Saturday, March 17, 2007
Gold warns clubs to mind the gap
Gold warns clubs to mind the gap
Watch more of the interview...Football FocusSat 17 Mar, from 1210 GMTBirmingham City chairman David Gold warns the widening gap between Premiership clubs and the rest could render relegation meaningless.
A new television deal will give Premiership clubs at least £30m a year.
In Saturday's Football Focus, Gold says: "The gap between relegated clubs and the Championship is the big issue.
"You could have a situation where the three clubs relegated from the Premiership will be the three promoted the next season."
Gold's fears are echoed by Oldham chief executive Alan Hardy, who says clubs outside the Premiership are finding it increasingly difficult to compete.
Hardy warns: "It's getting perilously close to putting some clubs out of business.
Frankly, we don't want to be on television
Birmingham chairman David Gold
"The Premier League has got to be prepared to make sure that football as we know it, with 92 professional clubs, continues to thrive.
"But at the moment, football is struggling in the lower divisions."
Premiership spokesman Dan Johnson claims that more money will be distributed to clubs lower down through the Premier League's development fund.
He says: "There will be more money than ever before at every single level of the game.
"But this is more of a structural problem than a financial one. Even if you shrunk that gap significantly there will still be a gap and issues for clubs who are promoted and relegated. More often with the clubs who are relegated."
"This is something that's been levelled at the Premiership for the past nine years because of the size of the deals that we have done, that there would be yo-yo clubs."
Gold also claims the current live television deal with Football League clubs is not helping and said: "Frankly, we don't want to be on television.
"One of our games was screened live on television recently and we received £60,000. We were 10,000 fans down on the day and we lost money. That can't be right."
Watch more of the interivew on Saturday's Football Focus - 1210 GMT on BBC ONE.
Watch more of the interview...Football FocusSat 17 Mar, from 1210 GMTBirmingham City chairman David Gold warns the widening gap between Premiership clubs and the rest could render relegation meaningless.
A new television deal will give Premiership clubs at least £30m a year.
In Saturday's Football Focus, Gold says: "The gap between relegated clubs and the Championship is the big issue.
"You could have a situation where the three clubs relegated from the Premiership will be the three promoted the next season."
Gold's fears are echoed by Oldham chief executive Alan Hardy, who says clubs outside the Premiership are finding it increasingly difficult to compete.
Hardy warns: "It's getting perilously close to putting some clubs out of business.
Frankly, we don't want to be on television
Birmingham chairman David Gold
"The Premier League has got to be prepared to make sure that football as we know it, with 92 professional clubs, continues to thrive.
"But at the moment, football is struggling in the lower divisions."
Premiership spokesman Dan Johnson claims that more money will be distributed to clubs lower down through the Premier League's development fund.
He says: "There will be more money than ever before at every single level of the game.
"But this is more of a structural problem than a financial one. Even if you shrunk that gap significantly there will still be a gap and issues for clubs who are promoted and relegated. More often with the clubs who are relegated."
"This is something that's been levelled at the Premiership for the past nine years because of the size of the deals that we have done, that there would be yo-yo clubs."
Gold also claims the current live television deal with Football League clubs is not helping and said: "Frankly, we don't want to be on television.
"One of our games was screened live on television recently and we received £60,000. We were 10,000 fans down on the day and we lost money. That can't be right."
Watch more of the interivew on Saturday's Football Focus - 1210 GMT on BBC ONE.
Friday, March 2, 2007
Liverpool v Man Utd
Liverpool host Manchester United on Saturday and ex-Anfield midfielder Jan Molby highlights the players who will make-or-break the game.
Liverpool and their fans will relish the opportunity to make life difficult for Manchester United as they see their fierce rivals closing in on the Premiership.
The Reds are not going to win the Premiership and it is now a means to an end to get back into the Champions League.
But this is still such a big game that I can see Liverpool, with a clear week to prepare, fielding their strongest team.
Liverpool and their fans will relish the opportunity to make life difficult for Manchester United as they see their fierce rivals closing in on the Premiership.
The Reds are not going to win the Premiership and it is now a means to an end to get back into the Champions League.
But this is still such a big game that I can see Liverpool, with a clear week to prepare, fielding their strongest team.
The key to the game is how Liverpool cope with Paul Scholes.
He understands the game. He may not be a player you always notice but has the gift of fitting the play together, the back four into the midfield, and he is still a big threat when it comes to scoring goals.
People talk about Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs having superb seasons for United but Scholes is the missing link.
He plays where all the traffic is. Michael Carrick is on the outside, but Scholes is in there, winning battles and dictating play.
Stop him and I believe Liverpool will win - let him run the game and Manchester United will edge closer to that title.
He understands the game. He may not be a player you always notice but has the gift of fitting the play together, the back four into the midfield, and he is still a big threat when it comes to scoring goals.
People talk about Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs having superb seasons for United but Scholes is the missing link.
He plays where all the traffic is. Michael Carrick is on the outside, but Scholes is in there, winning battles and dictating play.
Stop him and I believe Liverpool will win - let him run the game and Manchester United will edge closer to that title.
Liverpool may flood midfield in an attempt to curb Scholes and use Momo Sissoko, Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso.
Sissoko would be perfect for the job of trying to stop Scholes because that's his strength.
Sissoko's return is massive for Liverpool in this regard.
He may not be the driving force or stand alongside Gerrard and Alonso in terms of technique, ability and goal-scoring, but he does the dirty work that allows them to go and play.
If your strength is being on the ball, knowing you have got someone alongside you doing all the hard work like Sissoko is a good feeling.
Sissoko would be perfect for the job of trying to stop Scholes because that's his strength.
Sissoko's return is massive for Liverpool in this regard.
He may not be the driving force or stand alongside Gerrard and Alonso in terms of technique, ability and goal-scoring, but he does the dirty work that allows them to go and play.
If your strength is being on the ball, knowing you have got someone alongside you doing all the hard work like Sissoko is a good feeling.
The one question I would have about Liverpool's starting line-up is whether manager Rafael Benitez goes with two up front.
His preferred pairing is Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt and he could go with them or with one - presumably Kuyt.
If he went with just Kuyt in attack he could use five in midfield and put Bellamy on the left or right.
Another option would be to flood the midfield with Sissoko, Alonso and Gerrard and put right-winger Jermaine Pennant and left-footed John Arne Riise on the flanks.
His preferred pairing is Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt and he could go with them or with one - presumably Kuyt.
If he went with just Kuyt in attack he could use five in midfield and put Bellamy on the left or right.
Another option would be to flood the midfield with Sissoko, Alonso and Gerrard and put right-winger Jermaine Pennant and left-footed John Arne Riise on the flanks.
United have attacking threats in the shape of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and others.
I would think Liverpool will again used their preferred central defensive partnership of Jamie Carragher and Daniel Agger.
I know a bit about Agger from his time in Denmark, and he has surprised me with how well he has adapted and passed all the big tests placed in front of him.
The one worry I had about him was his defending but, in fairness, he did not have a lot of defending to do with Brondby.
He has stood up to the tests in places like Barcelona. He likes the responsibility, takes the ball and is a very calm footballer.
I would think Liverpool will again used their preferred central defensive partnership of Jamie Carragher and Daniel Agger.
I know a bit about Agger from his time in Denmark, and he has surprised me with how well he has adapted and passed all the big tests placed in front of him.
The one worry I had about him was his defending but, in fairness, he did not have a lot of defending to do with Brondby.
He has stood up to the tests in places like Barcelona. He likes the responsibility, takes the ball and is a very calm footballer.
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