The league is terrible.
The league is bad, the league is good
- Thread starter Ole's_toe_poke
- Start date
Based on what?
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The league is in dire shape as proven in Europe.
The quality of football is... entertaining... if you like watching lots of teams making lots of mistakes and numerous unforced errors to cede possession back and forth mixed in with the odd screamer here and there.
A great indication of the apparent lack of quality is the struggles of the English team in the CL.
If you look at Liverpool and Tottenham, two tier 2/3 teams playing in the EL against team of their level, they're doing well. However, you have the likes of United, City, Arsenal and Chelsea who wouldn't look out of place in the EL, but have been average to terrible in piss poor CL groups. People seem to forget that every year, there are plenty of midtable teams punching above their weight. Off the top of my head, I can remember teams such as Charlton and Bolton many years ago performing really well for a third of the season. It's no different now, Spurs, Everton and Liverpool are fecking around 5-8th, as they were a few years back, whereas, the so called "top teams" are sharply declining.
If you look at Liverpool and Tottenham, two tier 2/3 teams playing in the EL against team of their level, they're doing well. However, you have the likes of United, City, Arsenal and Chelsea who wouldn't look out of place in the EL, but have been average to terrible in piss poor CL groups. People seem to forget that every year, there are plenty of midtable teams punching above their weight. Off the top of my head, I can remember teams such as Charlton and Bolton many years ago performing really well for a third of the season. It's no different now, Spurs, Everton and Liverpool are fecking around 5-8th, as they were a few years back, whereas, the so called "top teams" are sharply declining.
Based on: "Okay, the top Premier League teams have clearly shown to be a level below the world elite in the Champions League time and time again but something from the Premier League has to be the best ... so ... ahm ... okay ... let's just say the Premier League midtable is the strongest in the world."
Hehe. Except our mid-table sides constantly get spanked in Europe and then all those who want to believe our league is amazing or whatever say those teams don't care, because obviously, they're saving themselves for the Premier League... which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.Based on: "Okay, the top Premier League teams have clearly shown to be a level below the world elite in the Champions League time and time again but something from the Premier League has to be the best ... so ... ahm ... okay ... let's just say the Premier League midtable is the strongest in the world."
What I think we do have is the best athletes, not that that counts for much in a game football, as Spain/ La Liga have taken great joy in proving.
I don't think it's shit quality wise. There is no elite team to represent the league in the latter stages of the CL anymore and the traditional top teams don't hold a candle to the sides from a few years ago (maybe only Arsenal has remained at the same level) but it's still a good league. People just need to stop to desperately big it up at all costs ("Oh, Premier League gets embarrassed in the CL? Then let's pretend it's the best at something else, i. e. entertainment/midtable strength/whatever"). Instead just enjoy it for what it is. I like the unpredictability (will Arsenal, City or United win the league; will Liverpool make the top 4, maybe even surpass United; will Chelsea remain outside the top 4?) as much as I like the football exhibition shows of Barca and Madrid in La Liga.
With the way Chelsea are playing, Arsenal facing a big challenge in Greece and us having to probably win in Germany I wouldnt be too surprised if only one PL team makes the CL 2nd round.
Pretty shit tbh. No great teams, a couple good teams.
Sanchez too. He's possibly the best of the lot in my book.
There is no dominance anymore. The traditional top clubs will have to acknowledge that they will have to fight more then ever against the little boys. The little boys are physical, conditioned and ready to take the fight to your backyard. Could be in for one hell of a season the way things are looking.
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Competitive and missing a top quality side. Few genuine world-class players.
Arsenal really should be walking the league at the moment - I would still expect them to win it this season unless City have a major improvement in terms of their consistency.
Arsenal really should be walking the league at the moment - I would still expect them to win it this season unless City have a major improvement in terms of their consistency.
The league is getting worse and worse in terms of quality.
The league is incredible, the standard of the top clubs is abysmal compared to our european counterparts.
I think it's ridiculous to say the league is the best because it's competitive when the reason why it's competitive is that there is no top side in it. In Poland there are always 4-5 teams capable of winning the title and a team that was expected to be in bottom half before season is top now. Then it means that Ekstraklasa is the best league in the world.
It's very attractive and enjoyable but not great quality.
It's very attractive and enjoyable but not great quality.
The way I look at it is, if Leicester were in the Bundesliga, La Liga or even Serie A, would they be top? Pretty sure they wouldn't be.
Of course they wouldn't.
Spot on. It is a mediocre product at the moment, devoid of real quality.
The league is atrocious, the standards are so low. There are very few teams who olay decent football and the top teams are absolutely dreadful compared to the European counterparts. How can we be 4th when we cant even set up an attack?
Good league, poor contenders.
theres a lot to be said for the quality of managers in the league. There are some cracking managers at the mid table clubs. Top teams aren't performing. I think Ferguson would love to still be in charge, he'd have this season in the bag by now.
no stand out quality players anymore.
pretty shit league...and as shit as it is we are 4th...after spending all that money.
points to the management.
pretty shit league...and as shit as it is we are 4th...after spending all that money.
points to the management.
The top teams in the league are below par in comparison to other 'elite' clubs. However mid-table clubs and the rest of league are well above their positional counterparts in the European leagues. All in all it makes the EPL more merry-go-round like.
I'm currently watching Stoke on MoTD and I'm jealous of their attacking players. Surely that's not right as a United supporter!
I'm currently watching Stoke on MoTD and I'm jealous of their attacking players. Surely that's not right as a United supporter!
One problem with English teams - they always want to buy English players because they are used to play in the PL, but they should start looking for their academies and players from other countries -young but not too young, besides wenger only Alex could manage young players to the top team.
Probably not but I doubt Chelsea would be 15th in those leagues.
The premier league is a good television product, nothing else. The teams are mainly poor, the only teams that respect their ranks are probably Tottenham and Everton.
Surely football competition itself is at a low? Even the Champions League has gotten boring and predictable.
It's really not as simple as some people would make out.
Sports are in large part a game of confidence. Let's remember that.
So how large is the real difference between the top clubs in the world and the top clubs in England? I'll concede that the best in Spain, Germany and Italy are better than the best here right now, I don't believe there is an enormous gulf.
How much of this belief is based on the spectacular performances BM, RM and Barca put on against powder puff teams? How many teams in their respective leagues are powder puff?
People talk about the quality of the PL being sub-standard. From a technical stand point, this might be true. I don't know. What I do know, however, is that teams in the PL are physical, athletic, aggressive and well organized. They play a style of grinding football that isn't pretty, but it's difficult to deal with and it can be effective. They may not have the quality to cut through you, but they have the athletic quality to compete with anyone in a physical style of play.
Naturally, the top clubs in England are going to struggle against this hard-nosed style of play. This only becomes more apparent as the mid table and lower table clubs get more money and can go out and buy these physical, athletically gifted players. So how much of the perception that "we're all shite" is shaped by the different standards of play? Yea a mid-table club in Spain might be more technical than Everton, but when that club comes out against Real Madrid, they are out-gunned everywhere.
Then we play Southampton and we have to deal with physical monster trucks like Sadio Mane.
It's a philosophy that has taken hold in England, for good or bad, I don't know. What I do know is, this mentality is "we might not be able to out pretty them, but if we can turn it into a dog fight, we have the dogs for that fight". They turn the match into a slugging contest and they are building for those grinding tight encounters.
It makes everyone look bad, but there is no way you can deny that it makes things more difficult.
Sports are in large part a game of confidence. Let's remember that.
So how large is the real difference between the top clubs in the world and the top clubs in England? I'll concede that the best in Spain, Germany and Italy are better than the best here right now, I don't believe there is an enormous gulf.
How much of this belief is based on the spectacular performances BM, RM and Barca put on against powder puff teams? How many teams in their respective leagues are powder puff?
People talk about the quality of the PL being sub-standard. From a technical stand point, this might be true. I don't know. What I do know, however, is that teams in the PL are physical, athletic, aggressive and well organized. They play a style of grinding football that isn't pretty, but it's difficult to deal with and it can be effective. They may not have the quality to cut through you, but they have the athletic quality to compete with anyone in a physical style of play.
Naturally, the top clubs in England are going to struggle against this hard-nosed style of play. This only becomes more apparent as the mid table and lower table clubs get more money and can go out and buy these physical, athletically gifted players. So how much of the perception that "we're all shite" is shaped by the different standards of play? Yea a mid-table club in Spain might be more technical than Everton, but when that club comes out against Real Madrid, they are out-gunned everywhere.
Then we play Southampton and we have to deal with physical monster trucks like Sadio Mane.
It's a philosophy that has taken hold in England, for good or bad, I don't know. What I do know is, this mentality is "we might not be able to out pretty them, but if we can turn it into a dog fight, we have the dogs for that fight". They turn the match into a slugging contest and they are building for those grinding tight encounters.
It makes everyone look bad, but there is no way you can deny that it makes things more difficult.
This is the most enjoyable, interesting and exciting season of football I can remember for a very, very long time. I wish it was like this every season.
It's boring as feck when you have the top teams twatting the opposition week after week. I went through some of the seasons in the late 90s to check the points totals of the top four teams. Personally, I'm perfectly pleased to see a throwback to league tables that look like these:
It's boring as feck when you have the top teams twatting the opposition week after week. I went through some of the seasons in the late 90s to check the points totals of the top four teams. Personally, I'm perfectly pleased to see a throwback to league tables that look like these:
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The league is more competitive than earlier. Partly due to some of the mid table teams getting better but mainly because of the top sides being crap and inconsistent. Put a Barca or Bayern in this league and they will be out of sight by now.
What makes you say that? Nothing to prove that is the case. Europe points to the contrary if anything.
I don't think they would. Playing top quality opposition every week is a lot different than what they're asked to do.
A lot of people claiming there are a lot of poor sides in the other top European competitions which allow the likes of Barca and Bayern to run away at the top. These two sides will mop the floor with every team in our league.
I don't agree. The competition looks better than before because the top teams are not as good as they used to be.
Just looking at the teams. A look at Everton's squad v Malaga or Ingolstadt will tell you all you need to know about the respective quality of the league.
If you put Bayern in our league now they'd do very well. Three years down the line when they can't pick literally the best players from every club in the league they'd struggle. That is what is happening in the Prem. Teams like West Brom, Everton and Liverpool were able to hold on to some great players this year despite interest from big clubs. That wouldn't happen in other leagues.
I'm not having that. Everton in 11th place have Stones, Barkley, Lukaku and others playing week in week out. A quick look at Malaga's squad and they have Roque Santa Cruz back on loan and a starting centre back on loan from Derby.
The league I looked at was actually incorrect. real Betis are currently 11th and they have Ricky Van wolsvinkel on loan from Norwich and a Sunderland reject as their most played player in defence. 34 year old Rubin Castron leads the line. Torres, who is supposed to be a good talent, will leave the club soon. Everton managed to keep Baines and Stones despite interest from big clubs.
And just one more, the team that finished 11th last season have Manucho, Bebe and Pablo Hernandez among it's current stars.
Id also point out that Bayern who would apparently walk this league have lost the same amount of matches v premier league teams this season as they have in the bundesliga after playing Arsenal twice.
So they lost one away match. Did you miss the absolute hammering they gave Arsenal in the return leg?
No but in the last two seasons in playing four games against English clubs they've lost one more than they have in the Bundesliga this season.