22 Apr 2015 11:57:41
Anyone agree that we'll qualify for champions league next year?
Thanks
22 Apr 2015 14:11:57
Can I please have a double helping of what Mike is on immediately
22 Apr 2015 14:40:17
Champions league is a bit far fetched, without the "distraction" of european football next season we might be able to have a crack at top 6 again. Obviously we'd need to find last seasons form again.
22 Apr 2015 14:53:30
No, we will finish 10th
22 Apr 2015 16:29:58
I think that top-half finishes are where we're likely to be for a while, but even that will be challenging since there are several other clubs now realistically competing for those 5th through 10th positions. It would surely take a major upset (e.g. dramatic loss of form or a horrendous injury list) for one of the usual contenders for top 4 to fail to make those Champions League places and let one of the "smaller" (aka "unfashionable") clubs into their cosy little money-hogging group.
A decent cup run - maybe even a win (!) - shouldn't be beyond us, but we always seem to bottle it.
And underlying all of this, will be the loss of our best players - whether homegrown, or gems we've plucked from the lower domestic leagues or the "lesser" European leagues, or youngsters not getting first team football at other "bigger" clubs that we can offer - as they prove themselves for us and then want (demand) Champions League football. Thanks to the TV money, we may not have to transfer players for financial reasons anymore, but the footballing reasons for transfers might now be down more to a player's ambition than the club's own wishes and plans.
Goodness knows where English football will be if (when?) the TV money bubble bursts and/or the players (and especially their agents) have bled the game dry.
Moan, moan - whinge, whinge - Ho, Hum!
:-)
22 Apr 2015 22:34:25
Spot on Sid,one day football across the globe will collapse when the TV money goes, by that I mean the ridiculous amounts paid for the EPL, european tournaments and World Cup. The money men at sky etc will eventually say enough is enough like BBC did.Can anyone say they have had value for money this season, how many great games have we had in the premierhip,most have been dreary 0-0 or 1-0 scorelines, it would be interesting to see what viewing figures they generate as sky seem to keep them to themselves, probably out of embarrasment.
23 Apr 2015 01:17:18
Swan could you give me next weeks winning lottery numbers please you seem to be able to see into the future
23 Apr 2015 09:58:34
No I don't it was just a prediction
23 Apr 2015 11:59:34
That was my thinking too Gibbo. It can't be a coincidence we go out of Europe and go on a run of 4 wins and a draw which should've been 5 wins. All of a sudden we are 3rd/4th in the 2015 form table.
Keep the core of the team - lose a couple of the obvious ones we all know about - and add a new CB and some more pace (would love Deulofeu back) and we will be challenging, no doubt in my mind.
23 Apr 2015 18:13:52
There's no chance of losing the TV deal. It will only get bigger and bigger. Sky, BT and whoever else knows it is the EPL that can make or break you in this country. As for abroad it is still in it's infancy really and when clubs like ours cotton on to global marketing it will get even bigger.
But.
A more real and present danger we need to be worried about is it is very easy to be relegated from this division.
That is more likely to happen than the TV bubble to burst.
23 Apr 2015 21:40:48
BlueJohnUns: While I agree that it does seem unlikely at present that the TV money will decrease let alone disappear, there are three concerns for me:
(1) The next deal only runs for a few years and who knows what the domestic, regional, and global economic situation (or political situation that affects the economy) will be and what money will be realistically available when it's time to renegotiate.
(2) The broadcasters can only continue out-bidding each other - and expect the consumers to pay - so far before they call a halt. It's not a bottomless pit - and they daren't risk killing the golden goose. They'll no doubt agree deals as a cartel behind closed doors - or is that cynical hogwash?
(3) Ouer club is utterly dependent on the TV money just to keep running and paying wages, etc. You mention relegation, and that would mean a massive loss of TV money for the club - and the danger of terminal decline. I trust that the club remains prudent and budgets accordingly and reduces (or at least doesn't increase) debt.
But what the heck do I know?
{Ed003's Note - Nothing lasts forever imo.}
24 Apr 2015 13:21:24
All fair points Sid but football is a bit different when it comes to global markets and a crash of the stock market.
First off the TV companies main import is viewers. Without this it has no export which again is it's viewers. It's export is sold to import commercial revenue (adverts). So in terms of stock it's viewers is what it craves and need the most and the only way to get viewing figures to make it competitive is to have a product to sell to a mass audience.
That is Football. There is nothing in this country or most others that will compete with it until we invent the Hunger Games or Running Man.
TV revenue is vital for every single football team in every league. If you pulled this from any club whether it's us or Barcelona they will struggle hugely as commercial revenue would almost completely go as they would be advertising to 50, 60, 70 or 100,000 instead of millions around the world.
One final point is that people will always pay for Sky, Virgin or BT. People who are in DRO's, bankruptcy's, Debt Management plans or admin orders will put down in their essential expenditure there TV service provider. So even if the whole country went bankrupt Sky would still get their money! (I also worked in marketing and debt recovery as well as sportswear-management).