***Offical*** English Football Season 2004/05

[chris.hinton]

Personally i would like to see a 4th team challenge for the Premiership.... some one like Liverpool, Newcastle or Aston Villa.

The Sooner we have a European Super League the better

 

[Neil Pickup]

Personally i would like to see a 4th team challenge for the Premiership.... some one like Liverpool, Newcastle or Aston Villa.

The Sooner we have a European Super League the better

What's your logic behind the ESL?

 

[marc71178]

Makes it easier for WBA to be in the Premiership?

 

[Magrat Garlick]

I actually think the ESL is a good idea - if only because it gets rid of the same clubs competing for the title again and again. At the moment, all the prize money goes into the big clubs, and a positive feedback circle is created for them (money -> better players -> success -> money...I know this breaks down for some clubs, but it is generally true) - while the other clubs struggle to even get into Europe, let alone compete on the big stage. About 20 clubs in Europe are far ahead of the rest at the moment - and this gap is only increasing year after year. Of course this was all created by the Champions' League idea and the vast prize money that all goes to the clubs and to UEFA, but the only solution I see now is that those 20 clubs go in and form an ESL, stop bothering the rest of us, who can continue to cheer on our own clubs as normal. Another plus is that it would help a congested fixture list.

Whether an ESL would be profitable or not is another question - I know a lot of people here are already tired of the CL because of so many meaningless matches, will they be more enthused by a league? I for one hope not (I wish for the eventual ESL to go bankrupt and most of the clubs to return to their domestic leagues on a somewhat more realistic level than now).

 

[superkingdave]

What's your logic behind the ESL?

Chris Hinton - Logic? Surely an oxymoron!

 

[Neil Pickup]

Losing the big names would surely heavily damage the interest of the general public in the domestic leagues, leaving more and more clubs heading down diahorrea drive.

And Mutu - seven months? You are having a laugh, mate.

 

[marc71178]

What would you have done then Neil?

In real terms, it's longer than Ferdinand's, but they couldn't go over that 8 months as that would send out all the wrong messages.

 

[Neil Pickup]

They never had proof over Ferdinand's use though.

It's an interesting indicator, given the Wagg case is identical, and he got 18.

 

[superkingdave]

There wasn't the pressure to give a harsh sentence as there would have been if Mutu was English. If he was English he would have got at least a year.

Stam, Davids and Couto all got little more than half of Mutu's total.

 

[marc71178]

Missing the test is just as bad.

Had they given more than 8 it would have sent out the message 'miss the test"

 

[Craig]

What would you have done then Neil?

In real terms, it's longer than Ferdinand's, but they couldn't go over that 8 months as that would send out all the wrong messages.

But didn't that kind of happened when that Man City player said he didn't show up to his random drug test last year because he had to pick up his mum from the airport, which identical IMO to Ferdinand missing his test, and yet he got what amounted to was a slap on the wrist.

Interesting that Arsene Wegner said he would consider giving Mutu a second chance when his ban expires. Maybe he sees Mutu as a replacement striker when Bergkamp retires and on aa ffree tranfer?

 

[marc71178]

The Negouai (sp) case isn't the same - for a start, nobody explained to him in his own language what he was expected to do.

Also, I believe his club co-operated with the FA completely and didn't bring in their lawyers etc. and send false stories around the media.

 

[Craig]

How? They both missed the test.

And you and I both no ignorance of the law isn't an excuse, and couldn't you then blame Man City for not having the brains to get in somebody in who speaks the same language as him to tell him what was expected.

And what club wouldn't try to defend one of their biggest players and wage earners if they were in a similar situation?

 

[marc71178]

There's defending the player and then there's defending the player by being disruptive and providing false stories.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Oh, aren’t Arsenal brilliant?

 

[Tom Halsey]

Missing the test is just as bad.

Had they given more than 8 it would have sent out the message 'miss the test"

You are possibly the most anti-United person I have ever come across. How the hell is missing it but having no proof of use as bad as taking drugs? I can see why they should have the same punishment (otherwise everyone would just miss the test) but it is still much worse to test positive anyway.

 

[Tom Halsey]

There's defending the player and then there's defending the player by being disruptive and providing false stories.

City still had no excuse whatsoever, and should have had some common sense to stop it in the first place. And if they did try, then the player is clearly at fault and should have gotten the same as Rio.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Following Ferdinand getting eight months, there was no way they could give anything longer to Mutu.

Had they done so, any footballers who had taken anything would miss tests in the knowledge they'd get a shorter ban than if they tested positive. No option.

Both should have been whacked with two years.

 

[Tom Halsey]

I agree, but I don’t (if you see what I mean) because previously to Rio, Stam, Davids etc. had only got small punishments and to suddenly give someone 2 years would have been very harsh. That said, it probably should have happened, just Stam etc should have gotten 2 years too.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Yes Manure might have done it 2 season ago - but they were also pretty poor for a bit of last season, as well as this - and now there's 2 teams 9 points ahead of them who aren't going to throw it away.

United were just as out of it 2 years ago as they are now. Don’t rule us out until it is ridiculously impossible. 9 points (or whatever it is) with most of the season left is not impossible.