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[Football] Weak Premier League
- Thread starter Bozza
- Start date
phew ..just for a minute there
Ernest
Stupid IDIOT
Watford v Burnley on tomorrow nights Monday Night Football, wouldn't be out of place in League 1
Better than last week's Super Sunday offering of Palace v Stoke.
Not Andy Naylor
Well-known member
I think the Premier League is in danger of splitting in two. There could be a huge points gap between the top group and the strugglers with only a few mid-table clubs. Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Everton are better than last season, while West Brom will struggle if Pulis leaves and I think Eddie Howe's village idiots will be found out. Burnley, Hull and Sunderland simply haven't got enough quality.
So generally speaking, I tend to agree with Bozza's list with a couple of exceptions. Watford are a decent side, with some good players. Their model is at odds with the received wisdom that stability is necessary for success, but it seems to work somehow. And I think Walter Mazzarri knows what he's doing. Swansea, on the other hand, are hopeless. They need to get rid of Francesco Guidolin quickly but I hope they don't. They're a nothing club in a nothing town - the Middlesbrough of South Wales.
I thought Southampton might struggle under whispering Claude Puel, but they've got too many solid players, as have West Ham and Stoke when everyone's fit. Those three, plus Leicester and Watford will be the ones neither battling against relegation nor in with a shout of Europe. I'd put Palace in that group too if it wasn't for their consistent ability to shoot themselves in the foot.
Mackenzie
Old Brightonian
Seagull over Canaryland
Well-known member
The standard of defending in the PL is pretty dire. No wonder it's awash with goals. However the normal pecking order of usual top four / six clubs seems to be steadily re-establishing itself after last season. If anything there's now potential for a gulf forming between the top group and the stragglers.
There is still a golden chance for clubs like Bournemouth who really hit the jackpot arriving in the PL last season when the top clubs mostly misfired in the first half of the season, allowing AFCB to accumulate enough points to comfortably survive. Given the huge financial windfall they now have no real excuse not to consolidate, even if they never threaten the top six.
No reason why the Albion shouldn't consolidate in the PL when the time comes, assuming we then invest in more players of the right calibre.
The scary scenario is not gaining promotion in the next season or two, trying to retain our core of PL calibre players while still having to compete financially, given the escalating transfer fees and wage budgets in the Championship.
There is still a golden chance for clubs like Bournemouth who really hit the jackpot arriving in the PL last season when the top clubs mostly misfired in the first half of the season, allowing AFCB to accumulate enough points to comfortably survive. Given the huge financial windfall they now have no real excuse not to consolidate, even if they never threaten the top six.
No reason why the Albion shouldn't consolidate in the PL when the time comes, assuming we then invest in more players of the right calibre.
The scary scenario is not gaining promotion in the next season or two, trying to retain our core of PL calibre players while still having to compete financially, given the escalating transfer fees and wage budgets in the Championship.
Completely agree. Furthermore the whole thing is so saturated it's ready to pop, in financial terms. Look at the amount of money being spent on players - I saw west ham spent 42 million this summer. On what? How has that made them better?
The same could be levelled at the championship, and the money splashed on this division. Lots of cash doesn't guarantee anything, I'd say a vast majority of transfers were well over inflated value wise.
It will remain the case whilst sky and BT pay ridiculous money for rights. However, all is not well at Sky -- they have increased costs massively to customers and they have been getting rid of lots of staff as they struggle to make profit. BT are more solid, but the over payment and under viewed champions league matches are having an impact... plus they didn't really go too crazy on their bids for pl football last time around.
The point is that this current overspend is fuelled by sky out bidding themselves, and they are now struggling to make it work. That's probably going to lead to a reduction in rights values next time around. Especially when what you're bidding for is Watford v Burnley.
The same could be levelled at the championship, and the money splashed on this division. Lots of cash doesn't guarantee anything, I'd say a vast majority of transfers were well over inflated value wise.
It will remain the case whilst sky and BT pay ridiculous money for rights. However, all is not well at Sky -- they have increased costs massively to customers and they have been getting rid of lots of staff as they struggle to make profit. BT are more solid, but the over payment and under viewed champions league matches are having an impact... plus they didn't really go too crazy on their bids for pl football last time around.
The point is that this current overspend is fuelled by sky out bidding themselves, and they are now struggling to make it work. That's probably going to lead to a reduction in rights values next time around. Especially when what you're bidding for is Watford v Burnley.
That's all very well (and I don't disagree with you), but which seven "quality" teams replace these seven which you have dispatched?
Newcastle? Villa? Norwich? the mighty Leeds? Wolves? Birmingham? Brighton?
Tooting Gull
Well-known member
- Jul 5, 2003
- 11,033
Anyone who supports a team in the Championship can be accused of bias - but I also just think it's a great Championship at the moment, which takes a further edge off the Premier League.
Tend to agree with NAN, personally I think the 6-8 teams at the top of the PL are pretty good then maybe 2-3 in the middle, and the rest aren't great. Had we gone up, where would we have been - one of the 'not great'?
I am also one of those that believes if PL teams keep chucking all their money at foreign players, and the pool of available talent for the national team getting regular football keeps diminishing, that sooner rather than later up to a third of the England squad will be from the Championship. There is an in-built reluctance to do this, but soon an England manager is going to be left with no choice unless he wants non-playing reserves up against the best in the world.
Tend to agree with NAN, personally I think the 6-8 teams at the top of the PL are pretty good then maybe 2-3 in the middle, and the rest aren't great. Had we gone up, where would we have been - one of the 'not great'?
I am also one of those that believes if PL teams keep chucking all their money at foreign players, and the pool of available talent for the national team getting regular football keeps diminishing, that sooner rather than later up to a third of the England squad will be from the Championship. There is an in-built reluctance to do this, but soon an England manager is going to be left with no choice unless he wants non-playing reserves up against the best in the world.
I just watched MoTD, mostly because I had some cold Stella in the fridge and I'm not back at work till Monday.
As I struggled through Bournemouth vs Everton, Sunderland vs Palace and Stoke vs WBA, I couldn't help but think to myself, "have SKY really paid £5.1bn for this?"
And there is still West Ham vs Southampton to come tomorrow Zzzzzzzzz
£5.1 BILLION....??
I was having a conversation around this today actually, I think the PL/Sky have made sure this season they have at least 1 "big" game a week for the TV, in previous seasons there has been weeks without one which means "Super Sunday" is Swansea Vs West Ham.
This season there seems to be a Chelsea V Liverpool/Arsenal every week....
O and WBA should be relegated, what is the point of them?
Tony Meolas Loan Spell
Slut Faced Whores
Todays BIG game is Burnley v Watford
Yep.
Yep.
ThePaddy
Active member
- Aug 27, 2013
- 799
I don't see things going that way for a while. The PL is full of talented English players that aren't being picked for the national team. The likes of Noble, Antonio (until a couple of weeks ago), Dann, Townsend, Shawcross, Jagielka, Baines etc. are all far better than anything available in the Championship.
The beginning of the season is always like this. I think this is because the TV companies are contractually obliged to show all teams a certain number of times a season. Consequently, they fulfil their obligations to the diddy clubs nice and early whilst there is little to play for and whilst it is still summer and viewing figures are down. Then during the winter months and the run-in, they show nothing but the big clubs - all of whom have mammoth armchair followings. Leicester's season must have been Sky's worst nightmare.
Not Andy Naylor
Well-known member
I liked the beach but I must have missed the good bits. Not that I've been there that often, I must admit.
And thanks.
Tooting Gull
Well-known member
- Jul 5, 2003
- 11,033
'Full of' is a bit of an exaggeration, in fact you've probably listed most of those with a case (and even then I'd take issue with Jagielka and Baines these days). To be more specific, I think England managers of the future will think more seriously about selecting regular star players in the Championship than highly-paid reserves at top-six clubs. I accept in your list none of them play for top clubs (especially Dann and Townsend
)LU7 RED
Active member
Cheers for our mentions - and our biggest fan the respectable journalist who hates everyone apart from Brighton..which is fair enough I suppose.
I agree there's a lot of 'meh' in the PL - although I did go up to Man City away last week. This is light years ahead of anything in the Championship, best team I've seen us play in 35 years. Basically forced to try and play one touch football just to have some possesson..one slight lapse and they have it back, KDB and Sterling just unplayable.
Someone wanted Sunderland to go down? to be fair half of their fans wanted it to happen last season. Think they're just fed up of being crap all the time and fancy a change of scene.
I agree there's a lot of 'meh' in the PL - although I did go up to Man City away last week. This is light years ahead of anything in the Championship, best team I've seen us play in 35 years. Basically forced to try and play one touch football just to have some possesson..one slight lapse and they have it back, KDB and Sterling just unplayable.
Someone wanted Sunderland to go down? to be fair half of their fans wanted it to happen last season. Think they're just fed up of being crap all the time and fancy a change of scene.
nicko31
Well-known member
200,000 viewers? That's why I'd never both with Sky. On the rare occasions there's a match worth watching its NowTV or the pub
When Brighton do reach the Premier League I think they will be quite surprised. When we won the Championship (Bournemouth) we thought it would be tough. Never could imagine how tough it is at the top level. Every mistake is punished and if you don't stick to a philosophy then you are in big trouble. Trust me it will be a eye opener to Brighton when they reach this level. Your Stadium,Fans,Infrastructure don't win you points or keep your Premier League status. Good management and showing alot of character does.
Pavilionaire
Well-known member
- Jul 7, 2003
- 30,600
Leicester winning the title has disproved the argument that the Prem is entirely predictable, and while they do deserve enormous credit for what they achieved they won it while Citeh, Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea were - by their high standards - all simultaneously experiencing a season-long dip.
There are 6 sides that are far and away much better than the rest of the division and they're all playing some very watchable football.
As for the OP's suggestion that the Prem is weak, I don't see it like that. I fancy that pretty much any of the lower clubs - if relegated - would be well-placed to bounce straight back again, much the same way that Newcastle and Norwich look likely to do. I don't see any basket case club like the Villa of last season.
It's mildly interesting to see how far clubs like Bournemouth, Watford and - dare I say - Palace can go in the Prem, but I find it dull watching the likes of Stoke, West Brom and Swansea who have all peaked and are now simply making up the numbers. That said, it's the same in other countries like La Liga where some clubs never go down yet never challenge either (Real Sociedad, Malaga, Alaves, Betis).
There are 6 sides that are far and away much better than the rest of the division and they're all playing some very watchable football.
As for the OP's suggestion that the Prem is weak, I don't see it like that. I fancy that pretty much any of the lower clubs - if relegated - would be well-placed to bounce straight back again, much the same way that Newcastle and Norwich look likely to do. I don't see any basket case club like the Villa of last season.
It's mildly interesting to see how far clubs like Bournemouth, Watford and - dare I say - Palace can go in the Prem, but I find it dull watching the likes of Stoke, West Brom and Swansea who have all peaked and are now simply making up the numbers. That said, it's the same in other countries like La Liga where some clubs never go down yet never challenge either (Real Sociedad, Malaga, Alaves, Betis).