Where does all our money go?

I saw a comment in an article about the Whites finances today, and it said that if all 12 players up for contract renewal were to leave, then that would save the club £10 million pounds a year ! Made me wonder just what we are paying for, and who in their right mind is prepared to not only pay such high wages for average players, but continues to do so when they are obviously not earning it ! No wonder we're in such a state both on and off the pitch. I for one, wouldn't mind seeing all footballers being paid a respectable, but lower, core wage, but with highr then now performance related bonuses, instead of the current regime where they get both.

I couldn't agree more. I'm no expert but I put it down to the fear factor - clubs would rather have average players than none at all or take chances on lower league players. How else can you explain the likes of Muamba and Petrov getting fat contracts?

I have little sympathy for the clubs as they created this mess, but it's the average fan who suffers. I have two children under 6 so they're not interested in going to matches right now - give it a few years and no doubt they'll want to go with daddy, will I get change from £150 for the three of us? I doubt it.

If the clubs got together they could easily agree a wage cap and save themselves millions - but the rich clubs will always veto it because it would reduce the gap between the rich and the poor.

A wage cap would be the obvious answer to prevent clubs from going into administration. Dave Whelan at Wigan openly stated that the biggest problem in football is the spiralling wages of footballers.

Gate receipts, corporate sponsorship, season tickets and shirt sales are not covering the wage bill. Many of the clubs like ourselves rely on the Sky revenue, without it we would be goosed.

United, City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs will never agree to a wage cap. They do not want to play on a financially equal playing field. Money talks and the clubs with the money are the most successful.

Sadly, like most things in this life, it'a all about the money. A few clubs dominate football in this country due to a combination of mad billionaire owners and Sky. They are willing to pay inflated sums for players and this has a ratchet effect on the expectations of other players. It is exactly the same with big company directors - one company pays massive amounts to keep their "talent" so all the other companies follow suit. This talent may not be worth this kind of money but there seems to be no way of stopping this process.

Oddly the one sport that has a level playing field is American football where every club, over time, has a realistic chance to get the best players, prosper and win things. Even if you could replicate this system in football the rich and powerful would never let it happen.

I believe that sooner or later, individual teams currently balancing precariously on the brink, will be seriously affected by financial pressure from the real world, and some will tip over the edge. It may not be this year, but next, or even the one after, once all their cash reserves or financial flexibility are used up. The initial knee-jerk reaction will be to reduce the Premier League to 18 teams, and the influence of the bigger clubs will remain, although slightly diminished. They know that whatever happens, they are safe, no matter what form the top tier takes. Clubs such as ours, with one beneficiary, is in the zone where things could turn around overnight, and I believe that no matter how benevolent Mr Davies is, he will have to acknowledge outswide pressures and either sell, or let us shrink outgoing finances, with this being an assured trip to the lower divisions. Having said all that, like all of us, I, and hopefully the team, will go down kicking and screaming, but once there, enjoy a slightly less pressurised environment, which will probably benefit from all the out-of work Premiership 'players plying their trade'

Once one Prem or Championship club goes bust, many others will follow. I hope it happens soon for the benefit of football in the long term.

I agree, but it could well mean that famous old clubs could disappear altogether. One hell of a price to pay for other people's greed.!