The Warm-Up: The European Super League is now inevitable
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Updated 05/11/2018 at 08:27 GMT
Marcus Foley surveys the end of domestic football as we know it. Probably.
Manchester City's Leroy Sane celebrates scoring their sixth goal with Raheem Sterling
Image credit: Reuters
MONDAYS’ BIG STORIES
The European Super League will happen
It appears as though some of Europe's best teams are intent on creating a European Super League. A league where the best teams from the best leagues across Europe play each other to determine who is the best team in Europe. Sound familiar? Maybe that is because there is already a tournament that fulfils the above objectives. It is called the Champions League.
Now call The Warm-Up a cynic but this sort of league - one without relegation for certain founding members for a specific period of time - sounds like some sort of scheme whereby the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. As an unfortunate byproduct, football loses its appeal as it becomes boring and less competitive.
A European Super League would never allow for a Leicester winning the title for example. Never. Simply because they would never be in said league. It is an utter sham. However, the European Super League is almost inevitable. Why? Well, Europe's top five leagues are an uncompetitive mess already. Just look at the Premier League table after a weekend in which Manchester City smashed Southampton 6-1 and Chelsea and Liverpool maintained their unbeaten runs.
This is all about money. The rest of Europe looks on with envy at the Premier League's off-the-scale revenue streams but its appeal, in The Warm-Up's mind, is based in the illusion that the league is competitive. It isn't really. Not when the top three teams have more points than the rest of the league combined.
Granted, the last team to retain the title was Manchester United in 2008-09 but no one outside the top six has a chance to break that glass ceiling. Furthermore, just look at how much better Man City were than Southampton on Sunday. It was a joke. City put six past them and it could have been more.
Money is completely ruining football, and a European Super League will further the inequalities that already exist. If only there was some sort of system in place where teams had to operate within their revenue streams. Perhaps it could be called Financial Fair Play.
The power of fan-player connection
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Arsenal's German midfielder Mesut Ozil (L) celebrates with Arsenal's French striker Alexandre Lacazette after scoring their first goal during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium
Image credit: Getty Images
In Klopp: Bring the Noise, Raphael Honigstein details Jurgen Klopp's near obsession with fan - for want of a better word - participation in football. Basically, Klopp is insistent that a strong connection between fans and their team can be harnessed to help on-pitch performance. And, to be fair, that connection was well and truly harnessed at the Emirates on Saturday night. But not by Liverpool.
Yup, that's right, Arsenal found themselves a goal down to Liverpool but there remained an air of optimism as the Gunners poured forward in search of a leveller. As is often the case in such situations, there were stray passes aplenty. However, instead of groans and moans, it was encouragement that came from the stands. There was a freedom to Arsenal's play that was sorely missing in the last few years of Arsene Wenger's tenure, and the atmosphere set by the fans was key to that.
The Emirates seems like a decent place to watch and play football again. Huge credit must go to Unai Emery for creating a culture of optimism.
Foyth seriously let down by Trippier
Juan Foyth was imperious for Tottenham against West Ham in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. So much so, he was handed a Premier League debut by Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino against Wolves in the late game on Saturday night. Where he gave away two penalties. On the surface, it seemed like he had a shocker. However, delve a little deeper and it was not he who had the stinker.
Nope, that would be one Bury Beckham, Kieran Trippier. The Tottenham full-back had a wonderful World Cup but has been pretty awful since. Defensively he has always been a touch suspect but this season he has been found wanting time and again and consistently left a 20-year-old who was making his league debut exposed.
Eventually, Foyth and Tottenham paid the price. However, had the centre-half been afforded minimal levels of protection from a senior professional then his league debut may not have appeared to be such a shambles.
IN THE CHANNELS
This piece of utter genius from Andres Iniesta has been doing the rounds for a couple of days but deserves another run as, well, it is utter genius.
HEROES AND ZEROES
Heroes: Leicester
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Players from both sides line up to observe a minute's silence to remember the victims of the Leicester City helicopter crash which killed Leicester City Chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha
Image credit: Getty Images
The city and the people of Leicester have dealt with the tragedy of the death of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha with the utmost sensitivity, dignity and strength.
Srivaddhanaprabha's legacy at Leicester will, of course, be intrinsically linked to that incredible Premier League win. However, the last few days have shown that Srivaddhanaprabha has built a club capable of dealing with the most difficult of circumstances and that says much of the man who took over the Foxes in 2010.
Zero: The rules
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Demarai Gray
Image credit: Getty Images
Rules are rules and must be followed. So, by the letter of the law, Demarai Gray had to be booked when he removed his shirt to reveal a Vichai tribute. As Claude Puel said in his post-match press conference, Lee Probert had to book the Leicester forward but the rule itself is a complete and utter nonsense.
Look, The Warm-Up understands that if a player whips up their shirt to reveal, say, a bookmaker's logo then yes by all means book them - but if a player would like to take a moment to honour a person, cause or moment that is close to their heart, well, let them.
HAT TIP
Der Spiegel have been in the investigative journalism game for 70-odd years. They are pretty good at it. They have turned their focus on football and we should all thank them for that.
Because what is reportedly going on behind the scenes at some of the world's biggest clubs is undermining the very fabric of the game.
There is a fair bit of content to consume but it is hugely important that the information is spread far and wide.
RETRO CORNER
With Andres Iniesta rolling back the years, here he is being an absolute boss for Barcelona.
COMING UP
Well, there is not a whole heap of football on offer tonight, bar Espanyol v Athletic Bilbao in European Super League Division One South of Europe.
On duty tomorrow is Nick Miller, unless of course he has signed for the European Super League of writers.
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