The season's double-edged.

It's great to see teams like Chelsky and Liverpool not particularly underperforming yet still being given a game, simply because of a weak link or two.

It's awful to see teams like Arsenal greatly underperforming and just plain stinking up the place. Or both sets of Geordies just trying to shut up shop and interpreting that as clattering everyone to bits and pieces.

As annoying as it is, I think Spurs look pretty comfortable for top 4, they're as consistent as I can remember them being in a long time. Still think Leicester will drop off but no so much that they'll fall out of the CL places, West Ham will give United a good run for 5th and Southampton seem to be going strong after a poor start so they might pip Liverpool to 7th.

Meanwhile Chelsea will be lucky to finish top half, even after the gifts we've given them this season.

Chelsea are one of the few things that bring me joy these days in this shitty league. New manager, enough time to have washed Jose out of their hair and they still struggle against Watford WBA and co

I can see us being the only team they do the double over at the end of the season, reason enough to fire Wenger imo

I can't see how the PL can be described as sh****.
It's a proper competition, unpredictable and all the better for that unpredictability.
I've no interest in watching a league in which the likes of Barca or Madrid destroy teams 4 or 5 nil every week.

I'm not interested in "proper competition", I'm interested in good football and the EPL has a very poor return for the amount of money that is spent on players. If unpredictability was the most important factor I'd watch the Algerian league.

Not sure what La Liga has to do with this but Real or Barcelona would destroy EPL teams 4 or 5 nil every week too, probably even more. Atlético would be running away with the title in England too despite a lower wage bill than Spurs or Pool. Villarreal, Sevilla and others also are a lot better than their English counterparts.

I doubt Atletico would do that much damage in England. They just wouldn't be able to assemble that team over here. They're preying on the situation in Spain right now where everything that doesn't get swapped up by the big two falls to them.

La liga is what the PL used to be when it was just Arsenal and Utd winning the league.

jones wrote:

I'm not interested in "proper competition", I'm interested in good football and the EPL has a very poor return for the amount of money that is spent on players. If unpredictability was the most important factor I'd watch the Algerian league.

Not sure what La Liga has to do with this but Real or Barcelona would destroy EPL teams 4 or 5 nil every week too, probably even more. Atlético would be running away with the title in England too despite a lower wage bill than Spurs or Pool. Villarreal, Sevilla and others also are a lot better than their English counterparts.

If you don’t get the love of the rivalries, the sense of excitement in the knowing that in any game the underdog can put together a performance spirited enough to beat the big team, the mad frenetic pace of some games, fair enough.
It's not to your taste, it does translate directly into the league being sh**.
There may not be a team in it to match the best of the Spanish but there are great players, new talent, beautiful goals, open games and a big question mark as to who will run out as eventual winners.

Klaus wrote:

I doubt Atletico would do that much damage in England. They just wouldn't be able to assemble that team over here. They're preying on the situation in Spain right now where everything that doesn't get swapped up by the big two falls to them.

I don't think that's very accurate Klaus. Atlético before Simeone took over regularly finished around 10th place in La Liga and the players they get have little to do with either of Real or Barcelona. Their scouts in South America have a much bigger network than either of the big two, if they couldn't assemble that team in England it'd be because of work permits.

Wasn't the point I'm making though, I'm saying the current Atlético team would win the EPL title. That they won La Liga in 2014 is still probably the most impressive managerial feat I've ever seen.

I'm aware of how Atletico are run. I agree that Simeone's achievement in 2014 is unprecedented in modern football but there will always be someone like them. A decade and a half ago it was Valencia. Then it was Villarreal for a while. The power dynamic in Spain naturally puts them in a situation where they can capitalise.

I don't think the current Atletico side would run away with the Premier League title for the record, even if you could magically disregard the circumstances under which a team is assembled and operate and then just transplant it into a new league. I think they would fall to pieces eventually in a league that is much faster and physical.

y va marquer wrote:

jones wrote:

I'm not interested in "proper competition", I'm interested in good football and the EPL has a very poor return for the amount of money that is spent on players. If unpredictability was the most important factor I'd watch the Algerian league.

Not sure what La Liga has to do with this but Real or Barcelona would destroy EPL teams 4 or 5 nil every week too, probably even more. Atlético would be running away with the title in England too despite a lower wage bill than Spurs or Pool. Villarreal, Sevilla and others also are a lot better than their English counterparts.

If you don’t get the love of the rivalries, the sense of excitement in the knowing that in any game the underdog can put together a performance spirited enough to beat the big team, the mad frenetic pace of some games, fair enough.
It's not to your taste, it does translate directly into the league being sh**.
There may not be a team in it to match the best of the Spanish but there are great players, new talent, beautiful goals, open games and a big question mark as to who will run out as eventual winners.

Nah, I can see where Jones is coming from. Even relative to where the league was a few seasons ago, there's been a drop off in quality. On the plus side, that adds to the drama which keeps things interesting but it's a bit annoying to see so many top teams spend so much money, charge fans out of the ground and still have less to show for it than Leicester City!

I see where he's coming from I just don't view it that the league is s****.
The drop off in quality is not that drastic.

Totally agree.

Biggus wrote:

Don't know why La Liga is mentioned its not even a proper competition.
No Spanish side could succeed in the PL its too fast physical lasts too long with no break.
Spanish sides (ie Real and Barca) only look better in the CL because their domestic games are so easy.

Do you not think they will adapt to the conditions?
Aguero, Alexis, Toure and Silva had no trouble immediately adjusting to the overrated physicality of the Premiership.
These were, just about, top 5 players in La Liga but immediately became the best players in the Premiership.
As for speed i think you haven't watched their games lately.
The pace of their game surpassed ours 15 years ago.
Even their shit teams play faster than the likes of Southampton.

<- That's me. I'm laughing at what Biggus is saying.

The EPL competition is better than La Liga. When it was the other way around that's the argument people used to justify why La Liga is better.

But if you played 1st against 1st and 2nd against 2nd etc. across the leagues over two legs I reckon Spanish teams would win.