[Archived] Other Premier League Happenings

[T4E]

You follow a team that plays football in a league that you don't enjoy. So my question still stands, why do something you don't enjoy?

No, your question does not stand. I'm not even really sure what it is that I've said that you're disagreeing with. Is it that the league isn't a procession, or that you think I should give up supporting Rovers because we've got no chance of making the top 4? Either way, you're totally wrong.

[RevidgeBlue]

Looks like today will be the day when the "Big 4" ascend to occupy the top 4 places in the league. I'd be surprised if that changes again between now and May.

What a boring, uninteresting, money-polluted procession this league has become. I really wish I didn't care about it, its quite clearly not worth the effort.

As I see it, It's like anything else in life, if you're not good enough, you have to aspire to get better, not whinge about how much better someone else is than you.

I wouldn't mind a Ferrari but can't afford one so I've two choices, somehow figure out a way I could realistically afford one or get on with things without one.

We wouldn't even be competing at our current level without Uncle Jack's intervention, so I think it smacks of being ungracious to be complaining that there are a few sides about better than us.

[T4E]

Although I guess a fair amount of my disdain comes from knowing Rovers wont make the top 4, it's not limited to that. It's the fact that no-one can. By the same token, there are only 4 contenders to win the league, which in a competition with 20 participants is a pretty poor ratio.

The league as a spectacle is not what it once was. The permutations of what can happen are very very limited, and unpredictability has to be the basis for an engrossing/entertaining product.

[American]

The problem I see is that people don't like the top 4, but when a team threatens to break in, such as Spurs and City, they don't want them doing it!

[imy9]

Although I guess a fair amount of my disdain comes from knowing Rovers wont make the top 4, it's not limited to that. It's the fact that no-one can. By the same token, there are only 4 contenders to win the league, which in a competition with 20 participants is a pretty poor ratio.

The league as a spectacle is not what it once was. The permutations of what can happen are very very limited, and unpredictability has to be the basis for an engrossing/entertaining product.

I appreciate what you are saying but that should change now that Man City are owned by Arabs, that will make it a top 5, I sense Villa will be in the pot at some point in the future too.

[T4E]

I appreciate what you are saying but that should change now that Man City are owned by Arabs, that will make it a top 5, I sense Villa will be in the pot at some point in the future too.

I'd like to think so, although extending from a defined top 4 to a defined top 5 isn't really what I was looking for. Variation is important.

[RevidgeBlue]

Although I guess a fair amount of my disdain comes from knowing Rovers wont make the top 4, it's not limited to that. It's the fact that no-one can. By the same token, there are only 4 contenders to win the league, which in a competition with 20 participants is a pretty poor ratio.

The league as a spectacle is not what it once was. The permutations of what can happen are very very limited, and unpredictability has to be the basis for an engrossing/entertaining product.

Twas ever thus imo.

Might be my memories playing tricks on me but there were always a couple of Clubs vastly superior to the rest in the seventies and eighties as well. Liverpool/Leeds Liverpool/Forest Liverpool/Everton Liverpool/Arsenal etc.

[philipl]

No doubt it will turn into a goal fest after I have posted this but Everton 0 Fulham 0 has been beyond dire so far.

[T4E]

Just had a quick look to see how this stacks up Rev.

Number of different league Champions in each decade -

00's (so far) - 3

90's - 4

80's - 4

70's - 6

60's - 8

It's a steady decline in variation. I'm not sure how many times we've had the same top 4 (albeit in slightly different orders) for 3 seasons in a row, and 4 of the last 5.

[RevidgeBlue]

Just had a quick look to see how this stacks up Rev.

Number of different league Champions in each decade -

00's (so far) - 3

90's - 4

80's - 4

70's - 6

60's - 8

It's a steady decline in variation. I'm not sure how many times we've had the same top 4 (albeit in slightly different orders) for 3 seasons in a row, and 4 of the last 5.

My memory must be failing me somewhat.

Very surprised by the seventies figure, who were they? Arsenal, Liverpool, Leeds, Forest and............?

Although if you were playing devil's advocate for the Premier League I suppose you would argue that the situation doesn't appear to be any different to the 80's before the Prem was formed.

[T4E]

1959–60 Burnley (2)

1960–61 Tottenham Hotspur (2)

1961–62 Ipswich Town (1)

1962–63 Everton (6)

1963–64 Liverpool (6)

1964–65 Manchester United (6)

1965–66 Liverpool (7)

1966–67 Manchester United (7)

1967–68 Manchester City (2)

1968–69 Leeds United (1)

[RevidgeBlue]

1959–60 Burnley (2)

1960–61 Tottenham Hotspur (2)

1961–62 Ipswich Town (1)

1962–63 Everton (6)

1963–64 Liverpool (6)

1964–65 Manchester United (6)

1965–66 Liverpool (7)

1966–67 Manchester United (7)

1967–68 Manchester City (2)

1968–69 Leeds United (1)

Thanks. What were the 70's stats?

[T4E]

1969–70 Everton (7)

1970–71 Arsenal (8)

1971–72 Derby County (1)

1972–73 Liverpool (8)

1973–74 Leeds United (2)

1974–75 Derby County (2)

1975–76 Liverpool (9)

1976–77 Liverpool (10)

1977–78 Nottingham Forest (1)

1978–79 Liverpool (11)

In addition, numbers of different league runners up over the same time period -

00's (so far) - 4

90's - 6

80's - 6

70's - 6

60's - 8

[RevidgeBlue]

How could I forget the incomparable Cloughie at Derby as well?

Thanks for that.

[Amo]

I think it's ridiculous the Champions League takes the top FOUR sides. They should take it back to the top two teams, therefore sides like Liverpool won't find their comfort zone finishing fourth every season. It would provide an incentive to actually challenge for the title. Of course, we all know it's all too money-oriented to change now.

[T4E]

No worries, thanks for indulging my statto nature

[dopper69]

IMO the champions league should be just the winners of each league - possibly coupled with the other major leagues around the world such as South America.

[BRFC1995]

dreams of spuds going down are fading!!!!!!!balls

[grizfoot]

dreams of spuds going down are fading!!!!!!!balls

They've got very lucky yet again. Totally dominated by Arsenal and Liverpool in the last two games but have come away with four points out of it. Harry definately as lady luck on his side.

[philipl]

6 points cover 7th to 19th tonight.

[leftfooter]

Let's see how he does.

By all accounts, Adams now is a very serious, focussed and driven individual who has used his time since Wycombe to accumulate a vast knowledge of the game at the top level across the world. A lot of people who have met and interviewed him have been seriously impressed.

Meanwhile back in the real world.....

Portsmouth boss Tony Adams:

"I went berserk at the players and realised I shouldn't have done that because they had given me so much passion.

"I kicked a few bottles in there because it seems too much is happening to me in the early stage of my management career.

"But I know I've got a talented team and we will bounce back from this."

[dingles staying down 4ever]

Possible transfer targets

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/5839...oing-cheap.html

[RibbleValleyRover]

Still a bit of time to go but City are losing 1-0 to notlob

Can't see City getting anywhere near the champions league places this season, something that could see Hughes sacked by the end of the season, possibly sooner if they really have a bad run of form.

[alexanders]

Still a bit of time to go but City are losing 1-0 to notlob

Can't see City getting anywhere near the champions league places this season, something that could see Hughes sacked by the end of the season, possibly sooner if they really have a bad run of form.

2-0 , own goal.

We certainly don't look pants playing a draw at Rebook.

[philipl]

Well done notlob beating Man City with more comfort than the 2-0 would suggest (even though the lineo was behind the play and missed the blatant offside for the first goal).

So we are just two points off the bottom with only the Baggies having a worse GD.

Will Newcastle make it a quintuple of the bottom five winning tomorrow night?

Jocularity to oneside, getting 9 points between now and the New Year will not be enough to keep us out of deep trouble going into the January window.

And if we are in deep icky stick then, all the players we would want to see arrive at Rovers will not come.

Ah well, with the club sitting in a potential UEFA place (Everton) just 4 points above a relegation place, nobody can say that the Prem isn't exciting this year for the non-big 4 teams- even if it is for all the wrong reasons!