2025/26 David Moyes

[MACCA75]

Dave is a miserable git and makes this forum a really hard place to visit, but I do agree the league is poor. It might very well be the strongest in Europe, but the quality of football across the world isn't what it was 10+ years ago, for me.

Football has become all about strength, pace and keeping your passing stats high. 20-25 years ago most sides would be filled with technially gifted players and the odd athlete in the side, now it's the complete opposite.

Is this really true though? Or now do you have to be good technically AND an athlete.

From 25 years ago, the league finished with Ipswich, Sunderland, Charlton and Southampton in the top half.
Just been looking at the array of great technical players in these squads.

For example Sunderland had such wizards like Gavin McCann, Alex Rae and Kevin Kilbane in midfield with Niall Quinn and Danny Dichio up front.

We had Nyarko, Stephen Hughes and Scott Gemill. Are any more technically gifted than KDH, Grealish or N’Diaye?

 

[cjuk87]

No, I'm not furious at all. I'm elated we won and my point is that we should have been top 10 for months.

It doesn't impress me that we're 6th right now. Not in this league.

Name change to Shania Twain please mods.



Alright, so you're Jack Grealish....that don't impress me much!

 

[NathDogg]

Tbh mate yes, I’m struggling to see how a ‘dog dirt’ league (you weren’t saying ‘average’) is still the strongest in the world.

I presume you are comparing it to previous Premier league seasons, well which ones? Be specific and I’ll have a look at how deep the quality was. Maybe when Bolton, Ipswich, Norwich or Wimbledon were finishing top 6? You tell me.

You presume incorrectly.

Why do I need to compare it to previous premier leagues? Why do I need to compare it to any other European leagues - I didn’t do that, you did.

IMO, from what I am seeing week in, week out, this current PL is dogmuck/average/poor*, with no really outstanding teams in it.

That your struggling to see that the richest league in the world is better than its competitors, but yet can still be average/poor, means I don’t believe I can make it any clearer for you boss.

Thanks.

 

[when i score we riot]

Drago's analysis doesn't make much sense, especially if you take the "25 years ago" part seriously.

There is some truth in the fact that physicality is more important now than it was around 12-15 years ago. Meaning the years of blessed possession-based tiki-taka are far gone and it seems the majority are relying on bullying, long throws, second balls and fast transitions.

But one might also argue that these two styles are a dichotomy of sorts. Wasn't the technically intricate tiki-taka developed as a hard counter to bullying and physicality?

I dunno. As far as the league goes it's clear the amount of resources available to clubs in the PL gives us two things: A competitive league where "anyone can beat anyone", and a group of strong english clubs that make it very hard for "lesser european opposition" to consistently compete with them.

 

[blue to the bone]

That brings back an awful school trip memory of having to watch Alf Garnett leap about on stage with his minuscule nob out…
It’s now exactly how I’ll think of Dave, so cheers mate

Glad to be of service

 

[MACCA75]

You presume incorrectly.

Why do I need to compare it to previous premier leagues? Why do I need to compare it to any other European leagues - I didn’t do that, you did.

IMO, from what I am seeing week in, week out, this current PL is dogmuck/average/poor*, with no really outstanding teams in it.

That your struggling to see that the richest league in the world is better than its competitors, but yet can still be average/poor, means I don’t believe I can make it any clearer for you boss.

Thanks.

Fair enough mate. Just when people call something great, or terrible, it’s normally in context of comparing it with similar things. Like when I say a film is terrible, I’m comparing it to other films, rather than like, a moon landing or a blow job.

Maybe you just don’t like football

 

[JobForTheMoyes]

Agree mate. People hark back to previous years when the likes of Charlton Athletic or Wimbledon were finishing top 6 with the most mediocre teams, or you would have absolute dross like Robbie Savage or Kevin Nolan playing midfield for teams in the upper echelons.

It’s such a higher standard now, even Wolves have 2 Brazilian international midfielders.

Just because the players are “better” it doesn’t mean the league is more entertaining.

 

[blue to the bone]

Moyes teams traditionally used always do better second half of the season too didnt they.
Lets get excited!

 

[MACCA75]

Just because the players are “better” it doesn’t mean the league is more entertaining.

Absolutely correct, but I don’t think that was the argument. Otherwise I’d agree as VAR is killing the game.

 

[COYBL25]

No, I'm not furious at all. I'm elated we won and my point is that we should have been top 10 for months.

It doesn't impress me that we're 6th right now. Not in this league.

So just to get this straight and I`ll do a little time line for you, so as not to confuse your clearly demented brain :

After a few games you stated that Moyes would get us relegated = Sack the ginger fraud.

Then results picked up = If he doesn`t get us in the top ten, sack the ginger fraud.

Then the results REALLY picked up = If he doesn`t get us into Europe, sack the ginger fraud.

Then results REALLY REALLY started to pick up and as it stands Europe is a possibility = THE LEAGUE IS CRAP.

 

[JobForTheMoyes]

For example Sunderland had such wizards like Gavin McCann, Alex Rae and Kevin Kilbane in midfield with Niall Quinn and Danny Dichio up front.

We had Nyarko, Stephen Hughes and Scott Gemill. Are any more technically gifted than KDH, Grealish or N’Diaye?

Those artists of the fans didn’t even have feet - they had paintbrushes.

 

[Curtis]

Is it?

I think it's one of the strongest/most competitive leagues in memory. Reminds me a bit of the Championship in the way that anyone can beat anyone in the middle

I was going to say similar you have teams that have like billion dollar squads and are being humbled by teams that would be lower middle table in the past , I think it's the non traditional stronger teams becoming more formidable than the usual stronger teams being weaker. Also the fact we have 9 teams from this league in Europe would indicate it's not a weak league

 

[when i score we riot]

Then results REALLY REALLY started to pick up and as it stands Europe is a possibility = THE LEAGUE IS CRAP.

I am casually waiting for the quality of the Premier League to decay so hard that our team, that has miraculously existed in a bubble where it doesn't improve but doesn't get worse either, wins the league on walkover just because everyone is so crap.

 

[Boston Blue Sox]

whispering this softly, but perhaps the psr rules are making this league more competitive than usual

cough

doesn't make it less corrupt tho

It's not PSR. It's the fact the prem is so filthy stinking rich that even small clubs in the bottom half of the table can easily outspend Juventus.

 

[ElGato]

Is your brain struggling to accept that the PL being average, it will still be better than European leagues?

On what metrics is the PL now average? I just don't see it. High quality, high scoring, high paced games week in week out. Brighton Vs West Ham, previously a game that would send me to sleep, was a really good game yesterday. Most if not all teams are tactically astute and have players who can handle a football, many more teams are competitive.

As I say, there aren't 4 teams that are streets ahead of the rest anymore, but I think that there is a degree of nostalgia in saying that that means the league isn't as good as it used to be. I can only see two (Arsenal and City) who could compete against the best in other European leagues (before one might argue that there would be 4 or 5) but the overall standard of the league has gone up imo.