EFL makes its big play for survival

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English Football League (EFL) chief executive, Rick Parry, yesterday made his major play to rescue the EFL from its Covid plight and restructure English as a consequence.  He co-opted Manchester United and Liverpool, where he was formerly CEO, into backing a plan that would see 25% of all future Premier League (PL) TV deals and a £250m bailout paid to the EFL, while the Premier League would be cut from 20 to 18 teams.

Parry also proposes the EFL discontinue its headline knockout competition; the League Cup, that the Community Shield game is retired, that future parachute payments to relegated PL teams stop and the Premier League pay the FA £100m to make up the Association’s shortfall.  In addition, nine PL clubs would be given enhanced voting rights on unspecified issues, based on the longevity of their stay in the Premier League.

These measures  would ensure the survival of most EFL clubs.  Money that currently goes to teams 19 and 20 in the PL and the lucrative parachute payments would be redistributed throughout the lower leagues.  All of this would solve many problems and, as the burden mainly falls on PL cannon fodder, it is no surprise Liverpool and Manchester United have signed up.

If I was chief exec at Fulham, Sheffield United, Burnley, West Brom, Brighton, Wolves, Crystal Palace, Southampton or Leeds, I would be worried about the prevailing business model.  None of these nine clubs can be sure of their long-term survival in the PL.  Four others: Newcastle, West Ham, Aston Villa and Leicester have experienced lower league football in the last decade and cannot be over-confident of remaining in the top flight forever.  That’s a lot of nervous chief execs without sufficient control over their business model.

As a consequence, I do not think the Premier League’s robust rejection of the deal will be the end of the story, at the very least, there will be horse trading in the weeks to come.  To pass, the deal will require the majority of top flight clubs to jeopardise their PL gig in return for a more stable but inconsequential existence.  It makes sense but when has that ever ruled the day in football?

Admire Parry’s attempt, though I do, it serves Celtic’s (and the rest of Scottish football’s) purpose best for the closed shop in England and Wales to avoid a soft-landing.  Alternatively, they could tear down the borders that isolate Scottish clubs from the finances of their main TV market.  Allow clubs from the same nation state to compete for income and prizes and provide a timely boost to EFL finances.

As I have said since the pandemic started, we need to keep an eye on the EFL.  Its model was economically broken beforehand and was never going to survive these times.  It we ever see structural change to our national league systems, these exact conditions are necessary.

We can always hope.

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  1. David66

     

    I’m sure he played in a behind close doors game, he will be ready ok, no obvious reasons to leave him out, would nullify the penalty taker and put him on the back foot and as we have all seen in plenty games, he is a crap defender.

  2. Timaloy29 – Apart from the fact that Brown and Ntcham never work together, Taylor would be like a man down, Callum isn’t a left sided forward and Ajeti can’t play the lone striker role…I quite like your team :)

  3. Delaneys Dunky on

    I would say that Diego Laxalt is an absolute certainty to start on Saturday. He was signed to play in games like this. This bhoy will terrorise the huns captain. Bring it on!

  4. I think Lenny will play Laxalt from the start. He’s not match fit, but he should last 60 mins or so and will give us a much needed option pushing forward down the left flank. Looking forward to seeing what he can do

  5. Slabhoy - on the road to 10 on

    Give us more access to TV games by allowing UK denizens access to CelticTV. I’m a resident of Staffordshire so can’t get to the games

  6. Slabhoy

     

    Unfortunately the TV deal with sky covers UK and Ireland. So until that changes we’re stuck with it.

     

    Another wet afternoon here in North Staffs.

  7. The Battered Bunnet on

    A pal mentioned that Laxalt hasn’t played a competitive match since July, which I can’t verify but given he finished the season at Torino in August seems possible. Add in that he’s just joined a new club with a new system, that he won’t meet many/most of the starting 11 until Friday morning when they get back from their travels, and that he doesn’t speak English (well?) and you’ve got set of ready made reasons for a poor performance. Let’s call it sub-optimal timing.

  8. Sundays game would be a stroll in the park for Laxsalt.World Cups, later stages ,Italian league,and as someone said,Uruguayan not known for being “feart”.Anyway,this match is vital,and not to play our best players is lunacy.We have enough absentees.Griff should also be seriously considered to start if Eddy is out,which he shouldn’t be.Griff has been training for over 3 weeks now.Ajeti is fit,Paddy is fit.This game too important for namby pamby caution.Get them on the park.

  9. Forrest Johnston injured

     

    Christie, Elhamed Bitton Covid isolated

     

    Julien hasn’t played in weeks

     

    Rogic Griffiths Kamala have had too few minutes

     

    Laxalt has just signed

     

     

    Barkas

     

     

    Frimpong Duffy Ajer Taylor

     

     

    N’tcham Brown McGregor Turnball

     

     

    Elynoussi

     

     

    Eduoard

     

     

     

    Bench

     

    Bain

     

    Ralston

     

    Connell

     

    Henderson

     

    Klimala

     

    Rogic

     

    Griffiths

     

     

    Welsh and Dembele back up if we lose any more

  10. My understanding

     

    Any club with 3 players in an international squad, can have its game postponed

     

    Surely

     

    Any Club, that then loses 3 first team players due to international football, should also then have the game postponed ?

     

    Particularly under current Covid circumstances, whereby players drop in and out of the alleged bubble travelling ??

     

     

    Oh – move Ajer to the right of defence with Julienne in middle with Shane & our Laxalt out left

     

    Jeremy also deep on the right playing a flight acting 3, 5, 2 or 5 at back when needed??

     

     

    Hail Hail

  11. We can use 5 subs.If players are tiring,use them.Elyanoussi can come on for Laxsalt,Ajeti for Griff,

     

    Let’s have a go with our strongest possible.Rogic,Turnbull,in reserve.

  12. McPhail Bhoy Agree mate , the name of our club is important if folk cant get it right they certainly don’t represent me whats next London rd celtic CELTIC we don’t belong to Glasgow , Glasgow is just another part of us , imo ,. My team for the derby , Barkas , C.J , Duffy ,Ajer , Frimpong ,Turnbull , Brown , Callmac , Laxalt , Griff and Ajeti . :)

  13. Madness not to play Laxsalt.We are a 1/4 through the season.What if he was injured for the New Year game.He was brought in to help us win this league.Get him on.Does anyone actually think he has not been training with Milan?

  14. We need to try and win this game on Saturday (as we do any game) but more so this one as the officials would take great delight in calling the league if those Rats are in front of us.

     

     

    Play strongest team get in front and then make the 5 changes if needed.

     

     

    COYBIG

     

     

    D :)

  15. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    SAINT STIVS – was at that game. The rat did Stark deliberately to try to injure him – Stark had his boot off in his hand from another tackle just before that – Souness went for Stark’s bare foot. Did a similar think in their first game against Hibs. Hard man? Not for me – sleekit rat more like.

     

     

    HH

     

    BGFC

  16. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    No news on Elhamed’s test result yet? Worried that no news might = bad news.

     

    HH

     

    BGFC

  17. BGFC

     

    Is it not the case that `No news is good news`? Especially in Scotland were our media don`t need a small thing like evidence before printing any bad news about our team.

  18. BIG WAVY on 12TH OCTOBER 2020 3:41 PM

     

    Timaloy29 – Apart from the fact that Brown and Ntcham never work together, Taylor would be like a man down, Callum isn’t a left sided forward and Ajeti can’t play the lone striker role…I quite like your team :)

     

     

    ____

     

     

    Brown and Ntcham played together lots of times to success. Especially in Ntchams first season.

     

     

    Calum McGregor has played plenty of times as a winger and I’d like to see what he could do a little further forward.

     

     

    Taylor isn’t a man down. He might be lacking when it comes to the attacking side of the game but I think this will be a different type of game. I’m not for throwing in Laxalt for his debut in this fixture. If Greg is able to keep that left side well protected we will be laughing.

  19. Wondering if there was a team anywhere in the world abreviated to BGFC, I Googled. Came up with this:

     

     

    Bidford Gliding & Flying Club.

     

     

    :-)))

  20. On Laxalt, I’d be shocked he’s thrown in at the deep end for this one. You don’t sign a player with simply one game in mind.

     

     

    He’s still to train with the full Celtic squad.

  21. weebobbycollins on

    BGFC…I think we have to assume he won’t play which is a shame. It’s a game we must win to stay points in front, just in case. As David66 says, we can’t trust the authorities. We still don’t know how and when they would call this league if Covid says no more!

  22. MELBOURNE MICK on 12TH OCTOBER 2020 1:50 PM

     

     

    Cheers brother. All this on top of Covid has been truly crazy. Never thought I would be walking through armed militia to get to my office.

     

     

    Thanks for asking!

     

     

    Ps Was watching the world weather forecast this AM, never realised Melbourne was as South as it gets.

  23. Delaneys Dunky on

    Play Greg Taylor on Saturday, and we will be on the backfoot on our left side. Tavernier will have a field day. Play Diego Laxalt, and we will be very much on the front foot and Tavernier will get torn apart defensively. I know which option I would prefer.

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