Premier League the best league in the world?

astonaidan

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

I would imagine it is much more of an adjustment moving from cold to warm than the other way around.

It's one of the reasons I think England fail in international tournaments as their players are used to playing at high intensity in cold/mild weather but usually the weather in international tournaments is quite hot and doesn't suit that and England don't seem to be able to play well if they aren't going at it at 100%.

Ah sure you could have said the same thing about Spain till recently, they were known for underachieving

gormdubhgorm

astonaidan wrote: »

Ah sure you could have said the same thing about Spain till recently, they were known for underachieving

Spain played like their country was for years divided a lot did not view themselves as Spanish. They seemed to sort that out. It is mad to think that Ireland should have knocked them out in 2002...

gormdubhgorm

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

Spain played like their country was for years divided a lot did not view themselves as Spanish. They seemed to sort that out. It is mad to think that Ireland should have knocked them out in 2002...

They sorted it out alright!

astonaidan

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

Spain played like their country was for years divided a lot did not view themselves as Spanish. They seemed to sort that out. It is mad to think that Ireland should have knocked them out in 2002...

They still dont view themselfs as spanish though, they just choked when it came to it, look at what happened in last world cup, they choked again. People see them as winners in this euros, dont see them getting past Belgium/France/Germany tbh
It was more they had a group of players who peaked at the same time that helped them get over the hump

gormdubhgorm

I suppose a fairer judge on the level of the Premier League's standard will be the Champion's League this season.
Simply count up the amount of English teams left compared to teams of other leagues.
It seems very odd that the Europa League can not be counted as a comparison as a lot of English teams feel that they are too good for it!
If Leicester get to the CL and keep most of thier players it will be interesting to see how thier style of play will fare against other continental styles.

astonaidan

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

I suppose a fairer judge on the level of the Premier League's standard will be the Champion's League this season.
Simply count up the amount of English teams left compared to teams of other leagues.
It seems very odd that the Europa League can not be counted as a comparison as a lot of English teams feel that they are too good for it!
If Leicester get to the CL and keep most of thier players it will be interesting to see how thier style of play will fare against other continental styles.

Its not really though, right now the top of the spanish league is ahead but the it is a massive drop after the big 3, in Italy, France and Germany its the same these all have teams still in it but the drop of again is massive. England doesnt have that massive drop, like their is a drop just not the chasm in other leagues

NIMAN

astonaidan wrote: »

Its not really though, right now the top of the spanish league is ahead but the it is a massive drop after the big 3, in Italy, France and Germany its the same these all have teams still in it but the drop of again is massive. England doesnt have that massive drop, like their is a drop just not the chasm in other leagues

But this seasonb is an exception, don't be using this season as a barometer to say the EPL is always this interesting.

There have been times when there was big gaps between the top few teams.

astonaidan

NIMAN wrote: »

But this seasonb is an exception, don't be using this season as a barometer to say the EPL is always this interesting.

There have been times when there was big gaps between the top few teams.

You misunderstand me, Im not saying that at all, I find the league is stronger outside the top, thats it, this is a fluke season 100% regarding teams at the top, but even when the English teams were making CL finals they still had a number of shock losses to smaller teams that just doesnt happen in other leagues.

gormdubhgorm

astonaidan wrote: »

You misunderstand me, Im not saying that at all, I find the league is stronger outside the top, thats it, this is a fluke season 100% regarding teams at the top, but even when the English teams were making CL finals they still had a number of shock losses to smaller teams that just doesnt happen in other leagues.

Occasionally there is a big shock in LA liga. I remember the month after saurez was eligible to play for barca. Barca battered Celta Vigo but they still lost 0-1 at the camp nou. I remember because it wrecked a big ACCA I had!

astonaidan

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

Occasionally there is a big shock in LA liga. I remember the month after saurez was eligible to play for barca. Barca battered Celta Vigo but they still lost 0-1 at the camp nou. I remember because it wrecked a big ACCA I had!

Off course their is, but if you were to check season results it occurs more frequently in England, Id actually say Italy actually has as much "shock" results as Premier League

Iused2likebusts

Article on sky sports app today. Since 1992 in games between la liga and PL. La liga teams have won 67 times PL 49 wins with 48 draws. The last 5 years the la liga teams have a great record against PL teams. 13 wins to 4 in la liga's favour.

astonaidan

astonaidan wrote: »

Its not really though, right now the top of the spanish league is ahead but the it is a massive drop after the big 3, in Italy, France and Germany its the same these all have teams still in it but the drop of again is massive. England doesnt have that massive drop, like their is a drop just not the chasm in other leagues

Are the big three not Juventus, Milan and Inter? 1st, 5th 6th

Rayne Wooney

If you combined La Liga and the English league I think you'd have a majority of English teams in the top half of the table at the end of the season

But Barca Madrid and Atleti would hammer the equivalent best 3 teams in the premier league

astonaidan

Deleted User wrote: »

Are the big three not Juventus, Milan and Inter? 1st, 5th 6th

Haha oops, I meant to use a full stop, I was referring to Spain drop off after big three. Italy, Germany and France have really one big team then a massive drop in quality

Dirty Dingus McGee

astonaidan wrote: »

Haha oops, I meant to use a full stop, I was referring to Spain drop off after big three. Italy, Germany and France have really one big team then a massive drop in quality

Napoli are only 3 points behind Juve.

Dortmund are 5 points behind Barca.

Iused2likebusts

Rayne Wooney wrote: »

If you combined La Liga and the English league I think you'd have a majority of English teams in the top half of the table at the end of the season

But Barca Madrid and Atleti would hammer the equivalent best 3 teams in the premier league

Would this be a 20 team or 40 team league. Assuming it's a 20 team league you have the 3 Spanish teams mentioned in the top 10. Only leaves 7 remaining places you reckon 6 of those spots would be taken by English teams.

Dirty Dingus McGee

You'd think Villarreal and Sevilla and Athletic would finish in a top 10 of this imaginary combined league as well.

astonaidan

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

Napoli are only 3 points behind Juve.

Dortmund are 5 points behind Barca.

Are you honestly going to argue that either of those teams are as good as the ones in first, well then theirs no point even having these conversations

Dirty Dingus McGee

astonaidan wrote: »

Are you honestly going to argue that either of those teams are as good as the ones in first, well then theirs no point even having these conversations

No .There not as good but that's because Bayern and Juve are so good, it's extremely difficult to be as good as teams of that level.

Also I'd fancy if Dortmund were in the premier league they'd win it this season , probably with a degree of comfort based on how well they've played this season.

astonaidan

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

No .There not as good but that's because Bayern and Juve are so good, it's extremely difficult to be as good as teams of that level.

Also I'd fancy if Dortmund were in the premier league they'd win it this season , probably with a degree of comfort based on how well they've played this season.

Id disagree with that, but Im going to leave this tbh

astonaidan

astonaidan wrote: »

Id disagree with that, but Im going to leave this tbh

If you cannot make coherent debate, it is probably wise.

astonaidan

Deleted User wrote: »

If you cannot make coherent debate, it is probably wise.

More Ive seen how these things go, but thanks for your contribution.

gormdubhgorm

RoboKlopp wrote: »

What's the percentage of people that are anti British and like their football?

And what does anti British mean anyway? Anti everything British or anti government or what?

Does it matter really who supports what? What harm are they doing

It matters because it affects the Indigenous league. For example the league of Ireland. They used to get massive crowds in the 50s and 60s. While the English Premier pick up players for peanuts. Example Coleman for 80k from Silgo.

gormdubhgorm

I think the question has been already answered even if it not an all Spanish champions league final. There have been more Spanish teams in the latter stages of European competition then the English league.

GLaDOS

Could well be an all Spanish Europa league final too

keith16

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Could well be an all Spanish Europa league final too

This year la liga was also an all Spanish affair!

Unearthly

Spanish league is without doubt the top dog quality wise and they have a good title race happening to.

Contrasting styles from each teams but they are the best in the world at those styles.

These things run in cycles though, and Spain will probably stay top til Messi retires

NIMAN

To be fair, if Real, Atleti, Villarreal and Sevilla are the teams in the 2 Euro finals then we can put this argument to bed once and for all.

mansize

Last 18 european ties:
SPAIN 17-1 ENGLAND

SantryRed

Just seen a tweet:

Spanish teams are yet to lose a knock out tie in Europe this season unless it was another Spanish side., which is 14/14.

They've won 45 of the last 48 knock out ties against non-Spanish opposition too.

Muff_Daddy

Yeah, well the EPL is about to unleash Leicester on them. La Liga won't know what hit them.

NIMAN

Any point chatting about this argument again after Sevilla's spanking of Liverpool?

Thats going to be 3 years running where its been a clean sweep of the Euro trophies for Spain.

The lack of respect shown to Sevilla before this game by a lot of the people I spoke to was baffling. It appears that so many EPL fans have no idea of what teams are like outside of it, and write them off too easily.

Optimalprimerib

NIMAN wrote: »

Any point chatting about this argument again after Sevilla's spanking of Liverpool?

Thats going to be 3 years running where its been a clean sweep of the Euro trophies for Spain.

The lack of respect shown to Sevilla before this game by a lot of the people I spoke to was baffling. It appears that so many EPL fans have no idea of what teams are like outside of it, and write them off too easily.

This is sevilla going for 3 in a row. That is a very difficult feat to pull off. So in that sense Liverpool had every right to be confident.

Then again when you boil it down Liverpool are an average side that overachieved in that competition comparing to their performance in the league.

CSF

Optimalprimerib wrote: »

Then again when you boil it down Liverpool are an average side that overachieved in that competition comparing to their performance in the league.

However if you go by that logic, so are Sevilla. They've been particularly ordinary all year in the league, but credit to them, they've a fair oul knack for bringing this one home.

Guilty of thinking Liverpool would have won this one myself, but that's no slight on Sevilla.

Iused2likebusts

Souness comments before the game that the Spanish league is just 3 great teams and a load of average teams so Liverpool would win easily. He failed to recognise that the PL has no great teams and a league full of average teams.

Andersonisgod

Aside from money and viewing figures, there is no other criteria which you can put the Premier League above La Liga. It's 3 seasons in a row where the Champions League and Europa League winners will be Spanish, it's a remarkable achievement. The football Sevilla produced in that second half is football any team would be proud of.

The thing is too these sides do it on such a small budget and with the players they develop constantly being swiped. They keep finding gems to replace outgoing stars, they keep producing players. Tactically, technically, depth-wise and style-wise La Liga is streets ahead of its rivals and it's about time the league was shown the respect it so richly deserves in English speaking countries.

citytillidie

I see the Spanish FA will be sending out fines to clubs from next season who allow empty seats to be shown on TV

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/36328609

HalloweenJack

Will hopefully lead to lower ticket prices, which can only be a good thing.

Beefy78

Andersonisgod wrote: »

Aside from money and viewing figures, there is no other criteria which you can put the Premier League above La Liga.

But those things are what label the Premier League the best league in the World (if you use that tag which I've not heard be seriously - rather than ironically -

Premier League football is fast, exciting, football played out in front of pretty much packed houses each week creating great atmospheres. The teams can't defend and there's a decent chance of an upset pretty much any time any two clubs take to the field (unless one of them is Aston Villa). And below them there are 72 other league clubs chomping at the bit to get in there and show what they can do.

That is why the viewing figures are so high. That is why when TV Companies around the World invest money into their scheduling so much of it flows England's way.

Last night was pretty embarrassing for Liverpool but Barcelona could spank Man City every single midweek and it has no bearing on the product on display the following weekend.

citytillidie

HalloweenJack wrote: »

Will hopefully lead to lower ticket prices, which can only be a good thing.

I think it is more to do with the new TV deal where as before it was clubs who made there own deals they have now followed the Premier League model on selling TV coverage

Korat

citytillidie wrote: »

I think it is more to do with the new TV deal where as before it was clubs who made there own deals they have now followed the Premier League model on selling TV coverage

Do PL clubs get fined for showing empty seats?

eagle eye

What has all this to do with the 'greatest league in the world'?

Are we talking about the best standard of football? For me the greatest league in the world is the one with the most exciting football, the one that gives you the most entertainment.

I think in the eyes of the ordinary football fan the Premier league wins hands down.

I'm a huge fan of the Premera Liga myself but not many of my friends are. At a push they'll watch Barca and Real when they play each other and maybe when they play Atletico.

Paz-CCFC

eagle eye wrote: »

What has all this to do with the 'greatest league in the world'?

Are we talking about the best standard of football? For me the greatest league in the world is the one with the most exciting football, the one that gives you the most entertainment.

I think in the eyes of the ordinary football fan the Premier league wins hands down.

That's an incredibly subjective criterion. The league that gives you the most entertainment is simply the one that you watch the most. So, you're favourite league will always be what you find the most exciting. That doesn't make it objectively the best.

For me, the League of Ireland is the most exciting and entertaining. The league seems to go down to the last day a disproportionate number of times. Sometimes that has involved three teams having the chance of winning it (at least one occasion, the long shot outsider of the three managed to win it thanks to some drama in the other two matches). It's had a fair few final day, head-to-head, winner takes all games. One year, in the First Division, one of those head-to-head battles was won with a 94th minute goal. The cups have had their share of drama, too. 2009, seeing a team come back from 1-0 down to win with two goals in the last few minutes. 2013, Drogheda leading for most of the match, Sligo scoring a quick double late on to take the lead, Drogheda having a man sent off then equalising in the 92nd minute, Sligo scoring the winner in the 97th.

So, the League of Ireland has plenty of sheer and utter excitement. But does that make it the best? For me, yes. But in general, of course not. Objectively, it is nowhere near the top leagues in terms of actual quality of football. And that's what determines "the best".

It should be noted, however, that while the League of Ireland is not objectively the best, it has long been confirmed as the "greatest league in the world".

citytillidie

Korat wrote: »

Do PL clubs get fined for showing empty seats?

No i am talking about how the money is shared equally between all clubs rather than just some clubs making there own TV deals and taking all that money

Beefy78

Paz-CCFC wrote: »

That's an incredibly subjective criterion. The league that gives you the most entertainment is simply the one that you watch the most. So, you're favourite league will always be what you find the most exciting. That doesn't make it objectively the best.

But there's no way of stating what league is the 'best' as 'best' in this context is dependent on a whole load of possible criteria. As eagle eye said, it's open to interpretation and the definition you want to put onto it.

It's a marketing slogan put forward by a company who has invested literally billions into this product. But it's not a slogan that is entirely without merit regardless of whether there are better teams elsewhere.

deadybai

The Premier League is the best in the world for me. The standard from the big teams has slipped alarmingly since the 08-11 seasons when they were at there peak but the worse teams have closed the gap which has made their matches more enjoyable.

The Premier League has the best blend of entertainment on and off the pitch mixed with good quality players.

The La Liga has better teams but it lacks the entertainment of the prem. A la liga match generally consists of a team passing it around at the back and when someone tries to make a tackle, 5 minutes are wasted watching a player roll around on the ground and his team mates trying to get the opposing player sent off. Its actually embarrassing to watch.

Also you have great characters in the Premier League. The likes of Heskey, Joey Barton, Roy Keane, Jamie Vardy etc.

Skylinehead

deadybai wrote: »

The Premier League is the best in the world for me. The standard from the big teams has slipped alarmingly since the 08-11 seasons when they were at there peak but the worse teams have closed the gap which has made their matches more enjoyable.

The Premier League has the best blend of entertainment on and off the pitch mixed with good quality players.

The La Liga has better teams but it lacks the entertainment of the prem. A la liga match generally consists of a team passing it around at the back and when someone tries to make a tackle, 5 minutes are wasted watching a player roll around on the ground and his team mates trying to get the opposing player sent off. Its actually embarrassing to watch.

Also you have great characters in the Premier League. The likes of Heskey, Joey Barton, Roy Keane, Jamie Vardy etc.

First time I've ever heard Jamie Vardy described as a "great character"

SantryRed

deadybai wrote: »

The Premier League is the best in the world for me. The standard from the big teams has slipped alarmingly since the 08-11 seasons when they were at there peak but the worse teams have closed the gap which has made their matches more enjoyable.

The Premier League has the best blend of entertainment on and off the pitch mixed with good quality players.

The La Liga has better teams but it lacks the entertainment of the prem. A la liga match generally consists of a team passing it around at the back and when someone tries to make a tackle, 5 minutes are wasted watching a player roll around on the ground and his team mates trying to get the opposing player sent off. Its actually embarrassing to watch.

Also you have great characters in the Premier League. The likes of Heskey, Joey Barton, Roy Keane, Jamie Vardy etc.

Just come out and admit you don't watch La Liga. It's as simple as that. The EPL product is more in your face and therefore you gravitate to it. Your description of La Liga is wrong and clearly from someone who doesn't watch it. Your whole post is of someone who consumes the premier league product and I'm not saying anything is wrong with that either!

Andersonisgod

deadybai wrote: »

The Premier League is the best in the world for me. The standard from the big teams has slipped alarmingly since the 08-11 seasons when they were at there peak but the worse teams have closed the gap which has made their matches more enjoyable.

The Premier League has the best blend of entertainment on and off the pitch mixed with good quality players.

The La Liga has better teams but it lacks the entertainment of the prem. A la liga match generally consists of a team passing it around at the back and when someone tries to make a tackle, 5 minutes are wasted watching a player roll around on the ground and his team mates trying to get the opposing player sent off. Its actually embarrassing to watch.

Also you have great characters in the Premier League. The likes of Heskey, Joey Barton, Roy Keane, Jamie Vardy etc.

Haha just on the basis of that description of La Liga it is very obvious you are far from a frequent viewer. Anyone who thinks all Spanish teams play the same would want to stop only watching Barcelona and embrace the wide variety of styles and tactical nous on display.

You assume Spain doesn't have great characters purely because you don't follow the leagues, there's plenty of enjoyable, colourful characters knocking about in the league from Paco Jemez to Ever Banega, it's a league full of characters.

gormdubhgorm

Iused2likebusts wrote: »

Souness comments before the game that the Spanish league is just 3 great teams and a load of average teams so Liverpool would win easily. He failed to recognise that the PL has no great teams and a league full of average teams.

This is the myth that " la liga only has three great teams" that really annoys me you would swear it is the Scottish league in its heyday with Celtic Rangers hearts/hibs!

I think you hit the nail on the head the English league has a lot of a average teams.
I would love to know what la liga pundits say about the English league.