Is the Premier League in decline

[Caolam]

Does anyone think the Premier League is suffering as more teams are content not to lose and simply stay in the top division. With so much money at stake to avoid relegation is a prise in itself. Teams don't try against the teams from the top end of the league. A point is a bonus, even at home. Get the odd point off the better teams and beat the teams around you and you will be safe. The old adage "it is not about tactics, it is about players" seems to be a thing of the past.

 

[Balthazar]

I'm not sure about that. I think you could see even last year how clubs of all size were having a go at United, and big teams lose to the ones they should beat regularly.
For me the difference is that while there's a big gulf between last year's top 7 and the rest of the Premier League in terms of calibre of player, the standard of the other 13 teams is much higher than the standard of lower league teams in the other top divisions. Couple that with the more physical style of play they can employ and 'shock' results are inevitable in a way they aren't in other leagues.
What I will say is that I think Chelsea are the only top quality side in our league atm. While the others have some great players I don't think they match up to the likes of Bayern, Real and Barca in terms of squad.

 

[Deleted member 28206]

There shouldn't be any parachute money paid at all, it's the same with the bankers who still got rewarded for failure.

 

[Del]

Does anyone think the Premier League is suffering as more teams are content not to lose and simply stay in the top division. With so much money at stake to avoid relegation is a prise in itself. Teams don't try against the teams from the top end of the league. A point is a bonus, even at home. Get the odd point off the better teams and beat the teams around you and you will be safe. The old adage "it is not about tactics, it is about players" seems to be a thing of the past.

No mate

 

[zirc]

Does anyone think the Premier League is suffering as more teams are content not to lose and simply stay in the top division. With so much money at stake to avoid relegation is a prise in itself. Teams don't try against the teams from the top end of the league. A point is a bonus, even at home. Get the odd point off the better teams and beat the teams around you and you will be safe. The old adage "it is not about tactics, it is about players" seems to be a thing of the past.

I think that since the money is more evenly spread around compared to Spain and Germany you don't have all the top talent getting drained into 1 or 2 teams. So the top end is weaker but the strength of the 20 teams on average is much higher.

 

[Caolam]

I don't know that the top talent isn't being concentrated into two teams when you look at Chelsea and Man City.

 

[ijjysmith]

Southampton are second.

The world is ending.

 

[ToffeeDoug]

Its all hype and if it wasn't for Everton I wouldn't give a stuff about it.

 

[rascal]

The league is in decline but not for the reasons you've given. The league is in decline because the players playing in it are poor impostors compared to the players that used to be playing in the 00s when the league was in its heyday.

 

[roydo]

The league is in decline but not for the reasons you've given. The league is in decline because the players playing in it are poor impostors compared to the players that used to be playing in the 00s when the league was in its heyday.

Nah, that was the mid to late 80s mate. The heyday that is.

 

[rascal]

Nah, that was the mid to late 80s mate. The heyday that is.

I wasn't around in the 80s so couldn't possibly comment

 

[ToffeeDoug]

The league is in decline but not for the reasons you've given. The league is in decline because the players playing in it are poor impostors compared to the players that used to be playing in the 00s when the league was in its heyday.

When it costs £20m to buy Louvren or dare I say, £28m to buy Lukaku then something is seriously wrong.

 

[roydo]

I wasn't around in the 80s so couldn't possibly comment

Fair enough. Being vaguely serious, I think it is ace that West Ham, etc are doing ok. It wont last, but it makes it funny seeing so called experts turning cartwheels to explain why Liberpool arnt 87 points clear, why Southampton have conceded 1 goal after saying they were nailed on to go down, and totally ignoring us. Who WILL get 4th At least.

 

[rascal]

Fair enough. Being vaguely serious, I think it is ace that West Ham, etc are doing ok. It wont last, but it makes it funny seeing so called experts turning cartwheels to explain why Liberpool arnt 87 points clear, why Southampton have conceded 1 goal after saying they were nailed on to go down, and totally ignoring us. Who WILL get 4th At least.

Yeah I don't mind that, but I get annoyed with how poor premier league sides are now. Back in the 00s you could be relatively confident that what you were watching was the best in the world and I was proud that England had the best league in the world.

 

[roydo]

Yeah I don't mind that, but I get annoyed with how poor premier league sides are now. Back in the 00s you could be relatively confident that what you were watching was the best in the world and I was proud that England had the best league in the world.

Ah, you fell for the Sky hard sell. Most entertaining, still is, but "best"? Nah.