**** no - leave the financing of them to the oil/russian/chinese mafias - who the **** wants to waste huge quantities of tax-payers money on stadia for EPL clubs

Should be two

Should still be two

Will probably be called The Roman Abramovich Insurance Against Untoward Homeland Political Disfavour Stadium just so none of us forget

Spurs fans, yay or nay?

https://twitter.com/SFR_Sport/status/838387444005367808

Nay. Too long, trying too hard.

I tend to agree.

However if both continue to score goals in just about every PL game, they can do the goddamned Macarena for all I care..

"It is now!"

Northern Ireland boss would consider approach by Leicester City

lol Michael O'Neill - only way you get approached is if the Thais can't tell the M.O'Neill's apart

Sailing a bit too close to Arsenal selfie territory for me.

We'll be doing a lap of honor for beating Milwall next.

Seems to be rustling opposition fans though, so keep it up

I don't like what's happening with the London clubs.

It's changing the competitive landscape for years to come and I'm not a fan. There will always be the elite clubs who will be there or thereabouts with a few blips along the way. I think what we're already seeing and what will be further cemented is a tier behind this elite which might disrupt the elite group (Spurs spring to mind) but making a big gap to the teams behind.

I can't blame the clubs individually for pressing home this advantage. But it's getting to where the gap seems almost insurmountable. Even a club like Everton who have actually done decently in recent years and seem to have good financial backing might be behind West Ham in the pecking order when it comes to player recruitment. I'm watching this as a Sheffield Wednesday fan thinking it just looks completely impenetrable. But then Leicester won the league last season so I don't even know what this rant is about.

nice pressure by WHam there



x10

Speaking of Arse, Dele's lyrics should really be updated.

Once upon a time, "Better than Ozil" might have actually meant something..not so much anymore..

My hot take for the weekend is that Ronald Kooeman just blew the Barca job by setting his team up so unambitiously in the first half.

If Rom's agent is telling the truth and he's going to stay for 2017-2018 that gives Everton a great chance to break into the midsts of the top-x, given buying in the summer - which seems within their financial capabilities.

I'm not sure how much the large stadia really count - the money comes from (i) the owners (ii) the CL and (iii) blitw TV deal. [That's completely made up and if the number of fans through the turnstyles/pies&pint bought at the the ground really is important then I have nothing else to say apart from LOLNewcastle/SheffieldWed/Leeds.]

The spiel about elite clubs and historical inevitability can be re-written very, very easily - there's no real barrier there. Anyway, Everton and Arsenal are the most-top-league-ish clubs etc., e.g..

From the West Brom pov, we have new Chinese owners, so I'm anticipating a ground name change from "The Hawthorns" to

fyp

That sarcasm? It's literally the ugliest stadium I have ever seen.

The London thing isn't just the revenues. London clubs inherently have greater pulling power too with everything else being equal. Obviously things don't always go as expected but if you look at how Manchester United and Liverpool have always been top half despite blips in the road, I think that points to what an advantage it is to making more money and being more attractive when it comes to player recruitment.

Also, definitely lolleeds and lolsheffieldwednesday on the face of it, but you should look at the history of parachute payments to relegated clubs and maybe downgrade from a hearty lol to a bit of a chuckle. The disastrous consequences of relegation for Wednesday and Leeds led to the introduction of parachute payments. Last season was funny but Newcastle managed to sell Wijnaldum and Sissoko for a combined £50m+ and they have parachute money on top of that. They'll be fine.

I'm channeling my inner David Gold here.

*cough*

It's uglier, and by a distance.

Well, ManU were relegated in the 70s and Liverpool were a 2nd Div club in the 50s.

But agreed, overall, it's hard to capsize the wealthy, long-term successful clubs. That's why ABU, plop, loldirtyleeds, lads it's spurs, mou#14th ... are things.

And, sure, the average Brazilian wonderkid doesn't check the thread to see where the best club life is and just assumes it is either in (a) London or (b) wherever he's going to be paid the most.

And things are worse now - ime.

However, I remember maintaining this same thing at the start of 2015-2016 and BAIDS telling me that the btvditw meant that all the old structures would/could be dissolved*. And how right he was. [Or maybe lolvariance.]

*and Stjoak would join the elite

But, hey, Chris Waddle played in Sheffield - so there's always hope.

Whilst we're on the Gold theme...that's Robbie from AFTV isn't it?

London is more attractive as a city but money talks. Also England is a very small country so location is less of an issue as you aren't far from basically everywhere unless you are stupid enough to sign for Newcastle or something...

Hi,

Yes.

-bus

it is obvious that you go for a player that is so far superior that the comaprison itself is a hyperbole. That is why arse fans went for Zidane, as he was so so much better than everyone else. Makes sense that spuds fans chose an Arsenal player to compare him to for the same reason.

On a different note Chelsea are just a joy to watch on the counter. Conte showed a lot of passion apparently as in the studio they were analyzing his gestures on the touchline. Conte > Klopp according to pundits with "useful gestures". You learn something new every day.