You know what really grinds my sporting gears?

[Redbacks]

They ran a theory on capping salary spending based on 50-60% of revenue, or over a 3 season adjusted value (European governments couldn't even manage such things). This could hinder sides from going for broke ala Leeds, but in the end, a billionares playground is the state the comp has been allowed to become.

 

[Redbacks]

Ed Smith referenced a study into the effect of salary caps in his last book. They found that they make little or no impact on the relative success of each side. The best players still want to play for the best clubs. The most obvious example is the NY Yankees dominating baseball for years even with a salary cap.

Wish i could find the study, because it's really quite convincing. If people think English football has been dominated too much by four teams (United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Blackburn presumably) they'll need to find me a better solution.

12 different NFL winners in 14 years I'm pretty sure. All 16 teams in the AFL have made the top 4 once in the last 10 years. But i'm not even arguing for a salary cap, just that it grinds my gears these clubs telling us how great they are when they paid 200 million to build their side by cherry picking top players from else where.

It's the pointless neverland of the clubs in the middle of the competition that's the problem with the EPL from an outside view, and given the ridiculous leverage the clubs are under it's no longer a matter of the man in the corporate seat/terraces but selling stupid numbers of merchandise to Asia/Africa. How would these bandwaggoners react if new team came to the top? I guess it's in the best interess of the other clubs to continue to cop it in the **** then....

 

[GIMH]

12 different NFL winners in 14 years I'm pretty sure. All 16 teams in the AFL have made the top 4 once in the last 10 years. But i'm not even arguing for a salary cap, just that it grinds my gears these clubs telling us how great they are when they paid 200 million to build their side by cherry picking top players from else where.

It's the pointless neverland of the clubs in the middle of the competition that's the problem with the EPL from an outside view, and given the ridiculous leverage the clubs are under it's no longer a matter of the man in the corporate seat/terraces but selling stupid numbers of merchandise to Asia/Africa. How would these bandwaggoners react if new team came to the top? I guess it's in the best interess of the other clubs to continue to cop it in the **** then....

And there's the point, you clearly don't understand English football and the way it works. To call any club outside of the top four 'pointless' is a ridiculous assertion, and somewhat disrespectful.

 

[Jamee999]

Ed Smith referenced a study into the effect of salary caps in his last book. They found that they make little or no impact on the relative success of each side. The best players still want to play for the best clubs. The most obvious example is the NY Yankees dominating baseball for years even with a salary cap.

Wish i could find the study, because it's really quite convincing. If people think English football has been dominated too much by four teams (United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Blackburn presumably) they'll need to find me a better solution.

Baseball doesn't have a salary cap. It has more things to equal out the league than the Premiership, for example (the draft, etc.), but the Yankees win because their owner is willing to spend the house. Their list of free agency signings over the last 10-15 years is massive.

 

[Uppercut]

Baseball doesn't have a salary cap. It has more things to equal out the league than the Premiership, for example (the draft, etc.), but the Yankees win because their owner is willing to spend the house. Their list of free agency signings over the last 10-15 years is massive.

Was referring to the Yankees in the 1950s. They don't win just because their owner is willing to spend the house, and that's proven by the fact that they won just as much (far more in fact) before salary caps were removed.

 

[Jono]

And there's the point, you clearly don't understand English football and the way it works. To call any club outside of the top four 'pointless' is a ridiculous assertion, and somewhat disrespectful.

That's because their expectations are lowered. The fact is though, they have no chance at all of winning the championship whatsoever.

You're refusing to accept that the EPL is now an international sport, and the fact is, many of the mid-table clubs are almost non-existent until they play a big 4 team.

 

[Uppercut]

That's because their expectations are lowered. The fact is though, they have no chance at all of winning the championship whatsoever.

You're refusing to accept that the EPL is now an international sport, and the fact is, many of the mid-table clubs are almost non-existent until they play a big 4 team.

The Premier League (not the EPL) isn't international, it belongs to England and to English fans. Feel free to watch it if you like, though. But if the teams outside the top four mean something to the fans in England then they mean something to the people who matter.

 

[Jono]

Haha, sure. That's fairly wishful thinking, because unlike many other leagues, teams are reliant on its international fanbase. And ignoring that factor is naieve.

But hey, if fans from Wigan are happy aiming to eventually reach 8th within the next 20 years, that's cool. I hope their fans achieve the summit.

 

[BoyBrumby]

That's because their expectations are lowered. The fact is though, they have no chance at all of winning the championship whatsoever.

You're refusing to accept that the EPL is now an international sport, and the fact is, many of the mid-table clubs are almost non-existent until they play a big 4 team.

It is true to say that one cuts one's cloth accordingly to whichever team one supports, but that doesn't follow that "smaller" clubs are non-existent unless bathed in the glow of one of the big 4. Newcastle (who finished 18th) drag in 40,000 every home game.

 

[Jono]

It is true to say that one cuts one's cloth accordingly to whichever team one supports, but that doesn't follow that "smaller" clubs are non-existent unless bathed in the glow of one of the big 4. Newcastle (who finished 18th) drag in 40,000 every home game.

But no one has ever denied the popularity of the league, or the teams in it. I'm not here claiming mid-table teams are near death, like some AFL teams.

People are saying their significance as competition is undoubtedly insignificant.

The teams get more publicity and attention when they're on the verge of relegation than when they're stuck in the middle.

 

[Redbacks]

It's no doubt a cultural thing, in the US and Aus we don't have the remnants of monarchism hanging over us and therefore see stupidity in plutocracy (no right or wrong answer) and would rather aim for something closer to meritocracy.

 

[Jamee999]

 

[Uppercut]

Haha, sure. That's fairly wishful thinking, because unlike many other leagues, teams are reliant on its international fanbase. And ignoring that factor is naieve.

But hey, if fans from Wigan are happy aiming to eventually reach 8th within the next 20 years, that's cool. I hope their fans achieve the summit.

Bollocks they're reliant on their international fanbases. They existed for a hundred years with no Chinese fanboys and they can exist for a hundred more if need be. The only reason they try to attract fans from all over the world is to compete with each other. The league as a whole could still exist no problem.

 

[irfan]

Something still needs to be done to redress the imbalance between the big 4 or 5 (if you include Man City) and the rest. As I don't understand the finer details of the EPL, I can't really advocate a solution but you just can't have the recently promoted teams to continually aim to avoid relegation every season, mid-table teams to stay mid-table with no chance of competing with the big 5 and only the top teams fighting for honours.

It's just annoying that you can't ever see a Boro, Everton, Tottenham and Villa consistently be in the top 5 due to in part the vast financial disparities between them and your Man U's, Chelsea's etc.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Okay, let's put this into contrast, only 8 teams have EVER won La Liga in Spain (since 1928). Only 14 teams in Italy have ever won the Scudetto (since 1898). Englands are higher than both and even in recent years, only 4 teams have won the EPL only 5 teams have won La Liga in the same time and thanks to a freak season from an awesome Deportivo team (inb4 Blackburn).

The amazing amount of flack the EPL cops for this is ridiculous, out of the best leagues in Europe only the Netherlands and Germany have a recent history of being particularly interesting (and only recently). Lyon in France had something like 10 straight championships until taken down this season. There's no denying it's a problem but seriously, get some perspective and paint the real picture.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Okay, let's put this into contrast, only 8 teams have EVER won La Liga in Spain (since 1928). Only 14 teams in Italy have ever won the Scudetto (since 1898). Englands are higher than both and even in recent years, only 4 teams have won the EPL only 5 teams have won La Liga in the same time and thanks to a freak season from an awesome Deportivo team (inb4 Blackburn).

The amazing amount of flack the EPL cops for this is ridiculous, out of the best leagues in Europe only the Netherlands and Germany have a recent history of being particularly interesting (and only recently). Lyon in France had something like 10 straight championships until taken down this season. There's no denying it's a problem but seriously, get some perspective and paint the real picture.

V true. Can also add to that the Portuguese league where only Boasvista in 2001 have won from outside of the big three (Sporting, Benefica & Porto) since 1947 and actually in the Netherlands AZ67's two crowns are the only time the title has been outside of their own big three (Ajax, PSV & Feynoord) since 1965.

Scotland also, complete old firm hegemony since 1985.

 

[Jono]

Its a problem with association football in general. Just never been a point to talk about the other leagues on here because its not as heavily followed.

Always thought Scotland were the worst of the lot. Basically a two team league.

 

[Uppercut]

Its a problem with association football in general. Just never been a point to talk about the other leagues on here because its not as heavily followed.

Always thought Scotland were the worst of the lot. Basically a two team league.

And they're the two most obnoxious teams in the world.

 

[irfan]

So what can be done to level the playing field in all the major domestic leagues in general?

Obviously whatever the plan is, it's going to be a slow process but some sort of financial redistribution/greater opportunity to loan/buy players for teams at the bottom relative to the rest has to be considered.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

How do you suggest absolutely any of those ideas could work, even in the slightest.