Who is popular today?

Voices from in and around the football community give their thoughts after a tumultuous week for the game
Leon Osman Former Everton footballer turned pundit
If this had happened while I was playing I would hope I would have been one of those players who spoke out publicly against a Super League and shown my lack of belief that this is the direction in which football should go. It all seemed very outlandish and far-fetched until the owners issued their statement; it looked worrying like it might have legs. They obviously felt there was an opportunity there. I was very impressed with the reaction of fans up and down the country, and with the likes of James Milner speaking out. It was bold on his part as his employers at Liverpool were one of the main drivers but he’s strong-willed and knows how he likes things to be. At Everton we didn’t get to play big European teams very often but what makes it special is the work you put in to get those opportunities in the Champions League or Europa League. If you’re guaranteed entry every season and there’s no sense of jeopardy, it’s going to affect your mindset and approach to games. Players always want to win, but if there’s nothing at stake and the threat of relegation isn’t there, the fear factor is gone. That will affect your approach to games whether you admit it or not. I’m not against progress or change in football, but the manner in which these owners tried to go about it without consulting anyone was rather extreme, to say the least. Continue reading...