Why English flops have put a smile on my face

 
25 October 2012

So Chelsea get beaten by Shakhtar Donetsk? No problem. What they’ll do is buy the Ukrainian club’s best player, Willian, either in January or the summer.

While they’re at it, they might stop off at Atletico Madrid to collect Falcao, who embarrassed them during the Super Cup match. There is no awkward question to which Premier League riches cannot buy an answer.

It’s an expensive form of scouting but Roman Abramovich can afford it. So can Sheikh Mansour. Chelsea may have competition from Manchester City, who were humbled by Ajax last night. But, if so-called English football wants these players, the Premier League is almost certainly the stage on which they will be performing.

Even Arsenal could enter the bidding if they wanted to, though creditably the worst excesses of the Loadsamoney mentality seem not to feature in their transfer policy — much to the regret of some fans who walked out on their own Champions League humiliation by Schalke.

Arsene Wenger still awaits the equalising effect of Financial Fair Play and, like him, I hope UEFA’s solution to money mania works because stripping competitors of every asset almost as soon as they develop it is no way to dominate European football.

As a supporter of no English club in particular, I rejoiced in the displays of Shakhtar, Schalke and perhaps especially Ajax, whose servants have done more for football than Abramovich and Mansour will ever understand. Banished, for a couple of days at least, was group-stage predictability. Back was the eyebrow-raising allure of Europe.

Have an inquest if you like. Ask, as Manchester United head for Stamford Bridge, if the Premier League mocks its own hype. Ask if the Champions League is to confound Roberto Mancini at City as it did at Inter. I’ll just enjoy a bit of meritocracy while I can.

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