My
love affair with football has always been a rocky relationship, at
its best it is one of the greatest forms of entertainment around, yet
the off field antics leave a lot to be desired.
It
dismays me the amount of money afforded on the game. People talk of
it now being a game for bored businessmen, but how many businesses
could survive the way many of the clubs are run these days.
As
an armchair supporter with a love of good football but no particular
club affiliation I deplore the way that the game has been hijacked by
greedy agents and accountants. It is understandable that a player may
wish to further his career and enhance his family's financial
well-being but I do wonder about the wisdom and motivations of some
of the transfers that have taken place over recent seasons.
With
new sponsorship deals in the offering for next season and a new
tranche of TV money in the pipeline, as well as new FIFA financial
guidelines coming in to force, I would expect there to be a number of
clubs looking to offload their 'dead wood' and bolster their squads
with new blood.
For
those players looking to secure a lucrative deal I would urge a note
of caution. There are a great many players at the top level whose
performances would not appear to justify the hefty price tag that
their club have had to pay.
The
lure of joining a large club may be appealing but look how often it
has paid off. Apart from Cristian Ronaldo, Robin Van Persie and Xabi
Alonso how many top players have been able to take their form from
one top club to another?
Was
Thiery Henry able to re-produce his form after his move from Arsenal?
How about David Beckham, Michael Owen, Andy Carroll, Emanuel
Adebayor, Dimitar Berbatov, Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas or Fernando
Torres. These are not players who left the club where they made their
name in order to maximise their earning potential towards the end of
their playing careers. In some cases there has been a desire by the
club to recoup on their investment by selling an individual but in
many cases it has been the player who has been wooed away by the
prospect of greater success.
Arsenal
above all clubs have a reputation for selling their top players and
given their wage structure it is possible to understand why other
big clubs would be hungry to entice players away. Equally, a manager
may find it difficult to get the best out of a player once he has
made clear his desire to leave the club.
From
a fans perspective I admire the likes of Ryan Giggs, Frank Lampard,
Paul Scholes and Steve Gerrard, who have remained with one club and
produced high level performances year after year.
Undoubtedly
the top prize come the Summer will be Gareth Bale, especially if
Tottenham don't secure the 4th Championship league spot.
He is already in the sites of several of the top international clubs,
if he does leave then I would hope he does go on to greater things
but as history shows making a name for yourself at one club is no
guarantee that you will achieve the same success elsewhere. The grass
may look greener on another pitch but as any groundsman will tell you
it is only an optical illusion.
