It's times like this that our enjoyment of sport provides a refuge from the doom and gloom.

But even within the nation's beloved premiership, the kings of the oilfields are causing horrific amounts of inflation in the football transfer market.
Last year I described the premiership as being the billionaires' playground. This year it's gone one step further and has clearly turned into real-life fantasy football.

The newest star investor is Dr Sulaiman Al Fahim, the leading man for Manchester City's Abramovich-crushing Middle East owners – the Abu Dhabi United Group.

He made a spectacular entry and defining statement when he gave City the power to lure Robinho to the City of Manchester Stadium rather than to last season's top aristocrats Chelsea for £32.5m.

They might have done the same to Man United's Dimitar Berbatov had it not been for Sir Alex Ferguson's experience of when Newcastle stole Alan Shearer from him all those years ago. he personally drove the Spurs striker to Old Trafford from the airport.

The massive takeover at City is big news, but the worrying thing is that no-one seems to doubt that it's nothing but good news for football.

while I look forward to seeing Robinho – who I'm sure has always had a lifelong ambition to play for Man City – in the premiership, I wonder what the long-term outcome is going to be.

Although not every football club has a billionaire backer, it's clear that the trends are becoming the same and those at the top of the tree are dictating – through the director of football – which game accessory they desire next.

It's clear that the top players are just as motivated by being that accessory and not necessarily by playing football.

Unfortunately, hard-fought, passion-driven football is being replaced with cold, hard business.

Managers are just not managers any more. instead of being able to single out and sign players who fit their regime they're resigned to doing the best with the players they're given. In essence, they are now just coaches.

The week has been filled with news of managers who are fed up at not having a say in who stays and who leaves a club, men such as Alan Curbishley and Kevin Keegan.

Where these two stand out is in their loyalty to West Ham and Newcastle respectively, to which both guys have a long- term and passionate affiliation.

The truth is that managers with a real drive, a real passion – the ones with the guts to stand up and voice their opinion and who the real fans warm to – are going to fade away.

Even the owners of smaller Premiership clubs look to be getting priced out of the game after Bill Kenwright – the Everton chief – announced that what his club really needs to take them forward is some kind of billionaire investor.