Liverpool FC Forum

Posted: **Mon Nov 08, 2004 11:18 pm**

I think the wage cap would be a god idea but it would have to be at least an UEFA initiative. Lets face it, the likes of Man U, Real and Chelsea, where they can just buy the top players and pay them top dollar is no good for the game and the gap between the elite and the rest is just getting bigger and bigger. It's to the extent where not qualifying for the CL could relegate a club because they are over stretching themselves to try and break into the elite (Leeds!!). I think this idea will be fiercely opposed by the richer clubs but I think for the good of the game it is a neccesity in modern times, where teams are marketing themselves globally in order to keep up with the amount of money required to compete in today's game. This kind of salary cap would automatically help with the lack of youngsters getting 1st team action imo as well as they would be a cheaper option than bringing in a £40.000 a week foreigner.

Posted: **Mon Nov 08, 2004 11:29 pm**

Right on Lynds. I actually think this is one of the more sensible threads thus far, some really good points. Stu, you can't just dismiss all this as total nonsense because if something isn't done the game is going to implode. A.B. you live in the states and probably know more than most about measures which could be taken so leave off each other for a bit and get on topic eh?

Posted: **Mon Nov 08, 2004 11:31 pm**

stu_the_red wrote:Right aren't we all starting to judge a bit quickly here?

It's been what? 10 years? 11 years since the start of the premiership?

Lets think about it a second.... has it ever happened that teams have dominated for long periods in the past?

Is it possible to break into these brackets with the right management, commitment and application...

Look at Man Utd at the moment and look at ourselves... Money doesn't garentee success.

It helps, but its not the be all and end all.

The problem is Stu is that I think it will be very difficult for a smallish regional side to break through.

Even back in the 1970s and early 80s the smaller sides like Ipswich and Forest had difficulty in holding on to their best players. Nowadays it would be almost impossible, as there is such a gulf between the wages the likes of Norwich and West Brom play and the like sof Chelsea can shell out.

Posted: **Mon Nov 08, 2004 11:39 pm**

Too true JBG. At least in the 70's and 80's, when a team was raped of their best player they had the small consolation of knowing he was going to play for a big club. These days, you've got the likes of Charlton, a top-ten Premiership team, losing their best player by a distance to Chelsea and then watching as he doesn't even make the bench, never mind the team. At least when we bought the likes of Hansen, Rush, etc any team with good scouting could've afforded them. We also had some expensive players but not a squad full. These days, Chelsea will pay three times Charltons record transfer fee for a bit-part squad man. Somethings got to give if we are to pretend the game is competitive.

Posted: **Tue Nov 09, 2004 12:21 am**

Nicely back on track now.

Any wage cap and draft system would have to be UEFA wide, so as not to allow any one league to gain an advantage over another.

Posted: **Tue Nov 09, 2004 12:25 am**

Me arms are aching i'll reply later.

I still strongly disagree though.

Posted: **Tue Nov 09, 2004 12:46 am**

I don't agree with alot of what has been said in this thread as you only have to look at last seasons champs lge where Porto with a budget a fraction of most of the big clubs in europe beating the scum on their way to the title.

Leeds went and spent a fortune and look where it got them

Posted: **Tue Nov 09, 2004 12:50 am**

The Sky money is destroying the game and Murdoch will just move on to another field when it all comes tumbling down.
Does anyone in their right mind think that any footballer is worth £100K a week ? - it is a ridiculous amount of money and it's no wonder that they start beliving they are Gods on AND off the field. Christ you've got players offering their opinions about everything but football and half of them are not even qualified to talk about the game!
More and more the artificial clubs such as Chelski and Real Madrid will decide the future of the game because they are not on the same financial grounds as the rest of us and have no restrictions based on support base.
The money pushed into football by Sky comes from soft sods like me paying £700 a month to show games to a dwindling pub audience. Its coming to the point where I'm seriously thinking of scrapping the Sky package as are a lot of other pubs, it just isn't paying for itself.
So what happens then ? Rupert will pull the plug on the money to the leagues and it will all come tit up. Will hegive a bugger ? No and the game taken off the real supporters a decade ago will be dumped back in our lap in a state of chaos.
Wage capping a clubs TOTAL wage bill, not individual players salaries, would level the playing field and bring some sanity back into the game. Roman could sell Stamford Bridge for an estimated £1.5 billion as building land, Rooney could go back to robbing mountain bikes in Crocky,and Big Dunc could while away his years with his pidgeons - if only!!

Posted: **Tue Nov 09, 2004 12:54 am**

JohnBull wrote:Big Dunc could while away his years with his pidgeons - if only!!

Is he not doing that already Bull?

Sky are really pushing hard at them moment with its enhanced Sky Plus features.

However, I think some fans are slowly getting bored of the game given that Man UTD and Arsenal have had a cartel over the Premiership. I think that if we saw a few smallish teams like Boro or Bolton really being in with a shout for the Championship at the end of March nuetrals will start getting interested again, as everyone loves a bit of romance in the game.

Posted: **Tue Nov 09, 2004 1:31 am**

You have a point... but you picked the wrong compitition to show this. It think the cups would have been more realistic as teams dominating for 10-15 years at a time has happened before. Check Everton and Liverpool's records.

Posted: **Tue Nov 09, 2004 9:43 am**

Total wage bill capped. Registration of players at start of a season, only a maximum 20 to be used in Prem/ CL games. No transfers during season or sacking of managers. If clubs get an injury crisis, only players 18 years and under may be brought in from youth team. That'd make it interesting. Announce all measures at the end of this season and say it'll happen in 2008/9 to give contracts time to run out etc.
Wage bill capped at about 25 million per team. If you wanna pay a bloke 100k per week all well and good, but you'd better find yourself a couple of 7k a week players to compensate. Might make the players a bit more accountable too as we'd all be studying the balance sheet.

Liverpool FC Forum

Is it time - To level things up a bit.