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Changes are coming to European football, whether supporters want it or not. The question is will we be part of it. The imbalance in finance between the English league and the rest of Europe is stark, FIFA's report on transfer spending last year lays that out - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64412215 This was largely behind the 'Super League' debacle last season, and while that has been shelved for now, the reasons for it haven't and it, or something very like it, will rise again and soon. I doubt we'll be invited into the elite league, but there's going to be a shuffling of the chairs in club football in the coming years and it will affect us. I mean no disrespect when I say that it's not right that we compete in a league with clubs most of who literally have a turnover that's a fraction of ours. Likewise when we go into the Champion's League we're the minnows, at least financially. The obvious next step is some sort of pan-European league. The Americanisation of sport in Europe is well underway, and while closed leagues are still unpalatable for most there's a chance of a pyramid and so clubs like ours have a pathway to the top. What form that league will be is anyone's guess. Rugby union in Europe has an English league, a French league and an 'all the rest' league. The English clubs aren't dominating like they used too, the 'all the rest' have sides that are very competitive as do the French. For me our current custodians job is to keep us solvent and competitive at the Europa League level, the second tier of European football, until the future becomes clearer. I suspect an 'all the rest' league isn't so far away. The fabled Atlantic League with Belgian, Dutch, Scandinavian, Swiss and maybe some eastern European sides as well as Scotland seems likely to me.

The financial disparity in Europe was evident yesterday. Roma's Nicolo Zaniolo, one of the most promising young talents in world football, is being fought over by Milan and Bournemouth. Milan are struggling to compete. Scudetto winner and European great vs relegation candidate. Mental.

I really wouldn't get excited about this Southampton business. It was just the first club I thought of when I decided to make up this bullshit. Just wanted to join in the spirit of the topic. 😉

Saying US styled pizza is better than Italian pizza is like saying The Ramones are better than Led Zeppelin - absolute nonsense!

Lol, American pizza is shite, too much dough and tasteless jack cheese, yer chinese food is dulled down sweet nonsense, and yer muscle cars are great til they hit a corner! away and chase yersel man! 🤣🤣🤣

Aye, it's all a bit depressing. Then there's European clubs wearing special Chinese New Year kits and tracksuit tops. Whole thing seems to be geared towards TV/Asia whilst people who attend matches don't matter a jot.

Lads--stand down. Josh Windass.

lol. The US enhances everything ? No disrespect mate, but thats a load of shite

Have you ever eaten American styled pizza, or American styled Chinese food? It was delicious wasn't it? Have you ever had those things in their native land? I have, garbage. Ever been to a tailgate party? Beers, brauts, BB-Q, people joking, laughing. Ever driven a muscle car? 455 HP...runs like a striped assed ape. We enhance everything.

Hopefully Standard see sense. £2m and a % of a future sale is not reasonable if we have agreed a bosman. From a fans perspective, I really hope we get this squad strengthened for the second half of the season though. Beale can’t keep up this form with the current guys.

I like to think of it as two great but humble minds coalescing into the font of all wisdom.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/25/world/earth-core-turning-scli-scn-intl Actually, yes. (Well, kind of).

One man's bullshit , is another man's Daily Record coup. Too late Bill, the game's up, you've been outed as the Gersnet ITK guy 😀 .

It means it's a way to put money into the club whilst circumventing FFFP. Everyone's doing it.

So have Southampton...

I heard a while back we were after the ex-yahoo, Armstrong.

I'm confident we'll get Raskin and Whittaker.

Frustratingly the US based companies are buying up clubs all over Europe (standard liege being another good example funnily enough). The more clubs they buy the more say they have in how the game is run. Especially when they are buying multiple clubs and following a 'city group' or red bull model. Actually painful thinking about the direction football is headed.

Personally, given that choice, I agree with you. However it comes with a price ... that we may well remain an Espanyol of Glasgow.

I was thinking more along the lines of Bad Manners, UK Subs, Cockney Rejects but Lulu is a shout 👌 😁

Yeah mate, it was a bit tongue in cheek to be honest. Can't wait for the museum and concert venue (depending on who they get to play lol). Given today's latest collaboration, maybe see AC-DC at Ibrox sooner rather than later 😉

Not unnamed - they have been named as Sevilla - loan with obligation to buy

You mean like the Americans copied pizza from its origination ??

If it does as well as hoped then it may fund those other January announcements we desire in the future.... Not aimed at you Cammy - but we all want to see the playing squad strengthened - however, I am firmly of the belief that we need to maximise our revenue as far as possible to capital outlay like this, if it produces profits, allows us to edge ever closer to that independent sustainability we all crave. Short term pain for, hopefully, long term gain

The world must have stopped turning with how often you and @Bill are agreeing on things these days...... The end of days indeed

I know what Penny Mordant would say about it 😉 Bloody doom mongers are all over this ACDC clothing range too, completely missing the point that it's Bisgrove's job to raise new income and every penny earned is in all our interests.

It's aye been.

You might be right. Pretty sure it's a loophole thing, either way.

Main takeaways - Denies any pre-contracts have been agreed - Denies we've made a further offer for Whittaker - Cantwell, Hagi and Colak all in squad - Souttar not quite ready - Roofe not far away - Ridvan also back 'in coming weeks'

Dixie Dean...tops all those guys. You want a pure Everton player based on an Everton (mostly, 13 seasons) career...Dixie all day. That man had 349 goals in 399 appearances, including 65 goals in one season. However, Dixie doesn't top Rooney because of the era he played in...1920's Time, and maturation of the game matters..in every sport. Although some could argue the opposite because of the physicality of the game in Dixie's era. It's all opinion.

They will get nothing for him if he leaves in 6 months and they need to keep paying him. Its madness. I'd take 2 million and a sell on right now for Morelos who will play for us. Its a totally unreasonable ask. Dont even think they have anything to play for in the league either.

What that would do is make it much easier for the next billionaire from Motherwell to win over most of the support with empty promises. As you aluded to, we are lucky to have the likes of Park and Bennet and we should remember what we were saying about priorities a few years ago. It is a difficult place / situation for the board to be in and the efforts to grow the business and revenue are as comprehensive as they have ever been. That comes with or produces a feeling that a support is being squeezed until the pips shoot out, but that is where things are. Looking ahead, I don't see that as sustainable as the general economic situation shrinks. That said, it will be a problem for all teams. It is all a bit of a squeeze. Our squad mgmt. is very much that, trying to squeeze value out of quality players who we can recruit because they are damaged in some way. I said it in the summer. Honesty and Communication are required.

I'll do a solo gig for free. The Sash sounds amazing through a Univibe. 😎

Only fitting that Lulu should be first gig.