The Premiership - Dull or what?

[crosbysleftear]

My best mate is a Blades season ticket holder and he says the atmosphere at most of the grounds is non-existant. This even apllies to the likes of Goodison which is apparently famed for its atmosphere. Fair enough that they probably expected to beat Sheffield United but you'd at least get behind your team wouldn't you? They are just not interested anymore.

Unfortunately until people stop going nothings going to change. It's started at a few clubs already and I don't think it's just the ticket price putting people off, it's the completle lack of hope they have of ever winning anything.

 

[Gully]

What I was thinking about with the Champions league was that it is nowhere as near as exciting as the competition it replaced, which was pretty gripping. It was two games home and away for each round, cock it up and you were knocked out by Lokomotiv Plovdiv, Steua Bucharest, Grasshoppers Zurich, or some other team with an equally bizarre name. With the Champions League you can pretty well predict who the last 8 will be, with almost unerring accuracy...interesting, my arse.

 

[Yorkie]

The prem has ruined English football and the England team.

True. I hardly ever watch MOTD now.

 

[Brightonfan1983]

I've maintained for years that if the so-called G14 or whatever want to create a break-away league, with no relegation, I for one wouldn't give two hoots.

At least we'd get our football back.

 

[goldstone]

Basically I agree.

The quality of the football is very good, but there is not sufficient competitiveness in the Premiership. Yesterday was a good example. Spurs should have been able to do beter against Man U. And last week it was depressing to see them beaten by what was pretty much an Arsenal second string.

It is increasingly boring to see the title fought for year after year by three or four teams ... Chelsea, Man U, Arsenal and Liverpool. Basically there's no one else in there with a chance. So what ambitions do the rest have? Escape relegation; a place in Europe; the FA or Carling Cup?

And don't get me going about foreign players. We definitely need to reduce their numbers to four or five per team. The present situation is ridiculous.

 

[Brovion]

To go against the grain a bit I've actually quite enjoyed watching Arsenal and Man U on telly this year. (Although I still prefer the NFL and Six Nations rugby to Premeirship football). At their best they're quite exciting - but I think they're made to look good by the fact they are so much better than most of the other Prem teams. Certainly at times the game yesterday against Spurs was like watching the Harlem Globetrotters humiliate a team of patsys who've just been bought in for the occasion. (Sorry SussexSpur!).

As far as atmosphere goes I've seen four Newcastle games this year. For the three away ones the atmosphere among the Newcastle fans was brilliant, but I have to say St James Park with 50,000 people was a disappointment. Certainly not ten times louder than Withdean. and not a PATCH on what it (and Roker Park) used to be like.

I agree with the comments about the Champions' League. I don't even know what teams are still left in it and I have absolutely no interest in who wins it.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

My only real interest in the Premiership nowadays is from a Fantasy Football / betting point of view.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Overpaid, overpampered band wearing pansies.

Thats sums up the Premier League.

I wouldnt say its shit (as be fair some of the football that Arsenal play you would love to see the Albion play) but it is certainly a BORING league and far, far too overhyped for my liking.

 

[bhafc99]

But surely there's another ULTRA STUPENDOUS SUPER SLAM SUNDAY SHOWDOWN MEGA MATCHUP TITLE DECIDER OF THE MILLENIUM BAR NONE ULTIMATE CLIMAX CLASH OF THE CENTURY on Sky this weekend?

Isn't there always?

 

[Man of Harveys]

It may be boring overall, but after United performance today it is clear just why some consider it the best league in the world.

But what does being "the best league in the world" constitute, exactly? If the league is that fantastic - and this claim is nearly always made by either Sky or another Murdoch outlet, so no hint of any self-interest there, clearly - then shouldn't an element of genuine competition feature? How fantastic is a competition between 20 competitors when it's abundantly clear before it's started that only two or three sides have any chance at all of winning it? Doesn't sound very good to me.

 

[Pavilionaire]

The comments on this thread back up my earlier thoughts.

I have to say that I spent the weekend thoroughly enjoying some excellent 6 Nations Rugby action where there was passion, crowd noise, drama, heroics but, above all, an atmosphere of fair play, respect for the officials and a true sense of occasion.

The same goes for The Superbowl last night and the Premier League Darts on Thursday. When will the people running the football Premiership realise that changes need to be made?

 

[Silent Bob]

But surely there's another ULTRA STUPENDOUS SUPER SLAM SUNDAY SHOWDOWN MEGA MATCHUP TITLE DECIDER OF THE MILLENIUM BAR NONE ULTIMATE CLIMAX CLASH OF THE CENTURY on Sky this weekend?

Isn't there always?

You forgot BEST LEAGUE IN THE WORLD NO REALLY IT IS

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

But what does being "the best league in the world" constitute, exactly? If the league is that fantastic - and this claim is nearly always made by either Sky or another Murdoch outlet, so no hint of any self-interest there, clearly - then shouldn't an element of genuine competition feature? How fantastic is a competition between 20 competitors when it's abundantly clear before it's started that only two or three sides have any chance at all of winning it? Doesn't sound very good to me.

Oh, i don't think it's the best league in the world.

But while everyone is moaning about it being a boring 2 horse race with no atmosphere, they are missing out on some FANTASTIC football

 

[Hannibal smith]

At least the games in the Premiership are better than the Champions league...I lost interest in that about 4 or 5 years ago.

The Champions league is excellent when it reaches the Q finals and beyond. Even this year in the group stage the Barcelona V Chelsea game was superb, if only for Mourinho's slide on his knees towards the Barca bench when they equalised.

Whilst I agree that the Premiership is to some extent stale (anyone remember Norwich being top of the league and beating Bayern Munich in the UEFA cup?) some of the play is light years away from what it was 10 years ago. Arsenal are a joy to watch and I'd see them any day of the week over George Graham's cloggers from yesteryear.

Anyway, more to the point surely as an Albion fan that is where we ultimately want to be? I certainly don't dream of being 7th place in the Championship so we don't go up.

 

[Gully]

I agree with you about Arsenal, when they are playing well their football is mesmerising, as is that of Man Utd at the moment.

My biggest gripe with the Champions league is that clubs knocked out in the early stages get free entry to the UEFA Cup, that would be like saying, OK, you are out of the FA Cup but have a go at the League Cup instead...thus proof that it is just about money and little else.

And, yes, I do want to see the Albion play in the top division... who in their right mind would not want to see the likes of Arsenal, Man Utd and Liverpool play against us at Falmer...would be a hell of a lot funnier if it was at Withdean though!

 

[Hannibal smith]

My biggest gripe with the Champions league is that clubs knocked out in the early stages get free entry to the UEFA Cup, that would be like saying, OK, you are out of the FA Cup but have a go at the League Cup instead...thus proof that it is just about money and little else.

And, yes, I do want to see the Albion play in the top division... who in their right mind would not want to see the likes of Arsenal, Man Utd and Liverpool play against us at Falmer...would be a hell of a lot funnier if it was at Withdean though!

The UEFA cup bit is a joke - Just devalues that as a competition. I
only ever watch UEFA cup games if I am stuck in a hotel on my own with nothing else to do, otherwise I wouldn't bother.

On your 2nd point I'm still hoping Colchester can sneek into the Play offs and get in the Premier League. I'd love to see the big four at Layer Road (if their new ground is not up and running by then)

 

[Gully]

I would love to see Colchester make it into the Premier league, though I suspect that they might have to play their home games elsewhere for safety reasons, Ipswich may already have been mentioned as a possible venue.

 

[Marshy]

As dull as you think it is, its worse in the other main european leagues.

 

[Parson Henry]

From a personal point if view I only enjoy watching a football game if I am passsionately committed to one side winning. So that leaves just watching the Albion or England.

I can sit back and watch and respect great skills, passes, shots but these instances are just moderately exciting and do not compare to situations where the result is of importance and there is my inherent competetive edge.

In summary I cannot be bothered with the Premiership.

 

[Pavilionaire]

It made me laugh the other day when Frank Lampard blazed a shot over the bar with his left peg and Andy Gray mentioned "it was a shame the ball came to him on his weaker left foot".

Weaker left foot?? The bloke is touted as being worth £30 million and he can't kick with both feet!