Are we being played by the big boys ?

[JamesWelshFox]

I have thought this for a couple of years now. The big teams make noise, show interest in our players, it is a way of trying to destabilise us as a club because we have become a credible threat to what they see as the natural order of the 'Big 6' and if they genuinely want one of our players they will come in very late knowing it makes it almost impossible for us to replace them because most of the summer business has been done and time has become short. it is all designed to make it harder for us to sustain a challenge, and if we then drop off and another team emerges you watch the same thing start to happen to them. This is the reality of where we now sit and the gap that still exists financially to the 'Big 6' which will take a long long time to bridge of we can ever do so without selling our souls like Newcastle have done, and I would sooner have Top in charge any day of the week.

[Dahnsouff]

Not quite I think, as the behaviour of the most unsavoury kind is currently shown (in its most aggressively selfish form) by Barcelona presently. Barcelona bombastically trade on their name and reputation, relying on the tame media to do their bidding, amplify their messages, tap up players, whilst the whole time seeking to portray both moral purity and unjustly treated against money engorged clubs from around England, and although different here, it is similar.

 

What the big 6 (or whatever they are) adopts is a slightly more subtle variant, in as much as they use their brands to forcefully tap up players via the all encompassing media bias evident in the EPL.

 

And no, we or those of our ilk will never be allowed to bridge the gap, it would need to be forceful filled by excruciating amounts of money - see Newcastle.

 

But, and this is warming, they will never ever what we have, the impossible success, the victory against their might albeit whilst they slept.

Edited 28 July 2022 by Dahnsouff

[Babylon]

12 minutes ago, JamesWelshFox said:

I have thought this for a couple of years now. The big teams make noise, show interest in our players, it is a way of trying to destabilise us as a club because we have become a credible threat to what they see as the natural order of the 'Big 6' and if they genuinely want one of our players they will come in very late knowing it makes it almost impossible for us to replace them because most of the summer business has been done and time has become short. it is all designed to make it harder for us to sustain a challenge, and if we then drop off and another team emerges you watch the same thing start to happen to them. This is the reality of where we now sit and the gap that still exists financially to the 'Big 6' which will take a long long time to bridge of we can ever do so without selling our souls like Newcastle have done, and I would sooner have Top in charge any day of the week.

Perhaps an element of it, lost count the amount of times we’ve been in the run up to play Man City and one of our players has been linked. Probably more to do with the fact we’ve had some great players. 

[winteriscoming]

The tielemans transfer will go right to the end of the window because sides know the situation we are in. We haven’t done bad out of losing players. Obviously we should of got more for Kante and Mahrez. However getting 80m for Maguire was daylight robbery. 

[weller54]

The gap to the 'big 6' is getting bigger and bigger... can't see us finishing in the CL places for many many years...if ever.

The financial power of even the likes of Arsenal is a joke.

That clown Arteta has spent 400m since he took charge!!  It's just buying success, nothing clever or special about it.

.. football is so so shite now!!

[Hamilton Fox]

9 minutes ago, Babylon said:

Perhaps an element of it, lost count the amount of times we’ve been in the run up to play Man City and one of our players has been linked. Probably more to do with the fact we’ve had some great players. 

Absolutely - happens every time we’re going to play on of those 6 clubs, pisses me right off

[The whole world smiles]

We got 115 million for drinkwater and Maguire. 

 

I think it's us that are playing them! 

[splinterdream]

4 minutes ago, winteriscoming said:

The tielemans transfer will go right to the end of the window because sides know the situation we are in. We haven’t done bad out of losing players. Obviously we should of got more for Kante and Mahrez. However getting 80m for Maguire was daylight robbery. 

And £35m for drinkwater after he had a dreadful season

[Guest Col city fan]

No, I doubt that’s done on purpose. 
I agree that the big 6 are moving further away from anybody else, due to financial clout.

I think it’s more likely that a European Super League isn’t too far away.

[Foxdiamond]

It is a wonder that any of the so called big 6 are beaten by any team outside their cabal. A testament that so far they have not killed off true competition just yet. They must get really narked when it happens. 

[sylofox]

Played by the big boys no.

 

Mahrez 60m when we wanted

Kante release claus no option

Drinkwater 36m I think we knew he was busted.

McGuire  80+m not at all.

 

Youri last year of his contract pay us or feck off.

Fofana not for sale at any price. Unless you want to give us 140m.

 

They ain't playing us. You want him you pay us.

[weller54]

22 minutes ago, sylofox said:

Played by the big boys no.

 

Mahrez 60m when we wanted

Kante release claus no option

Drinkwater 36m I think we knew he was busted.

McGuire  80+m not at all.

 

Youri last year of his contract pay us or feck off.

Fofana not for sale at any price. Unless you want to give us 140m.

 

They ain't playing us. You want him you pay us.

...yes, but they'll get them in the end!

[Dahnsouff]

Tap you this year

Buy you next year

[An Sionnach]

Chelsea have dropped some clangers recently so they should be risk averse by now. I can't see them buying Fofana , he is far too expensive.

[Vlad the Fox]

Imagine what it would have been like if the old transfer system was in place the year we won the league. You’d have had arsenal and spurs trying to buy Kante, Mahrez, Vardy etc as the March deadline day approached, all kinds of dirty tricks would have been played out to try and derail us. 

[FoxesWalk]

1 hour ago, Col city fan said:

No, I doubt that’s done on purpose. 
I agree that the big 6 are moving further away from anybody else, due to financial clout.

I think it’s more likely that a European Super League isn’t too far away.

We will reach a point that the financial gulf will be so big that we will be better off if the six leave, from a sporting perspective. Arguably we are already at that point. 
 

It’s only going to get wider; that’s exactly what the salary cap that’s hamstringing us now is designed to do. If they were interested in fairness it would be a flat limit in the top flight, not linked to commercial revenue.

Edited 28 July 2022 by FoxesWalk

[jayfox26]

18 minutes ago, FoxesWalk said:

We will reach a point that the financial gulf will be so big that we will be better off if the six leave, from a sporting perspective. Arguably we are already at that point. 
 

It’s only going to get wider; that’s exactly what the salary cap that’s hamstringing us now is designed to do. If they were interested in fairness it would be a flat limit in the top flight, not linked to commercial revenue.

In a ideal world, they fck off and create a esl and it flops as everyone sticks 2 fingers up to the greedy bastards. Unfortunately it won't as the world is full of "big club" lovers that aren't even arsed about football in general, they just obsess over certain clubs and players. African and Asian fans are the prime example of this and its them that will ultimately fund any esl if it ever goes ahead. I'd genuinely rather go and watch a local Sunday league side than ever watch an esl game! 

[when_you're_smiling]

1 hour ago, Vlad the Fox said:

Imagine what it would have been like if the old transfer system was in place the year we won the league. You’d have had arsenal and spurs trying to buy Kante, Mahrez, Vardy etc as the March deadline day approached, all kinds of dirty tricks would have been played out to try and derail us. 

I’d never thought of it like that. That’s very true.

[howie]

4 hours ago, weller54 said:

The gap to the 'big 6' is getting bigger and bigger... can't see us finishing in the CL places for many many years...if ever.

The financial power of even the likes of Arsenal is a joke.

That clown Arteta has spent 400m since he took charge!!  It's just buying success, nothing clever or special about it.

.. football is so so shite now!!

Luckily for us we’ve had owners who have invested and allowed us to dine at the upper echelons of the league.

 

we’ve spent much less than the big 6 but more than the other 80 odd league clubs and personally I’ve enjoyed the last decade.

 

 

 

[Genesis1]

5 hours ago, weller54 said:

The gap to the 'big 6' is getting bigger and bigger... can't see us finishing in the CL places for many many years...if ever.

The financial power of even the likes of Arsenal is a joke.

That clown Arteta has spent 400m since he took charge!!  It's just buying success, nothing clever or special about it.

.. football is so so shite now!!

You wait until Newcastle get started. The picture of Neymar in a Newcastle shirt, will give me nightmares for days.

[Fox92]

12 hours ago, JamesWelshFox said:

I have thought this for a couple of years now. The big teams make noise, show interest in our players, it is a way of trying to destabilise us as a club because we have become a credible threat to what they see as the natural order of the 'Big 6' and if they genuinely want one of our players they will come in very late knowing it makes it almost impossible for us to replace them because most of the summer business has been done and time has become short. it is all designed to make it harder for us to sustain a challenge, and if we then drop off and another team emerges you watch the same thing start to happen to them. This is the reality of where we now sit and the gap that still exists financially to the 'Big 6' which will take a long long time to bridge of we can ever do so without selling our souls like Newcastle have done, and I would sooner have Top in charge any day of the week.

It's not that we're a "threat", it's that we've had some good players.

 

The best / bigger clubs can always get the best players. It's how football has always worked.

 

We can get Justin from Luton. Just like Man Utd can get Maguire from us. Just like Barcelona can get Suarez from Liverpool.

[taupe]

No.

[davieG]

I've said this and I'll say it again whatever the situation is with the SuperLeague6 / PL the Women's League is following and will soon catch up with a top 6 group.

[ian__marshall]

These games have been happening for year's. It's all part of the food chain I suppose. What irritates me somewhat is we always seem to take the moral high ground as a club which don't get me wrong sentimentally is the right thing to do however always seems to prove detrimental to how we operate and just gives us another hurdle to overcome versus the majority of our competitors who are less morally obliged. 

 

I do however disagree with the notion that a gap is forming between the so called big 6 and the rest of the league. If anything I'd argue quite the opposite. Teams are breaking through and I can eventually see a scenario where the PL becomes the playground/vanity project for the elite of the super rich. Don't forget not that long ago we were talking about a Top 4, now it's the Top 6, how long before we're calling it the Super 7 to include Newcastle. I'm certain that in the next couple of seasons another super rich billionaire or sovereign state will pick off another club, and so on and so forth. For as much as I love Top and what his family have done for this club I do think it'll only be a matter of time before we see someone whose wealth eclipses the KP group and makes a move on us. 

 

The interesting thing for me is how the historical big teams react. Will they breakaway again facing the wrath of their supporters or will they lobby the PL or UEFA to impose new rules on ownership. Time will tell but one thing I do know is that outside of Man City and Liverpool the league is certainly getting more competitive. 

[PAPA LAZAROU]

Oh christ, we've gone into the tin hat conspiracy mode now have we? We are no threat whatsoever to the big boys now and they know it. They are more concerned with outdoing each other they don't give a toss about us, other than selling their own players who did not make the grade to us or buying our star players at a cut price. The status quo has been resumed they have no need to feel threatened by us.

 

Unless we suddenly have mega money pumped into the club we can now look forward to comfortable mid-table finishes with a chance at the cups. That is the reality and considering our past history of being a yo-yo club I for one am happy to see regular top-flight football down here every year. That doesn't mean I or the club have no ambition it's just the reality of where we are at the moment.

 

Edited 29 July 2022 by PAPA LAZAROU