What a waste of money – the Premier League's best-paid flops

[anfieldanfield]

Utaka is decent.

[Darkon]

I've said this for a long time but before people wanted to keep things as it was so we maintained our advantage. Be interesting to see what people's attitude is now.

The worry with any sort of wage cap is that all it means is that the owners cream off more cash. I'd like to see more wide ranging financial controls. Although the situation where Chelsea and City have no debts any more but huge clout from extra-football sources would be hard to deal with. Both France and Germany have greater levels of control on ownership and finance.

Other means would be very welcomed for sure, but I doubt they can change the fact that owners would get more money.

For a wage cap to be effective it would really have to be a max limit and not on turnover, if it where to have any effect on leveling the competition in the league.

I can't really imagine a regulation stopping owners from getting more money out of it, as the excess of tv deals, sponsers etc. could only end up with the owners. Otherwise it would start to be some strange form of control on tv-deals etc.

[dww]

French and German teams have had far less impact in Europe in recent times than in the past though. Do you think this is linked?

Yes but then if other places were limited then things would be better for all.

Everyone complains about how Real were bailed out by the government when their debts over took them and frankly I'm not sure that the current levels of debt amount to anything other than cheating. Financial doping as UEFA would have it.

[jono]

Sorry, its a little off subject but it's mentioned in the article about Duncan Ferguson.... 10 years 59 goals? That's ridiculous Isn't he an Everton Legend? What's the story with that?

[PTP]

Sorry, its a little off subject but it's mentioned in the article about Duncan Ferguson.... 10 years 59 goals? That's ridiculous Isn't he an Everton Legend? What's the story with that?

he's an everton legend because of the dogs of war thing. They were ****e, he was ****e, but he was a hard ****er so they loved him. Small club mentality.

[dww]

he's an everton legend because of the dogs of war thing. They were ****e, he was ****e, but he was a hard ****er so they loved him. Small club mentality.

To be fair he was the focal point of a team fighting relegation and in his first spell scored at about 1 in 3 which is good in the circumstances. It's his return when he was a 1 in 5 striker that make his stats look particularly bad.

[red g]

When I heard it it was 35k a week.

It's such a legendary story that I guess it goes up everytime it's told

it was 35k, still legendary though

[Exiled_red]

Sorry, its a little off subject but it's mentioned in the article about Duncan Ferguson.... 10 years 59 goals? That's ridiculous Isn't he an Everton Legend? What's the story with that?

Probably affected by his injury record remember the

'One week in three weeks out Duncan is a Tampon'

[Vermilion]

At Anfield Babel, who has made 24 League starts since 2007, and Andriy Voronin, five goals and 14 starts for his £30,000 a week deal before this week's move to Dynamo Moscow, have disappointed. Liverpool's debt is £350m and rising.

Pleat adds: "I believe [Arsène] Wenger runs a football club like a football club should be run. There is a definite balance between what comes in and what comes out."

Wenger has had the odd Babel too, just went by the name of Reyes, and Rafa doesn't run Liverpool beyond it's means, like Wenger he does'nt have the cash to do that.

And Liverpools 350mill debt is only there because of a stupid loan taken out by a pair of plonkers to buy the club, not because we spent silly sums on wages and players that we couldn't afford.

[The_weatherman]

Wenger has had the odd Babel too, just went by the name of Reyes, and Rafa doesn't run Liverpool beyond it's means, like Wenger he does'nt have the cash to do that.

And Liverpools 350mill debt is only there because of a stupid loan taken out by a pair of plonkers to buy the club, not because we spent silly sums on wages and players that we couldn't afford.

Didn't the plonkers reduce the debt last summer? Isn't it closer to 200 million than 350 million? They refinanced it over the summer and had to put in some sums each......or was I dreaming?

I wasn't dreaming it's about 200-230 now I reckon.

http://www.est1892.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=62309&highlight=refinance

[Matt]

Yes but then if other places were limited then things would be better for all.

Everyone complains about how Real were bailed out by the government when their debts over took them and frankly I'm not sure that the current levels of debt amount to anything other than cheating. Financial doping as UEFA would have it.

Well the Real thing was a joke really, I'm surprised other teams weren't up in arms about it.

I agree that it would be a more interesting sport if the playing field was levelled a bit, be that through a wage cap or something else. Massive job to implement and regulate though.

[FatTony]

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