Time for a European Superleague?

Any super league would result in the Premier League being viewed as second best. Winning it, or even finishing in the top 6 will be tempered by the fact it was done without the best teams involved. All TV money and media attention will automatically go to the super league.

I hate what football is becoming and the power the top clubs have but it's preferable to seeing them disappear to another level entirely.

 

I think it’s hard to adjust to this idea because of how things currently are.

You have to look ten years down the road. 16 - 20 teams essentially have their own football, this global superbrand commercial machine with 1% of footballers paid silly amounts of money, games played all over the world, bit like American sports.

They would be completely separate to every other team and every other league, there’s no competition with them any more, no need to pay stupid sums of money, no promotion to join them, so no ‘holy grail’ to chase.

All other leagues would be as they are, the top flight, a tiered league system, domestic and European competition.

You re-start and you introduce very strict rules about spending, HG quotas etc. There will still be big and small clubs, but well run clubs with good transfer models, good player development and coaching has more of a say than it does now.

Clubs could easily survive financially and remain professional. Leagues one and two get tiny tv income and they are professional. The Scottish premier league is professional.

I’d even pick a superleague team to ‘support’ , could even change allegiance each year based on factors you find important. But Watford would still be my club and going into the next season I’d know that we could win something, as opposed to praying for 7th spot.

 

They won’t vote on it. It would be mandated by UEFA. And as you say the naughty 8 can break away and play endless league touring matches if they wish with the highlight being a super cup that starts at the quarter final. Players cannot play in Internationals. And if they want to come back then it’s bottom of the pyramid time.

 

I honestly think by year 5 the superleague would die. Who wants to see AC Milan v Chelsea when they are miles behind top spot and there is no relegation? It is just friendly after friendly after friendly. Just meaningless touring pap, and likely charging cup final prices each match. Attendances falter and that’s the beginning of the end.

 

I don’t know, I think again it’s all about fans mindsets. We’re so used to how it is, but let’s be honest, how many fans from the big six really care about who gets relegated? They don’t, why would they, it’s an alien league to them now. There’s zero chance of it happening.

The super league would work if the branding was done well enough, people would watch because it’s all the best players in the world in one league.

And I’d be happy for them to play for their international teams as well. Id still want the best World Cup, and at least with that it’s still where you were born as opposed to how much you’ve been bought and paid for.

 

No, but they understand money. In the long term a closed-shop TV League will reduce the money flowing into football, but by that time the people who initiated it will have made their pile and moved on

 

No thanks. The Champion's League is good as it is. Also, a Super League would kill all-round investment in domestic competitions, damaging the game overall.

And these things often just go in cycles. Just wait til the Abu Dhabis get bored of financing their plaything, or hit on slightly more difficult times - as per Abramovic with Chelsea.

And who could have anticipated in 2001 when Leeds reached the CL semi final, and Man City were relegated, that less than 20 years later the tables would have turned so significantly?

 

One idea to keep investment outside superleague high is to abolish transfers between leagues and have a once a year superleague “draft” where superleague teams can take non super league players across Europe. A club which has a player taken 1st pick gets 200 million from superleague going to down to final 60th pick which gets 20 million. Non superleague teams can transfer amongst themselves as usual. Superleague picks in reverse order to league positions. Superleague teams can pass on their picks if they don’t fancy the 200m fee and the 1st pick goes to 2nd and so on. Once the best team has taken or passed their 3rd pick then it is done for the year. Superleague teams cannot sell to non superleague but they have maximum 25 man roster and must release superfluous players for no transfer fees to free up draft spots.

 

If the organisers were smart they would model a super league on American sports. Split the 16 teams, say, into 4 groups of 4. Everyone could play everyone else home and away over a season (30 games) but the top teams from the four groups, irrespective of overall record qualify for the semi-finals. Then you have a Grand Final. You could even introduce a wild card concept if you wanted to keep more teams in with a chance towards the end.

 

Interesting comments on this ONLY Newcastle and Palace weren't worried about any gulf of percieved class when they beat city.....Palace even done it at the Etihad no problems.....Watford are at worst on a par with those clubs. Actually I feel they are better than those clubs! No European super league needed!

 

Yes but CP just got lucky. 3 shots, 3 goals inc that Townsend effort. That's the only way we'd beat you......luck.

 

Honestly I struggle to understand the negativity on here......you lost one game against the best team in Europe right now. Watford are a team City fans are always a bit flappy about. It always feels to us that a game against you including even "The" final" could well go your way.....
Huge, Huge chance after 11 minutes......it goes in? Game on.
2-0 down starting second half.....the game hinged on next goal.
YouBOSSED game first 10 mins of second half. Had drive,set tempo. Caused a lot of issue but couldn't find another guilt edged chance.....
The game , what happened next was irrelevant it was all about those " moments".
You have a good side possibly need 3 or 4 additions . Possibly a out of your league? Loan?
But make no mistake the hornets are a good outfit....

 

Maybe. But there would need to be protection from the predators even then. Remember we simply couldn't stop Man City taking Sancho away from us.

 

Or Liverpool taking John Barnes.

 

Yes, but remember the Premier League is a breakaway itself.

 

Or Watford taking John Barnes from Sutton United.

 

Touché ;-)

 

You call it a breakaway which is correct but it was a rebranding exercise as much as anything.

 

What you say is kind of true regarding the final. But let’s be honest here, I think our record against you since joining the premier league is something like played 11 lost 11 having conceded an average of 3/4 goals per game.

However, it’s not even about Man City or the final itself and we’ve discussed this point on here before then.

The statistics show that recent seasons the gulf between the top six and the rest has widened. Games won, percentage of the ball per game, the margin of victories. Doesn’t matter how you wrap it up it’s becoming a Big Daddy (or hulk hogan for the slightly younger crowd) v joe bloggs situation.

I’ll give city and Liverpool this much, the money spent has been spent well and the talent bought used well by the managers. But even united, who apparently had an absolutely shocking season still finished miles ahead of the rest as did arsenal last season after their ‘woeful ‘ year.

Most of my friends are big six supporters and they get all upperty when a team outside of them sack their manager, like Brighton last week “can’t believe they did that, he kept them up didn’t he” yeah great, bet Brighton fans had a whale of a time watching 3 wins in 23 with the dullest style of football served up. Here’s my £40, thanks for the great day.

When you’re smashing all and sundry it’s easy to say it’s all rosy, 2nd place and losing in a final would be seen as a crap season for you now.

Do you have any suggestions to even the playing field whilst you’re here? Or not something you’re keen on seeing?

 

Don’t underestimate the ability of Sky/BT to hype things up.

Attendances pretty irrelevant in a Made for China TV spectacle. They can cgt in crowd if they had to.

 

JB Sutton?

Wtf?

 

Much cleverer than that.

It was positioned as a relabelling of Division 1 but was the creation of a completely separate entity.

Said entity changed the face of football through its newly won negotiating power.

 

I can understand the thinking about this when we've just been trounced by City. But things do change over time and maybe City won't get their financial backing for ever.
But, of course, this is meant as a much more generalised discussion.
I remember sitting next to an American businessman while being treated to a meal at a Chelsea match a couple of years ago. We were surrounded by football tourists from all over and he was one of them. He had already travelled from the States to Belgium and then he and his son-in-law decided to pop over to England for a day, a match and a meal. So not short of a dollar or two. He said 'I know very little about football but I do know a good business model when I see one - and the Premier League have got one.'
Yes, and this business model is like a giant house of cards: It owes its generation to Rupert Murdoch, who understood early on the potential of globalisation and of electronic media within it (Sky). People the World over can now watch the best footballers wherever they are. The Premier League is relentlessly and brilliantly being sold as the best.
We all know there is a lot of good football being played all over the place, but as long as the sales pitch is kept up the Premiership is what people want to watch.
If the 'Super League' kicks off my bet is that the house of cards comes crashing down. The spell is broken. There won't be 'less money' coming in, there will be no money. It's all or nothing.
Who can be sure?
We have been spoilt with the standard of football we regularly watch. Time and again supporters rant about players they perceive as 'rubbish'. Actually, no they are not - average players in the Premier are actually very good players indeed, either considered historically or geographically. But we become blasé.
It should not be forgotten that Watford are doing very well, relatively, in this dog-eat-dog competitive situation. Imagine being a Rochdale supporter for instance; they must feel equally hopeless and helpless when drawn against Watford in the Cup.
Football has always been competitive, and that includes off the pitch.
Maybe we should be careful what we wish for.
That is not to say nothing should be done to level the playing-field somewhat, but probably you think this post is too long already.

 

I bet players will be able to play in internationals. UEFA will give in to blackmail by the big clubs, as it always has done

 

No super league needed. Would kill football all together in the long run. Just an absolute terrible idea that should never happen.

In regards to making the league more competitive, they shouldn’t spilt the TV money equally amongst the bottom 10-12 teams. They should give the most amount of money to whoever finishes 17th and the least amount to whoever finishes 1st. That way, over time, the league is far more interesting than it is now. If you finished 1st, why do you need more than everyone else to invest, you clearly already have the best team. So work with what you have, and only be able to add 2/3 players, while the teams below you can invest a little bit more into their team to catch up.

 

An extraordinarily creative idea!

Of course, Citeh would somehow end up 17th every year.

Overall, a little too socialistic for the modern palate?

 

There is a lot to commend this. I may well be wrong, but isn't something like this done in the baseball league? The key is to persuade the biggest clubs that it is actually in their long-term interest to do this. Mind you, trying this persuasion would be like trying to reason with a sack full of angry monkeys.

 

This is essentially the principle US sports, which exist in a closed system, work on using the draft system to constantly level the playing field. It’s just one aspect of how they truly work as a ‘league’, to benefit all teams in the long run. Collective marketing is another. The only real competition is on the field of play and the aim is to make all major league teams ‘big’ clubs. Football’s approach is diametrically opposed to this and aims for the big clubs crushing the smaller ones.

 

Hmm that sounds like socialism. Or Americanism. Bizarrely, it's both!

 

Don't believe in the American free market.

Many markets are geared up to minimise competition & hence favour the incumbent.

This is Buffett's founding insight.

 

Is he still in goal for PSG?

 

In my life time the playing field has never been even and never will be....
Financial fair play ( a stick many uneducated fans like to beat city with) is the biggest threat to evening things up for the " lucky" few.
Why if I was a billionaire would I buy Newcastle,Leeds,Everton or Watford.....if I am not allowed to invest?
We're Watford fans OK in the third round against was it Yeovil...? Or how as a club did you look to give little Yeovil a chance? Did you walk in two own goals and field only 10 players?
It is only 3 years ago ? Leicester city won the title? Are they soooo much more talented than Watford?
Why did Watford not pay £1million for Jamie Vardy? Hardly out of your league?
I totally agree with you on Brighton.....sky always have an agenda( usually against city!) . Shock horror Houghton sacked! Let's talk to a few of our guys about racism in football. No black managers etc.
NO he was sacked because HE did not keep Brighton up. They would have targeted the magical 40 points and didn't get near it. They kept their status by the ineptitude of others not by what they were able to achieve.....
They were the worst team by far in premier league. Zero pace up front. A 34/35 year old journey man exceeding expectation getting enough goals , barely. Knock art the only pace or threat they carry.
Dunk and Duffy two good centre backs and that was it.....their FA cup semi was a shocker as a spectacle.

As far as statistics go I am no expert however in the final I find it odd why your goalie would kick every goal kick long. Into at best a 50/50 situation knowing that if you lost the ball you may not get it back for a while! That is now dinosaur football.....even England try and keep possession ( it's important you can't score without the ball !)

City's midfield to start was David Silva, Gundogan,and Bernado ! One with a shot knee who can't run ( Gundogan,) 34 year old David Silva and 5ft 7 ....10 stone Bernado.....and yet Watford never imposed themselves physically by getting close and using their physical advantages in that area...?

Ho, City fans aren't arrogant.....whatever Sky try's to tell you. 2nd wouldn't be a bad season. Failure to win champions league is no issue to us...... We used to have season highlight videos that consisted of throw ins ! So yes we are in a good era.

 

One of the worst outcomes is that the third tier is now called Division 1. How bloody ridiculous and confusing. 35 years ago Watford and L**** were in Div 1. Last season L**** won it so must have progressed tremendously, or did they ?

 

At 88, he was deemed too old for a new contract.

 

This is maybe not the best example.