Welcome back everyone (q-s, you owe Ladylala and everyone here a huge apology for acting your shoe size, and not your age again)
What a week it has been for English clubs in the Champions League. Three of them are now in the semi-finals of club football's most prestigious competition.
Yet, at national level, England are almost pathetic.
Still, it raises the debate over whether the English Premiership is the best League in the world, ahead of Spain's Primera Liga and Italy's Serie A.
After Manchester United sang "Arriverderci Roma" to Francesco Totti and company during their midweek quarter-final clash - in spectacular fashion - their manager Alex Ferguson made a bold statement.
He said: "The fact that three English teams should be in the semi-finals probably makes our League the best in Europe. Six or seven years ago, Spanish football was the best. But on the evidence of this season, Barcelona and Real Madrid are not as near to where they were, in previous years. The competitive nature and the quality of the English game has improved over the seasons."
Yet, live attendance figures are dropping, with a number of Premiership clubs resorting to price cuts to bring the fans back.
It seems that outside of the 'Big Four' of Man U, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal, the rest of the pack don’t seem to have the X-factor.
From the Watfords, to the Middlesbroughs, and to the Boltons, surely, they all contribute to the overall quality of the Premiership. But are they better than the Atletico Madrids, Deportivos, and Real Sociedads, or their Italian equivalents?
The Postman's Question of the Week: Does England really have the 'Premier' or best League in the world?
Reply by 3pm on Monday, in not more than 200 words, please (click link right for auto word counter).
Readers' views will be published on Tuesday with The Postman's spread of letters.
Post your views here by clicking on "comments" below my sign-off here, or e-mail to The New Paper's sports desk under the title "Dear Postman" (by clicking the link on the right).
At your service,
Ernest Luis
The Postman
The New Paper
(PS. E-mailers and bloggers, you all should e-mail us your full name, age, occupation, contact numbers and favourite teams, so you can be selected as prize winners or have your letters published.)
P.S. We would like to remind our dedicated readers that with the help of you intelligent, courteous and humorous bloggers here, it's best to IGNORE all attention seekers here. You can do that by NOT ENGAGING OR REPLYING to such attention-seeking posts. We still have the same stand on vulgarities and those with asterisks in them. And this applies to rude references of 'screwing' other people.
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89 comments:
Hi Ernest
Well, if Q-S doesn't stop his appalling, vulgar behaviour, then perhaps ITE Ang Mo Kio should be informed that one of its staff (since he claims to be a relief teacher there) is possibly a very bad influence to their students.
If I were a parent of a student in that school, I would be lodging a complaint asap because I wouldn't not want my son or daughter to be taught by such a foul-mouthed, badly-behaved person.
All a person needs to do is to send ITE AMK Q-S's real name and contact number, which isn't so hard to find since he was supposedly a winner of the Letter of the Week award, as well as a copy of all his offensive posts which are here for all and sundry to see.
Thanks for the good job you're doing with the blog. It's a crying shame that there are people like Q-S out there who are out to ruin a good thing because of his own selfish agendas.
Gerry Boy, not that I'm condoning Q-S's actions. I agree wholeheartedly with your comments but sometimes it's best to get to know someone better to understand why he / she behaves the way he / she does. And I kinda sympathise, though not to the extent of associating myself with him.
It's difficult to explain my rationale in public as it involves a person's pride. But like what Ernest had said, it's best we ignore him. As the moderator, Ernest should be lauded for deleting away comments that are offensive and publishing the good ones in the papers...
Let's not glorify the person further and just stick to the points to be discussed shall we??? :)
Dear Pujangga Malam
Yes, I would agree with you about sticking to the points discussed and ignoring him.
But I think appropriate action should eventually be taken if a person continues to ruin everything with his bad, selfish behaviour.
Let's wait and see what happens. Cheers
Right back to the main topic.
The Premiership is the best league in the world, period! To me, it takes more than just having three teams in the Champions League semi-finals or even being European Champions, to claim having the best league.
Style of play and attractiveness of league also plays a part. A lot of technical players do not like to play in the robust and fast-paced life of the Premiership. Coupled with the constant bad / cold weather, it is easier to see why players prefer the slightly warmer climates of Spain / Italy.
We can't compare the standards of the Uefa Cup and the Champions League. Quality-wise, the English teams have improved by leaps and bounds in the Champions League. This is due to luck of the draw, luck from injuries as well as being more experienced from previous failed attempts.
If we were to look at the Premiership table, it is actually quite close at the bottom half of the table where teams are cancelling each other out. It's this gap between them and the top 4 that is a worry and not a good reflection of it being the best league where the winners are either United, Chelsea or Arsenal (no disrespect to Blackburn for not mentioning them).
But the consumers pay to watch good high-octane football and this is what the Premiership is about. I guess for this reason alone, it is the best league as compared to the slower-paced ones.
Anyway the 7-1 victory against Roma was a one off thing. I'm not crowing over it but more to feel vindicated that I've never rate Totti as an exceptional player before this, and never will. So he can't blame Fergie for not mentioning his name before this in his list of dangerous players to look out for.
ladylala, please stop following me wherever I go. It's embarassing for both of us. I'm married but my wife and I haven't had a wedding ceremony yet. You have no chance in heaven. I'm sorry.
Issue of being "The Best" in anything is always a touchy and subjective affair.Same goes to which league is the best.
Serie A was never well known for playing attractive attacking football but for their solid defending instead.The football scandal case last season which saw Juventus relegated and points deducted for teams like AC Milan and Lazio surely didn't help in their quest for the best league title.Coupled that with the one horse race this season,it is certainly a boring league to watch isn't it.
Spanish La Liga will be the fore-runners for the best league title.It can claim all the teams in the league from title chasers to relegation battlers all know how to play nice technical football and on the whole their football is superior compared to EPL or Serie A.However things are too even out that world class teams like Real Madrid and Barcelona lose their potency to some extent this season meanwhile lesser known team like Sevilla is taking football world by storm.Can it claim the best league when the best teams aren't the best in the world?I don't think so.
All football fans love to watch the beautiful game being played at high turbo pace,at the same time providing entertainment and full blooded actions which the EPL fulfiled not only on the field but also off it with menacing managers biting at each other heels week in week out.Wenger,Mourinho,Sir Alex and Rafa will be spitting gums at each other at the dugout while Ronaldo is doing his hundred and one stepovers fooling,Terry,Carra and Toure.Only in England do fans see such tabloids stuffs weekly.Although the likes of Bolton or Blackburn don't play like Brazil but they sure represent England's very own bullish playing style.EPL have the bests for this season at least.Best players,best teams and the best league.
I think the main point would be that 'best' is subjective.
If 'best' means entertaining football and nothing else, the Spanish Primera Liga would be the 'best' league.
If 'best' means fast-paced, exciting, yet efficient football, the EPL would be the fore running contender.
If 'best' means that every team is given a chance, and there are shock results every week, even the S-League can be be the 'best' league.
But I guess that the biggest factor now is that the EPL is the best marketed league, no denying about that.
A bestselling author once said that how you reach the bestsellers' list is not how well you write, but how well you market your product, and I daresay that this is the case now.
P.S Does Ernest have my email, contacts and all?
Right now it's the EPL, no question.
Serie A has been completely discredited by corruption and scandal.
La Liga is hugely entertaining, but you can't say that any of those teams are at their zenith. Barca were awful against Liverpool, Valencia were bested by Chelsea, Sevilla are good, but not great and Real Madrid are just rubbish right now. I saw Vicente del Bosque describing the standard of La Liga as 'poor' the other day, and he's the kind of person who knows what he's talking about.
In the EPL you've got two teams relentlessly hounding each other the finishing line. You've got the silk of Man Utd and their captivating football, and the steel of Chelsea and their refusal to ever give in.
Below them are Liverpool and Arsenal, both good enough to challenge the big names, but off the mark domestically.
I'd always fancy teams like Bolton, Everton and Tottenham to be the match of their European rivals.
We've got huge crowds, great atmosphere and some of the world's best players. Let the good times roll!
In terms of players, of course.
In terms of coaches, yes.
In terms of teams, yes.
In terms of scandals, yes.
In terms of corruption, yes.
But in terms of 'competive-ness', hell NO!
Well even though there are 3 EPL teams left in the semi-finals of the UCL, this doesn't mean that it is the best league in the world.I think it is one of the best in the world no the best.The only way to determine the best league is to combine all of them and call it Combined League much like the Champions League however Man Utd could be playing against teams like Udinese and Empoli.I was also puzzled by why the German First Davision didn't make the cut as Bayern Mûchen made it into the Quarters.
>>I'd always fancy teams like Bolton, Everton and Tottenham to be the match of their European rivals.
I agree. Some may not agree, but I personally believe that given time, Spurs, Bolton and Everton have to potential to be a top team. Especially Spurs. But I'll still laugh at them for now :) (Its a Chelsea thing)
Laughing at Spurs is one of my few pleasures in this life, CFCfan. It's all that keeps me sane somedays.
Even though the live attendance figures are dropping, I still feel that the English Premier League is arguably the best soccer league in the world.
The fast paced games of the EPL is a major factor in contributing to its popularity. Ask any football fanatic which kind of football is the most exciting to watch, and most of them will say 'EPL'.
Besides, the Serie A has been hit by the recent match-fixing corruptions, causing teams like Juventus to be relegated to the Serie B. Juventus used to dominate the Serie A; now that its playing in a lower division, hardly anyone will still watch the Serie A.
As for the Spanish La Liga, it has lost its sense of excitement. Real Madrid were not longer the 'Galaticos' that dominated the Spanish League and Europe. Valencia, with the loss of Rafael Benitez to Liverpool, were not the champions that piped Real Madrid to 1st place in one of the seasons. Barcelona are not yet assured of winning the La Liga. And teams like Sevilla (used to be virtually unknown) are giving the top few teams named above a run of their money.
Needless to say, if the Serie A and La Liga are not that popular, 'not so known' leagues like the German and Dutch League will not be as popular as the English Premier League.
Hats off to EPL. It seems that it is the only league that has not lost its sense of excitement over the years. Even if the 'Big Four' were to get relegated (TOUCHWOOD!), the not so good teams can still provide good entertainment for us. Because all the teams in EPL play fast paced football.
In order to be the best league,the R-factor plays a very significant role according to my own little discovery.
For the past 6 or 7 seasons,Spanish league is regarded as the best league around in Europe mainly due to the first two "R"s which is Real Madrid and Raul.The club's dominance in European football was led by none other than the golden boy Raul.Even when the Galaticos influence started to wane in Europe and Spain,La Liga still holds the right to brag as the best league as the new "R" arrived in the form of Ronaldinho,the world most entertaining and best player at that time.Combining with Eto to devastating effect,Barcelona took the football scene domestically and globally by storm with their fantasy football.
Meanwhile little did they know that EPL was going under major construction to wrestle the best league title away from Spain at the same time.This next "R" proved to be the major revolution not just for Chelsea but also English football and that is Roman Abramovic.His deep pockets allow
Chelsea to become a mean football machine and a force to reckon with in world football.This season saw the emergence of another R,Ronaldo.A stunning talented footballer with dazzling skills and bags of tricks who lighten up English football,bringing the entertainment value of EPL a few notches up.Coupled that with the last and most important "R",Revenue.English football TV revenue is the highest among the leagues and that gives the clubs more spending power which in turn attracts more foreign players,in fact some good Spanish players were imported in from La Liga which certainly didn't help Spanish football.
So EPL definately have the right "R" credentials to be the best league for this season.
Cheers
That's the way guys. Keep it up.
Don't worry gerry boy and pujangga malam, I know if there's really a case of constant variation in behaviour, it would have happened long before Boxing Day last year.
The fact that it didn't, only proves a couple of things to me.
If you don't get this message, don't fret.
Just continue posting your answers to the question of the week.
Cheers,
The Postman
Hey eric.. nice one. "R" factor eh? Creative.
Iain, if I'm not mistaken, Ernest is a Spurs fan.. Hehe. Shhh.
Eh? What did q-s say about me? Oh that? I saw something he said a week ago, but couldn't care less... Blah, whatever, I'm past the point of caring about nonsensical idiots and their poor attempts at telling jokes.
In recent times, it's becoming harder to win the EPL compared to the other leagues as the past 3 seasons saw the eventual champions amassing over 90 points to attain the title. But should that be attributed to the remarkable progress of the top English clubs, or a lack of competitiveness within the EPL (i.e a widening gap between the "rich" and the "poor")?
Certainly, after seeing the likes of Liverpool convincingly knocking Spanish champions (and CL holders) Barca out of Europe's most prestigious competition, Man U completely destroying Italy's AS Roma and Chelsea snatching a late winner at fortress Mestalla, these top English teams can be considered the best in the world currently.
But the same cannot be said for EPL’s "2nd-tier" onwards teams. Every now and then we do get a few surprise packages (or pretenders), but ultimately, they all never make it. For instance, last season we had Middlesbrough reaching the UEFA Cup final, but they were absolutely demolished by Sevilla. We also had Tottenham battling it out with Arsenal for 4th spot until the very last day, but like Newcastle, Spurs are never quite as good as they think they are.
Still, I guess what draws millions of fans all over the world to the EPL is the sheer entertainment generated by the sparring managers, stylish players, controversies, gutsy displays and fast-paced game. That, is what makes the EPL the best league for most fans.
I'm too tired to enter the running for this week's Letter Of The Week. I leave it to the Federal Express members, cfcfan, kelvin kwek and eric kng to keep this blog ENTERTAINING. 'the write off' is currently switching trains and buses to avoid ladylala. I have informed the police about my stalker. I'm really tired and my 'wife' is in...
This is definitely a tough call between the La Liga and the EPL. If we were to talk about the best teams in the EPL versus the best teams in the La Liga, the EPL as shown by 3 finalists in the semis of the Champs League will win handsdown. However, if you scroll down the table outside the Big 4, what do the EPL have? The likes of Everton and Bolton. And we know how well these teams have fared against European opposition in recent years. I felt Spurs drawn the short straw when they got Sevilla. It is never easy to face the defending champions at that early stage of the competition and over 2 legs, i felt that Spurs were good value for a win.
With the increasing attention on the EPL because of the good performances in the Champs League and perhaps the romance drawn with the FA Cup (i don't know why but every foreigner who plays in it says its special), the increased television revenue it gets from Sky will only attract more foreign talents to English shores. With respect to the Wigans etc, they are now able to attract players with more clout in them something they would not have been able to do without the extra financing.
Having said all these, does being the best really matter? What matters is what people enjoy. Gimme a top EPL game anytime as opposed to a La Liga one. I think i speak for most Singaporeans in the fact that a Man U V Chelsea game is definitely more exciting than say, Barca V Real.
cheers,
kel
Your question led me to another response, “What factors make up the best league in the world?” I have the answer to the former by listing these reasons:
1. EPL has the richest set of Television contracts and top premiership teams earn an average of £50 million from TV rights. EPL games are telecast worldwide in 195 countries with huge fan base in Asia.
2. EPL has the second highest club football attendance in 2005/06 behind German Bundesliga and is the most lucrative league in the world with total club revenues higher than those in Serie A and La Liga.
3. EPL is currently ranked second to Primera Liga in UEFA European League rankings based on their European performances over the past 5 years.
4. EPL has broken its record transfer fee 11 times under 15 years. Half the players participating in EPL are foreigners who also represent their country. However, no English manager has won the league since inception in 1992/93.
5. Serie A is plagued by match-fixing scandals and crowd violence, making it the most corrupt and dangerous league while 'bung' allegations and club president voting discrepancies surfaced in EPL and La Liga respectively to little outcome.
We need benchmarks in order to determine if EPL is the best in the world. Uefa Cup and the Champions League come to mind when benchmarks are concerned.
First proof will be the Champions League semi finals comprise of 3 EPL teams – Man United , Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC.
For 2nd tier EPL teams, UEFA cup have 3 Spanish teams - Espanyol, Osasuna and Sevilla. Tottenham Hotspurs was the only team in quarter finals. In the last 16 Newcastle was knocked out AZ Alkmaar. And finally in last 32, Blackburn Rovers FC was knocked out by Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
Overall EPL is still arguably the better league in Europe. That leaves Latin America the nearest competitor against Europe. Brazil, Argentina were knocked out be European teams in the last World Cup. I doubt we can call EPL the best league in the world. But I think it is indeed the best known league, with the best players and the best managers.
Year in year out, for the past few years, the top four Premiership teams always seem to be Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal. England does have some of the top teams in their league but I do not consider the EPL the best league in the world.
Simply because a league concern 20 teams from a country competing against each other for top honour and European qualifications. In England case, the competition is always between the so called “top four” teams while the other teams lag behind. It can get boring at times as we can some how expect who will be in the top four.
If the attention is shifted to the La Liga, we could see that the league is much more unpredictable, with Real Sociedad, Deportivo, Villarreal, Real Betis and Osasuna all making to the top four before in the previous four seasons. It is because the differences between clubs in La Liga are not as huge as those in EPL.
Although the EPL have bigger crowds, greater atmosphere, higher revenue, and better players and coaches, the La Liga is much more entertaining.
Is the best league defined by having the best team, best players, tough competitiveness, top entertainment factor or the glamour?
The atmosphere at the grounds are so much better. English fans get behind their team by singing, whereas their Spanish and Italian counterparts seem to be more interested in lighting flares and creating crowd troubles. Moreover, Italian grounds are separated by running tracks, which makes it harder to get closer to their teams.
Match attendance may be dropping in England but I remember a Juventus vs Milan match was only witnessed by a half-filled stadium.
Even EPL commentators sounds more passionate than the monotone commentaries given in the other leagues.
Man U or Chelsea can claim to be the best teams this season. Ronaldo or Drogba in the race for the World Player accolade. Barca are a shadow of themselves last season, Ronaldinho hasn’t quite grabbed much headlines too.
EPL loses out on their competitiveness. It’s always the Big Four up there, same few teams in the relegation dogfight and others in mid-table have nothing much to play for. Whereas in other leagues, teams like Sevilla, Sociedad, Osasuna, Villarreal, Cheivo and Palermo gave the top teams a run for their money in recent seasons. Due to the Italian scandal, it’s a one-horse race in Serie A but five teams are still in it for the SPL.
Entertainment? How about Man U 6-2 Newcastle, Arsenal 7-0, Arsenal 5-4 Spurs, Leeds 4-3 Liverpool, Man U 6-1 Arsenal?
It will be an open debate to pick the best league, but my take is the EPL.
-Raymond Ng, 19, Man U fan
Best league should have the best fans' support and excellent atmosphere in the stadium for both players and fans isn't it.I guess England tops this category as well.
Although England hooligans are notorious for making troubles whenever they travel to other countries but back in England,the English fans are always behind their teams,singing and cheering together giving the clubs immense support and of course there are some cases when the crowds were deemed too quiet but that seldom happen or the occasionally strippers who ran onto pitch to make their cameo appearance.Overall,the atmosphere in the EPL stadiums are much more passionate and football friendly compared to the other major leagues in Europe.
Look at Italy,the fans are always creating troubles and not so long ago,a policeman was killed on duty due to some crowd trouble outside a Serie A club stadium.Maybe thats why we see that kind of extreme measures taken by the Italian police during the Roma vs Man U match.
Racism is one big thorn in the flesh for the Spanish La Liga.Fans,players and even coaches play some part in this sensitive issue,particularly the fans.Real Zaragoza fans are the worst example of fans.Teasing Barcelona's Eto with monkey calls and taunting him with racism remarks surely isn't the way to go even if its to provoke an opposition player.Thats just so rude.
After analysing the 3 major leagues,the best in this "Best Atmosphere" is pretty obvious.
Statistics may rank the EPL as the best league in world football. However, the best should not be determined by how well their top teams fare in European competitions but by how level the playing field is between teams domestically.
While the EPL has massive global appeal, no other team, apart from the big 4, looks likely of winning the league. This season, the title-race was already over as early as January, with the top 2 running away from the pack. Even the domestic cups have gone the way of the big clubs. Hence, there is a clear gulf in standards between the top teams and the rest, resulting in the EPL becoming too predictable.
The La Liga, on the other hand, has a wide-open title race, with 5 clubs still in contention. The King’s Cup has also thrown up different winners each season as standards in between teams are parallel. With 3 Spanish teams still vying for the UEFA cup, it’s a clear indication of how technically and tactically ahead they are as compared to their English middle-tier counterparts.
In hindsight, the EPL maybe the most marketable league in the world but it’s certainly not the best.
Ernest, when you said best. Did you mean best teams? Best players? Best to watch? or so on..
The Prem can't be the best based on:
1) It's now degraded into a 4 team league.
2) No English manager has won the league since its inception.
3) People thinks its good is because of the media coverage.(TNP please take note!)
Right now only in Asia do people think that the Prem is the best. Heck! Even most English thinks their league is over-rated and over-hyped! And because we think that the league is good, therefore only we would have thought England is just as good. Thanks to World Cup 2006, we now know that the England national team is as over-hyped and over-rated like their league!
I'll be going to pujangga malam's homeground to play street soccer at 5pm today. PLEASE donate me water. That's all I'm asking for. I'll show you all my Frank Lampard skills but please donate me water. :)
A level playing field may not always be the best. It could be level because the standards are not as high as set by the top 2 in the EPL. Yes, and we know that as of now, the Spanish clubs are unable to match up to the English clubs in terms of competitiveness. The way u say it is that the EPL suffers because Man U and Chelsea has set a standard that the rest of the league are unable to match up.
Cheers,
kel
Let's be realistic, nobody wants to pay to watch Watford vs West Ham, except their own hardcore fans. The price cut in some Epl clubs was only to bring back some of their financially strained fans. Whatever leagues in the world, there's definitely a demand with the number of soccer fans worldwide. If the question can be answered simply, the world's best league is the one that is most demanded or watched around the world. Even that, there are many factors to it, the quality of the football, the players, the timing of the football matches, the language etc. I would say, the marketing division of the EPL brand is doing more than whoever for the other leagues in the world. For me, EPL is the best simply because it has a combination of everything from other leagues, from the dazzling players to the passionate fans, from the no nonsense captains to the tough mouthing managers. Serie A was never a league where wingers survive, while in La Liga, its a graveyard for all the tough tackling no nonsense players, such as Thomas Gravesen, Mark Van Bommel etc.
United and Chelsea are able to raise the bar, simply because they have the resources and financial backing to get the best players and staff. It's hardly a surprise given they are the 2 richest clubs in England. Is it any wonder the likes of Liverpool broke years of tradition under the Moores to get the financial muscle to compete with the Blues and Red Devils?
While we do not begrudge the success of the big teams, the Boltons and Boros will never be able to compete on equal footing due to the financial advantage top clubs wield. It's no surprise attendances have dropped as results become almost predictable when it involves the top sides.
A level playing field gives a league an unpredictable element, knowing a side like Racing Santander and Zaragoza is able to upset the Barcas and the Madrids. Fans go to home games each week with genuine hope their teams can upset against the big guns, which unfortunately, cannot be said of the EPL.
The topic debates whether the EPL is the best. In terms of marketability and hype, agreed. But in terms of having better players throughout the league, not just top teams, and competitiveness amongst teams, it's highly debatable.
United and Chelsea are able to raise the bar, simply because they have the resources and financial backing to get the best players and staff.
So the likes of Real and Barca are not exactly much more well off than say Sevilla? Real always seems to have an unmatchable financial budget. Why are they still struggling to fend their challengers of? Why are they not able to raise the bar? Is the higher standards set by Utd and Chelsea really due to the financial backing?
Fans go to home games each week with genuine hope their teams can upset against the big guns, which unfortunately, cannot be said of the EPL.
Man U lost to ermm.. West Ham earlier and now Portsmouth. I am not going to pinpoint all the upsets in the seasons but those are just two examples where a team from the lower ends of the field can beat one at the top. No element of surprise there?
Yes, i agree with you that it will be hard to debate about the best league from the first team to the last team. Unfortunately, UEFA do not organise matches involving the relegation contenders of the respective leagues. Hence, the next best comparison would be to use the best versus the best and it has shown that in terms of results, the EPL has overtaken the La Liga.
On a sidenote,
1) It's now degraded into a 4 team league.
2) No English manager has won the league since its inception.
Pardon me but i do not see why the above especially point 2 has any relevance as to which league is the best. Must an English manager win the league to show that it is the best league? I do not see the logic behind this.
Cheers,
kel
Best League For Soccer Match Fixing Scandals - Serie A, African Leagues and Asian Leagues
Best League To Discover Academy Award Winning Actors - La Liga.
Best League To Cure Insomias - Dutch League, French League, German League and the rest of European Leagues with exception of EPL.
Best Leagues For In Fightings inside and outside stadiums - South American Leagues and Serie A.
What constitutes the Best League?
1) Foreign managers win League titles every season without fail.
Since the formation of EPL 1992-1993, League Titles were won by Scots, French and Portuguese managers while other leagues were dominantly won by own citizens.
2) Consistency in having the same 4 representatives in Champions League Group Stage.
Since alloting 4 Champions League placs to EPL.Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea are the same English representatives in Champions League every season and the only league to achieve it.
3) Having 2 different foreign managers to win Champions League coming from the same country since 1999.
Only EPL achieve with 2 different managers to win Champions League - Alex Ferguson of Manchester United in 1999 season and Rafa Benitez of Liverpool 2005.
4) Ability to attract European Cup winners managers to manage clubs which eventually win it's local league titles after many years.
Only EPL succeed such achievement.
Alex Ferguson, European Cup Winners Cup winner with Aberdeen in 1982-83 season, won 1st EPL Title of 92-93 season with Manchester United since last won title was 66-67 season.
Arsene Wenger won 1987 UEFA Cup with Monaco, finally win Arsenal's 1st EPL Title in 98' season.
Chelsea last won league title in 1955, finally won it's 1st EPL title in 2005 with Jose Mourinho who came with winning credentials of UEFA Cup and Champions League from previous club Porto.
EPL is the best league in the world due to 4 pointsm which I have just mentioned.
From: Chester Low
I understand where you are coming from Kel but it's highly predictable who will end up in the top 4 of the EPL every season. Definitely, in any league there will the odd upsets but they are far and few in between in the EPL. It shows the gulf of standards between the top 4 and the rest, with money being the main factor of success.
In La Liga, while Barca and Real are perennial favorites without a doubt, each season throws different title contenders. Real Sociedad with Nihat and Kovacevic a few seasons back, Valencia coming to the fore during Benitez's reign and now, Sevilla making a run for the title.
In order to be successful in La Liga and domestic competitions, teams need not necessarily be the richest clubs,unlike the English game. While the EPL is undoubtedly a great commodity, in terms of players and teams in general, they still lack behind La Liga or even Serie A.
Currently, EPL is the best league in the world. It is the best because it is played at a very high pace. When the game is being played at a high pace, the players need to be quick in their thinking and must be physically strong to endure the high intensity. Currently C.Ronaldo is the best player in the world. C.Ronaldo is a product of the EPL game. He got the football brains but the EPL cause him to have a very high level of fitness. He is now stronger and much faster. If any player who could excel in the EPL, he would not have problems in adapting in the other league.
EPL is the best league, even the ‘top’ teams have difficulty in beating the ‘ordinary’ teams. If the ‘ordinary’ teams are weak, how can they prepare these ‘top’ teams to excel in the Champions league?
Below are some points to show why I feel that the EPL is currently the best league in the world :
1. Best Players :
EPL boast some of the world's best players .. C.Ronaldo , W.Rooney(Man Utd) , P.Cech , A.Shevchenko(Chelsea) , T.Henry , C.Fabregas (Arsenal) .. Just to name a few .. Not only do the BIG 4 have quality players .. Teams like Watford , Wigan n Reading also have a number of top internationals .. Where else do u find top internationals all over the league ??
2. Foreign 'Investors' :
Just look at the number of 'investors' the EPL is attracting .. Rich businessmen like R.Abramovich(Chelsea) , E.Magnusson (W.Ham) , M.Glazer (Man Utd) , just to name a few , felt the same too .. If not , they would not have spent their money on EPL clubs ..
3. Top Players Staying
C.Ronaldo just signed on a new 5yr contract , thus ending transfer rumours of Real & Barca .. T.Henry also stayed with Arsenal despite rumours linked to other foreign clubs ..
4. Best commentators/coverage
EPL have the best coverage in Asia .. Not to miss out , the commentators for the telecasts are far much better than SPL or ISA .. SPL commentators shout at almost everything(missed shots , corners & sometimes even GOALKICKS) .. ISA commentators sounded a bit sick of their own league !!
Therefore , I felt EPL should be able to stay tops for at least the next 5-10 years or even longer !!
Signing off
JaGuArScHaMp
Sorry, I submit amended note:
********
We need benchmarks in order to determine if EPL is the best in the world. Uefa Cup and the Champions League come to mind when benchmarks are concerned.
First proof will be the Champions League semi finals comprise of 3 EPL teams – Man United , Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC.
For 2nd tier EPL teams, UEFA cup have 3 Spanish teams - Espanyol, Osasuna and Sevilla. Tottenham Hotspurs was the only team in quarter finals. Spurs was knocked out by Sevilla in the last four. In the last 16 Newcastle was knocked out AZ Alkmaar. And finally in last 32, Blackburn Rovers FC was knocked out by Bayer 04 Leverkusen. So, EPL 2nd tier teams are nowhere up to par against the best in continental teams.
Overall EPL is still arguably the better league in Europe. That leaves Latin America the nearest competitor against Europe. Brazil, Argentina were knocked out be European teams in the last World Cup. I doubt we can call EPL the best league in the world. But I think it is indeed the best known league, with the best players and the best managers.
Samuel Ng, 52,
Finance manager
Liverpool fan
Ernest,
I have been reading and re-reading the Saturday's article on Ronaldo and I think it is a fantastic piece of inspired writing. I like the part "Real have continuity ..in sacking". Then the footballers that fell into Real's tentacles : David Beckham, Michael Owen(was my favourite player), Jose Antonio Reyes, Jonathan Woodgate . All these players are now licking their wounds. You forgot to mention the Brazilians - Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos. Real is the graveyard of professionals soccer players and coaches! Cristiano Ronaldo is by comparison, smarter than all of them and I watched all his games....
Heh, fellow bloggers, what do you think ?vooaf
Well Samuel,Real Madrid has got themselves to blame for the downfall of a sustantial number of great players or the famously known as Galaticos.
It is pretty much got to do with the management,the big boss in particular.Look at the Galaticos before Beckham arrived,Del Bosque was in reign and he did a great job in getting big name players to come together and play good winning football.However after he was cynically sacked on the night he won the La Liga,things changed.The ones who took charge after him kept the Galaticos buying policy going but results wise,it was plunging and never recover since then.If the owner of the club had just that bit of patience with Del Bosque,perhaps things won't be so bad today.Under Capello,with that kind of squad playing that kind of ugly football is saddening.
Great thing is both Ronaldos did the right things.One left the Spanish captial and joined AC Milan where he is showing glimpses of his past scroing habit,the other extending his contract with the Devils who groomed him and made him what he is today.Surely now Real Madrid is not a club where it guarentees a player trophies and medals anymore,what they can guarentee is a Galatico tag and the pride of wearing that white shirt living on past glories.
Cheers
The problem with Madrid to me, is that they have a captain who wheels too much influence on team and management affairs. This resulted in cliques within the team. It's well publicised people like Owen and even Beckham took a while to win over his approval. I won't be surprised the chopping and changing of managers have involved him one way or another.
Q-S, if you had come to my homeground just now, sorry dude, you came to an empty court. All of us played at your homeground instead. Too bad we couldn't sample your so-called "Frank Lampard" skills. Not that we missed them anyway... :P
An entertaining league doesnt mean its the best league in the world. EPL entertain football fans worldwide simply because of its 'Free flowing' attacking football.
Italian Serie A on the other hand emphasise alot on the technical and tactical aspect of the game. It is like a game of chess with both players trying to outwit each other. Sadly many Singaporeans find it boring and slow.
Im a fan of Italian football since 11, when the likes of Milan and Juventus were dominating world football. Italy contributed an 'All Italian champions league Final' in Old Trafford not too long ago. If EPL can do that..i will say they are the best now.
I would say that Real Madrid are a bit similiar to Chelsea in the way that they lure players.
But the big difference is that the Chelsea board has a smart find in Jose Mourinho, who is able to make a team that is made up of mostly new comers gel like jelly. Real Madrid has never been able to find a manager that can make the players work together as a real team (pardon the pun).
If Mourinho leaves and the new manager is, well, not good enough, Chelsea may just end up like Real Madrid, a white elephant to a certain extent.
The EPL seems too pridictable sometimes. I prefer the La Liga to EPL.
The competiveness in the La Liga is far more than in the EPL. Not only the ones that are going to win the title is less competitive, the ones that will be reglated is also less competitive.
It is very easy to predict who is going to win the title and who is going to be reglated.
The have argubably the best players but not the best showmanship. Look at how the cocky managers fight and quarrel. That goes for the players too.
Come on, go to a boxing ring if you want to fight that much.
Best is a vague word. Do you mean in terms of the quality of football played, the attendances rate, the fan base across the globe or the collectively standard of the 20 teams rather than the top 4?
Or having 3 English clubs in the semi-finals of the Champions League necessary meant that the English Premier League is truly the premier one?
Even if it is deemed to be the best league, I would credit it to the advertisers who successfully branded EPL/.
Moreover, the influx of players and coaches into the EPL especially for the top 4 teams are the main contributors to the possibility of having an English final. Does Mourinho, Ferguson, Wenger, Benitez sounds English to you?
It’s akin to the MNCs competing with the local companies. A country is able to benefit from these foreign expertise and investments because the government knows how to use the big players to help spur the growth for the local players. If not, the MNCs are the gainers with the bulk of the profits remitted and having their people at the helm while not actively contributing to the Gross National Product. (my apologies if this is too much economics) That is why England is so pathetic.
>>If Mourinho leaves and the new manager is, well, not good enough, Chelsea may just end up like Real Madrid, a white elephant to a certain extent.
To a certain extent, that may be true. Jose may be the only reason that Chelsea is as successful as it is right now. (Not money HEHE) But there are significant differences between this Chelsea team ad Real Madrid.
Real Madrid had a group of 'Galacticos' as they called themselves, players with big reputations and lots of experience. They were skillful and experienced enough to be the top club in Europe for a period of time.
However, one of Real's biggest mistakes was in buying more and more attacking players while neglecting their aging defence. The loss of Makelele was a key to the end of Real's dominance and Chelsea's rise in Europe. Perez who famously proclaimed the unimportance of Makelele later had to resign after Real failed to win any trophy since.
Chelsea however had been recently buying young players, like Diarra, Mikel and Kalou. Sahar, a promising Israelite is 17 and has recently been promoted to the first team squad to cover for injuries. The Chelsea's squad is also considerably young.
Petr Cech - 24; A.Cole and Bridge - 26; J. Cole - 25; Robben -23; Terry - 26; Essien - 24; SWP - 25.
Lampard and Carvalho are 28 and Drogba 29. This squad can still be as strong in five years' time.
Personally, I don't think that the EPL is the world's best league. Europe's best league, maybe but certainly not the world's best.
The media keep comparing the EPL with La Liga and Seria A but they've forgotten bout the leagues in south america. The brazilian and argentinian league. That's the league where all the Ronaldinhos and Kakas came from. And who knows what other talented diamonds these league can produce.
Therefore it's not fair to compare the EPL with only the Seria A and La Liga. To be the world's best the EPL needs to prove themselves against team from their latin counterparts like Boca juniors.
Name : Muhd Amsyar 20
huge Liverpool fan
Hp : 97867172
if you mean best in terms of players' quality, game pace, entertaining managers and an ever-expanding fanbase, i agree fully.
sure, La Liga can boast the likes of Ronaldinho and Eto'o while Serie A can go on and on about Kaka and Maldini, but compare the reactions to that when cristiano ronaldo, didier drogba and thierry henry are mentioned. no doubt the formers are terrific players, but players lke ronaldo and henry just outshine them. the thing about the EPL is that even though a player mey not be famous or well-known, he still possess the good game qualities needed. peter crouch was fairly unknown before he joined liverpool. but at that point in time, people weren't denying that he's capable of scoring. ronaldo is now one of europe's most feared player, although he's still in his early twenties. and all this because he matured as a player in the EPL and at MU. bottomline is, the EPL style of play helped him be what he is today. so in this aspect, yes, EPL is the best.
and managers like Jose, Fergie, Wenger and Rafa light up the EPL scene. which other league has such weirdly funny managers around who simply loves mind games? plus, some like jose and fergie are rather quotable.
i know some say the Serie A is classy, make use of wing play and stick to solid defending. La Liga uses a lot of long balls and crosses. EPL has no time for that. it's more of a "just get out there, rough it out and win" style of play. the aggressive football that's played at the speed of a Ferrari excites and intrigues us. it keeps us awake. i know this is a preferential issue, but i honestly think that such fast-paced football is what everyone wants.
and can you blame us fans for supporting them? EPL teams like MU and Liverpool enjoy a lot more TV coverage than say, Inter Milan and Roma. and the reason why TV stations chose the EPL is obvious; the league is the best in terms of entertainment and spirit.
The media keep comparing the EPL with La Liga and Seria A but they've forgotten bout the leagues in south america. The brazilian and argentinian league. That's the league where all the Ronaldinhos and Kakas came from. And who knows what other talented diamonds these league can produce.
in terms of the expertise and the organisation of the league, i do not think the South American leagues can match their European counterparts. Sure, some of the players could be very skilful. But the game of soccer is definitely more than just skills. To me, the best league is a straight contest only between the La Liga and the EPL. Each has their own unique strengths and perhaps, this answer will never be found out because 'People who sell flowers will of course say their flowers smell nicer than the rest'.
haha..
Cheers,
kel
Pardon me if I'm off topic a bit..
Is it me is Drogba trying to hide a bald spot?
>>The media keep comparing the EPL with La Liga and Seria A but they've forgotten bout the leagues in south america. The brazilian and argentinian league. That's the league where all the Ronaldinhos and Kakas came from.
But you forgot, that they all end up in the European leagues. You hardly see the best players in the world still playing in the South American leagues. The fact that all the best talents play in Europe, makes Europan leagues the best in the world. Not just South Americans, but Africa's best talents, and Asia+Australia's best ply their trade in Europe. This will always mean that the European Leagues will always be ahead in terms of quality.
>>Is it me is Drogba trying to hide a bald spot?
Yes, I think there was some barber cockup. I prefered him pleating his hair than leaving it like that.
Dear Postman,
To say that the EPL is the best league in the world now, would be unfair.
Last year when Barcelona and Sevilla of spain won the Champions League and UEFA cup respectively, i didn't see anyone calling the SPL the best league in the world.
In truth, English sides have appeared so dominant in Europe this season, only because the other countries seem to have slipped up. Spanish representatives, Barcelona, suffered a huge dip in form before they got knocked out by liverpool, Real Madrid, as everyone knows, are collapsing. Italy's Scandal hit season, means their best representative, Juventus is in Serie B and AC Milan are struggling for a Champions League spot for next season.
Lets face it, to say that the EPL is the best league in the world based on this seasons Champions league, would be wrong. Maybe the most glamorous, the most famous, but the best ? Not for now at least.
P.S. My name is Ong Cheng Hsin, Gerry ( or for short Gerry Ong ) ( BTW no Relation to Gerry Boy )
18 years old, Student, Fave Team Arsenal
Many people will definitely agree that EPL is the best league in the world as Liverpool, Chelsea and Man U are in the Semi final of the Champions league and it is very likely that 2 English teams will meet in the final. But is this the right criteria to judge EPL as the best just because 3 english team is in the Champions League? I don't think so. The best league should be judged on every teams that are in the League and not just the top 4 teams.
For me, the EPL can't be considered the best league yet because of the vast difference in standard(EG: money, coaches, players) between the top 4 teams and the bottom teams. With all these three factors is against the bottom teams, too much respect is given to the Top 4 teams.As a result, boring matches are played as the bottom teams will only be defending. As Arsene Wenger would say "Parking a bus in front of goal" as for the bottom teams a draw is better than a loss.
This makes it so easy to predict the match unless the top teams get too cocky and play on autopilot giving a chance to the bottom team to capitalise(EG: Man U vs Portmouth) which rarely happens. The EPL only start to get exciting this season compared to the previous seasons as the title race is down to 3 points and the bottom teams are battling it out to stay in the EPL. But for the rest of the season, there is not much football action unless it is the big matches.(Top 4 teams against each other).
So unless the standard in the bottom teams does not improve, What we can look forward for future seasons in the EPL is the 4 way battle of the top teams and other teams in the EPL are just there to make up the numbers :)
Lizawati Taini
Catalogue Specialist
LIVERPOOL
Best league in the world goes to
EPL.
It's entertaining, fast-pace game and continuity.
It's ability to attract foreign managers into the league that resulted clubs managed by foreign managers win EPL title without fail since it's formatiion 1992-93 season.
Consistency having the same 4 representatives in Champions League Group Stage every season is another factor to be consider as the best league.
Having two foreign managers to win Champions League coming from EPL is a positive sign consider as best league - Manchester United's Alex Ferguson did it in 1999 while Rafa Benitez's Liverpool won it in 2005.
Foreign managers, who previouisly won European Competitions as managers from other European clubs, were head-hunted to win EPL Titles with current clubs or European Competitions.
Examples like Alex Ferguson, who won 1983 European cup Winners Cup with Aberdeen, won 9 EPL titles and 1999 Chanmpions League.Arsene Wenger,won 1987 UEFA cup with Monaco, won 1998 and 2003 EPL title with Arsenal.Jose Mourinho,won 2003 UEFA Cup and 2004 Champions League with Porto, went on to win 2005 and 2006
EPL with Chelsea.Rafa Benitez, won 2004 UEFA Cup with Valencia, won 2005 Champions League with Liverpool.
Last but not least, best players and managers flock into EPL because of it's monetary powers and most watch league in the world that resulted EPL as the best league in the world.
From: Chester Low
It's funny that a Liverpool fan should use United vs Portsmouth as a fine example of a top team playing in autopilot mode against a so-called bottom team, when Liverpool themselves couldn't beat Man City who are even lower down the table... Typical Liverpudlian bimbo...
Hi Evertonian
Thank you for pointing out the fact about the Liverpool vs the Man city match which exactly prove my point that when the top team meets the bottom team, uninspired matches occurs... But the reason I used Man U vs Portmouth match because it is the match that most ppl will remember due to the ridiculous own goal by Ferdinand which is a fine example of a good player being on autopilot...Its nothing personal really..but you on the other hand..
Well, isn't ridiculous synonymous to the Red Devils all these years? They had Barthez, Taibi, Goram and the list goes on. So what was so surprising about Ferdinand's own goal? It was waiting to happen given his reputation. The match was also right after a Champions League away game and United had to travel south for that game. Tiredness would surely creep in.
Compare that to Liverpool's home game against PSV and then travelling 46km to play Man City. Nothing personal you say? Hard to believe, coming from a Liverpool fan who is widely known to despise all things United and us.
Nothing personal you say? Hard to believe, coming from a Liverpool fan who is widely known to despise all things United and us.
=>Well this is just you stereotyping me...Anyway, is there written rule that to be a Liverpool fan, you have to hate Man U and Everton..I don't think so...
I do think that the EPL is the best league in the world, at least at the moment.
I believe people should not only look at how the EPL has turned into a 4 team race, but should also pay attention to the mid league teams and relegation battlers.
Only 8points seperated 10th place Villa from 17th place Sheffield United. Any of these 8 teams can fall into the relegation battle with 2 or 3 bad games.
La Liga may be much more technical than the EPL, but what fans want are tenacious performances from clubs that will cause an upset. Bolton may not have the likes of Ronaldinho or Kaka but are still challenging the likes of Arsenal, who plays wonderful football, with minimal results of course.
Media coverage has given the EPL an edge in attracting fans. Awful commentary has often put me off from watching La Liga or the Serie A. The New Paper gives more coverage of the EPL than any other League.
All in all, I believe that we should view the EPL as a whole league, with the coverage, its fans and its overall competitiveness rather than how it has evolved into a 4 team race that has made the EPL such an entertaining and excellent league.
EPL is boring me with it's predictibility. Top 4 teams every season. That says enough. And major upsets happen in the Spanish League, so what more could you want?. Who the hell cares about the commentary when we all know how biased the EPL commentators are?. They marvel about some players like they're God's gift to MANKIND when they're just crap.
Look closely at the EPL and you'll see their top players are FOREIGN PLAYERS. All your Cristianos, your Drogbas... they aren't obvs English. So what if England have the best league in the world (as many people claim?). Their national team hasn't won anything for the past 40 years and will proceed not to for the next 40.
q-s is running away from ladylala
I don't know what she want from me, lah
liverpool got no class
That's why I left for team with class - CHELSEA
>>Look closely at the EPL and you'll see their top players are FOREIGN PLAYERS. All your Cristianos, your Drogbas... they aren't obvs English. So what if England have the best league in the world (as many people claim?).
And in the La Liga, the top players are? Ronaldinho, Messi, Kanoute. They aren't Spanish.
>>Their national team hasn't won anything for the past 40 years and will proceed not to for the next 40.
Unless you have seen the future, you can't expect to be taken seriously with that.
PS I cannot believe that Gerrard made it for PFA Player of The Year award. Gerrard?! Hardly convincing at any point this season, not scored or assisted that many is nominated for player of the year? How blatantly biased can you get with Gerrard? Even Carragher is better.
I think there are many other players who deserved to be nominated. This is just not right.
Somehow I would just like to add on to CFCFAN's insight. Surprisingly I have to agree with him on this...
Look at La Liga, Eredivisie, Ligue 1, Serie A, Portuguese League and Bundesliga. Year in, year out, their league tables look more or less the same with the same old suspects playing musical chairs. So how more boring can the Premiership be when their counterparts are no different themselves???
People talk abt 41 years of hurt for England. But what about Spain who always flatter to deceive on the big stage??? Even Greece has won something. Italy's league is well publicised with corruption and fan violence. So how more special can they get than the EPL when their reputation's been tarnished???
PFA Awards Nominations: I can't believe Giggsy's been nominated. I think Vidic deserves to be there along with Ronaldo. And someone like Essien who's been holding Chelsea together is overlooked.
If there should be a revision of the nominations, I say, take away Giggsy, Fabregas and Gerrard and put in Vidic, Essien and Carragher cos they have been exceptional for their respective teams this season.
Anyone disagree???
Pity the unsung heroes such as Carra and Vidic because well they are going to remain as the unrecognised unsung heroes once again in the shadows of their more popular and further upfield mates who are more involved in the goals scoring glory moments.
The defensive duo should really have earned at least a nomination ahead of Gerrard and Fabregas.Although the Reds captain is influential in the team but everyone can see that this is not his most productive season mainly due to the fact he was played out of position,this is understandable.Whereas Fabregas and Arsenal are still in the phase of growing up.Hot this moment cold the next.Although Fab is the brightest shining star in the Gunners this season,you can't say Vidic or Carra had a dimmer season than him.Perhaps Fab should have been more fitting in the PFA Young Players of The Year nomination.
The Devils might not be at the top of EPL now and the Reds in the semis of Champions League all might not have happened without these 2 rock towers in their defence.
Life is unfair isn't it.
Playing attractive football doesnt always win you games.. Just look @ this season Champion League,last 32, Liverpool vs Barca...
Barca with all the world best technically gifted players, cant cope with the physical demand of a English team. Over the two legs, Liverpool deservely went through! You cant argue the fact that liverpool players work 100% harder than Barcas'...They Beat Barca with hardwork and determination.
EPL do not have most of the technically gifted players, but certainly the league style of play is the MOST effective among all. Direct play, pump in long ball, score via corner or set pieces, defensive via counter attack, always close down the opponent not allowing them any time on the ball.
And dun even mention Argentine and Brazilian League, they are NO way near Europeran League!80% of the National Squad play their trade in Europe.. It only makes you a better player if you get to play with the best...
Lastly, modern football are not only abt attacking. Defending play a BIG role too!!! For that reason EPL the big threes (exclude Arsenal, as they insist on playing attractive football) will RULE the world (@ club level) for a loooong looooong time...
Okay, I agree that the EPL is the best league in the world. But look at where their national team are going?
The EPL is the best league only because of their imports. The likes of Dennis Bergkamp and Zola made a huge contribution in making EPL the finest league in the world.
Honestly, I can't see any english players making it big in other leagues like the seria A or La Liga. To play at the highest level, one have to be brave enough to venture into unknown territory. Like what Michael Owen and David Beckham did. Foreigners like Mascherano, Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo all improved their game in the EPL and it benefited their national team respectively.
Yes, they may be the best in the world, but their national team have much to prove to live up to the standard their league have achived. Even the likes of Bolton and Blackburn can easily thrash the national team.
Muhammad Amsyar 20
97867172
Livepool Fan
Even the likes of Bolton and Blackburn can easily thrash the national team.
absolute rubbish!
But Ernest's question is if the EPL is tthe world's best league, not if England is the world's best nation or anything...
And for the PFA Awards, I agree that Carragher has much more right to a nomination than Gerrard.
The fact that all the nominations are from the 'Big 4' underlines the one-sidedness of the EPL.
Performers for the smaller teams like Martins, Matt Taylor, Berbatov are all overlooked.
But the gulf in class between Ronaldo and Drogba and the rest of the players is too wide to matter.
I think that it will be a 2 horse race (again) between Ronaldo and Drogba to win it.
The demise of Real Madrid came about when they went out to get their Galacticos. They were doing fine after Zidane's arrival. But after Ronaldo and Beckham came, it was a case of stars colliding with each other.
Complaceny is believed to set into the team. Imagine Figo's mindset, " Why should I work so hard? There's Zidane here, he'll do the job". And what if Zidane thinks the same well as Figo? A case of leaving the work to the other team mates.
Real Madrid was slowing beginning to look like a money tree than a football club. Was Becks bought for his on-field talents? Maybe not. But his marketing and merchandising appeal easily covers up the 25 million they invested in him.
On the PFA awards, it doesn't really matter who gets nominated. The rest are just there to make up the numbers. I mean, don't we all know who's gonna win it?
Yeah I agree on those unsung heroes missing out on their nominations. I've always been an admirer of Carragher, such a pity he's not an England first choice centre-back. Maybe the FA should think about another award meant for the defensive players as well. Their work at the back are as important as those efforts on goal.
-Raymond Ng, Man U fan
I have to disagree with the comment that any English players will fail to make it at other leagues.You must have missed Beckham's performances for Real Madrid this season.Fans and teammates were crying out for him to play after he was frozen out by Capello for agreeing a contract to play in MLS.Talking about English players deemed incapable eh.
Yes,foreign talents are imported to decorate the league and bring EPL standard to another level but you can't deny the fact that English players are still at the core of the clubs,big or small perhaps Arsenal aside.At the top,Terry,Lampard,Scholes,Rooney,Gerrard and Carragher,all are key figures for their teams.Ronaldo and Drogba are just having that kind of season where everyone will overlook the contributions of these English vital members in the team.At other clubs,we see Nolan,Matt Taylor,Lennon,Bentley and Bent all playing crucial roles.Can you say they are being outshine by the foreign players at their club.
If the English players are not deemed good enough,why would the big teams like Milans,Barcelona and Real Madrid be interested in big money moves for the likes of Gerrard and Lampard.For your info,Bayern Munich is doing their best holding onto a guy named Hargreaves,he is English.
Yah PM, for me personally, I have no idea why Gerrard is there! He doesn't even come close to being the top 2 Liverpool players this season (Carra would be 1st, Finnan in 2nd). Some players are there more for their reputations than for their actual performances this season. No debates about Ronaldo and Drogba, but some of the rest are just...
Being a liverpool fan i agree that gerrard should not be there with his performances this season.
Vidic, carra, and essien have all been working hard and not being recognised for their effort.
Life is unfair.
I'm surprised that Essien's form has not gone unnoticed around here.
To me, Ronaldo, Drogba, Essien, Scholes/Lampard and Carvalho/Vidic/Carragher should have been in the list. Rightfully. But the FA and English media will always continue with their everpresent boylove with Gerrard..
Even the likes of Bolton and Blackburn can easily thrash the national team.
absolute rubbish!
Well maybe not trash them. Maybe putting in a goal or two. Pardon me for saying this, but the England team is running out of ideas.
Honestly, I can't see any english players making it big in other leagues like the seria A or La Liga.
What I actually meant was, Beckham for madrid is not what Cristiano Ronaldo is for man u and not what Drogba is to chelsea. I mean, he's not a key player and neither is Owen. English players are always outshine by their non-english teammates when they play outside the EPL.
You can say Beckham and Owen are not as important as Drogba and Ronaldo to their club.Simply put it this way,with this kind of season Drogba and Ronaldo are having,you can hardly find anyone in the world who can outshine them.Another fact is not many English players venture abroad,can you certainly say that Gerrard,Terry and Lampard won't be an important part of another team should they leave EPL one day.
For Bolton or Blackburn putting one or two past England.Oh yes definately,England defense has never been goal-proof.If that is so,then Man U or Chelsea can trash England squad right.Which also means Singapore can put a few past England too since Indra can put one past the Devils eh.You can't compare the stars in the galaxy with star fishes in the ocean brother.
The thing is that when an English player plays overseas (like Owen Hargreaves) the fans will want him to play in England instead...
And isn't anybody missing out Carvalho? He's had a pretty good season so far too...
Perhaps anakbujang was too young to know that in the past, English players like Mark Hateley, David Platt and Paul Ince had been success stories when they played abroad, though the same could not be said when Gary Lineker played for Barcelona. True, the measure of success are the medals in the cabinet but if you were to ask AC Milan, Juventus and Inter fans, they would say that those players I mentioned have provided great service to their clubs during their playing days.
hai ernest...da ya remember me? i'm adhie from media indonesia daily. Damn' i'm losing you brotha. this is my email adress adhie737@hotmail.com..please contact me ok?
see ya
-adhie-
hi ernest...
how are u? i'm adhie from media indonesia daily. da ya remember me? i'm sport journalist.
i'm losing you brotha. plaese contact me at adhie737@hotmail.com
regards
adhie
this will be my top 6 players of the Season...
Drogba, Carragher, Berbatov, Scholes, Ronaldo, Carvalho
And C.Ronaldo @ 22yrs old still nominated for the Young Player award?
Hmm..At 22 Ronaldo is still eligible because I think this Young Player award is for players up to the age of 23.Ronaldo is not the oldest,Reading's Kevin Doyle is.Nonetheless all of the nominations in the young players categories deserved it.
Yeah, cute little Kevin Doyle is 23... They are strange lah, 23 years old still young! But I think if that's the case, Agger should have been in there too.
Hmm... watched Football Focus yesterday, and Steve McMahon was saying the nominations for PFA player of the year are done in Jan? If that's the case, I've got this feeling Drogba might win it, since he sort of only started fading away after the New Year. Moreover, I'm not so sure how many of Ronaldo's fellow players actually like him.
The epl is surely the best league in the world as it has ,well..preety much everything,from The Special One to the horrific tackle made by Ben Thatcher,not forgetting the most boo-ed player in the world,Cristiano Ronaldo.Week in week out,there would be controversial decisions,whil the title race preetymuch over in Italy,manu have not won yet,with Chelsea chasing them.At the bottom of the table,the teams are also neck and neck.Nobody is guaranteed a place,even in this time of the season.Is it the same in foreign leagues?
EPL - Strawberry sundae
Italian Serie A - Blueberry sundae
Spanish Primera Liga - Strawberry sundae plus mustard - yuck.
I'd like to congratulate Federal Express member eric kng for winning Letter Of The Week. Woo!
Erm... It will do good to add another criteria to the young player award... Those who are between 21-23 yrs of age,to qualify they must be in their debut season. it makes more sense....
GERRY BOY AND PUJANGGA MALAM, GO MAKE YOURSELVES A BABY!!!
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