Are Big Clubs Ruining the Premier League?

Wright-Phillips couldn’t resist Roman’s mega-bucks. He signed on the dotted line, and Chelsea promptly stuck him on the bench for three years. Once considered one of the brightest talents around, Wright Phillips left Stamford Bridge in 2008 with the slight tinge of discarded goods. And because he had played so infrequently, his game had barely matured. His displays in South Africa encapsulated this point perfectly, and we couldn’t help but imagine how things might have been different if he had stayed at a club that actually let him play more than once a month.

Most clubs can’t afford to let great players rot on the bench. But Manchester City and Chelsea are clearly operating on a different level, and aren’t motivated by the same financial concerns as the other clubs. Fringe players at Man City like Joleon Lescott and Roque Santa Cruz should take heed. In this new era of big-money owners, the gap between what’s best for the club and what’s best for the league is growing wider and wider.

Edged out at Chelsea, now Man City's recruits could hinder Wright-Phillips

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