Who Needs It Most?

[Alioune DVToure]

Arsenal have run such a tight ship that they can absorb the financial shock of missing out. In theory they need CLQ to be in the market for the best players, but in reality they've never shopped for those players anyway.

Liverpool haven't even been in contention since 2009 and would be happy just to improve on last year, especially with Arse and Chavs moving in the opposite direction.

Newcastle haven't budgeted for big things and are in a no-lose situation. They can just go out and enjoy themselves for the rest of the season.

It would be worst news for Chelsea in my opinion. Abramovich would be compelled to make another pointless change of manager and would start interfering in the football side of things again, pressing his marquee pensioner signings onto whoever his new boss is without any emphasis on long-term squad-building.

Good idea for a thread, this. Some interesting points been mentioned.

But since Arsenal stopped shopping for those players, they have got gradually worse & the amount of money needed to get them up to scratch is getting higher & higher. Next, Van Persie will either be gone or be injured again & if that happens, they are utterly fucked & the Wiltshires & Chamberlains, who they expect to build around, will actually be looking at going elsewhere.

Whilst I accept your point, I don't think they've ever been in the market for established stars. Even Vieira and Henry were up-and-coming. The only one from that era was Bergkamp - and he was signed by Bruce Rioch (I think).

The best thing to do would be to keep the philosophy but start again with the team-building. This might mean letting RVP go and investing the money in a few promising youngsters. I don't see what other policy they can adopt to be honest.

[Mikhail Chigorin]

Arsenal have run such a tight ship that they can absorb the financial shock of missing out. In theory they need CLQ to be in the market for the best players, but in reality they've never shopped for those players anyway.

Liverpool haven't even been in contention since 2009 and would be happy just to improve on last year, especially with Arse and Chavs moving in the opposite direction.

Newcastle haven't budgeted for big things and are in a no-lose situation. They can just go out and enjoy themselves for the rest of the season.

It would be worst news for Chelsea in my opinion. Abramovich would be compelled to make another pointless change of manager and would start interfering in the football side of things again, pressing his marquee pensioner signings onto whoever his new boss is without any emphasis on long-term squad-building.

Good idea for a thread, this. Some interesting points been mentioned.

Interesting and excellent post and, just following on for a thought or two further, what would be quite intriguing would be if Chelsea off-loaded their current Manager and got Mourhino back in charge, from next season.

Just how willing would he be to have a clear-out of all the ageing stars that he brought into the Club in the first place ?? I know he's pretty ruthless but he does seem particularly close (albeit from media reports) to Fat Frank, Terry and Drogba to name just three for starters and those three especially are the ones who could soon be going backwards at an increasing rate.

Even if Mourinho doesn't come back there, Chelsea really do have some important decisions to make - and soon.

[GhoulishZombie]

If RVP goes arsenal will be relegated lol honest opinion, who will score for them?

[john68]

A valid point made on the radio tonight was that it is only the rise of City and Spurs that makes the League table look so different.
Remove City and Spurs from the table and nothing much has changed from previous years.

The rags at the top, being chased by the usual suspects. Last year's success of the rags wasn't so much their great play, as the inadequacies of the chasing bunch who giftwrapped the title before handing it to them. What's changed?

[Dameerto]

In terms of prestige Arse would feel it the most - there's already a building feeling of 'end of Empire' surrounding them/Wenger and this would strengthen it. Chelsea would see it as a blip/AVB's fault, and I think neutrals would too. Liverpool would see it as not quite there yet with their own 'project' (IE getting rid of the Waiter's crap buys and building a squad again - with Kenny's crap buys) and the media seem to love Kenny anyway, so they would be sympathetic. Newcastle have nothing to lose, and would probably view top four as a bonus/over achievement.

[sheblue]

of those teams chelsea are the biggest threat to us so i want them outside of the top 4, maybe arsenal 4th but cant see it, they are a bit of a mess. liverpool will never be much with kenny D in charge, wouldnt worry too much about them. like to see newcastle 4th.

[bobby brows]

Arsenal have run such a tight ship that they can absorb the financial shock of missing out. In theory they need CLQ to be in the market for the best players, but in reality they've never shopped for those players anyway.

I believe one of the talking points at Arsenal at the moment is that they have £50m in rainy day money stashed away in case something like this came along. IMO it was probably there in case the Highbury Flats thing came along slower than projected but hte money seems to be earmarked in case they miss out altogether.

So if they do qualify for the CL Asrenal supporters would expect that money to be spent plus any budgeted transfer funds.

[bobby brows]

At what point does the PL lose the 4th place Champions Lg spot for lack of performance in the comp ? I'm happy enough for City to fight for top 3, but imagine the panic amongst some of the others if that situation became the norm ?

I can see us doing quite well in the CL next season but unless the rags spend, I can't see them going a long way & none of the others seem that well equipped, so next season's overall performance by PL clubs in the Chump could be as bad or worse than this season.

The rags would be under big pressure if it went down to 3 CL places.

Is removal of 4th place CL qualification a likely outcome?

It's based on how well the teams from each country perform in Europe over a period of time as far as I know. If I remember rightly, the Prem had slipped a bit recently & some countries had got closer to taking the extra spot (can't remember who ). I don't know how those countries have performed since though; they could have done worse than us.

Just now, quite a few squads need rebuilding, so if it went down to 3 places before they finish doing that, it could get very interesting, especially for the rags, as the various owners will start to panic.

Italy lost there 4th place this season and it went to Germany. It would probably take a number of years and lots of early exits to lose the 4th one especially when we have the advantage of having 7 european places in total

[ross.mcfc]

I look at this more from the angle of what is best for us and from that perspective I really don't want Liverpool to qualify. They have spent some serious cash, albeit poorly, but there surely isn't a bottomless pit and the longer they go without champs league football the better. Arsenal and Chelsea qualifying can't hurt us. Perhaps Liverpool qualifying could.

I see quite a few similarities between Liverpool and Rangers. I have no idea how they can afford to keep spending as the owners are certainly not putting their hands in their pockets to fund these signings. No CL money and a stadium which does not meet the criteria to cash in on the corporate side of things.

Fans don't really care if their team is winning and signings are coming in but if I was a Liverpool fan I'd be asking some serious questions about the finances of my club.