[Archived] Premier League Happenings

[K-Hod]

Obviously not. Starting to think I should preface such comments with [sarcasm] and finish with [/sarcasm] as the humour setting on here seems to be zero...

I spotted it to be honest, I figured anyone would have to be duller than dishwater to get excited about something like that!!

[Amo]

I found it funny listening to pundits earlier in the season talking up Southampton & West Ham's chances of qualifying for the CL as shining examples of 'the beauty of the Premier League', when both of them have inexorably fallen by the wayside to make room for the usual suspects.

[Dortmund Rover 32]

Sunderland are in real danger of letting the scum stay up. Sort it out you macken @#/?

[DE.]

I spotted it to be honest, I figured anyone would have to be duller than dishwater to get excited about something like that!!

Yeah, that was pretty much the point...

I'm not saying the PL overall is especially competitive. Only that solely comparing Champions League performances is a strange way to judge an entire division, and if I was forced to pick one top league to watch for the season and not see any others, I'd probably pick the PL as it's the least predictible of all top leagues (imo) and therefore the most entertaining.

I'd also say that team for team the PL stands up as one of the strongest in the world, if not the strongest. Surely to judge an entire league you have to take every club into account, rather than the chosen few who get to play in the Champions League?

[AllRoverAsia]

Sunderland are in real danger of letting the scum stay up. Sort it out you macken @#/?

Totally agree and current PL interest for me is to see the sisters muckers relegated.

[AllRoverAsia]

Yeah, that was pretty much the point...

I'm not saying the PL overall is especially competitive. Only that solely comparing Champions League performances is a strange way to judge an entire division, and if I was forced to pick one top league to watch for the season and not see any others, I'd probably pick the PL as it's the least predictible of all top leagues (imo) and therefore the most entertaining.

I'd also say that team for team the PL stands up as one of the strongest in the world, if not the strongest. Surely to judge an entire league you have to take every club into account, rather than the chosen few who get to play in the Champions League?

You have made quite a number of very accurate points about the PL and it is competive outside of the ''Top-5'', and FFP exists to make sure the top lot stay where they are.

The PL competitiveness outside of the top group is however quite often in the form of dull matches between equally matched sides and I have access to all PL games live on tv out here so I've seen plenty of sh1te.

When the PL can attract the likes of Messi and Neymar etc etc and retain the likes of Ronaldo and Mascherano etc etc then its claim to ''Best'' would carry more weight...as would winning the main European creme de la creme competition more often.

The most pure enjoyment I've had watching a football match for a long long time was seeing Messi last night in a game Braca could have won 6 or 7 to Nil if not for Hart.

[DE.]

Yeah, but the problem with Spain is all the top players only go to two teams. Does that make the league the best or just the two teams who have those players? What does La Liga gain from Barca and Madrid attracting players to destroy the competition week after week?

[AllRoverAsia]

Yeah, but the problem with Spain is all the top players only go to two teams. Does that make the league the best or just the two teams who have those players? What does La Liga gain from Barca and Madrid attracting players to destroy the competition week after week?

With Spain I agree its a 2 team race with the rest usually also rans and I find it amazing that sometimes other sides can sometimes, albeit rarely, compete with Barca and RM - like Athletico last year.

What does make Barca and RM different to the top 5 PL sides is that they do have the very best world class footballers at those 2 clubs - at a cost to the competitiveness of La Ligua in general.

What I've said is almost in favour of a European Super League where the best can go off and play with themselves (intended) - which I'm actually not in favour of at all.

[Salgado Is Still A Hero]

Can't disagree with that Jim, the Prem is just slightly less predictable than the rest of the European leagues. Barcelona and Real Madrid regularly smash teams by 5 or 6 in La Liga - you don't often see that here.

You'd see them do it in England though if they played there instead. They could have done it last night.

[DE.]

With Spain I agree its a 2 team race with the rest usually also rans and I find it amazing that sometimes other sides can sometimes, albeit rarely, compete with Barca and RM - like Athletico last year.

What does make Barca and RM different to the top 5 PL sides is that they do have the very best world class footballers at those 2 clubs - at a cost to the competitiveness of La Ligua in general.

What I've said is almost in favour of a European Super League where the best can go off and play with themselves (intended) - which I'm actually not in favour of at all.

The CL has all but killed any chance of competitiveness in the majority of leagues that participate. I imagine PL TV money & increasing parachute payments will eventually reduce the Championship to a similar state, where the relegated teams are simply too strong for the rest to deal with.

You'd see them do it in England though if they played there instead. They could have done it last night.

There's no bank in England who would bankroll them. They also wouldn't have the luxury of individual broadcast deals to boost their coffers.

[Commondore]

I saw Rooney on TV moaning that the home video appeared in the press - surely he knows who was there and cashed in.

Still a good reason for a moan though. For all the talk of modern footballers being pampered children out of touch with reality and without a care in the world, I sure wouldn't want to keep looking over my shoulder to try and gauge whom of my "friends" were getting ready to cash in from the tabloids. A weird existence.

[Salgado Is Still A Hero]

The Prem is still arguably the most entertaining league in the world with the most difficult set of teams overall.

Spain - dominated by Barca, Real and A. Madrid.

Germany - Dominated by Bayern and (until this season anyway) Dortmund.

France - Dominated by Lyon and PSG.

Italy - Not a hugely entertaining league and rife with corruption.

The Dutch/Portuguese leagues don't really have the reputation to compete.

In terms of competition in the truest sense the PL beats any of the other major leagues. You have at least six teams (Man Utd, City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool) close to each other in terms of ability and cashflow. Then you've got teams like Everton (pre-Martinez), Stoke, Swansea and recently Southampton who have a good chance of upsetting the big boys, especially at home. We were once in that bracket too.

When we say "best league in the world" it's important how you define "best". If you mean in terms of best top teams, then clearly over the past few seasons the PL teams in the CL have failed. But worth noting we recently had the likes of Fulham in a Europa League final and it wasn't that long ago we had English teams regularly in the semis and finals of the CL. History shows that countries tend to go through periods of producing teams that do well in the CL. Italy for a while, Spain, England and recently Germany. If City ever sort themselves out, Van Gaal improves United and Mourinho stays at Chelsea I think we'll see English teams start to be successful again in the CL.

If we're looking at "best" in terms of competitiveness I'd say the PL is ahead of the others, even if it is because the top teams have serious flaws.

The Premier League is no different. One team has won it 13 times, the next highest is 3. Hardly the most competitive. Despite what you're saying there, most people can predict the two teams each season that are going to genuinely challenge for the title. No sensible person has ever considered Spurs title challengers.

Before last season, the title races have been United and us, United and Newcastle, United and Arsenal, United and Chelsea, United and Liverpool, United and City, or just Arsenal, Utd or Chelsea winning it comfortably.

Last season was the first real time 3 teams have properly challenged for it. There might have been a couple of semi-instances in the past 20 years but certainly not memorable ones.

Like I said, everyone has always been able to predict who will challenge for the league. Liverpool last year would be one of the exceptions but similar to Atletico winning it, or Dortmund winning it over Bayern twice in a row.

In terms of the "best league", there's obviously a multitude of ways you could define what constitutes the best. Personally, I'd say the standard of defending among the bottom half teams of the premier league is slightly higher than that in Spain, whereas the standard of attacking play is higher in Spain for those teams.

Apart from that, I'd say the two of them were fairly equal. Sevilla and Atletico have been multiple Europa League winners recently, Valencia have been champions fairly recently and before that, and champions league finalists. As someone who watched both, Premier League teams are fairly equal to their counterparts in Spain in terms of league positions. Apart from at the top where the Spanish are better.

I don't think there's a problem with English teams in Europe in general, you should just be analysing individual teams. Liverpool were poor and nowhere near good enough, but they've proved they're a match for anyone in the past and were missing proper strikers. Arsenal have rarely impressed in Europe under Wenger, not as much as they should anyway. Their fans say Wenger's tactics don't work in the Champions League.

City just need to sort it out big time. Playing 4-4-2 with a lazy Yaya Toure in CM is only going to go one way. Chelsea are decent. Maybe not quite on the Bayern or Barca level but not many are. Wouldn't surprise me to see Chelsea knock out any side over two legs though.

[AllRoverAsia]

Still a good reason for a moan though. For all the talk of modern football payers being pampered children without a care in the world, I sure wouldn't want to keep looking over my shoulder to try and gauge whom of my "friends" were getting ready to cash in from the tabloids. A weird existence.

It took place in Rooneys own house. The point I was trying to get across was that Rooney, imo, knows who took the video and therefore who sold it on - but still moans about personal privacy is his own home.

[Rover_Shaun]

Someone said the championship is how football used to be. How far back are we going? Must be the 70's. I'm nearly 40 and began to really get interestrd in 83. I think there has been 8 different winners in that time. Liverpool, Everton, Arseanal, Leeds, Man U, Rovers, Chelski and Man City.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Pretty much every premier league game is shown here and I have to tell you, watching the bottom two-thirds of the table battle it out in the race to 38 points is less than enthralling. For every Chelsea vs Liverpool there are three Swansea vs Hull's and most times I end up switching it off

[AllRoverAsia]

Pretty much every premier league game is shown here and I have to tell you, watching the bottom two-thirds of the table battle it out in the race to 38 points is less than enthralling. For every Chelsea vs Liverpool there are three Swansea vs Hull's and most times I end up switching it off

Same here. Lots of poor games.

[AllRoverAsia]

Someone said the championship is how football used to be. How far back are we going? Must be the 70's. I'm nearly 40 and began to really get interestrd in 83. I think there has been 8 different winners in that time. Liverpool, Everton, Arseanal, Leeds, Man U, Rovers, Chelski and Man City.

Liverpool more or less dominated the 70s & 80's usually winning or as runners up. Good looking back and seeing Man U not winning for years and good to see those days return.

[DE.]

Shocking result for Everton tonight. Martinez has ruined them defensively.

[Rover_Shaun]

Liverpool more or less dominated the 70s & 80's usually winning or as runners up. Good looking back and seeing Man U not winning for years and good to see those days return.

I recall everyone hating them and being fed up of them. Next thing is you will say you miss the old Blackburn End wee trough.

[Amo]

Shocking result for Everton tonight. Martinez has ruined them defensively.

Anyone else surprised at the easy ride Martinez is getting from the media?

[adopted scouser]

[DE.]

Anyone else surprised at the easy ride Martinez is getting from the media?

Considering where Everton were, and where he's currently taking them, he should be getting much more scrutiny. It seems that because his teams play "the right way", the defensive frailties that constantly appear under his management are either ignored or only briefly considered. Shipping 5 to Dynamo Kiev is ridiculous, whether they're away or not. They've only conceded 3 less goals than Leicester this season.

[AllRoverAsia]

I recall everyone hating them and being fed up of them. Next thing is you will say you miss the old Blackburn End wee trough.

Never missed the wee trough do miss the old Blackburn End though.

[speeeeeeedie]

Pretty much every premier league game is shown here and I have to tell you, watching the bottom two-thirds of the table battle it out in the race to 38 points is less than enthralling. For every Chelsea vs Liverpool there are three Swansea vs Hull's and most times I end up switching it off

Same here.

I have the opportunity to watch every game, time allowing, but unless the likes of Villa, Leicester, Palace, Hull, and Newcastle are playing the big boys I'm not bothered.

West Brom v. Stoke last weekend was dire.

Relegation 6 pointers starting now are good though as it's all blood and guts. It's easy to see why the teams are at the bottom in those fixtures.

[Tom]

Referee sent wrong man off in city wba game - AGAIN