" The Premier League has the best quality players in the world"

[Jimmy Grimble]

Is a statement often thrown about by pundits and fans alike, most of the time with little evidence to back it up.

If you look at the starting XI of the four teams left in Euro 2012, how many Premier League players can you see? In tonight's match I can only see three. I imagine in tomorrow's game it will be a similar number.

Makes you question when people say the Prem hosts the biggest stars. Or do people not really say it? Is it just an idea that Sky, the BBC, ITV and the tabloid press perpetuate to help increase viewers/readership?

Interesting one.

 

[Dave the OAP]

Has it f***

 

[n1 gull]

Has it f***

Is the correct answer. Its the best because it has the most open football, which if you had the best players wouldn't be the case

 

[Grendel]

1) The last four of Euro 2012 isn't "the world".
2) Does a national side have to reach the last four of a tournament for an individual player to be considered world class? Is Robin Van Persie (for example) a worse player because Holland didn't make it out of their group?

 

[Butch Willykins]

I'd say it's the most entertaining. I'd also say that on average across the 20 teams the quality is probably the highest, but like the comments above, the very best players are on the continent.

Finally I'd say that no other country can boast a 2nd tier league with quality such as that in the Championship.

 

[JamesAndTheGiantHead]

Yeah but if you look at the players tonight, a large number of them are divided between two teams, which isn't really a sign of how strong La Liga is, more a sign of how good Real Madrid and Barcelona are.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

I'd say it's the most entertaining. I'd also say that on average across the 20 teams the quality is probably the highest, but like the comments above, the very best players are on the continent.

Finally I'd say that no other country can boast a 2nd tier league with quality such as that in the Championship.

I think I agree with this apart from the first sentence. The Bundesliga appears to be a slightly more entertaining league, IMO.

 

[W.C.]

Yeah but if you look at the players tonight, a large number of them are divided between two teams, which isn't really a sign of how strong La Liga is, more a sign of how good Real Madrid and Barcelona are.

despite the 2 horse nature of La Liga, the teams below would comfortably compete against Premier League teams.

 

[griff9]

despite the 2 horse nature of La Liga, the teams below would comfortably compete against Premier League teams.

Agreed
The premiership may have better individual players (which is debatable in itself), but in terms of playing as a team and making the most of your players La Liga (and other leagues abroad) are far far superior compared to us
As you've said stick a mid-table La Liga side up against an average premiership team and you'd soon see La Liga teams making our 'better individual players' and premiership teams looking decidedly average (I.E Bilbao vs Man U)

 

[bn1&bn3 Albion]

Most competitive maybe but best players? no.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Most competitive maybe but best players? no.

Most competitive? Ours is a three horse race.

 

[somerset]

Most competitive? Ours is a three horse race.

I would say its a potential of 5 or 6 teams in my view, which is better than most of the rest of Europe who have 2 really.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I would say its a potential of 5 or 6 teams in my view, which is better than most of the rest of Europe who have 2 really.

6? Which 6 do you feel have the potential?

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

I would say its a potential of 5 or 6 teams in my view, which is better than most of the rest of Europe who have 2 really.

6?! Can't agree there. You do realise that up until last year the title had only been won by 2 different teams in something like 8 years? And if you go back about 18 years it had only been won by 3 different teams! I would say that's quite the opposite to competitive!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

6?! Can't agree there. You do realise that up until last year the title had only been won by 2 different teams in something like 8 years? And if you go back about 18 years it had only been won by 3 different teams! I would say that's quite the opposite to competitive!

I tend to agree with this. There was a difference of 25 points between 1st and 6th last season. That does not suggest competition to me.

 

[big nuts]

There was an old saying that 2 points per game would win you the league i.e. win your home games draw your away and 9 times out of 10 you would be lifting the trophy. That is no longer the case in the Premier League as the top teams dominate proceedings. More recently teams are needing nearer 90 points to win the trophy and that is due to the uncompetitive nature of the league.

The top four went unchallenged for so long that they took all of the Champions league money and spent big on players whilst the teams below were just happy to maintain their place in the league, what started to happen was that you got leagues within the league. This is not just a Premier League issue it has happened across the majority of European leagues and will probably get worse before it gets better. The money is unfairly distributed across clubs and thats why there is a chasm between the top six clubs and those below.

 

[JBizzle]

Man Utd and Man City are the only realistic title contenders at the moment.

Spain has Barca and Real Madrid
Italy has Milan and Juve (previously Inter)
Germany Has Bayern Munich and A. N. Other team (Borussia Dortmund at the moment)

In the major leagues "true" competition has been dead for years.

When it comes to players. Spain has Ronaldo, Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, and probably more...

 

[NickBHAFC18]

Yeah but if you look at the players tonight, a large number of them are divided between two teams, which isn't really a sign of how strong La Liga is, more a sign of how good Real Madrid and Barcelona are.

This.