[Archived] Premier League Happenings

[Salgado Is A Hero]

United must be dumfounded at how awful everyone else has been this season.

People laugh at how poor the Scottish league is because Celtic are 20+ points clear, but Man Utd are 12 points clear of City who have spent astronomical amounts of money on their team. They're 17 points clear of Spurs in 3rd and 19 points clear of Chelsea in 4th. It's not like England can claim to have a competitive race for the title.., some bookies have already paid out on Utd as champions and they've dominated for over 20 years now. Two decades dominated for the most part by one team. That's arguably more embarrassing, considering the money awash in the Premier League.

Exactly. The Spanish and Scottish leagues are "boring" because it's only ever two teams challenging for the title is what they say.

What is much more interesting is Man Utd and another team going head to head. United have won the Prem 12 times, 4 times more than their closest rival in that respect. But the other leagues are boring because two teams dominate, as opposed to essentially just one.

barcelona are streets ahead of real madrid, for me the spanish league is overrated, take away barce and real and you are left with a load of average teams

They weren't streets ahead of them last year when Madrid won the league, Or the other day when they were 3-0 up at the Nou Camp.

"Average teams" include

- Athletico Madrid, currently ahead of Real in the league and winners of the Europa League twice in the past three seasons.

- Sevilla - Europa League winners in 2006 and 2007.

- Valencia - Fairly common participants in the knockout rounds of the Champions League....two successive finals a decade ago.....I like Valencia and always try and watch their games against the big two.....usually very even games I assure you.......not all the time though, but usually.

- Malaga - undefeated in their Champions League group I believe....if not they definitely came top.

- Bilbao who fairly comfortably disposed of Man Utd, albeit in the Europa League.

"Yea but Freddi Kanoute scored goals in that league, it must be s##t, just like the French league with Chamakh, or Serie A with Shevchenko. Nothing comes close to the Best League in the World."

[Amo]

- Athletico Madrid, currently ahead of Real in the league and winners of the Europa League twice in the past three seasons.

- Sevilla - Europa League winners in 2006 and 2007.

- Valencia - Fairly common participants in the knockout rounds of the Champions League....two successive finals a decade ago.....I like Valencia and always try and watch their games against the big two.....usually very even games I assure you.......not all the time though, but usually.

- Malaga - undefeated in their Champions League group I believe....if not they definitely came top.

- Bilbao who fairly comfortably disposed of Man Utd, albeit in the Europa League.

You forgot Villarreal. Even if we are in Segunda these days, our CL & La Liga exploits were nothing short of miraculous, and we'll be back before long.

[Guest Norbert]

Rafa does have a mental every now and then. Fergie got to him the one season Livepool challenged for the title. Mind you, the Chelsea fans are spoilt brats. If I came in, the first thing I'd do is ship out Terry and Cole, as they are both poisonous, odious winkers who disrupt the team and can be replaced. And then try to give Lampard a new contract.

[jim mk2]

Spanish, Italian, English, German leagues are dominated by a handful of clubs because they have the most money owing to the wretched Champions League.

The Champions League is the source of all evil in the modern game in my jaundiced eyes and together with Sky TV money is the worst thing to happen to the game since the abolition of the maximum wage in the 1960s.

[thenodrog]

Rafa does have a mental every now and then. Fergie got to him the one season Livepool challenged for the title. Mind you, the Chelsea fans are spoilt brats. If I came in, the first thing I'd do is ship out Terry and Cole, as they are both poisonous, odious winkers who disrupt the team and can be replaced. And then try to give Lampard a new contract.

How good would it be if Abromovich decided he'd had enough crap thrown at him by the Chelsea spoiltbrats and decided to pack his bags and walk away?

[Amo]

How good would it be if Abromovich decided he'd had enough crap thrown at him by the Chelsea spoiltbrats and decided to pack his bags and walk away?

Which is exactly why the Chelsea fans won't direct any protests his way.

[Ossydave]

Am I the only one who has a completely 'couldn't give a sh*t' attitude towards the premiership now? I mean we NEED it's wealth but to be quite honest I'm enjoying the championship more even when we aren't playing so well.

[roversfan99]

No, this season has been horrid.

[Guest Norbert]

I suppose it is more competative, fewer Sky Sports hyped 'grudges' involving handshakes, less hyperbole and generally a more level playing field. I can see where you're coming from Ossydave.

[Audax]

Spanish, Italian, English, German leagues are dominated by a handful of clubs because they have the most money owing to the wretched Champions League.

The Champions League is the source of all evil in the modern game in my jaundiced eyes and together with Sky TV money is the worst thing to happen to the game since the abolition of the maximum wage in the 1960s.

Real Madrid going back to the days of DiStefano and then Puskas, got the best talent around.

Real has won more titles, maybe more trophies than anyone in the world.

The thing about this Barcelona team is a lot of people might say they are the best professional team ever with Messi and a lot of the World/Euro Cup champion Spanish team. So, it's kind of bittersweet, Real Madrid has dominated the league over the long haul but I saw even since the year 2000, Real and Barca have 5 Liga titles each.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Spanish_football_champions

In a way, it's how Spain is layed out, Real Madrid and Barcelona are just the two biggest clubs, just the way it is.

To Germany, I do see Bayern Munich has won the most titles but I don't think it is as lopsided as Spain is or Italy and England I suppose.

Also, Italy and it seems Spain have had corruption in the history of their game and not necessarily going back to the '70s, I think I read even around 1999/2000, Barcelona were at least alleged to have been involved in some shenanigans, something like trying to get a team to throw a game. That was the year, they played Leeds of all people in the Champions League. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/champions_league/1054013.stm

[Guest Norbert]

Real Madrid have also been backed by the Spanish government for years, from Franco to the massive debts being paid off when the training ground was bought by either the regional or national government for something like £175m around 2000. I don't see David Cameron getting involved in backing Man Utd, or Liverpool anytime soon.

[jim mk2]

Am I the only one who has a completely 'couldn't give a sh*t' attitude towards the premiership now? I mean we NEED it's wealth but to be quite honest I'm enjoying the championship more even when we aren't playing so well.

Completely bonkers.

[Stuart]

Completely bonkers.

Not really. This is the level of a club of our size and standing. We don't have the size of fan-base to warrant PL grandeur and BRFC in 2013/14 would be relegation fodder.

If we could afford it, competing in the football league with an occasional flutter with promotion would be fairly entertaining.

I just hope we stay in the Championship and don't drop further.

Obviously anyone hoping to see United or Liverpool at Ewood will have to hope for a David vs Goliath, romance of the cup, jumpers for goalposts, glamour tie in the FA Cup.

[Tom]

Completely bonkers.

I'd say its a fair opinion

I haven't enjoyed losing in this division any less than I enjoyed losing in the premier league even if I was surrounded by more bodies

Obviously its bad for the club that isn't in dispute but the level of enjoyment you get from it doesn't automatically tie in to what league you are in

[darrenrover]

Not really. This is the level of a club of our size and standing. We don't have the size of fan-base to warrant PL grandeur and BRFC in 2013/14 would be relegation fodder.

If we could afford it, competing in the football league with an occasional flutter with promotion would be fairly entertaining.

I just hope we stay in the Championship and don't drop further.

Obviously anyone hoping to see United or Liverpool at Ewood will have to hope for a David vs Goliath, romance of the cup, jumpers for goalposts, glamour tie in the FA Cup.

Ground Hog Day

[Ossydave]

Completely bonkers.

Explain why?

Ok we need the cash, that much is obvious.

Apart from that, what are we missing?

We would get beat every game, we'd get no attention in media circles, theres no decent grounds to go to that I haven't been before., its cheaper 'down here', there's more derbies down here,.

Maybe it's time to admit we rolled on the crest of a walker wave for a while but now we're just paddling in Tinker Brook.

[jim mk2]

That's your opinion; I'd say it's a poor one.

Personally, I loved the fact we were a well-run, well established Premier League club that had been in the top flight for 18 out of the past 20 seasons.

Apart from the odd away trip to grounds I haven't visited, there's nothing to be enjoyed about being in this division. The football is poor, the grounds are less full, and we are out forgotten and out of the limelight.

[Baz]

I think its more of a damming inditement on how uncompetitive the EPL now is, that people find the Championship enjoyable. We'd need investment of at least 60-70m, and a good manager, to get back to being a midtable Premier League side.

Its obvious, more and more people are just being turned off football for good, or just following the "big 4" like sheep.

[Ossydave]

That's your opinion; I'd say it's a poor one.

Personally, I loved the fact we were a well-run, well established Premier League club that had been in the top flight for 18 out of the past 20 seasons.

Apart from the odd away trip to grounds I haven't visited, there's nothing to be enjoyed about being in this division. The football is poor, the grounds are less full, and we are out forgotten and out of the limelight.

Let me express this in bloke terms, even a mental old soak like you will understand

Premiership: Fit as. Bit of a trophy bird, looks the business, but does she really make you happy? Won't swallow.

Championship: Average looking, game as anything, swallows

Understood?

[jim mk2]

Let me put in terms even a chav would understand.

If you enjoy slumming it that is up to you. Personally I have always aimed for the very best.

[bigbrandjohn]

Looks like a couple of ex Rovers favorites are bonding well.

http://www.football365.com/championship/8530215/Matt-Derbyshire-believes-Blackpool-boss-Paul-Ince-will-get-time-to-show-what-he-can-do-?

[thenodrog]

Completely bonkers.

I do enjoy the unpredictability of the Championship. Much less of a procession to the CL by 4/5 'wealthy' clubs. Dog eat dog is much healthier for the game in general and should be heeded by the Premier League mandarins. I didn't enjoy being cannon fodder virtually every week except for the time under Hughes when we were regarded as Dogs of War in some quarters just because we manned up to the playground bullies. An annual relegation struggle is bloody awful. Under Hughes we got unfavourable press cos of a few gobshite managers who were running scared of their precious superstars underperforming through perceived intimidation but most considered opinion could only ever describe us as competative rather than combatative. Hard but fair at worst. The press sup;ported it, the public latched on and even some of the rovers supporters allowed themselves to be stupidly brainwashed into believing the negative PR.

tbh The only thing I miss about not being in the Prem is the status, the more comprehensive media coverage of matches, the quality of the players and the chance to see top stars for a pittance every home game. It'll get worse of course as the money runs out and no doubt relegation to the lower leagues will ensue.... and I won't enjoy that for sure.

[Stuart]

Ground Hog Day

Good film. One of Murray's best.

Let me express this in bloke terms, even a mental old soak like you will understand

Premiership: Fit as. Bit of a trophy bird, looks the business, but does she really make you happy? Won't swallow.

Championship: Average looking, game as anything, swallows

Understood?

Bit of blue for the dads.

(It's a family show, Dave).

[Mike E]

Completely bonkers.

Although we're losing a bit much for my liking, I feel better this season than last.

The quality isn't as good but I love the fact I can see/hear us play every few days rather than once a week at best.

Before you say 'quality, not quantity' we haven't been quality for around 3years now.

[T4E]

Let me put in terms even a chav would understand.

If you enjoy slumming it that is up to you. Personally I have always aimed for the very best.

And "the very best" is mid table in the Premier League at absolute most with no chance of ever bridging the gap to the top teams or ever achieving anything remotely noteworthy?

It would appear that by your standards, the "best" is distinctly average.