| i still know next to nothing about most of european soccer. though i do know that many of the leagues are struggling with debt issues due to profligacy though the german bundesliga is in the best shape because it has salary caps and i think the teams are owned by the fans (to an extent) much like the green bay packers. just this week owing to their debts, barcelona perhaps the last holdout to succumb to branding signed a deal with some nebulous qatary organization to put their name on the uniforms. qatar, of course, just beat out the us for rights to the 2022 world cup so know doubt they are trying to raise their profile in the soccer world by associating themselves with barcelona.
anyway, this was prompted by a paragraph lifted from the epl wiki about the big four. one of the big four, liverpool have slipped from contention though the owner of the boston redsox, john henry, bought them a few months ago so they may rise again soon. meanwhile manchester city has stepped up to join chelsea, arsenal and manchester united as the big spenders in contention for the title.
"Big Four" dominance
"Big Four" since the start of the Premier League[67]
Season A C L MU
1992–93 10 11 6 1
1993–94 4 14 8 1
1994–95 12 11 4 2
1995–96 5 11 3 1
1996–97 3 6 4 1
1997–98 1 4 3 2
1998–99 2 3 7 1
1999–2000 2 5 4 1
2000–01 2 6 3 1
2001–02 1 6 2 3
2002–03 2 4 5 1
2003–04 1 2 4 3
2004–05 2 1 5 3
2005–06 4 1 3 2
2006–07 4 2 3 1
2007–08 3 2 4 1
2008–09 4 3 2 1
2009–10 3 1 7 2
A major criticism of the Premier League is the development of the so-called "Big Four" clubs.[68] Since Blackburn Rovers lifted the trophy in 1994–95, only three clubs have won the Premier League title – Manchester United (nine of the club's eleven titles), Arsenal and Chelsea (three times each). In addition, Manchester United have not finished outside the top three since the formation of the Premier League. From the 1996–97 season onwards, the "Big Four" (Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United) have dominated the top four spots, and thus places in the UEFA Champions League (qualification was one club for the first four seasons, increased to two clubs in 1997, three in 1999 and four since 2002). The benefits of qualification, especially increased revenue, are believed to have widened the gap between the "Big Four" clubs and the rest of the Premier League.[68]
In May 2008, the then Newcastle United manager Kevin Keegan said the Big Four's dominance threatened the division, saying, "This league is in danger of becoming one of the most boring but great leagues in the world."[69] Following Keegan's comments, Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore defended the league, saying, "There are a lot of different tussles that go on in the Premier League depending on whether you're at the top, in the middle or at the bottom that make it interesting."[70] The dominance of Chelsea and Manchester United has lead some to believe that the "Big Four" has contracted to a "Big Two"; no club other than these two has won the Premier League since 2004 and that, as of August 2010, 19 out of the last 24 major domestic trophies have gone to either Stamford Bridge or Old Trafford.[67]
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anyway, this was prompted by a paragraph lifted from the epl wiki about the big four. one of the big four, liverpool have slipped from contention though the owner of the boston redsox, john henry, bought them a few months ago so they may rise again soon. meanwhile manchester city has stepped up to join chelsea, arsenal and manchester united as the big spenders in contention for the title.
"Big Four" dominance
"Big Four" since the start of the Premier League[67]
Season A C L MU
1992–93 10 11 6 1
1993–94 4 14 8 1
1994–95 12 11 4 2
1995–96 5 11 3 1
1996–97 3 6 4 1
1997–98 1 4 3 2
1998–99 2 3 7 1
1999–2000 2 5 4 1
2000–01 2 6 3 1
2001–02 1 6 2 3
2002–03 2 4 5 1
2003–04 1 2 4 3
2004–05 2 1 5 3
2005–06 4 1 3 2
2006–07 4 2 3 1
2007–08 3 2 4 1
2008–09 4 3 2 1
2009–10 3 1 7 2
A major criticism of the Premier League is the development of the so-called "Big Four" clubs.[68] Since Blackburn Rovers lifted the trophy in 1994–95, only three clubs have won the Premier League title – Manchester United (nine of the club's eleven titles), Arsenal and Chelsea (three times each). In addition, Manchester United have not finished outside the top three since the formation of the Premier League. From the 1996–97 season onwards, the "Big Four" (Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United) have dominated the top four spots, and thus places in the UEFA Champions League (qualification was one club for the first four seasons, increased to two clubs in 1997, three in 1999 and four since 2002). The benefits of qualification, especially increased revenue, are believed to have widened the gap between the "Big Four" clubs and the rest of the Premier League.[68]
In May 2008, the then Newcastle United manager Kevin Keegan said the Big Four's dominance threatened the division, saying, "This league is in danger of becoming one of the most boring but great leagues in the world."[69] Following Keegan's comments, Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore defended the league, saying, "There are a lot of different tussles that go on in the Premier League depending on whether you're at the top, in the middle or at the bottom that make it interesting."[70] The dominance of Chelsea and Manchester United has lead some to believe that the "Big Four" has contracted to a "Big Two"; no club other than these two has won the Premier League since 2004 and that, as of August 2010, 19 out of the last 24 major domestic trophies have gone to either Stamford Bridge or Old Trafford.[67]
- dave 12-12-2010 5:01 pm