The Great Debate: What is football's biggest problem at the moment? | OneFootball

The beautiful game has many flaws, and the recent Football Leaks revelations have brought a number of them into sharp focus.

But what is the most damaging issue in the game today? Our writers have their say …

Dan Burke

Football has a multitude of issues but the biggest one from a supporters’ perspective is the constantly rising price of tickets.

I was shocked to discover this week that in 1991, a ticket to watch Manchester United play Liverpool in the First Division cost £5.50, which equates to just £11.88 these days.

Nowadays, you’re looking at five or six times that amount at least for a game of that magnitude and it won’t be long before most average football fans won’t be able to afford to go.

Many people have already had to stop following their team because it’s too expensive and yet the prices just seem to keep increasing.

Football would be nothing without the supporters in the stadium and I fear that sooner or later, the bubble is going to burst.

Elliott Bretland

I can finally get this off my chest. It’s plagued the game for years and it’s players “being entitled” to go down at the slightest touch. No!

If you’re genuinely fouled, there is no thought process behind your reaction. Gravity will force you to the floor.

Football, though, is a contact sport. Stop hauling yourselves through the air to gain an advantage unfairly.

It’s bad enough players fall to the ground as soon as they feel the slightest touch but what really gets my back up is pundits backing them with this “entitlement” or “every right to go down” nonsense.

If the referee doesn’t see the misdemeanour (which is always the bizarre argument for some reason – ‘well they have to go down or the referee won’t give it’), tough. Stay on your feet and stop this ugly tactic. Its not cunning or clever. It’s cheating.

Matt Frohlich

There’s far too much to choose from and on so many levels, from poor grass roots infrastructure to corruption at the top level. As for something that annoys me on a more regular basis though, it has to be the pathway for aspiring coaches being blocked off by the same old, out of date names.

The Premier League is still too much of an old boy club, with the same managers getting the jobs and very few young ones being given a chance.

I admire the Bundesliga and the faith shown in top coaches like Thomas Tuchel and Julian Nagelsmann, whereas in England, I still cant believe people like Alan Pardew, Mark Hughes, Tony Pulis, Neil Warnock and Roy Hodgson are still being given chance after chance.

Ian McCourt

Where to start with this question? The exploitation of fans? The failure of Premier League clubs to pay the living wage to staff? There are so many things to get angry about but what really gets my goat and sticks a knife in its neck is the treatment of grassroots football.

Too many clubs have sub-par training and changing facilities and too many young players are being taught the game by unqualified (if enthusiastic) volunteer coaches.

How are they meant to learn like that? And imagine what could be done for them with the payoff Richard Scudamore.

Alex Mott

As everyone has said previously, there’s far too many things wrong with football at the moment to really pinpoint one. But if we’re just picking a single problem with the game, as it is right now, then it has to be the alienation between football at the highest level and the fans.

Football is, and always has been, a sport for the people. But at the moment, that is being lost.

You can quite easily spend over €100 to watch a Premier League game. Right now, Tottenham are selling an American Football style jersey in their club shop for €120.

Greed and free market forces are changing our game and not for the better. Something needs to be done.