The English Premier League has long been the much admired, but hated bad boy, of European football associations owing to their ability to garner the greatest television broadcast revenues in the modern game of football that naturally rewarded their own top flight member clubs vast sums of money just for doing what clubs have been doing since the 1800’s – playing football.
There has been talk of the bubble bursting for well over a decade, and European leagues have recently begun catching up on a financial front, but as the European game begins to show signs of growing and consolidating their own positions, television viewing figures in the United Kingdom continue slowly falling. Some would say that it is owing to the fact that their game has been utterly saturated, particularly now that there are numerous broadcasters and fans are refusing to commit to more subscriptions to watch more games that they have no interest in, and others would say that fans are finally beginning to object to the need for greed that is placed on them whilst player wages continue to reach even more astronomical and ridiculous levels (even for mediocre talent).
The stupidity of spending has very much been shown off further during the most recent summer transfer window, and no sensible gamer using an Aviator Betpanda Casino would even consider taking the same approach. Whereas last season (and prior) the Saudi Arabian Pro League made a huge statement with their ability to spend ridiculous fees on players that no club in Europe thought was justifiable, the Premier League is beginning to eat itself with transfer fees and acceptable player power.
Inexperienced youth players with limited game time are moving for tens of millions of pounds as sides game Profit and Sustainability Rules restrictions to give them greater financial freedoms. Academy graduates who may have a bright future are being used as commodity fodder so that the accountants end their day at work pleased, and we now have a growing breed of clearly talented players who feel that going on strike, and conveniently being unavailable to play, when they want a transfer is the acceptable thing to do.
Of course, they do not put in a written transfer request and deny themselves the benefits of the contracts they signed in good faith, or the contractual settlements that are due when a player leaves a club naturally. That would be too much to ask would it not. Sadly for fans, there have been endless examples of this new found entitlement amongst players on show over the summer. Alexander Isak, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa to name just three.
On the counter side, we have Marc Guehi who will soon be out of contract at Crystal Palace and has already been honest that he will not sign a new contract. But he took the approach that you can sell me, or I will honour my contract and even though Palace looked to try and cash in, he was the one player who was in negotiations for a move away that had the professionalism to represent his side the day before deadline day.
The risk of injury mattered not, he honoured his contract and respected the fans. He did his best for them and he even scored the second goal of their win over Aston Villa, who did not play World Cup winning goalkeeper Emi Martinez because he was not in the right frame of mind as he chased a move to Manchester United.
The contradiction is stark, the hypocrisy is huge. Guehi should be applauded, as for the others, funny how the appearance of conveniently being unavailable to play never matches their inability to go without their weekly wage for being entitled chocolate teapots.
