Stan's 5-Point Stance: Premier League Money Must Aid Fans, Lambert Exit No Shock

In this week's five-point stance, Stan Collymore visits topics related to Premier League broadcasting rights, the sacking of Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert, Nigel Pearson, Louis van Gaal and Harry Kane

1. Premier League Must Invest Part of £5.1B Broadcast Fees in Grass-Roots Football and Reducing Ticket Prices

The Premier League broadcasters all provide a great service—whether it's Sky, BT Sport, talkSport or the BBC, but the division of the recent £5.1 billion television rights payment (h/t BBC Sport) will be important.

For example, that amount of money could mean a player such as Emmanuel Adebayor—someone who is good for six months but nothing more than that—will get a bump in wages to anything up to £200,000 a week.

My worry is the quality in the Premier League wouldn't be getting better. Bar half-a-dozen games a season, it could mean a lot of average players coming in from all parts of the world on huge contracts that don't equate to success in Europe or teams up and down the league being competitive.

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Well done to Richard Scudamore and the Premier League for getting the £5 billion, but it won't automatically translate into better quality on the pitch.

I would like to see the Premier League put under pressure by the Government to have five per cent of the £5 billion drip-fed down and see clubs to take more responsibility to save money rather than just spending it on players' wages.

A number of people have told me the bubble won't burst because it's a great product, but people aren't mugs, and there should be a direct correlation between that £5 billion and a subsidy for ticket prices.

I have campaigned that £20 is enough for an away ticket for seven years now, while £25 to £30 is more than enough for a home ticket.

But I can guarantee that, on the back of this TV deal, clubs are going to start putting up their prices in 18 months' or two years' time. It's pricing the working-class fan out of the game and paying average players big money.

I have no problem with Wayne Rooney, Diego Costa, Eden Hazard and Sergio Aguero earning big wages because they are top players who deliver.

But I have one hell of a problem with real fans not being able to afford to get into the ground and with players such as Adebayor and their agents being able to walk into a club and get £200,000 a week.

I think Sky are at their maximum now and BT Sport are becoming major players. My fear is that in a few years' time, the broadcasters are going to say they cannot afford it any more. And then there will be a major issue.

2. Paul Lambert Sacking No surprise at Aston Villa, but Players Need to Look at Themselves

I wanted to maintain the status quo as a fan because I thought Paul Lambert was the right man when he came in and I didn't want to be wrong. But I struggled to see any motivation from the Aston Villa players or any rhyme or reason for the football being played other than it being possession for the sake if it.

The motivation factor was the worry for me. This week against Hull City, another team scrapping for their lives, Villa were so tepid at times it was quite frightening.

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Christian Benteke looked as if he wasn't interested, and when we brought Joe Cole on for the last 10 minutes, he looked to be Villa's liveliest player, which shouldn't be the case.

Now that Villa have sacked Lambert, there is no transfer window, and the new man will have to work with what he's got. So I'd have been reluctant to say "sack the manager" because is there anyone available to step in? There is nobody obvious out there.

The most important thing now is for the players to have a long, hard look at themselves. The FA Cup fifth-round tie against Leicester City will be an important game for them.

3. Nigel Pearson Deserves Respect from Leicester City Hierarchy

I like Nigel Pearson. Like Sean Dyche, he brought his club up from the Championship a year or so ahead of schedule.

The unfortunate circumstance, though, is that when you're in the bottom three or four, the pressure is really on.

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I'm not condoning what Nigel did when he grabbed Crystal Palace's James McArthur at the weekend, which was ill-advised, but the focus of all managers and players is winning and things can boil over.

Nigel has been treated quite disrespectfully for a man who brought stability back to Leicester after a number of years meandering the leagues.

They are still not cut adrift in the Premier League, so more respect should have been afforded to Nigel. He has the opportunity now to try and keep the club up, but even if they are relegated, he would be the man to bring them back.

4. Louis van Gaal Should Rise Above the Comments of Other Managers

Louis van Gaal's press conference this week was bizarre. It just showed the Dutchman that coming into the Premier League is completely different to going into the Bundesliga or Eredivisie.

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Sam Allardyce got under his skin with the "long-ball" comment, and as Manchester United manager, you should be above that.

But it just goes to show that Van Gaal probably spent from the end of the West Ham United game until Tuesday's press conference letting it irritate him rather than thinking about his best formation for United.

Van Gaal is a great manager with a great track record, but he can't afford to get into mind games with other bosses, because when it comes to a Jose Mourinho, the Portuguese will have him on a piece of string for every Chelsea-Manchester United game.

If he thinks the Allardyce mind games are bad, just wait until he locks horns with Mourinho.

He just needs to get on with managing his club. He does not need to be responding to other managers' remarks.

5. Harry Kane Is Proof That Young English Talent Is Available in Club Academies If Managers Look

When you're an English footballer doing well in the Premier League, the way the 24-hour media is now, you will be made out to be 20 to 30 per cent better than you are.

All I've heard this week is comparisons between Harry Kane and Alan Shearer. The only comparison is they play in the same position.

But Kane is a wonderful striker, he's done tremendously well this season, and he's a wonderful lesson for clubs to look at their academies to bring through players.

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If Roberto Soldado and Paulinho had worked at Spurs, Kane and Ryan Mason probably wouldn't have had their opportunity.

I hope this means managers such as Mourinho and Manuel Pellegrini will look into their academies to bring in home-grown players. Such players have a rapport with the fans and a connection with the areas clubs are in.

I would put him in the England squad for the Lithuania game next month, and I would stick him in from the start alongside Daniel Sturridge.

Kane is proof positive that there are good English youngsters out there if you put your arm around them.