Is Premier League Boring?

[Jamalio Danubio DiCanio]

It’s been a gradual creep over years. It’s not this season alone.

Relegation seems a foregone conclusion before season stsrts

For last 7-8 years there’s only really 3 teams capable of winning the league

VAR, constant media noise, etc all add to the annoyance of the league.

However, I think the last few seasons are the 1st for a while were non Big 6 clubs can genuinely dream of European and even CL qualification. Villa, Forest, West Ham winning a European trophy. Bournemouth, Fulham, Brentford, Brighton all in contention for European qualification.

It’s driven a bit by improvement in those teams and struggles of Chelsea, United and Spurs.

Whatever the reason it dangles the carrot of European football for most clubs in PL. Villa are about to play a CL QF this week whilst pushing for CL qualification in the league. That wouldn’t have seemed that possible a few years ago and mainly not for a bigger breadth of teams.

That’s the focus and aim and it wouldn’t be boring at all if achievable.

 

[JLW]

It’s strange really, we moan about the big 6 and it being a two tier league but this season 4 of them have massively under performed giving a sniff to the likes of Forest Newcastle Bournemouth Fulham etc..

This is what we all want isn’t it? The rest of the league to be closer to them.

But saying that it has been a terrible season all in all. A terrible spectacle for most.

I do think the quality of players is dropping though compared to years ago,

 

[Raino85]

It's been boring this season in the sense that there's not going to be much drama in the last few weeks, but I'm not sure I agree with the general 'it was so different in my day' sentiment. Just typical nostalgia talking that I think.

Think that could be because how we consume football is different now also.

There is football on every single day of the week, 3 or 4 games on Saturday & Sunday.
Plus you have forums like this fine establishment, 24 hour news outlets and social media

Growing up we had far less football on tap. Maybe 2 live games at the weekend plus Monday Night Football, MOTD or ITVs short spell of 'the premiership'. and a few pages of the Echo every night to get your football fix.

We have become over saturated with product
Its the Mitchell & Webb clip in a nutshell

 

[LEONARD]

It's been reduced to 6 teams.

an utter bore-fest.

 

[JLW]

I don't think dropping points is necessary a stick to beat the quality of a league with, 75 points is the lowest total a team has ever won the PL, both Liverpool & Arsenal will make that total i reckon, with Forest probably hitting 70.
Blackburn won it in 95 with 89 points (42 games), if you do your sums in todays points that's 80 points, well below the mid 90s required to win it in recent years

What is dull as you mentioned is any serious challenge, the teams coming up and going down basically being regurgitated between 5-6 clubs (and if its not any those clubs your Luton's & Ipswich's are pretty happy to go back down with a season PL money)

The race for the CL could be interesting, but what has stopped that being interesting is the fact it doesn't really matter, 5 teams could get CL football, hats a quarter of the league and that isn't as prestigious as it once was with its diluted format and stale 'same teams playing each other'

I think 2 biggest switch offs are

1)Style of play
No number 10s, no mavericks, every player basically conditioned to have to be at ultimate peak fitness with analytics and sports science turning every player into a performance robot. every team has 8 or 9 massive fat heads who could run through a brick wall...the game coached out of them (I blame Guardiola).
Analytics telling you that its better to pass the ball sideways and keep the ball moving than attempting a Dwight McNeil blammo from 30 yards.
Planned injury breaks for teams (Arsenal are kings of it) to kill momentum or have a quick tactical chat...they need to be banned straight away)

2) Money
We all know the complaints about money and the jeopardy is just to big, teams aren't bothered about on pitch performance but more concerned about sell on value. Acadmys arent built to produce the next big thing for your first team, but are built to help you supplement your next over priced transfer.
Chelsea's and City's having youth teams of 40-50 lads in each age group. Its mental

Your 2 points about style of play and money is spot on.

I think to add to that though is the blood and thunder of strong tackles being removed because modern day footballers are at best a gang on Fanny’s. I’m tired of seeing them roll around the floor like they are never going to be able to walk again!!

Then add the referees, as bad as I’ve ever seen this pool of dead beats officiating the game on and off the pitch. The have become a focal point more than the players which is insane, that talking corpse on sky, plus Mike Dean being n the panel when the games are playing! Koff ye ‘kin no marks.

 

[Raino85]

It’s been a gradual creep over years. It’s not this season alone.

Relegation seems a foregone conclusion before season stsrts

For last 7-8 years there’s only really 3 teams capable of winning the league

VAR, constant media noise, etc all add to the annoyance of the league.

However, I think the last few seasons are the 1st for a while were non Big 6 clubs can genuinely dream of European and even CL qualification. Villa, Forest, West Ham winning a European trophy. Bournemouth, Fulham, Brentford, Brighton all in contention for European qualification.

It’s driven a bit by improvement in those teams and struggles of Chelsea, United and Spurs.

Whatever the reason it dangles the carrot of European football for most clubs in PL. Villa are about to play a CL QF this week whilst pushing for CL qualification in the league. That wouldn’t have seemed that possible a few years ago and mainly not for a bigger breadth of teams.

That’s the focus and aim and it wouldn’t be boring at all if achievable.

When 8 spots are up for grabs, 1 will creep in. Villa & Newcastle have done great and could push on, Forest might get lucky, but the rest will revert to Stoke

While that's brilliant for Villa, it just doesn't seem as 'important' as it would of been 10-15 years ago, we all remember that Leeds team with Kewell, Martyn, Woodgate, Smith etc. But it just doesn't seem as exciting

 

[Bryan+]

Terrestrial TV should go full in on none league footy and broadcast their games. I’d much rather watch local teams than any others.

 

[Joey66]

I watch the championship sometimes highlights sems more entertaining than Prem football which sometimes is like a game of chess.....

 

[Raino85]

Terrestrial TV should go full in on none league footy and broadcast their games. I’d much rather watch local teams than any others.

I thought the 'baller' league could of done something with this, attempting to get people switching away from PL stuff and building storys for new players anad a new way for players to get into the game.

Who stupid of me to not see it was just another SkySports plug for KSI to sell Prime and to attempt to give 'AngryGinge' more of a platform

 

[Raino85]

I can tell you from first-hand experience with my son, that the academies are geared up to recruit athletes, often of a certain/group of demographic.

So, it's only going to get worse.

Checking your whole family tree and getting binned off because your Grandad was only 5ft 8 has happened ot some people

 

[PhilM]

Checking your whole family tree and getting binned off because your Grandad was only 5ft 8 has happened ot some people

My son has had tests to predict his growth potential. For years, the RS picked players from youth football to go into their development centre based on...

... how fast they could run.

 

[JelavicBrate2]

I don't think dropping points is necessary a stick to beat the quality of a league with, 75 points is the lowest total a team has ever won the PL, both Liverpool & Arsenal will make that total i reckon, with Forest probably hitting 70.
Blackburn won it in 95 with 89 points (42 games), if you do your sums in todays points that's 80 points, well below the mid 90s required to win it in recent years

What is dull as you mentioned is any serious challenge, the teams coming up and going down basically being regurgitated between 5-6 clubs (and if its not any those clubs your Luton's & Ipswich's are pretty happy to go back down with a season PL money)

The race for the CL could be interesting, but what has stopped that being interesting is the fact it doesn't really matter, 5 teams could get CL football, hats a quarter of the league and that isn't as prestigious as it once was with its diluted format and stale 'same teams playing each other'

I think 2 biggest switch offs are

1)Style of play
No number 10s, no mavericks, every player basically conditioned to have to be at ultimate peak fitness with analytics and sports science turning every player into a performance robot. every team has 8 or 9 massive fat heads who could run through a brick wall...the game coached out of them (I blame Guardiola).
Analytics telling you that its better to pass the ball sideways and keep the ball moving than attempting a Dwight McNeil blammo from 30 yards.
Planned injury breaks for teams (Arsenal are kings of it) to kill momentum or have a quick tactical chat...they need to be banned straight away)

2) Money
We all know the complaints about money and the jeopardy is just to big, teams aren't bothered about on pitch performance but more concerned about sell on value. Acadmys arent built to produce the next big thing for your first team, but are built to help you supplement your next over priced transfer.
Chelsea's and City's having youth teams of 40-50 lads in each age group. Its mental

Good point about planned breaks, Arsenal did it on Saturday. It amazed me when we played Chelsea earlier on at GP I was waiting for them to have a proper go at us. Instead it was just passing side to side, only difference between RS and challengers is Salah.

 

[JelavicBrate2]

My son has had tests to predict his growth potential. For years, the RS picked players from youth football to go into their development centre based on...

... how fast they could run.

You saw when we played RS under Allardyce, RS couldn't do anything, because only Salah had any skill in that side. Academy system is a joke, what's the point signing a kid at the age of 6.

 

[everton1953]

No.

 

[MACCA75]

It's been reduced to 6 teams.

an utter bore-fest.

Even though 2 of them are in the bottom half?

The gap between 4th and 10th is as small as it’s ever been.