Hmm. I might've said something to that effect come think of it.
I don't think Premier League defending has deteriorated though. I just think the overall level of the league, and as a consequence the amount of pressure that the defences are exposed to, has increased. What really stands out when you watch Premier League is the way the defenders learn to deal with that. Nowhere else do they need to be so independently strong. I'm sure it's been a shock for Mertesacker since he arrived. In Bundesliga there's literally no pressure on the centrebacks in situations when there's no clear goal chance (which may or may not explain why a two-bob player like van Buyten has lasted half a decade at top level). In Italy they're pretty physical but in return they have a culture where they react tactically to their opponents instead in order to take pressure off certain parts of the team. If you watch Juve or Fiorentina three weekends in a row odds are that they will play slightly different formations every time. Managers often tweak the team immediately during games. In Spain they aren't physical at all which makes it almost comical to watch Ronaldo bossing them around. The use of wingbacks means that there's very little protection once you lose the ball too.
