The latest "Jumpers for Goalposts" is here.
This week, I have a feature article by Philip Oliver, a Tottenham Hotspur fan and a professional sports writer who blogs about football betting at Betfair. Philip comments about the new shape of the Premier League with the sensational arrival of the Abu Dhabi United Group at "Middle Eastlands":-
The New Shape of the Premier League
The acquisition of Manchester City by Abu Dhabi United Group is the latest in a long line of high-profile takeovers of Premier League clubs by foreign investors. We have known for some while that the Premier League is all about money, but the wealth of the latest group to choose an English football club as its hobby is staggering and has major implications for the top flight.
Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s family, the alleged real players behind ADUG, have an estimated personal wealth of £560bn. That is in Roman Abramovich territory, as proved by the new owners’ gazumping of Chelsea’s Robinho deal.
That immediate superstar signing was significant, as it places City firmly in the group of clubs that are willing to show that money is no object. Tottenham, Arsenal, Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Portsmouth and a host of other clubs have the backing of well-financed consortiums, but they still follow economic principals by seeking to balance the books wherever possible.
The owners of these clubs want a return on their investment and are unlikely to splash £30m on Andrei Shevchenko and write it off within two years. City join Chelsea in an exclusive club that can throw money at transfers with the sole aim of achieving success.
Manchester United and Liverpool are caught somewhere in between, bankrolled – or not in the latter’s case – by American groups that treat the club as a franchise in their array of sports team projects. Big money is spent, but there is more circumspection employed than there is at Stamford Bridge.
Randy Lerner’s Aston Villa also fit in this category, spending big on James Milner and Carlos Cuellar without the need for recouping money through top player sales; they had no need to accept less than £18m for Gareth Barry.
It is evident that the battle to join the ‘big four’ is getting more competitive. Placing a bet on the likely fifth place finisher would see the smart money invested in City, although I believe Spurs have the stronger squad at the present time. The Eastlands club are unlikely to be idle in the January transfer window.
The Robinho capture showed they can attract big names, which is as important as having bags of cash. West Ham are now not short of spending money and would love to announce their interest in Dimitar Berbatov and Cristiano Ronaldo, but they would be laughed off the negotiating table. They must instead follow a policy of recruiting Premier League journeymen on exorbitant wages.
All the clubs mentioned in this piece, as well as Everton and Sunderland, view themselves as big enough or rich enough to challenge the ‘big four’ in the short term, but most will be left disappointed. From a position of virtual disarray City have suddenly become the most likely to do so, although Spurs must hope that a well-run club, strong squad, large support and a talented and trusted manager is enough, without the need to play fantasy football in the transfer market.
Written by Philip Oliver, a Tottenham Hotspur fan and a professional sports writer who blogs about football betting at Betfair.
Premier League Results - 30-31.08.08
Arsenal 3-0 Newcastle
Bolton 0-0 West Brom
Everton 0-3 P'tsmouth
Hull 0-5 Wigan
M'brough 2-1 Stoke
West Ham 4-1 Blackburn
A. Villa 0-0 Liverpool
Chelsea 1-1 Spurs
S'derland 0-3 Man City
Postponed
Man Utd v Fulham
Barclays Premier League
Pos Team P W D L F A GD Pts
1 Chelsea 3 2 1 0 6 1 5 7
2 Liverpool 3 2 1 0 3 1 2 7
3 Man City 3 2 0 1 8 4 4 6
4 Arsenal 3 2 0 1 4 1 3 6
5 West Ham 3 2 0 1 6 5 1 6
6 M'brough 3 2 0 1 5 4 1 6
7 A. Villa 3 1 1 1 6 5 1 4
8 Bolton 3 1 1 1 3 2 1 4
9 Man Utd 2 1 1 0 2 1 1 4
10 Blackburn 3 1 1 1 5 7 -2 4
11 Newcastle 3 1 1 1 2 4 -2 4
12 Hull 3 1 1 1 3 7 -4 4
13 Wigan 3 1 0 2 6 3 3 3
14 Fulham 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 3
15 Stoke 3 1 0 2 5 7 -2 3
16 P'tsmouth 3 1 0 2 3 5 -2 3
17 Everton 3 1 0 2 4 7 -3 3
18 S'derland 3 1 0 2 2 5 -3 3
19 Spurs 3 0 1 2 3 5 -2 1
20 West Brom 3 0 1 2 1 3 -2 1
