OneMoSalah

But is it really difficult? Were they really backed into a corner? We are talking about some of the most powerful business men and women on the planet. Roman Abramovich has a net worth of 14.9 billion dollars for fuck sake. Do people think he got the success he has had from his businesses or organisations by being backed into a corner by other people? Or do people think he managed to acquire this club when many didn’t want/weren’t sure of him taking over because they were unsure of his intentions by being backed into a corner? Use your head. Think about the magnitude of what you have just said. These are some of the richest businessmen and women on the planet. They shouldn’t panic if they believe something isn’t right, as we and City reportedly did. They are calculated highly intelligent people who didn’t get to where they are or build these clubs to the level they did by doing what they felt wasn’t right. They seen the financial gains and put that ahead of their fans, their employees and ultimately the governing organisations the clubs comply with (regardless of what people feel about them). They weren’t backed into a corner they knew full well what they were doing, the fact a board member from a top 6 PL club has been quoted saying the wider good of the game is a secondary concern is as alarming as it comes. The fan backlash wasn’t there they’d still do it even if it is wrong, 1 million times over. You keep saying who wants to watch this or that if these teams aren't in it etc but the impression I get of anybody who would prefer to watch a super league that has 12 teams who cannot be relegated or changed (they want 15) which if it goes ahead is likely going to be the only football these teams play, is a moron and should go watch NFL or something else in that format. Think about it. If UEFA, FIFA, the domestic FAs all oppose it still and do their sanctions, straight away you lose the lure of players cause they will want to play internationally which is bigger than people give credit for. I mean ask Ngolo Kante and Oliver Giroud what it felt like to win the world cup, they will say it is the greatest sporting achievements of their career 10000%. Ask Leo Messi what his biggest regret in his career is and it will be losing the 2014 world cup final. There will only be 25-30 games a season which is about 50% leas than we get just now. It will be much more expensive more than likely to go see your team play away games. Plus the tv rights for these games will blow anything Sky and BT have paid for the PL games of current out of the water by a mile. US and Saudi countries offered them already. Also especially more so if they’d prefer to watch that instead of an actual footballing league with a proper competitive edge and footballing pyramid that allows for clubs to come in, grow over a period of time etc and challenge the established order of the top clubs. I would say they are basically these types of fans who are only interested in these big games and come out of the woodwork when these are on but then disappear when the smaller games are around, basically the jumping on the bandwagon types. Or secret fans. These would be fans who don’t understand the tradition of these leagues or the clubs or the local rivalries and what they mean. Even then, talking about breaking the leagues established order, I mean who wasn't rooting for Leicester that season they won the league when it started to look very possible because one of our big rivals may have won it if not? Those stories will be non existent with this super league. These 12 teams will be able to open up such a gap that it will literally mean that the gap between the clubs outside these teams in their countries is only going to get severely bigger and bigger. I mean even then you have to earn the right to win leagues, qualify for the CL, EL etc. If you don’t and you get automatically accepted into it there is no merit, no sense of achievement, why anyone would want to follow these 12 clubs in the future would be beyond me ahead of other clubs in other leagues. If the CL and domestic leagues stay, the bigger more historical trophies, people will value those more than some American funded super league for a Micky Mouse cup. Regardless of who’s in it because history and the tradition of these trophies dictate that they are major achievements and mean something to generations of fans. Even the current CL format finishing 4th to get into the CL is wrong and money driven but this Super League is well beyond that. This essentially means 12 clubs don’t need to have a competitive edge to maintain their status or increase their financial gain. If people cant see how on top of everything else this is moronic then I really am struggling to see how they manage to go about their day to day lives. It actually infuriates me that there will be a small percentage of football fans who are for this and cannot see what is happening directly in front of them or choose not to because they will see us play Real Madrid or Barcelona or Inter Milan in glorified exhibition friendlies. Or because their already multi billion pound club will get richer. Its absolutely baffling. The PSG president refusing that role was confirmed earlier. But is still fully committed to the ECA and their reforms for the CL. Not to mention he owns a tv broadcasting station beIN Sports who have huge deals for tv rights with the CL and also heavily involved with the Qatar 2022 World Cup bid so I don’t think he’d be stupid enough to go back on their stance. Its a hard watch when you see a club like PSG, who have been accused and beaten with a stick by supporters of various clubs over the years, such as ours, Citys, Uniteds, Arsenals, Spurs among however many other clubs in the Super League, stand their ground for the good of football. It really is. Presumption was they would join and hats off to them for not. If only the other clubs had the same respect for their fans.

Hope tomorrow he and the players slam it in the post match though, like Klopp, like Milner, like Bamford. As they should do if they feel that way, which I would imagine most will. We know need clubs players and managers to step up around the world to show that they dont want this.

Well if it is legally binding, getting out of it as we and City are meant to be reportedly considering, although now who knows if anyone is actually considering that, will probably be an absolute fucking disaster as well. Is it not meant to be a 23 year commitment apparently? Any club trying to get out of that will end up bankrupt if it is binding as Perez says. Or end up not being able to get out. Which will lead to the sanctions FIFA, UEFA, the FA have said they will seek. This being backed into a corner doesn’t mean anything though or should it save us and City from any criticism, end of the day it was still the club’s decision to sign up for it. I mean we could have said no like Bayern, PSG, Dortmund and Porto did. Theres been huge mentions of we had doubts, City had doubts. If you have doubts, don’t jump head first into something like this, a league that could end up fracturing football all over the world., even for all the money on offer.. its not exactly difficult.

Well if the players and managers don’t kick up a fuss that they might get expelled from the CL here, at Real and at City, the owners probably wont take notice bar the money not going into their pockets also. If they don’t care about what the fans think, why would you assume they’d care how the players felt? Fair or unfair whatever way you look at it, UEFA, FIFA and the FAs have thrown down what will happen so if the clubs don’t turn away from it, it will happen. And for the good of the game I hope they do. If those organisations back down now then it will just get even worse. Players and managers have to take a stance and cannot just be bystanders like the spineless muppets in the boardroom here and at City who felt it wasn’t right but still agreed to go for it out of the fear of missing out. Also if we get expelled from this by Friday like is being predicted, I hope people will understand why its happening and that it will be deserved for the clubs actions. It might not happen but the clubs have signed a letter of intent. That is enough of a statement that they intend to join it and they should be punished for that alone as the repercussions it will have globally for the sport is unfathomable. Cant delay it because it hasn’t started yet. They should hammer all 12 clubs in whatever way they can as we’ve discussed and kicking them out the CL this season whilst maybe unfair for the players at these clubs, isn’t completely severe enough either on its own. That wee Spanish sap can sit and say all he wants regarding the super league but I tend to think UEFA, FIFA, the footballing associations of various countries and governments who all have the same idea will be more difficult to convince than many people think. Plus football clubs dont like bad PR and oh boy are they going to continue to get it for the foreseeable. So it may come back to it doesn’t go ahead but if it doesn’t the ones who want out or have shown the intentions initially should be punished as it stands.

Its not fair on the fans but its not fair on everybody else at other clubs so whatever the circumstances of the clubs actions are we just have to take it on the chin. I hope for the good of the game that UEFA, FIFA, the FA don’t compromise hugely or at all though. Its only fair on the countless other teams and fans all around the globe. Once they start compromising to these clubs when will they stop?

Well what else would you propose for a strong stance from UEFA? Banning them from a competition they have no intention of being in next season, as the super league is effectively in their eyes the replacement for the CL, would be stupid beyond belief so I don’t know what else people want them to do?

Handball surely?

It may not be fair for players/managers or maybe doesn’t seem to show any integrity or whatever but the clubs actions are worthy of these sanctions if you like it or not. Theres no debate. If we weren’t involved I think you’d be less inclined to disagree. We have to look at this impartially.

Well again though, is it fair that clubs like West Ham, Leicester City, Wolfsburg, Eintracht Frankfurt, Atalanta, could end up playing in a CL that is depleted due to these 12 clubs leaving? Or even worse if it replaced the CL completely never be able to get in to it based on merit? Its not just about 12 clubs. Its about the countless others who will also get affected by this. If we don’t back track and they kick us, City and Real out we really cannot complain. They said they would do these things so if they do after we’ve been warned I don’t know what your expecting. Regardless of it ifs fair on managers or players or not, they’ve gave their warning alongside the FA and then throw in the fans views on it, that should of been enough for the clubs. Ultimately these owners should have thought about it before agreeing to join it in the first place and even more so now after they’ve warned about it.I hope they do to send a message. I really do. Don’t want to see us kicked out obviously but in terms of maintaining the integrity of the sport it is absolutely necessarily they set extreme examples. I mean what do you think UEFA should let us off because it wasn’t decided by the manager and players? Really? What sort of example is that going to set? We are talking about 12 clubs forming a super league, not a wee incident or situation. This is going to change football forever and if FIFA, UEFA, the FAs aren’t strong they will become even more irrelevant in the future.

Incredible. They will get pumped by City.

But these players are part of these clubs owned by these owners. You cannot just punish the owners, it maybe isn’t fair on players or fans but its half a message if they say only fined the clubs. I mean, cmon they are all getting €3.5 billion between them for joining this super league and are owned by multi billionaire owners/organisations who have went against their initial promise of developing and restructuring the CL. A fine will be nothing and if they were to make it more severe like the €60 billion figure UEFA are seeming against them which has been mentioned by various outlets, it will go to court and be knocked down to a lesser fee thus doing nothing again. Fines alone are not going to do anything. Will have the same effect of UEFA fining clubs when they are involved with racist incidents, it does nothing. They need to be stern. Players aren’t directly guilty but kicking them out then means clubs have to explain themselves/deal with the coaches or players who weren’t consulted or probably don’t support it, which they should do. This decisions made did not take their work into account or what it could do. These 12 clubs deserve everything they get and if they kick us, City and Real out, which for the good of football I hope they do, then these greedy owners are the ones who will have millions of questions to answers from fans and players alike. You said about fairness. Is it fair these clubs want to break up 3 huge domestic leagues? Which will have huge effects on clubs through their football pyramids in several countries? In a pandemic when clubs are going bust? Nothing is fair in this. But UEFA, FIFA, footballing associations for Spain, England and Italy, they have to be strong. If they kick us out nobody can complain. It will have deservedly been brought on by the owners. No but they jumped into it out of fear of being left behind despite having initial concerns of it. Its embarrassing and backtracking wont improve their public image or how fans feel about it. If fans were ok with it, they would go ahead with it 100%, despite it still being incredibly wrong. They should have known but they didnt. Theres no excuses for everyone involved in the decision making progress and they should be held accountable for their actions, Roman included.

And FIFA, UEFA etc can surely also sue the clubs no? Any club who does get kicked out has a real cheek to sue them for this. They made their bed the minute they put their name to this idea, they have to lie in it now. Anyone who thinks otherwise needs a reality check

True but what is the best way to hurt a clubs owners than kick them out a competition that if they win they get a 100m prize from? Or strip their titles? Or ban them from being in domestic leagues? Aye it is not fair on fans or players but shouldn’t clubs owners not have thought about this before agreeing to it? When it was obviously going to be objected to? Thats why fans and players should be going to clubs and asking what the fuck is going on? There can be no half measures. Even the stripping titles point Gary Neville made yesterday. They should consider it. Send a message. No club or collection of clubs is bigger than FIFA, UEFA or their domestic leagues footballing associations. If they are talking about sending an instant message its the only way. If they back down now people will just do what they want cause they can get away with it.

Thing is now lets say this super league goes ahead, teams leave domestic leagues, dont play world cups or euro tournaments, whats to stop other teams breaking away and forming other leagues in the future also? People dont seem to understand the magnitude of it. Its going to rip football apart.

I think they should take us Real and City out and put the likes of Porto through, Dortmund through and make Leipzig/Atalanta play and put one of them through as they played against Liverpool and Madrid. It would send a message. People may think is a bit ridiculous but they have to send a message. There are also rumours we and City are looking at a way out if it already, due to the backlash from all the governing bodies and fans etc but honestly, thats even worse than joining it in the first place due to fear of missing out/being left behind. Knowing it wasn’t the right thing to do by the fans and jumping in to it with reservations is an absolute embarrassment and everyone one of them should be sacked.

Very cautious comments from Tuchel regarding the ESL. Suppose he cant say too much as he’s only a manager but I think there will be people who speak out about it, following Hasenhuttl and there will be others at the 14 clubs outside of the top 6 who will. I think these guys should be giving their opinion on it though, they should give their honest opinion on it. As should the players.

Of course they are because they think that they can just solve this problem with money. They are so naive it is unbelievable.

Just out whoever said this. No point in hiding their identity. Oh person X Y or Z said the clubs think this... also the board members who felt powerless? Isn’t it not their job to protect the clubs best interests? If they felt it wasnt within their best interests why did they not make themselves heard or oppose it? What a bunch of spineless cunts. From our board to the 11 others and particularly the ones who felt as if it was a bad idea. Just sums up modern day football. Wanting players to be banned from playing internationals? What a shambles. If this is the route it goes you can bet there will be lots of folk wanting out of their contracts. I hope UEFA and FIFA are strong on this. What’s the point in sport if it isn’t competitive? 12 clubs who cannot be relegated from a league? Or even if they get beat every game cannot be replaced? Glorified exhibition games.

Ah well. If it happens, what a great way for City, us and Real to say fuck you to the players and their efforts this season basically... may as well stop playing the remaining games as they wont account for anything next season.

All points I agree with but again regarding walking away, if hes on X,Y or Z a year hes never going to. Was same here both times too. I suppose taking only 2 points v Newcastle, United and Everton isn’t particularly impressive and theyve not been great but if they wanted to salvage their season they should of done it sooner. Just find the timing really odd. Having no manager in place prior to a cup final is baffling. I know we won a CL and FA cup with Di Matteo who was basically a novice as a PL manager but there are exceptional circumstances and once in a lifetime moments.

True but Spurs haven't won a trophy since what 2008? Why sack the manager who got you there a week before, even more so considering Kane is likely to miss out and put a 29 year old with 0 managerial experience in his place? Its may have just papered over the obvious cracks as you’ve said but the logic behind it is frighteningly off. Mourinho may be passed his best but if you had the choice of him managing a team in a cup final or an absolute novice, surely it would make sense to stick with him? This is why I think the rumours re the super league makes more sense. Maybe not but I dont see why Spurs would do it when there are maybe 4-5 weeks left of the season. After yesterdays announcement too from all the clubs, the timing is odd.

They’re saying its results based. But they’re a week off a cup final and haven’t won a trophy in years? And if it was results based why not pull the trigger much earlier? Makes no sense.

Apparently refused to hold training due to Spurs involvement with the super league. Apparently Spur’s have said it was result based but if that was the case why did they not sack him a while ago? They were also a week away from a cup final.. 100% more likely to do with super league for me. Will he be the first of many? Looking forward to his statement as this will clear it up you would imagine.

I wish people would stop saying we are joining because of fear of missing out as if it means anything. Or makes it any better. We still joined it. Bayern and Dortmund said no. PSG said no. Club had the chance to set a precedent as one of Europe’s leading clubs and we didnt. Nor did United, Arsenal and Liverpool who’s history is a huge part of English football. Mourinho apparently lost his job today because he refused to train the players because of Spurs decision to join the super league.

Wouldn’t be worrying about transfers for now. We have no idea what is going to happen and the next few weeks indefinitely, nobody will be talking or thinking about transfers. Also if this league goes ahead and these teams do break off, isn’t it not just going to make clubs demand more money to sell to these teams for players, further inflating the transfer market? To offset the potential losses they will make by teams leaving these leagues? And really? A salary cap in a 4.3 billion pound super league? Now thats ironic.