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Shaun Wright - Phillips
Written by Kj talk | 8th May 2006 | 1 Comment(s)
Sad as may be for the player to miss out on a world cup selection the case of Shaun Wright- Philips should be seen as a warning to other players moving from being a big fish in small waters to becoming a sprat in a raging sea. Here is a player who was the star in the blue half of Manchester and was getting fulsome praise for his displays in a developing team.
Had he stayed with City this season and not elected to move to Chelsea it is highly likely that City would have finished in a European place and Philips would be in Sven’s England squad. His hugely over inflated transfer fee, in effect bought by Chelsea to keep him out of the clutches of others could conversely be a good thing. This may act as a warning to other players considering similar moves, particularly where Chelsea are concerned. I
t is said that the most important aspect for a player is too play and to be sat permanently on the subs bench is one of the most frustrating aspects that a player can feel with the exception of suffering an injury. In Philips case he on occasions was not even making the bench! Now I believe that when Chelsea come knocking on the door for certain players particularly in the Premiership, players will consider the implications of such a move and be far more discerning when making the decision particularly if they are below the age of 25.
That then will be good for the supporters of the relevant clubs in keeping their own talent out of the clutches of the bigger sharks. If Shaun Wright-Philips does not start to get games early next season for the Blues then I believe he will be sold for a far truer value of around ten million plus and the processes of resurrecting his career will begin. I hope the player does return to former glories but he may have done football fans a service in his predicament.
Back at Tottenham it seems the upset stomach scenario is being flushed out of the system and a simple virus is far more likely to have caused the illness than food poisoning. Despite the efforts of Spurs to have the game replayed the FA have rejected the plea declaring there is a not basis’s for it. If indeed the Spurs team were poisoned then this is a highly criminal matter and the police would have swooped on the hotel in question and even shut the hotel down whilst enquiries were being made.
This of course did not happen and it seems Spurs will just have to take their disappointment on the chin and prepare for life in the U.E.F.A cup, still a good achievement. It is said that by Spurs failing to qualify for the Champions league it will cost the club a potential ten million pounds. I would argue it will be much, much more than this in the long term. I don’t believe Spurs will reach the heights of fourth spot next season, all the clubs above them this term will be their again.
When the world cup begins and the players are in the shop window the vast majority of the worlds elite will be electing to join clubs that are indeed in Europe’s premier competition. Of course already the top clubs that have qualified for Champions league football are armed with a heavier transfer budget and this will preserve that existing status quo. It actually is a European league in all but name and may be a harder gravy train to join if the powers that be remove third and fourth position as they should do.
We can see how important qualification is by reading the monies that Arsenal have earned through an extended run in the competition, a staggering twenty five million pounds from the TV companies alone! If they indeed do go on to record an unexpected win on Wednesday then the sky really is the limit as a World club champions game will follow probably in Tokyo. One small crumb of comfort for disappointed Spurs followers and others is the fact that Arsenal actually are not automatically in the seasons Champions league, merely qualifiers. Lose those two games and we will see Arsenal joining their North London friends in the lesser competition.
Now that would I feel be fantasy football something no fan plays these days!
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