JohnMc 2,463 Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 .......... Once more into the breach... Lies, damned lies and statistics. English sides don't take the Europa League seriously, neither do Italian ones for that matter. Why? Because the money on offer is considerably less than they'd get for finishing just one place higher in their own leagues. They might take the odd game seriously but not the tournament. That's why UEFA introduced the carrot of Champion's League qualification for the winner because they know it's not taken seriously by some of the big leagues. I don't understand how anyone can claim the contrary. The Champion's League is different, they definitely take that seriously. Are the top English sides as good as the two top Spanish or Bayern currently? No, it's clear to say. Does that mean the English league system isn't the strongest in Europe? No, it doesn't. There's maybe an argument to say La Liga is as strong, although I don't believe it is, but no other league in Europe is. I was "demeaning" Brentford? Ah, bless, the poor wee lambs, did I hurt their feelings do you think? Seriously, there's not a fuck big enough I couldn't give just now. I'm not sure remembering John McLelland wins you anything at Top Trumps, maybe most likely to need viagra or hair replacement surgery if they're categories. As you seem to struggle with anything that's not totally literal I'll try again; I've nothing against Brentford or Watford, but neither club should be able to sign our best player. Both did and both periods are low water marks in our history. Does that make me arrogant, hell yeah, but it doesn't make me wrong. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnMc 2,463 Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 You have no answer to the question then? The QPR squad that earned more than Champions League finalists and La Liga winners Atletico Madrid say hello. QPR players were also on higher salaries than Dortmund. No QPR player would get anywhere near the Atletico or Dortmund squads. The best players gravitating towards England is not backed up whatsoever in their European performance in either trophy. I think you will find the likes of Silva, Navas, Mata etc left to go to the top 2 teams in England because the top 2 teams in Spain don't want them. The Spanish squad has at all times been predominantly La Liga players, with now 17/23 players playing there. Be honest - you don't watch any foreign football, do you? Do you seriously believe that Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal, Man Utd, Spurs and Liverpool are currently better than Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Valencia, Sevilla and Villareal? You then have Athletic Bilbao at 7th and it's not long ago they easily outclassed champions Man Utd in both their ties in Europe. I'm talking about the here and now. Here and now English teams are performing woefully in both European trophies because they are not good enough. You are the one who brought up a ridiculous example and a side where 9/11 of their first XI are foreign. Players from the Championship do not tend to go to Spain, Italy, Germany etc, simply because the interest is not there. And the point is these foreign teams have no interest in English football because it's full of overrated players on far too much money. I'm losing the will to live. Barcelona currently have two ex-Liverpool players in their first choice 11 and Real have two ex-Spurs and an ex-Man U, I mean it's patent nonsense to assert "foreign teams have no interest in English football", it's utter drivel. What we have is a very limited number of clubs who can afford to compete with English clubs, an entirely different thing from having "no interest". I've no idea what point you're trying to make about QPR other than they are badly run and badly managed. Let's call a truce, you tell me and everyone else on here what leagues are better than the English ones and where our new manager should be signing players from and we'll call it quits. I'm sure the answer will be both enlightening and amusing, what more could we ask of a Friday afternoon. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oleg_Mcnoleg 50 Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Is it possible for me to work out why I checked this thread to find out he's signed and, if so, whether he's any good yet find myself looking at a pretty inane series of thread about the bloated horror of the EPL without reading all 17 previous pages? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Barristan Selmy 222 Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 I'm losing the will to live.Barcelona currently have two ex-Liverpool players in their first choice 11 and Real have two ex-Spurs and an ex-Man U, I mean it's patent nonsense to assert "foreign teams have no interest in English football", it's utter drivel. What we have is a very limited number of clubs who can afford to compete with English clubs, an entirely different thing from having "no interest". I've no idea what point you're trying to make about QPR other than they are badly run and badly managed. Let's call a truce, you tell me and everyone else on here what leagues are better than the English ones and where our new manager should be signing players from and we'll call it quits. I'm sure the answer will be both enlightening and amusing, what more could we ask of a Friday afternoon. I specifically said: who are all these English players and coaches abroad? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig 5,195 Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Holy shit, you guys know how to de-rail a thread completely 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Barristan Selmy 222 Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Are the top English sides as good as the two top Spanish or Bayern currently? No, it's clear to say. Does that mean the English league system isn't the strongest in Europe? No, it doesn't. There's maybe an argument to say La Liga is as strong, although I don't believe it is, but no other league in Europe is. I really can't believe what I am reading. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig 5,195 Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 I would suggest that Germany has a stronger league with more depth than the EPL too. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbr 1,247 Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Just as a wee aside , talksport mentioned yesterday that the top paid player in the championship is Scott Parker at Fulham on. .. .............wait for it wait for it , £75000 a week 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
the gunslinger 3,366 Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 According to the 2013/14 figures, five out of ten of the richest teams in Europe are in the EPL. Liverpool (9th), Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City and ManU (2nd). The others are Juve (10th), PSG, Barca, Bayern and Real (1st). These might have changed a little order-wise last season, but the clubs remain the same. That's based on income which is one way to judge it of course. Man utd though are severely hampered by huge debt. So its not the whole story. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Barristan Selmy 222 Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 I would suggest that Germany has a stronger league with more depth than the EPL too. Definitely. The Premiership being the best league in the world isn't really up for debate anymore. Even pundits on SKY like Neville and Carragher admit it isn't now. I don't see what possible argument there could be to suggest it is the best league or anywhere close to that. The top teams are so far off the pace that even two teams in France knocked them out of the CL last season and the rest of the league is full of mediocrity. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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