Yes, that is damned stupid amounts of cash. But its par for the course really. Until such a time as the amounts get so obscene that it breaks the public obsession with the cult of celebrity and transcends the enjoyment of the fans of the game and forces people to react and stop paying to watch or enjoy football (and it would have to be all football featuring these high-falutin' clubs). Basically until the money stops rolling in and bank-rolling the stupid, nay, obscene amounts of money...

Until that oh-so-wonderful day, it'll just get worse.

But I am guessing that while the masses are happy to watch the game and the sponsors are willing to pay to reach the masses, while the top footballers get front-page tabloid headlines, and the girls aspire to becoming a 'Footballers wife' as a career option... I am rather under the impression that this situation will just remain as it is for a while longer.

Welcome to the other end of the long tail ... where an infinitesimal increment of skill over the rest, combined with a bit of good luck and some good publicity, attaches afterburners to a career.

If it's any consolation, this guy's career will be over by the time he's 30-35. Only a few footballers are intellectual enough to go on to management; the rest can either become trainers/teachers (not on half a million a week) or go the George Best route.

See also "George Best".

an obscene amount of money, and I speak as a man city fan. Has money ruined City? I fear the answer must be yes.

Most footballers are now overpaid prima donnas with limited skill but incredibly talented agents, who get huge cuts of these deals.

If they had any sense of shame,

No, no point finishing that sentence; they're all greedy, selfish ponces.

City will learn, like in the past have many other clubs, Blackburn and Swansea spring to mind, and as is now dawning on Chelski. Money does not buy success or trophies.

But yeh, that sort of money is obscene.