The Premier League this season

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

He’s right though. Loads of really big clubs in the Championship while we have to pretend to find these dull little outfits like Huddersfield:Burnley and their punching above their weight endearing. Doesn’t help that clubs like Everton, Newcastle and West Ham are run by absolute cretins. That’s probably the bigger issue.

but in one hand you say its predictable and boring then you have teams coming up and competing with the bigger teams that don't have the same resources as the big clubs.

Originally Posted by Crumps

Why? Second in the league, only dropped 8 points (10 but 8 behind them them sorry) even with Pogba missing so many games (which was the one injury we really couldn’t afford happening), point to qualify for the latter stages of the CL. I’ll Worry if the next couple of league games go drastically against us and even then I’m not gonna worry that much as I ain’t no b***h.

It’s toss.

Best example of football being shite these days is the Champions League.

Load of %@#$&!s.

MMA > football

Originally Posted by silv

MMA > football

alright lets not get carried away here

Originally Posted by Sparky***

Not looking too good is it.

City running away with it because they're richer than everyone else and when teams like Burnley are sitting comfortably 5th you have to wonder at the general state of it.

Newcastle have lost 5 games on the trot yet somehow are 12th, they are utterly abysmal.

Huddersfield have managed 9 goals in 14 games yet they're a mid table team.

Most fixtures every weekend are utterly forgettable borefests as two poor teams try desperately not to lose to each other as everyone is utterly petrified of being relegated and losing out on their share of the mountain of cash.

The Prem in the 90s may not have been the sophisticated, polished product it is now but it was far more entertaining to watch and not just a collection of small provincial clubs trying not to get relegated.

Think it helps that we were all living in a Fergie-made bubble, mate.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

He’s right though. Loads of really big clubs in the Championship while we have to pretend to find these dull little outfits like Huddersfield:Burnley and their punching above their weight endearing. Doesn’t help that clubs like Everton, Newcastle and West Ham are run by absolute cretins. That’s probably the bigger issue.

West Ham?

There is barely a mid table, solid teams who you knew could give the top sides a challenge and be fairly stable in those 6th-12th spots. Top 6, of which there are clear gaps forming then after that a couple of decent teams then a great deal of cannon fodder.

Look at Utd's start to the season, barely had a difficult game, at times running in 4 goals and only needing to play well for 10-15 mins to do so. The league misses competent versions of Newcastle, Leeds, Villa.

90's-mid 00's was a great era of football, Europe wide. Some of it is generational but the way the talent was spread was far healthier. Utd's CL campaign this year has been an utter snooze-fest, as an overall product this level of disparity can not be a good thing.

Originally Posted by Tiberian

There is barely a mid table, solid teams who you knew could give the top sides a challenge and be fairly stable in those 6th-12th spots. Top 6, of which there are clear gaps forming then after that a couple of decent teams then a great deal of cannon fodder.

Look at Utd's start to the season, barely had a difficult game, at times running in 4 goals and only needing to play well for 10-15 mins to do so. The league misses competent versions of Newcastle, Leeds, Villa.

90's-mid 00's was a great era of football, Europe wide. Some of it is generational but the way the talent was spread was far healthier. Utd's CL campaign this year has been an utter snooze-fest, as an overall product this level of disparity can not be a good thing.

Exactly the point i was making.

To further illustrate my point, look at when United signed Dwight Yorke from Aston Villa. At the time we signed him Villa were a team that pretty much finished around 7th or 8th in the league. Yet he was one of the best forwards in the division that United signed for a lot of money.

Which player out of the teams loitering around mid table in this league could you see a top side being interested in? The likes of Watford, Burnley, Brighton and Southampton. I couldn't £#%&!ing tell you who 90% of the players are who start for any of those teams.

Outside of United, City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and probably Spurs there's £#%&! all top class players at the 14 other clubs. All the best players are at 5-6 clubs and the rest are either just half decent or bang average.

Van Dijk at Southampton is a good player tbf...

Not the (rumoured) £70+m that Southampton value him at though

Originally Posted by AK14

Van Dijk at Southampton is a good player tbf...

Not the (rumoured) £70+m that Southampton value him at though

i could go on...

collymore at forest
cole at newcastle
ferdinand at qpr
shearer at southampton/blackburn
le tissier at southampton
sheringham/klinsmann at spurs
dion dublin at coventry

even sheffield wednesday had paolo di canio and benito carbone ffs..

where are those players now scattered about the league? They aren't £#%&!ing there.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

Which player out of the teams loitering around mid table in this league could you see a top side being interested in? The likes of Watford, Burnley, Brighton and Southampton. I couldn't £#%&!ing tell you who 90% of the players are who start for any of those teams.

manolo gabbiadini, richarlison, ryan bertrand, van dijk, romeu, tadic.....

Originally Posted by jem

manolo gabbiadini, richarlison, ryan bertrand, van dijk, romeu, tadic.....

don't 5 of those play for one team?

Originally Posted by Sparky***

don't 5 of those play for one team?

don't move the goalposts. I've heard of brighton's strikers (one is in my fantasy team), but I would struggle to make a case for any brighton or burnley player being wanted by a top team. I've got pereyra too.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

i could go on...

collymore at forest
cole at newcastle
ferdinand at qpr
shearer at southampton/blackburn
le tissier at southampton
sheringham/klinsmann at spurs
dion dublin at coventry

even sheffield wednesday had paolo di canio and benito carbone ffs..

where are those players now scattered about the league? They aren't f***ing there.

Most of them are English so you can point towards the decline of English talent being produced over the years. Most of the time any half decent English player in the last ten years has been snapped up by bigger clubs to fulfill a quota as no more than squad filler.

Then there's also a case of big clubs hoarding talent. Chelsea are the worst at this when it comes to bringing over as many youth level stars as possible just so rivals can't have them. However no one is forcing these players to sign the contract so short-sighted guidance or parents seeing a quick bank boost curtails these young lads career.

Originally Posted by Buck

Most of them are English so you can point towards the decline of English talent being produced over the years. Most of the time any half decent English player in the last ten years has been snapped up by bigger clubs to fulfill a quota as no more than squad filler.

Then there's also a case of big clubs hoarding talent. Chelsea are the worst at this when it comes to bringing over as many youth level stars as possible just so rivals can't have them. However no one is forcing these players to sign the contract so short-sighted guidance or parents seeing a quick bank boost curtails these young lads career.

Absolutely no decline in English talent, quite the opposite. Just a reluctance to give young English players regular playing time t. Tuanzebe a great example. England has the best young crop of players in generations, problem is most are rotting at the big clubs who demand instant success & spend big to achieve it. These players stagnate. Best ever Summer in International football for our under age teams & still very few get a chance on the big stage. Your last paragraph sums it up well. Not sure its greed, more the lure of the bright lights, these kids all see themselves breaking in to the top team but they will always have to perform better than big money signings

I think it’s been decent this season

Loads of goals, some cracking games...

Originally Posted by Kangared

Absolutely no decline in English talent, quite the opposite. Just a reluctance to give young English players regular playing time t. Tuanzebe a great example. England has the best young crop of players in generations, problem is most are rotting at the big clubs who demand instant success & spend big to achieve it. These players stagnate. Best ever Summer in International football for our under age teams & still very few get a chance on the big stage. Your last paragraph sums it up well. Not sure its greed, more the lure of the bright lights, these kids all see themselves breaking in to the top team but they will always have to perform better than big money signings

sort of this. our young players are winning everything. tuanzers isn't a getting a chance because the manager is a dick, though. he has performed better than big money signings.

Originally Posted by Buck

Most of them are English so you can point towards the decline of English talent being produced over the years. Most of the time any half decent English player in the last ten years has been snapped up by bigger clubs to fulfill a quota as no more than squad filler.

Then there's also a case of big clubs hoarding talent. Chelsea are the worst at this when it comes to bringing over as many youth level stars as possible just so rivals can't have them. However no one is forcing these players to sign the contract so short-sighted guidance or parents seeing a quick bank boost curtails these young lads career.

Is it not time to bring in a rule that your entire squad can only be of a certain size so the likes of Chelsea can't hoard players.
On top of that you can only have so many players on loan(say 5)and none of these cant be loaned in the division the first team plays in.

Originally Posted by bunker buster

i think it’s been decent this season

Loads of goals, some cracking games...

your not allowed to enjoy utd bunks ...the cabbie calls the shots