I’ve just watched my team, Liverpool, get beaten 3-0 by Manchester City. I was watching the match on Canal+ Sport and the commentators said two interesting things:
- Manchester City has been assembled using hundreds of million of pounds,
- Manchester City played very well as a team.
On hearing this, I realised that English football as a game is dead. Arguably, it died as a game the day Abramovich bought Chelsea. Football has become a show. And, consequently, everything is showbiz now.
I am not Steven Gerrard. But, right now, 15 minutes after the defeat, he must be wondering whether the only solution is for Liverpool to be sold to a billionaire. Maybe that’s the only rational solution. But, sincerely, I would prefer Liverpool to remain as it is. We, Liverpool supporters, are very patient. And I would like to think that we still have some love for the game…
I agree, but Liverpool has also been shite lately… I seriously doubt City would have beaten the same Liverpool some 2-3 years ago.
Liverpool sold to American billionaires George Gillett (has an estimated fortune of around US$1.5 billion) and Tom Hicks (has an estimated wealth of USD 1 billion) proved to be another slip due to disagreements between Gillett and Hicks, and their lack of the fans’ support and inability for the coach to manage the team properly:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1221975/Rafa-Benitezs-229m-spending-spree-The-76-players-signed-Liverpool-managers-reign.html
It started with the trilogy:
1. This year is our year
2. This year is our year returns
3. This year is our year for sure
then it became
4. I am watching la ligua, premier league is a waste of time
to finally
5. Football is no game
Waiting for next year’s release :P
“Arguably, it died as a game the day Abramovich bought Chelsea. ”
That’s the only lame excuse I find everywhere. I’m not a Chelsea fan but come on, football has become a big business since the early 90s.
Mind you, Chelsea qualified for the Champions League twice before getting showered by Abramovich’s petro-dollars! And since the summer of 2006, I have yet to see a multi-million player bought by Chelsea! Liverpool on the other hand has spent over £220m during Rafa Benitez’s time at the club and has won practically nothing when it comes to major trophies.
But whether you call it that ‘showbiz’ a good or bad return for English clubs is certainly another story in itself :)
Liverpool plays with its heart and not with money.
Liverpool defense should be reinforced as it was in 2005 for the Champions League final.
Money has killed football all over the world.
Liverpool and Arsenal are the two of the Big Four who have less money than MANU, Chelsea and City but they are competitive in all competitions.
It is too early to say who will win the Premier League.
We must pray that the Dieux des stades are with Liverpool.
Football is changing.
On one hand, money is killing the game as we knew it. On the other hand, the game is still in (relatively) good hands with Platini who has managed to impose his quota system on English clubs (just imagine what Manchester City would have been if this didn’t exist!)
Fans of small teams should be applauded for supporting teams which have zero chance of winning something… In fact, Liverpool fans should be thankful for having a team which is sometimes competitive, sometimes crap but which still have some dignity. Our President once said: “Moralité pas rempli ventre” but I would not be very happy if Liverpool becomes another Chelsea.
We cannot control what others are doing, but only what we are doing. Liverpool’s nightmare began when the club was sold to the two Americans, who knew nothing about football. You can say that money is killing football in England, but it has been the case everywhere. It is a very powerful motivation and whether we like it or not, it’s here to stay. In the past, Bernard Tapie transformed Marseille into a powerful club just like Berlusconi transformed AC Milan into a powerful club. What did they have in common? Money.
And I’ve supported Chelsea since the Kerry Dixon years…
At that time, Liverpool, Everton and Arsenal were the best.
Liverpool 1 West Bromwich Albion 0 Goal scored by . . . Fernando Torres
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/torres-landmark-nets-wba-win