The Myth of the Premier league

[Bradywasking]

Watched El Classico last night and it was all augie said it was. Yes there was quality but it was also a game spoiled by histrionics and theatrics. Interestingly in one of the Spanish papers today Bale was the only one of the starting 22 that didn't merit a rating.
Anyway it's all about hype and if Sky were not in the business of hype yesterday's fare at Anfield would and should be seen as fairly ordinary stuff.

[DB10GOONER]

All this bullshit about the Spanish league and the German and Italian leagues is based on the top 2 or 3 teams playing each other mostly, when the truth is you will on average see more shit games in those leagues per season than you will in the PL.

You know this how though? Do you watch much Spanish, German or Italian football?

How do you think I know this? Well, yeah - I have watched a good lot. I tend to watch a lot of football, not particularly liking most other sports. I tried for a long time to get into Spanish football in particular as I felt I must be missing something, given the media wankathon over it, and I just couldn't see what the hype was all about tbh. Admittedly, the technical level at Barca and Madrid is often (but not always) better than the top PL teams but outside of those two I saw mostly teams that played a slower more boring version of that technical football. I've watched a good bit of Italian football over the years and found it to be the worst for diving, feigning injury, cheating, gamesmanship and outright cuntiness tbh. Haven't actually watched that much German footy tbh but what I have seen hasn't blown me away either.

Now I admit fully that my view of it would be influenced by my not actually supporting a club in those leagues but that does not exclude me from forming an informed opinion of the quality of the football.

If you read the rest of my post you will see I qualified my opinion that the PL is the best to watch (you get good games you get bad games you get absolute crackers) but not necessarily the best technical football. But then football isn't just about technique - it's also about excitement and entertainment and passion. I remember Italian football in the 1980's being heralded as the great exponent of the beautiful tactical and technical game and it was boring as fuck; 22 passes across the back 4 and then lob it long.

Nice to see you haven't lost your habits of taking one line from a post and blowing it out of proportion and out of context.

Agree 100% with augie about El Classico. It was appalling. It's a game that has delivered some great football in the past but last night it was awful. Cheating diving cúnts all over the pitch. To see grown men carry on like that is embarrassing.

[goonersid]

It's only the English media who harp on about it being the best league in the world, just like they do with all things English/British from their Armed Forces and Police, to their Justice System to their warm ale and even the fucking apples on the trees.
I was so Glad to see them not winning the buggerball at the weekend as that would have led to a wankfest all the way to the world cup.

[augie]

It's only the English media who harp on about it being the best league in the world, just like they do with all things English/British from their Armed Forces and Police, to their Justice System to their warm ale and even the fucking apples on the trees.
I was so Glad to see them not winning the buggerball at the weekend as that would have led to a wankfest all the way to the world cup.

I see some of the Irish media are now claiming that we are genuine contenders to win it too........talk about a media wankfest

[GranadaJoe]

I think a big problem is that the media, who should be reporting the situation, actually spend the majority of their time trying to sell us their programs, and consequently hype everything in an effort to boost ratings.

If someone tells you often enough what a great manager Pulis is ....... Well. maybe not.

[goonersid]

It's only the English media who harp on about it being the best league in the world, just like they do with all things English/British from their Armed Forces and Police, to their Justice System to their warm ale and even the fucking apples on the trees.
I was so Glad to see them not winning the buggerball at the weekend as that would have led to a wankfest all the way to the world cup.

I see some of the Irish media are now claiming that we are genuine contenders to win it too........talk about a media wankfest

You mean we can't

[augie]

It's only the English media who harp on about it being the best league in the world, just like they do with all things English/British from their Armed Forces and Police, to their Justice System to their warm ale and even the fucking apples on the trees.
I was so Glad to see them not winning the buggerball at the weekend as that would have led to a wankfest all the way to the world cup.

I see some of the Irish media are now claiming that we are genuine contenders to win it too........talk about a media wankfest

You mean we can't

Call me eccentric/mad but I have a sneaky feeling that we can't

[AnotherAmeobi]

I don't think Ireland winning the 6 nations due to only playing 1 top side away from home will stop the English media claiming England can win the World Cup

On topic theres a few things wrong with English Football and none of them are the performances in europe.

[LDB]

All this bullshit about the Spanish league and the German and Italian leagues is based on the top 2 or 3 teams playing each other mostly, when the truth is you will on average see more shit games in those leagues per season than you will in the PL.

You know this how though? Do you watch much Spanish, German or Italian football?

How do you think I know this? Well, yeah - I have watched a good lot. I tend to watch a lot of football, not particularly liking most other sports. I tried for a long time to get into Spanish football in particular as I felt I must be missing something, given the media wankathon over it, and I just couldn't see what the hype was all about tbh. Admittedly, the technical level at Barca and Madrid is often (but not always) better than the top PL teams but outside of those two I saw mostly teams that played a slower more boring version of that technical football. I've watched a good bit of Italian football over the years and found it to be the worst for diving, feigning injury, cheating, gamesmanship and outright cuntiness tbh. Haven't actually watched that much German footy tbh but what I have seen hasn't blown me away either.

Now I admit fully that my view of it would be influenced by my not actually supporting a club in those leagues but that does not exclude me from forming an informed opinion of the quality of the football.

If you read the rest of my post you will see I qualified my opinion that the PL is the best to watch (you get good games you get bad games you get absolute crackers) but not necessarily the best technical football. But then football isn't just about technique - it's also about excitement and entertainment and passion. I remember Italian football in the 1980's being heralded as the great exponent of the beautiful tactical and technical game and it was boring as fuck; 22 passes across the back 4 and then lob it long.

Nice to see you haven't lost your habits of taking one line from a post and blowing it out of proportion and out of context.

Agree 100% with augie about El Classico. It was appalling. It's a game that has delivered some great football in the past but last night it was awful. Cheating diving cúnts all over the pitch. To see grown men carry on like that is embarrassing.

Nice to see you haven't lost your habits of taking one line from a post and blowing it out of proportion and out of context.

Irony still passing you by?

[AnotherAmeobi]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32024808

The latest FA bright idea. You want to know whats really wrong with our game look no further than the fucking dinosaurs at the top. I'm not the most intelligent of people so can somebody tell me if its in their jurisdiction to be able to force clubs to charge less, invest more into local youth football and bring back safe standing etc?

[LDB]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32024808

The latest FA bright idea. You want to know whats really wrong with our game look no further than the fucking dinosaurs at the top. I'm not the most intelligent of people so can somebody tell me if its in their jurisdiction to be able to force clubs to charge less, invest more into local youth football and bring back safe standing etc?

Non-EU players

Basically that means no to any South Americans or Africans with top level footballing potential who didn't move to Europe at a young age.

Which is no-one.

Genius

[Theoperator]

One of my worries is as much about the failure to pass the huge amounts of money down to lower league sides. This used to happen in years gone by, and it stood all the league in good stead. Its a disgrace that the likes of Hereford United Luton Pompey and (Well maybe.... Leeds ) all went to the wall whilst Rooney earns what each of those clubs owed in a month or so- total madness.

Players now are snapped up into academies, as if the academies are the be all and end all, yet its hard to predict what a player will be like at 20 when age 10 generally. I know there are examples like Saints and the golden Gen of Manure, but its few in comparison to the numbers of academies around. Theres loads of late or early developers and kids whos parents are pushy/ not pushy so they get too much or not enough of a look in.

Theres so few British players getting into the "top" sides and the skewing of revenue to the PL results in a worrying lack of talent/ nurture of young British players into the future. The whole things a media myth of house of cards proportions

Look at Wrighty and Sean for examples of this, Sean was mad to end up scrabbling for games at Citeh just as he needed to kick on, similar with Richards , sure their bank managers will be pleased but had they been earning a little less in a low PL or Champ side their talent would have developed better IMHO.

[GranadaJoe]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32024808

The latest FA bright idea. You want to know whats really wrong with our game look no further than the fucking dinosaurs at the top. I'm not the most intelligent of people so can somebody tell me if its in their jurisdiction to be able to force clubs to charge less, invest more into local youth football and bring back safe standing etc?

I don't think it's the worst idea in the world, but a simple rule, used elsewhere, which restricts squads to three non-EU players would be simple to understand and administer.

[Mistical92]

I think Dyke overestimates how much anyone still cares about the England team and international football outside of the World Cup. This international break is fucking annoying, the top nations shouldn't have to play Lithuania, there needs to be a streamlined qualification process to stop all these crap fixtures. Then a friendly against Italy that also no one cares about. If you need another international slot put it at the back end of May once the domestic seasons are over, plonking it in the middle of title races is bloody stupid.

[Gunner Rob]

I think Dyke overestimates how much anyone still cares about the England team and international football outside of the World Cup. This international break is fucking annoying, the top nations shouldn't have to play Lithuania, there needs to be a streamlined qualification process to stop all these crap fixtures. Then a friendly against Italy that also no one cares about. If you need another international slot put it at the back end of May once the domestic seasons are over, plonking it in the middle of title races is bloody stupid.

to have 2 weeks off at this stage of the season is ridiculous. 2 meaningless games that no one cares about.
it is also annoying that there is only 1 round of PL fixtures over Easter.

no wonder the season is going on until the end of May! people moan about too may fixtures these days but that is complete nonsense. The old first division used to have 42 fixtures and there were often FA cup replays which used to go about the 3rd or 4th replay! These days it is taking them that long to arrange 1 replay for Liverpool and Blackburn!