The Final Countdown
Todays the day then. The biggest moneyspinner in football history starts and it would be good if the World Cup kicked off with a shock win for Costa Rica just to throw the predictions into disarray and make everyone sit up and take notice. Somehow I cannot see that happening but you can live in hope. Having put my neck on the block with Group predictions, here is how I see the rest of the tournament panning out:
2nd Round winners
England
Germany
Argentina
France
Italy
Brazil
Spain
Holland
Quarter Final winners
England
Brazil
Argentina
Italy
Semi Final winners
England
Argentina
Final
England 2 - 1 Argentina
FIFA have announced that their Conference has mandated a cut in the number of top flight clubs in each country, setting the level at eighteen teams. This means that Spain, France, Italy and England have to lose two teams. Not that this is for the good of the game; no it is to free up four more dates for the International Calendar. Understandably the Premier League are not happy. Spokesman Dan Johnson said, "The only people who are going to tell us how to run the Premier League are the league's 20 member clubs' chairmen. They are the only ones who can change the composition of the league and they are just not going to go for this - no way."
What is mystifying is that he actually believes this to be true. Message for Mr Johnson and his "crew". If FIFA dictate that there is to be a cut, then the Premier League loses two teams. You may not like the rationale, and I don't on this occasion, but it will happen. Unless of course, the Premier League are going to pick the mother of all fights with FIFA. Should this happen, then expect all manner of punishments to be threatened by the ruling body. But this proposal troubles me. FIFA serve the game as a whole and are expected to ensure it flourishes at all levels. Replacing four league matches with four internationals does not achieve this. Indeed, I would question whether there is an appetite from supporters for watching four more international matches, particularly if these were friendlies. It is hard to see what else they will be as the World Cup in European terms is already crowded unless of course, young Mr Blatter is planning to dump two European places from the next tournament and hand them off to Asia / South America or Africa. Then the structure of the European Qualifying tournament would have to change with either larger groups or a smaller number of Play-Off places.
If UEFA chime in on the side of FIFA, then expect to hear about expansion of the Champions League. It is little wonder that the clubs do not want less League Games. The key bartering point is going to be payments to players whilst on International duty. If four more dates are added at International level, then FIFA may well find itself railroaded into agreeing a sum per international, possibly at 75% of the players salary. Can the Ivory Coast afford the cash for all of their European based internationals wages? What happens if an FA fails to pay the clubs? Will they stop their players representing their countries until bills are settled? This is a row waiting to happen.
Football Rumours are always good fun especially the ones that sound like they will improve Arsenal's defence. So St Etienne's interest in Pascal Cygan is good news...
Todays Tunes come courtesy of Jennings at rbally, a marvellous mp3 blog. Below are two tracks from Matthew's Celebrity Pixies Covers. These were my favourites from his myspace page:
The Bee Gees - Wave Of Mutilation
Frank Sinatra - This Monkey's Gone To Heaven
2nd Round winners
England
Germany
Argentina
France
Italy
Brazil
Spain
Holland
Quarter Final winners
England
Brazil
Argentina
Italy
Semi Final winners
England
Argentina
Final
England 2 - 1 Argentina
FIFA have announced that their Conference has mandated a cut in the number of top flight clubs in each country, setting the level at eighteen teams. This means that Spain, France, Italy and England have to lose two teams. Not that this is for the good of the game; no it is to free up four more dates for the International Calendar. Understandably the Premier League are not happy. Spokesman Dan Johnson said, "The only people who are going to tell us how to run the Premier League are the league's 20 member clubs' chairmen. They are the only ones who can change the composition of the league and they are just not going to go for this - no way."
What is mystifying is that he actually believes this to be true. Message for Mr Johnson and his "crew". If FIFA dictate that there is to be a cut, then the Premier League loses two teams. You may not like the rationale, and I don't on this occasion, but it will happen. Unless of course, the Premier League are going to pick the mother of all fights with FIFA. Should this happen, then expect all manner of punishments to be threatened by the ruling body. But this proposal troubles me. FIFA serve the game as a whole and are expected to ensure it flourishes at all levels. Replacing four league matches with four internationals does not achieve this. Indeed, I would question whether there is an appetite from supporters for watching four more international matches, particularly if these were friendlies. It is hard to see what else they will be as the World Cup in European terms is already crowded unless of course, young Mr Blatter is planning to dump two European places from the next tournament and hand them off to Asia / South America or Africa. Then the structure of the European Qualifying tournament would have to change with either larger groups or a smaller number of Play-Off places.
If UEFA chime in on the side of FIFA, then expect to hear about expansion of the Champions League. It is little wonder that the clubs do not want less League Games. The key bartering point is going to be payments to players whilst on International duty. If four more dates are added at International level, then FIFA may well find itself railroaded into agreeing a sum per international, possibly at 75% of the players salary. Can the Ivory Coast afford the cash for all of their European based internationals wages? What happens if an FA fails to pay the clubs? Will they stop their players representing their countries until bills are settled? This is a row waiting to happen.
Football Rumours are always good fun especially the ones that sound like they will improve Arsenal's defence. So St Etienne's interest in Pascal Cygan is good news...
Todays Tunes come courtesy of Jennings at rbally, a marvellous mp3 blog. Below are two tracks from Matthew's Celebrity Pixies Covers. These were my favourites from his myspace page:
The Bee Gees - Wave Of Mutilation
Frank Sinatra - This Monkey's Gone To Heaven
posted by Yogi's Warrior at 6:21 am
6 Comments:
Can you see Spanish, German Italian and French leagues agreeing as well. It is simply FIFA flexing their muscles in their fight with the clubs and G14.
The bottom half the Premier league clubs are not going to make their membership of the Premiership even tougher and those at the top won't want to lose 2 home games and the revenue this brings.
I could only see it hapening if the premiership formed a 2nd division offering extra guaranteed income but then thats a whole different bag game.
I do not disagree with eighteen teams in the top flight but not to create four more internationals. If this were to happen in the England, I would have The Premiership with 18, Premiership two with 20, League One with 18 and League Two split on a regional basis with 18 in each, if it remained at 92 Professional clubs. If they want more games then induct the top half of the Conference into the League as there is little difference in standards of football. This should generate more revenues through the perception of derby matches and cut down on the travel and associated costs to allow the clubs to reduce their overall losses.
Either that or make the bottom two divisions part-time but it has been apparent for years that football in this country needs a major restructuring process to take place or it is going to become unsustainable unless all teams get a "sugar daddy" to bail them out.
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