I have this theory that he's making a late push for the 'agenda poster of the year' award and I doubt there's a better way to win it than beating anchan1989 in his home yard.
Yes and don't forget Bayern was defeated by Chelsea in 2011-12.
Indeed. I don't understand either. Perhaps he meant 2009. From 06/07 to 08/09 the Premier League was the strongest in the world and boasted 4 of the top 5 teams in the world and this was reflected in the CL by 3 of the four semi finalists being Premier league teams. The Premier league was extremely strong in regards to its top teams at that moment in time and it was undoubtedly by far the strongest the Premier League has ever been(and perhaps the whole of English football's strongest moment too). Since 09/10 began the Premier League started to decline in regards to its top teams (no team since has reached or come anywhere near United's level in 07/08 or 08/09 or even Chelsea's level during those two seasons and the third or fourth best team in the league has not being able to replicate Liverpool's exploits under Benitez either) and hasn't really come close to such domination since. Since 09/10 began there has been 9 Spanish, 6 German and 3 Premier League teams in the CL semi-finals comprising of 3 different Spanish teams (Real, Barca and Atletico), 3 different German teams (Bayern, Dortmund and Schalke) and two Premier League clubs (United and Chelsea). In that time period there has also been 4 German teams in the final, 3 Spanish teams in the final and two Premier League clubs in the final comprising of three different Spanish teams (Real, Barca and Atletico), two different German teams (Bayern and Dortmund) and two Premier League clubs (United and Chelsea). Perhaps that is the point that Anchan was trying to put across albeit not very clearly.
I am talking about from 09/10 to 2014 and so are the German posters. I explained why 2008 was wrong in my last post.
45 minutes? That is not really what I would call a close game. Atletico were comfortably better and Chelsea holding on so long against Atletico (who have far less resources) is not something to really brag about either. I don't really see what that has to do with my post anyway. You are going off topic and brought up Chelsea but selectively did not mention City or Arsenal's campaigns (who both finished second in the group and went out in the last 16).
Indeed it has. It has also reduced their competitiveness in Europe and going up against the very strongest teams in the world which has been reflected by their performances in the CL over the last 5 seasons.
Its funny. I never see this reasoning being brought up in regards to Madrid, Barca and Bayern (the three most dominant teams over the last 5 years) not losing much in their league but you bring it up regarding Premier League clubs. When United and Chelsea don't lose much in the league it is because they are so strong but when Madrid, barca and Bayern do it is because their leagues are weak. That is very interesting. Your point about the best teams in Europe not being able to beat Chelsea and United back then applies to Madrid, Barca and Bayern now.
Once again, I would like to kindly point out that I am talking about the last 5 seasons, not since 2004. Having one team in the final is great but it does not mean that your league is dominant, but rather that it has a strong team.
?? Could you elaborate on this please? I would just like to say that if you mean what I think you mean, then I find this comment strange. Whenever anyone talks about how strong the Premier league is they reference the time they had three semi finalists. Using your logic about semi finals not counting then surely finals don't count either and only the winner of "the biggest club game in the world" like you called it does, of which there are four Spanish winners to three from the Premier League from that 10 year period. Also weren't you criticising the Bundesliga for not having many strong teams and yet you are now changing your criteria to only having one strong team that is good enough to make the final in order to constitute what makes a strong league. Doesn't that go against what you were saying earlier about having to have more than one strong team. Very strange.
When Barca were dominating (which was from 08/09 to 11/12) there was 5 semi final appearances in that period from the premier league to 6 from la liga. I'm not sure what you mean by "do anything in the CL" as it is a very vague comment just like the majority of your comments are. I know I would consider getting to the semi finals as "doing something". I have the feeling that you make vague comments so that you can keep changing your criteria to suit your agenda. Also, when Barcelona started dominating was in 08/09 and I would once again like to point out I am talking about the period from 09/10 to now. Please stay on topic.
That was from 04/05 to 09/10. Since then they have been getting to the semi finals at least (3 semis and one final which they won) and have not looked back since. It should also be mentioned that Villareal made it to the semis in 05/06. Once again I would like to kindly point out that I am speaking about the last 5 seasons (since 09/10 to now and during that period Madrid have only gone out one in the last 16) and so are the German posters in this thread. It would be greatly appreciated if you would stop straying from the subject at hand.
?? Earlier you were saying that having finalists is what makes a league strong and now you are saying it doesn't. I am really getting confused now. You say it is a moot point yet it was your point in the first place. Going by your posts in this thread I am not sure you actually have a point or know what a point is.
From 2009 to 2014 Spain has had 4 finalists and 3 winners and Germany has had 4 finalists and one winner. Using your criteria that has to bode well for the other leagues.
Well, what is? It is not 100% conclusive but I cannot think of a better way to decide which leagues top teams are the strongest than by having them play each other. It is the only competition (along with the Europa league) that teams from different leagues play each other. When Premier League teams do well it shows how strong the league is but when they don't then Europe doesn't matter so much. How else can we tell who is better from two leagues other than them playing each other? People who argue that the lesser premier league teams are stronger than their counterparts in other leagues simply because they spend (or waste I should say) more money than them. Surely teams playing each other is a much better indicator than simply going by who spends more money.
It suggests that one of the strongest teams in La Liga is stronger than one of the strongest teams in the Premiership and it proves that Atletico are better than Chelsea.
No. Nor do Spurs magically become better than Bilbao because Atletico won or because they spend more money than them.
Call me crazy, but as far as I am concerned, the best way to decide which team is better is to have them play each other. And if one of the stronger teams in a league beats one of the stronger teams in another league well then that while not being 100% conclusive, certainly bodes better for the league of the team that won. Its at least a better way of judging things than who spends more money or something.
Barcelona and Bayern dominated Chelsea in 2012 and it hasn't stopped you or others using their win as proof the EPL is stronger than the rest. Liverpools win was very much the same. They were dominated by many teams and were very lucky (they got to the final putting men behind the ball and playing like a small team) but their win is also used as proof that the EPL is stronger than others.
Its the only competition that teams from different leagues play each other in so surely you understand why people use it to decide which team is the best and what league has the strongest top teams. If you could suggest a better way to judge then I am all ears.
People are saying that since the 09/10 season the premier league clubs are not ahead of everyone else or dominant anymore and you keep referring back to 2004 to argue with them that it is. That is what I am sure most people would consider to be straying from the subject.
You are the one who keeps referring to the finals that the Premier league clubs have gotten too and when it is shown that other leagues have better records in that regard since the 09/10 season then you claim that Europe is not the barometer to decide which league has the strongest teams. Then what is? I cannot think of a better way to decide which league has the strongest teams other than having them play each other.
Because the 09/10 season is when the premier leagues stranglehold started to loosen. I admitted that from 06/07 to 08/09 that's the Premier league was by far the strongest. Since then I do not think it has been anywhere near as dominant as it was at that time. Originally you questioned why anchan kept saying that it is not 2008 anymore and I gave my explanation for what I think he meant but did not explain clearly. The European finalist point was your rule of thumb btw, not mine. it was you who said that semi finals don't mean anything and that only getting to finals does and then when I showed that other teams had a better record you then said Europe does not matter. You are right, it is best for us to agree to disagree. I see no reason to debate with someone who does not address my points after I have addressed yours.
But you're not addressing them, you seem to miss my point entirely. I have no idea why you keep suggesting that I'm basing anything off CL finalists, I've staunchly argued that Europe doesn't matter, you seem to confuse me with addressing other points as pushing my own.
I get your point but it is more like 7 out of 20 if you include the Europa League. I will admit that it is difficult to say which league has the strongest teams at the bottom and I honestly do not know which league does but it hasn't stopped others from saying that their own league has the strongest and using money as a reason why they are stronger. I would like to point out that I haven't actually stated that a certain league was the strongest. I was just trying to state that I do not believe that at this present moment or over the last few seasons that the Premier League is dominant or ahead of every other league.
The dynamic of a side from 6 years ago has as much elf elegance as a team from 5 years ago.. None.
I realise that buddy, and if you notice I haven't been claiming that the Premier League is the greatest in the world either, just that Europe isn't the best way to judge.
Was asking why he's insinuating that Premier league sides are underachieving and being shown up in Europe like English sides are failing since 2008.
would be fantastic if it last another week.
that's a rather flacid argument, as german players rather rely on girth and angle, plus a league-wide, rather quick approach to foreplay. sorry to say, but it seems like you've never really seen a bayern match? nowadays, under guardiola they tend to rely on two deep-lying barebacks in a 1-on-1 formation, like boateng and dante, to then team up with schweinsteiger in a BBW through the middle or open wide. but yeah, go on spouting your biased nonsense, son.
