EPL 2012-2013

[Glasgow Seahawk]

Arsenal as well in '04. All English teams are spending crazy money at the moment compared to most leagues and in all honesty, outside of the top 6 the quality is not that great considering the sums involved. When crap like Robbie Savage and Titus Bramble are multi millionaires despite being very very average players you know something ain't right. The debts some of the lower EPL teams have is frightening. What you'll find though is that the English national team are in for a long period of decline. Why spend time developing young English talent through youth academies when you can buy foreign talent from abroad who are first team ready?

What you are now finding is that a lot of decent young English players are in the Championship. Some make it and get sold on for big fees to EPL teams but other prospects will end up remaining at Championship standard due to the standards of teams they are playing against.

One only really needs to look at PSG if you want an example of quantity not equalling quality. They've been buying like crazy and even though they're league leaders, it's pretty obvious that there's little to no chemistry between the players on the field for them.

City have the exact same problem. It's a bunch of mercenaries banded together for the money. Chelsea had the same issue under Ranieri and it was only until Mourinho came that he built a proper team and had the personality to get those players playing for him. Chelsea now have the same issues again though with managers signing players who are only there for the money. Torres for example looks completely disinterested.

 

[Uncle Si]

PSG have no chemistry? arent they in the final 16 of the Champs League? And thats without Lucas Moura playing.... ridiculous statement.

Anyways... can begrudgingly admit to Ferguson's endurance as a manager.... but again I cant support any argument that suggests United are being somehow held back financially. You can post a spreadsheet on here if you want, but as it stands the Red Devils are running out the likes of De Gae, Rooney, RvP, Young, Evra, Kagawa etc at a very high pay each week. Seems hypocritical to suggest they need more money. Do they spend as much as City and Chelsea? No, but noone does outside of PSGs recent splurge and Madrids spree to catch Barca. Ferguson has spent better than his counterparts, which suggests his survival. I see Rodgers trying something similar to Wenger and Ferguson over the next couple windows at Liverpool, but with one significant (20 million plus) purchase coming in.

I dont like that we assume players who take high paydays to play at big clubs are "mercenaries" in one post, but suggest that Champs League is a major motivator in another. Which is it? are they mercenaries or motivated to play in the highest competition? Is RvP a mercenary? Fabregas? Moura/Modric/Ronaldo? Professional athletes should be given the chance to seek out new opportunities. Some seem to only condemn when its an easy fit, and overlook when it doesnt suit their argument.

City players, for example, are not mercenaries in my mind. They want that big game. City and Chelsea just have brought the right balance of talent in. Not on the players as much as they manager and DOC. But thats another post all together.

 

[NYCoug]

All the talk about money in futbol and especially the EPL makes me even more proud to be an Athletic Bilbao supporter. Even then, the crazy $ game is starting to effect us as well, what with Bayern Munich agreeing to pay the 45$ million buyout clause on Javi Martinez and Fernando Llorente refusing to sign for 4 million a year. I won't say that futbol is ruined because of this but when you couple it with the corruption, match fixing, it's obvious the game needs a makeover.

That said, I'll always be proud of the way Athletic handles their business and goes with NOTHING but homegrown players. Gotta love it.

AUPA ATHLETIC!!!

 

[Gatehawk]

PSG have no chemistry? arent they in the final 16 of the Champs League? And thats without Lucas Moura playing.... ridiculous statement.

I'm just going from what I've heard, and it's mostly involving them when playing in Ligue 1.

 

[Gatehawk]

Glasgow, you're new here so you can be forgiven, but take our advise - try not to engage Gatehawk in conversation much.

You're welcome.

You should talk, you telling him to not talk with me, and yet you're normally the first to reply to my posts.

 

[Glasgow Seahawk]

So who is getting relegated? I'd love to see Wigan go down but they always seem to avoid it by the skin of their teeth.

I think: QPR, Reading and either Norwich/Villa.

 

[Gatehawk]

Glasgow, you're new here so you can be forgiven, but take our advise - try not to engage Gatehawk in conversation much.

You're welcome.

You should talk, you telling him to not talk with me, and yet you're normally the first to reply to my posts.

I'm always just trying to troll you, but he seemed to be genuinely trying to converse with you. Even you know that's a bad idea.

As long as he doesn't start an argument where no one can win, let him do what he wants

 

[Gatehawk]

Who else thinks Spurs this season rely as much on Bale as Arsenal did last year with RvP? Because to me, it seems like Spurs would be in a cluster**** of trouble without him.

 

[Gatehawk]

Well unless Sunderland makes some kind of change, I can't see them even challenging Szczesny's net anymore in this game, they're finding it difficult just to get the ball out of their half.

 

[SeatownJay]

This just in. QPR well & truly suck. Can the PL just go ahead and relegate them now to avoid wasting people's time the rest of the season?

 

[Gatehawk]

Well unless Sunderland makes some kind of change, I can't see them even challenging Szczesny's net anymore in this game, they're finding it difficult just to get the ball out of their half.

Yeah, I almost jinxed Arsenal with that comment, didn't I?

 

[Gatehawk]

I don't think City's players didn't really do any thing to help Mancini today

 

[Uncle Si]

Its almost sad to see the PL at this state of mediocrity. There are maybe 4-5 really world class players in the league right now (Suarez, RvP, Aguero and Bale who may be the 3rd best player in the world at the moment) the PL is suffering from thus lack of genuine talent and may lose more players in the summer. Not only do Bale and Suarez need to stay but PL teams need to attract more talent. It wont be hard with the dram of the German league, the three Spanish teams and FFP

 

[Gatehawk]

Its almost sad to see the PL at this state of mediocrity. There are maybe 4-5 really world class players in the league right now (Suarez, RvP, Aguero and Bale who may be the 3rd best player in the world at the moment) the PL is suffering from thus lack of genuine talent and may lose more players in the summer. Not only do Bale and Suarez need to stay but PL teams need to attract more talent. It wont be hard with the dram of the German league, the three Spanish teams and FFP

I think it's more that the EPL was due for a down year, mostly after last season.

 

[Hawkspur]

Its almost sad to see the PL at this state of mediocrity. There are maybe 4-5 really world class players in the league right now (Suarez, RvP, Aguero and Bale who may be the 3rd best player in the world at the moment) the PL is suffering from thus lack of genuine talent and may lose more players in the summer. Not only do Bale and Suarez need to stay but PL teams need to attract more talent. It wont be hard with the dram of the German league, the three Spanish teams and FFP

I blame Chelsea and City for the lack of talent. Overseas clubs now seem to be adding £10 million to the value of their players because these reckless chumps have shown that they're prepared to pay it. They appear to believe that all English clubs are in the same financial situation. For clubs who are actually concerned with staying solvent the top young talent is much harder to find at a sensible pric than it was 6 - 7 years ago.

 

[Uncle Si]

There is no logic in "the league is due". Yes it ended fantastically last year. The two top teams combined for the highest point total in decades. But that can't mask the clear issue thatother leagues are putting out a better product, even last year. While City-United was a great end.... where was the drama in the rest of the league? And how has that dram led to an influx of new talent? It hasn't. While I should add Mata to that list of world class players the league did lose Modric. Chelsea won the Champs league but was massively outplayed by Bayern and Barca. The English teams this year are underdogs in their upcoming ties.

I agree with Spur... City and Chelsea may have pushed the league to untenable heights of spending. But there is something else. Neymar, Lucas, Falcoa are not even considering the PL. Pep passed up obvious openings at City, Chelsea and maybe United for Germany. Bale and Suarez may be leaving. They will no doubt be well sought after in Spain this summer.

 

[Gatehawk]

There is no logic in "the league is due". Yes it ended fantastically last year. The two top teams combined for the highest point total in decades. But that can't mask the clear issue thatother leagues are putting out a better product, even last year. While City-United was a great end.... where was the drama in the rest of the league? And how has that dram led to an influx of new talent? It hasn't. While I should add Mata to that list of world class players the league did lose Modric. Chelsea won the Champs league but was massively outplayed by Bayern and Barca. The English teams this year are underdogs in their upcoming ties.

I agree with Spur... City and Chelsea may have pushed the league to untenable heights of spending. But there is something else. Neymar, Lucas, Falcoa are not even considering the PL. Pep passed up obvious openings at City, Chelsea and maybe United for Germany. Bale and Suarez may be leaving. They will no doubt be well sought after in Spain this summer.

I was thinking of the action-reaction thing. Last season was one of the most exciting seasons of the EPL, so I feel it could have been that this season is the result of it and the EPL is suffering while trying to follow up that and it's just not happening this season.

I think there's a number of reasons why those 3 players are turning down the EPL, but I don't really think it's solely because they don't want to. With Falcao, Atletico is actually in title contention in La Liga, though Barca don't look like they're gonna lose it, so it could be Atletico is refusing to sell him at the moment. Neymar, it's really anyone's guess as to his true reasoning. Lucas, it was simply a case of PSG offering more than United and other EPL clubs that were interested.

As for Pep, a blind donkey could see why he chose Bayern Munich over City and Chelsea. I think most big name managers are afraid to take the Chelsea job because of Abramovic. And then City, is a lot tougher to figure out this reason, but I think it's more that Pep just didn't want to deal with the craziness the City job would bring.

 

[Gatehawk]

Its almost sad to see the PL at this state of mediocrity. There are maybe 4-5 really world class players in the league right now (Suarez, RvP, Aguero and Bale who may be the 3rd best player in the world at the moment) the PL is suffering from thus lack of genuine talent and may lose more players in the summer. Not only do Bale and Suarez need to stay but PL teams need to attract more talent. It wont be hard with the dram of the German league, the three Spanish teams and FFP

I blame Chelsea and City for the lack of talent. Overseas clubs now seem to be adding £10 million to the value of their players because these reckless chumps have shown that they're prepared to pay it. They appear to believe that all English clubs are in the same financial situation. For clubs who are actually concerned with staying solvent the top young talent is much harder to find at a sensible pric than it was 6 - 7 years ago.

You maybe onto something there. It might make sense that some teams are price fixing their players solely cause City, and Chelsea, are willing to way more than a player is actually worth.

 

[Uncle Si]

Again Gate, aside from agreeing through disagreement I'm not sure what you're on about. A blind monkey? At what point did the German league become a stronger pull than the PL? Peps choosing the German league because its easy? No... and while Chelsea may be unstable, City isn't. He chose Germany because that league is on the rise. Its financially stable, competitive and developing. The PL is on the way down. That's the point. Lucas chose PSG because they can offer more. Falcoa will go to Italy, Real or Barca in the summer because the success rate is higher. Basically everything I said you agreed with then tried to explain. The explanations aren't necessary, but they aren't anoloies, nor each singular. Pep, Cavani, Neymar, Lucas, Falcoa will all end up outside of England for the same basic premise. Its the same one that may draw Suarez and Bale away. The PL right now is not looked on as the ultimate in football. Last years dramatic finale and chelseas herpics did nothing to add to the allure either (what world class players joined the PL this summer.... and don't bore me with Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool additions. None were world class. They represent the new PL.. almost moneyball additions)

Ericksen is this summers big target. Where he goes will say alot

 

[Uncle Si]

I want to say that it may not be a bad thing. Purchases like Borini, Coutinho, Holtby, Giroud, Sissokho, Kagawa may help overturn the precedent set by the Chelseas and Citys. They can only help the health of the league. But the PL may not see a truly world class addition for a couple of windows. So why the Neymars, Ronaldos, Alonsos, Lucas' go elsewhere, and the Dortmunds and Schalkes continue to develop in their own buildings, the PL may have to wait and create more balance. Because of that, as peaches said, the mediocrity will continue