Not sure on the FA but may have got a little confusing, the real proposition put was United, Liverpool and the others leave the premier league (which has a tie in with the FA, it holding a golden share) - also the proposed European super league of elite clubs who would look to the top six elite not the remainder left behind. It was pointed out the FA decides who represents us, but that is under UEFAs existing rules. What's being mooted by the elite is a new super league, UEFA won't fall out with the real power brokers in Europe, it's effectively run by them anyway.
FWIW I don't think they will break from the prem, but have apparently threatened to do so, for any threat to be credible it needs solid foundations and to have been thought through. They've been planning this for a long time, especially in the last few months, but before then too, which makes me suspect they wouldn't just issue baseless and empty threats that carry no substance.
I posted what I suspect is the far likelier scenario...
This plan has no chance whatsoever but it's very probably a stalking horse, promote the discussion, see the main objections and then try with a far more realistic plan.
It's a standard negotiating tactic to come up with a plan A being something so unfair and so full of self interest you never expect it to get anywhere. So outlining nothing but an outlandish power grab for the elite but getting it out in the open and aired before coming up with something far less severe, which by comparison seems totally reasonable and not too bad, except it just isn't. They may then hope clubs see the ground they've given, plan A being totally and hopelessly unrealistic and be 'grateful that 'reasonable' plan B is so mild, when all the time plan B was all that the elite really wanted or thought achievable.
Plan B will follow quicky enough.
I think there's a lot in that, and Ill try to come back with each point in turn. There is a lot of overlap in our thoughts.
Firstly I think if the Super League was in any way a viable possibility it would have already happened by now. I've been hearing for 20 years how within 5 years there will be a super league. It's not impossible, but you cn see from these proposals United/Liverpool have no regard for the wider game so if it was viable, they'd be doing it. I think the existential threat is used to scare people to get more out of them. Thats the game here. It's like a domestically abusive spouse constantly telling their partner they could get better elsewhere and they have to do more etc. A common abusers trick. After years, indeed decades of threat, if they were going to walk, they'd have done so.
The reality is, there is a finite amount of money across European football. There is x amount of people who want to watch, y amount of money they are happy to spend. You may have potential growth of z. My strong suspicion is that x, y & z do not come to a number that would allow 16 teams to earn from a single league what they currently earn from their domestic leagues + Champions league football.
The value of the EPL (the big and only big success story) is well on the decline now, not only the rate of growth slowing (and now revenues per game actually dropping). The CL (the closest thing we have to a prototype European Super League) is also losing support, at an even quicker rate than the EPL. You throw on the recession we are heading into and there couldn't be a worse time to break away.
They also seem to be alienating ever bigger sections with this too. Increasingly it looks like tey may try to stream it themselves, so put themselves up against every major broadcaster who have rights to their own leagues. You've seen what's happened to the CL when they lost a single big Broadcaster (Sky) imagine going up against each one? It's a massive risk.
As for the final point, we essentially agree on this. What this does is continue to frame and strengthen the debate. I'm already seeing thick Kopites waffling on about "well something has to be done about games" and "The FA are incompetent" etc. It frames the debate and continues to put into their head the myth that rather than extorting money out of the league, that the league are somehow dependant upon them. So in that sense it works.
I have to be honest though, my gut feeling is this looks a big mistake from them. It seems a poor plan, put out very badly, with no razzamataz and losing any attempt at a culture. I suspect they are losing large chunks of other sides in the top 6's fanbase that would be winnable and indeed even some of their own fans. They have not succeeded in pitching this as a greedy land grab, and seeing their demands not as good for the game, but actually a greedy grab at power. Given Sky etc slavish devotion to them, it's a big mistake for them to lose tht support.
The SuperLeague could happen. Sometimes events overcome logic. Brexit is an example of this. I don't think half the people involved with Brexit ever wanted it to happen, but events and momentum overcame them. I think this will be voted down. If they had anything about them, they would resign from the league as a result as they bring in all the money apparently. They wont though. As they are disingenous and want to have their cake and eat it, shovelling off ever increasing and uneven sections of the pie, while still complaining it's unfair and they will leave unless they are pandered too.
