4 Clubs in the Euro Champions League QFs

[Perry Milkins]

Yet no national side at the European Chamionship.

Oh the irony of it all.

Are we kidding ourselves that we have the best league in the world, albeit, is it at the detriment to our national side?

Can we really puff our chests out with National Pride when Arsenal (or Walcott) play A C Milan off the park, or Torres pops in the goal that puts Liverpool through.

Somehow I think we are deluding ourselves. For every sparkling euro game there are two dour and drab affairs. Teams playing a game of strategy such that they sneak a result away and hope to be victorious at home.

 

[Perry Milkins]

Please keep this one.

 

[Stinkers Bridge]

Without wanting to appear overly interested in the European Cup, when is the draw for the quarter finals ?

 

[Easy 10]

Friday.

What we have is the most cash-ladened league, which attracts many of the best mercenaries, sorry PLAYERS, to play over here. The FAPL is primarily and overridingly about generating money more than anything else, that really is all that matters. Seems to me thats the main difference between our top division and the top divisions everywhere else. Money is a factor of course, but not the overriding one like it is here.

As for it being "the best" - hardly. As Platini so succinctly put it, at the start of every year we've got four teams playing for the the title and 16 teams just playing to stay up.

 

[surrey jim]

ironic that it could be an all english semi finals for the european championship but a welsh club wins the english fa cup!

 

[perth seagull]

You can't blame foreign players for the state of the England national team. In the 1970s and 1980s there were hardly any foreign players in the league yet England were still shite.

I'm glad to see that all four English clubs are still in the Champions League quarter finals and to link this with England not qualifying for Euro 2008 is ludicrous..

 

[Dave the OAP]

I think it is absolutely brilliant that we have four teams in the last 8.

I dont really care if they fill their teams full of foreign players, Italian and Spanish sides have been doing that for eons and I didnt hear anyone begrudging their sucesses.

 

[Jam The Man]

It smacks of the 1970's when we failed to qualify for two world cups, but dominated in European club football

 

[Simster]

I think it is absolutely brilliant that we have four teams in the last 8.

I dont really care if they fill their teams full of foreign players, Italian and Spanish sides have been doing that for eons and I didnt hear anyone begrudging their sucesses.

I tend to agree. Mind you, I really wouldn't have minded Chelsea f***ing it up.

 

[Icy Gull]

If it was just British players in the English league we'd get knocked out of the qualifying Champs League and fall at the 1st hurdle in the UEFA Cup. Would those who knock the foreigness of the Premiership clubs actually prefer that?

It's frustrating enough to watch a shite English national team and it would be equally shite watching a British/English league team. I quite enjoy watching these foreigners playing for English teams as I only support BHA FC so really don't care they are full of foreigners. Just gives me some entertaining evenings in winter watching quality football where I have a vague interest in the outcome.

 

[pasty]

I think the fact that the top 4 clubs are so successful in the CL and our national team are shite is the clearest indication possible that the influx of foreign players into the premier league is detrimental to the national side.

 

[Napper]

the coming euros aside which can be put down to having a shite manager and being bit unlucky.

Aside from that we've consistently been 1/4 finalists at major championships mostly missing out in a 50/50 spot kick scenario....Hardly real failure IMO

As for the PL , who cares , it reprasents England and all the Eyeties , Gringo's and Krauts know this !

 

[crodonilson]

Fantastic for English football, how funny would it be if it were to be two all English Semi's.

 

[perth seagull]

Fantastic for English football, how funny would it be if it were to be two all English Semi's.

That would be about as far fetched as the FA Cup being dominated by clubs from outside the Premiership.

Oh wait...

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I can't see how it is great for English football, personally. If by great you mean more damaging to the clubs not involved then I would agree with you.

 

[Easy 10]

Its "fantastic" for Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool.
Its "fantastic" for Scudamore and his permanent stiffy over the FAPL.

But can someone please explain how its "fantastic" for ENGLISH football ? Cos I must be missing something.

 

[Wozza]

You can't blame foreign players for the state of the England national team. In the 1970s and 1980s there were hardly any foreign players in the league yet England were still shite.

We were shite in the 1970s for different reasons. Oh, and we were great in 1986.

 

[perth seagull]

Its "fantastic" for Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool.
Its "fantastic" for Scudamore and his permanent stiffy over the FAPL.

But can someone please explain how its "fantastic" for ENGLISH football ? Cos I must be missing something.

At least there is the odd English player in each of these Premiership clubs. If it were all Euro clubs left in the Champions League there would be NO English players left in the competition!

 

[JJ McClure]

I asume that teams can now been drawn against teams from thier own country. If so are the chances that the English teams will be drawn against each other in some "miracle"?

 

[perth seagull]

We were shite in the 1970s for different reasons. Oh, and we were great in 1986.

So what was the scapegoat in the 1970s for the England team being dismal instead of foreign players that is used today?

And we were no better in 1986 than we were in 2006. Maybe on paper we were better in 1986 but in fact, we had a better record in the 2006 World Cup.

We're no better or worse then than we are now.

Blaming foreign players being in the league is like blaming immigrants for the country's domestic problems.

Whatever the problems that the England team has, there seem to be long term flaws that have plagued the FA for decades.