I am truly worried about the game, we have to move with the times, but I look back at how things have changed, especially with VAR, it is hard with VAR on one hand you are happy some decisions get reversed, but on my watch, the games that I watched, so many bad decisions.
The bloated transfer fees that are paid for players who are clearly not worth that much and some of that transfer fees or total salary can partially run some third world economies :). Now with the World Cup being mooted for every two years, not sure where this game is headed.
On one hand, Wenger's proposal is good as it means more revenue for countries that need to move the game forward development wise too. Right now Europe and South America get the bigger pie, it also seems to be a stop gap measure and answer to the woeful Super League, which like the Titanic failed and crashed despite all those established clubs and names.
However where would this plan for the World Cup every two years fit into? How would qualifiers workout especially in South America where everybody plays everybody in a league system? What about the Nations League, what would happen to that? How would the Olympic football tournament fit in? What about the European Championships or Copa or any of the national continental tournaments? What about the World Club Cup?
These are some of the vital questions that need to be answered, the game has changed so-much, the joy of that 1982 World Cup team of Brazil- Watching them when I was 12 seems like a dream, this was even before the back pass rule, which by the way was the best rule change introduced by FIFA, it changed the game and tactics and rightly so. I wish I can say the same for VAR, but I think the dynamics of the game does not allow it to be clear cut as in the hawk eye in Tennis or Badminton. For American football it is different as it has many stoppages.
You would think that teams would concentrate more on developing and academies to have a better sustainable model, but no, this has not happened, not even at Manchester City and not even with Financial Fair Play system to regulate the finances of the club and promote development.
Fans especially in Asia are being treated like whores, on one hand some supporters in Europe say that fans in Asia are not loyal and just follow which teams are successful and switch teams when they want. These fans do not understand the psyche of the fan in Asia. Most fans are loyal like me, who have supported Manchester United since 1981, but fans in their junior years in Asia do switch teams, obviously! These are kids not growing up in Liverpool or Manchester and are bound by totally a different set of influences, add to the new influence of youth or junior fans following players instead of clubs all around the world, these are different times. Not many countries in Asia have a strong professional or established football market like in Europe, but what those die hard fans in England or Europe should be thankful is that because of the viewership in Asia, those fans sitting at stadiums in England get to see fantastic players and clubs are in the black mostly because of those satellite revenue coming from Asia. Products are pushed in a case of international dumping, a top Premier League club (From London) plans to do a online football clinic in Malaysia and they did not even bother doing a promotion and left it to their sponsor who did not know what they were doing at all, they used reserve players to promote the campaign, not much thought here.
The two World Cups every two years is good, if the Nations League or the European Championships becomes a qualifier of some sorts or something has to give way...did I tell you I am worried about the game?
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