by Mark Harper

Created on: May 14, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

The sad reality is that so much revenue is generated via TV rights and worldwide merchandise sales, that the modern day game is all about winning and success with style taking a backseat.

The formation of the EPL (English Premier League) in 1992 signaled the start of a period of commercial dominance by the elite club teams in England and a decline in those that could not keep pace with the teams amassing the best talent and large bank accounts.

The separation of the EPL from the FA Football League meant that more revenue was controlled by the top division, with more funds being available to build stronger squads and the talent gap widening with smaller clubs unable to compete.

Transfer fees for players were reaching astronomical proportions towards the end of the 1990's and into the new millennium. Alan Shearer's transfer from Blackburn Rovers to Newcastle United smashed the world record transfer fee in August 1996 (15M UK Pounds / $31M US Dollars). As of today the current world record for a transfer is Andriy Shevchenko, who joined Chelsea from AC Milan in May 2006 for a fee believed to be 30M UK Pounds / $62M US Dollars

The 2007/08 season promises to be the EPL's most lucrative season to date with revenues estimated to top 1.8Bn UK pounds ($3.7Bn US Dollars), with eight EPL Clubs listed in the top twenty Clubs in the world based on revenue (according to accounting firm Deloitte)

As a result gone are the days of swashbuckling and cavalier football (soccer) from teams such as Leeds and Liverpool of the 1970's and 80's, Manchester United and Newcastle United of the 1990's.

For instance, if you analyze the current system used by Chelsea FC - they will generally sit deep and absorb pressure from opponents and will be content at 'stealing' a game 1-0, deploying a very disciplined and defensive set of tactics, often hitting their opposition on the break. Their mantra is being 'hard to beat' rather than taking games to opponents.

Chelsea have an incredibly rich Russian owner who wastes no time in removing coaches if the winning mentality is not translated onto the pitch and into results (results being Championships, larger TV deals and shirts sales into new and developing soccer markets such as Asia and North America).

The Champions League competition is further evidence of the widening gap from the elite European teams and those trying to break in. The Champions League generates tens of millions of UK Pound's to the eventually winners. With this sort of revenue potential at stake this translates into efficient winning strategies rather than elegant stylish play.

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