money comes in half year figures can get a bit out of shape.

Porto & Lyon are held up as examples too of amazing financial prowess but their model relies on a over-funded club like Madrid or Chelsea or City to pay silly fees, which is what UEFA want to get shot of, making the selling club model harder to achieve.

[abigsmurf]

Ferguson's probably going to get charged for his rant after the Chelsea game.

As he's on a suspended punishment already, even a small fine will mean he misses 2 games. He probably should receive a ban for punishment for this as well given it's easily as bad as the one he was punished for. He could end up sitting out 6 games if the punishment level is consistent.

He's the only manager I know that keeps launching personal attacks on refs. His rant went pretty much beyond what I've seen written from any Man U fan.

[arcnas]

Dont bet on this its fergie he got off a 110 mph driving ban as he had the ****s , and got away with speeding along the hard shoulder, the FA wont have the balls to ban him, id put money on it.

[abigsmurf]

He's been charged now.

[Flabio]

BBC News just reporting that Kolo Toure has been suspended after failing a drugs test...

[toythatkills]

Iiiiiinteresting. Would Man City be punished for that? I've no idea what's happened in the past

[Flabio]

Generally the club isn't punished, but the player bans can last years. Depends what the substance actually is, and they don't have that detail yet.