I don't buy this strength in depth argument either - outside the top 6 most other premier league teams would struggle against your average continental offering. We just haven't replaced the calibre of players we had around 2010. The PL is slowly becoming a glorified MLS...a place to get a bumper pay deal...but not where the serious football is played.
The quality of the premiership is shocking
- Thread starter C'est Moi Cantona
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It is as easy to watch other leagues as it is EPL, nowadays.
Leicester City could probably beat Bayern 5-4, so I do not know what the first poster is complaining about.
The quality is that everyone is as bad as each other and as tactically inept as the other and then that makes it a league where "everyone can beat everyone" because we shouldn't talk about how:
Bayern got smashed by Gladbach
Juve have done this season
Barca got on in Sevilla and Vigo
Real Madrid in Sevilla likewise.
Never mind smaller clubs drawing against the bigger ones.
Only England has all of that you see...
Bayern got smashed by Gladbach
Juve have done this season
Barca got on in Sevilla and Vigo
Real Madrid in Sevilla likewise.
Never mind smaller clubs drawing against the bigger ones.
Only England has all of that you see...
Yes but the majority who make these claims don't. Unless they have a system where they'll only comment on games involving the big teams and take sabbaticals from the forum when intensely analysing Celta Vigo v Espanyol in their down time.
What I'm saying is there is only so much football the average poster can realistically watch
Sure. But why do you think that people watch more the midtable EPL matches rather than the European equivalents?
I said in the other thread that it is virtually impossible to compare who are better when it comes to teams outside of Europe zone. And in Europe, be it on UCL or Europa, EPL is far below Spain and a bit below Germany. Is Sunderland better than Udinese is something that we don't have a clue about.
Also, take the very top teams of Europe (Barca, Madrid, Atletico, PSG and Bayern), teams that are significantly better than everything in England, and you see that the remaining teams struggle as much as English top teams. The likes of Valencia, Sevilla or Wolfsburg are the equivalents of United, City, Chelsea, Arsenal. Barca, Bayern, Madrid clubs,Juventus and PSG are one or two levels above anything EPL has to offer. So, saying that the other teams there are weaker just because Barca or Bayern dominated those leagues isn't exactly true. Barca and Bayern dominate because they are so good, not because Koln or Celta are worse than Swansea. They dominate the top EPL clubs as much as small teams from their countries.
But the general jist of the thread was about how the top clubs in England have declined, I don't need to watch Elche v Celta Vigo to know that United, Chelsea, City, and Arsenal are further away from Barca, Madrid, and Bayern than they have ever been, and as such it is making the Premier league of fairly low quality, hence Leiscester are top.
But then you're back to the problem of judging leagues by 1 or 2 teams. If these sides are so far ahead of the rest of their league then surely the league itself cannot be judged by these same sides? They seem to be exceptions to their respective leagues rules.
All this is nonsense anyway. We will never see league v league deciders so it just comes down to what people enjoy the most. That would be English football. What is the point of all this technical mastery when nobody watches it? Our league is the one league where we could take away European football and not have the league itself suffer for it. It's very self sustaining, the CL isn't the be all and end all that we judge our seasons by.
The lower EPL sides have bought well last summer and hopefully this continues. The money coming in from next year will only make our league stronger. The likes of Stoke will only get stronger simply because they're not under pressure to sell and so will improve year on year.
The Premier League is the weakest its been for nearly 20 years. Even 15 years ago, before English sides were regularly reaching the last eight in the European Cup, we had teams doing well in the UEFA Cup and the Cup Winners Cup. Now, across the board, we are poor in Europe at all levels. That reflects the fact English football has gone massively down the pan recently. Best league in the world..? 
I rather watch PL then those monopoly owners...top quality might not be on Bayern,Real,Barca level but i wouldnt expect anything else from them,when money from tv rights and league distribution in La Liga is a joke.
The strength of the top clubs has declined and that does impact the quality of the league. But I would argue that the strength of the league remains. The league is better for not having a dominant 1 or 2 sides.
Would still prefer us to be walking it, of course.
Would still prefer us to be walking it, of course.
Well not 1 or 2, but 7 that qualify for Europe. With one or two of them changing each year.
About the second bolded part, disagree. Sure EPL is more popular in Asia because of English language, but thats it. It can get self sustained, but so can the other leagues.
The money won't change much IMO. Clubs will continue wasting money as they have been doing. Stoke finishes around the tenth position, as it did 5 years ago.
Bayern / Madrid / Barca are judged by their European campaigns these days, not their domestic form. Take away Europe and you take away a lot of what those clubs value about themselves.
I never Understood this argument about speaking English being this great influence on viewers. Do they not broadcast all the matches from all the leagues in whichever language that nation speaks? Or they broadcast EPL matches in English and German matches in German etc? Whats the big advantage?
I never Understood this argument about speaking English being this great influence on viewers. Do they not broadcast all the matches from all the leagues in whichever language that nation speaks? Or they broadcast EPL matches in English and German matches in German etc? Whats the big advantage?
Power of the interweb, gives a voice to all the moaning bitchy little turdbags who would usually be just getting up to being depressed in their rooms alone. It's progress, or so I'm told.
I find the frantic pace of English football more entertaining to watch than games in Spain and Germany regardless of the quality of football, which isnt hugely far behind either (and I do and try watch my as much as I can form those leagues).
There is exceptions to this of course. Valencia-Barca tonight was a very good game for example.
There is a good reason why English football is the most popular worldwide and it has feck all to do with Sky sports.
There is exceptions to this of course. Valencia-Barca tonight was a very good game for example.
There is a good reason why English football is the most popular worldwide and it has feck all to do with Sky sports.
We really need to evaluate ourselves. Even with a lot of player turnovers and money spent, considering our historical and financial status in world football, we haven't been able to come close to the standard of current top teams let alone be the best of the bad bunch domestically.
It's petty poor at the top end.
the premiership is by far the best marketed league in the world.
There are many other far unpredictable leagues, just not as big.
Other than a few years in the mid 2000's, its never really been the best league in the world. However, its an exciting league, I enjoy the narratives, rivalry and heck, even the commentary for most games (we dont get Michael Owen for international feeds).For me, thats enough
There are many other far unpredictable leagues, just not as big.
Other than a few years in the mid 2000's, its never really been the best league in the world. However, its an exciting league, I enjoy the narratives, rivalry and heck, even the commentary for most games (we dont get Michael Owen for international feeds).For me, thats enough
Disagree. There's nothing interesting about 3-5 sides ranging between decent to good all seeing who can cock up less than the other. It makes it close but in a really shitty way. Give me a top 2 that are top class teams battling it out tooth and nail any day over this. A league lacking great teams is no feat to be lauded.
I just wish we had someone in the premier league who were capable of beating Bayern Munich who would obviously never lose a game in the premier league.
The premier league is no better than the Greek league really because logic.
I like it this way tbh, there is virtually not a single game these days which I can predict with confidence. I like the fact that when I watch Arsenal vs Norwich or Stoke vs City I can do so knowing that there is a good chance for both teams. It varies from person to person though, there are a lot of people who watch the sport to enjoy high quality football and so would happily watch Barca /Bayern win 5-0 while someone like me gets bored after the second goal. I would much rather have slightly lower quality but more competitive games, in the end it's about your personal choice really.
Seriously why do you even bother posting stuff like this, if you don't like the jist of the thread just go elsewhere....sure it made made you feel better at the time though.
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I strongly disagree. Piast Gliwice are top of the league in Poland with Cracovia sitting in the 3rd place. Both these teams were bottom half quality last season and it's a huge shock that both have a chance of winning the league. Current champions Lech Poznań are in the bottom half of the table and have only recently escaped relegation zone. At the minute 5-6 teams could win the league because they are divided into groups at the end of round.
Polish Ekstraklasa is much better and interesting.
Yeah, it does sound like a really good fun league. Add in some international stars and it's something that people might want to watch.
Come on Bayern would struggle to make Europe in PL.
There are several Poland and Czech internationals with some other Eastern Europe and African internationals. Considering Poland did well in Europ qualifiers, I think it proves that it's by far and away the best league in Europe. Out of Europe I think Nigerian league is the most competitive hence the strongest.
I'm completely missing whatever point you're trying to make here.
That you're trying to blow what people are suggesting out of proportion. Over 3 seasons even Barcelona would lose a game in PL but it's obvious they'd walk the league, as would Barcelona and likely PSG and Real Madrid too.
I agree that Bayern would struggle to qualify for Europe in the Nigerian League. It's hell down there, more competitive than a rainy night in Krakow.
Well, even if it wasn't hell down there, it might be difficult to qualify for Europe.
I don't think they would walk the league.
Yeah, I mean after all they destroy just Arsenal, City, United and co every time they face those teams. Hard to see them beating Leicester and West Ham.
Absolute nonsense based on nothing but your crazy perception of PL being incredibly strong. They are miles ahead of any PL team.
People need to realize that Barca, Real and Bayern are exceptions. At no point in football history have so many of the world's top players been concentrated in just three clubs. There's nothing to laud here, it's just extremely unhealthy for the sport. Barca have the three best players in the world starting up front for them. That's not the reflection of the league, it's just one very dominant football club.
It's fairly simple. Look at the best players in the world. They almost all play for Barca, Real and Bayern. Not just one but they have a top 5 player in 8-9 of their 11 starter spots, which English top team could put a claim to that?