Only money can take European football to greater glory

SEPT 12 — Top European league action resumes today with the return of international players from World Cup qualifying duty.

I won’t get into the travesty that is key players returning with injury, thus jeopardising their actual paymasters’ title hopes.

What I envision in the not-too-distant future is a super league of the best clubs in Europe operating outside Fifa’s jurisdiction, delivering top quality football with only the crème da la crème performing.

The World Cup is all well and good, likewise the European Championship, but these countries have enough players to try out at these quadrennial competitions.

The top players are already mercenary with their demands and unbelievable salaries. The best clubs in Europe might as well go all the way and make it a lucrative deal for such players and give the world a European Super League.

I can foresee loads of sponsorship money pouring into the venture. I don’t think these players care if they are not playing for their country, if they can actually earn enough to buy a little country of their own!

Yes, I know it’s been discussed before with the G-14 grouping. But now with Fifa and Uefa infringing on top clubs’ and players’ rights, such as the ban on Chelsea and how players’ agents can operate, it is time for the big clubs to say “no thanks” and do things their own way.

The rules of the game can be clear and consistent, besides being strictly enforced with truly professional referees.

Meanwhile, the best technology that money can buy will ensure no cheating happens while decisions are made with utmost accuracy.

Football is the biggest spectator sport in the world and it is going to get bigger and bigger for years to come. So the time is ripe to go down the path of super-professional clubs and players, and more importantly, professional officials too, unlike the current bunch running the show at Fifa and Uefa.

Incidentally, with this new set-up, new clubs could also be formed just for the sake of joining this elite grouping. All it takes is shiploads of moolah to buy the best and compete.

Which brings me to Manchester City. They play Arsenal this weekend at the City of Manchester Stadium.

Contrary to what many have to say about City’s so-called impressive start to the season, I, for one, beg to differ. A series of one-nil victories against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Portsmouth, coupled with that battling two-nil victory against Blackburn Rovers backs my claim.

City’s next two encounters – at home to Arsenal and then away to Manchester United – will provide a far more telling indication as to their ambitions this season than their earlier outings.

Mark Hughes seems to have bought the right players to fill in the squad at all areas. Critics might be surprised to hear the news of former Gunner, Silvinho moving to Eastlands from Barcelona given his age and the resources City have.

However, I think it’s a good deal as Silvinho comes with bags of experience and also he wouldn’t mind warming the bench while Wayne Bridge starts week in week out. In the Brazilian, City has a reliable replacement at left back. For evidence just look at last season’s Champions League final.

One player that has had a great start at City is Emmanuel Adebayor. The Togo international has been praised as much for his work rate as his three goals in his first month at City. But that’s how he started at Arsenal too a few seasons back (though, minus the goals of course).

He seems to have been reborn by the barbs that followed him out of the Emirates, but the jury is still out because his worst will surely come out when the club is not doing well. The same disruption to team spirit in the dressing room will surface again like it did in Arsenal the past two seasons.

Speaking of Arsenal, after just two high-scoring games many pundits were praising the Gunners attacking flair. However, after last weekend’s defeat to Manchester United many now have doubts.

In my opinion, Arsenal were very unlucky to come away from that game with nothing, after outperforming the Red Devils for the most part.

At the end of the day, it was Arsenal losing to themselves with the mistakes and own goal. That should have been the main topic of discussion afterwards, rather than Arsene Wenger complaining because his team could not compete physically.

As much as I am a great admirer of his and think Wenger is the best thing to happen at Arsenal (and English football) in the past 12 years, I am more and more surprised to hear his constant ranting against overly-physical play from opponents. There is no such thing as anti-football.

A strategy in muzzling opponents is as much important as are tactics in going forward to score goals.

Sometimes you have to play a certain way in order to beat a team, and Arsenal have struggled to play against physical teams – Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn come to mind. If you can’t win by outplaying the opposition, then you must do whatever else you can, and that goes for the top sides too.

United are certainly one of the teams that do go out and try to play football. They are competitive and there will always be a few contentious issues as players fight for the ball. The problem is they leave their best only for the weaker teams in the EPL.

It has almost always been the case in the Wenger years that Alex Ferguson tells his players one thing when playing Arsenal – “break their legs if you have to lads”. I am paraphrasing of course. It’s a cheap trick by an esteemed manager, but hey, he knows it works time and again.

It would be nice to have an open game all the time, but Wenger had best realise that his young players need to earn that right. Just playing beautiful football is not enough. Football is a contact sport and some players (and clubs) out there will always remind you of it.