Darlo Uncovered

I know that the Premiership is reckoned to be one of the best leagues in the World, but the performance of English sides in Europe would say, that we've dropped well behind the pecking order. What's going wrong?

Luck of draw/poor team performances on the night. I don't really think it is much beyond that. I am not even sure what that term even means - 'best league' is surely a measure of the entertainment factor of that league and audience figures back up that statement all day long.

Premier League has a top 5/6 now who if all our teams qualify you would expect them to make last 16. Liverpool were playing like a bottom half team when they got knocked out ultimately. If that holds true we still have a quarter of the top teams in Europe.

At that point you are up against the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munchen, Juventus and PSG who have spending power and pull which equals the PL clubs - it just becomes luck of the draw.

I am half expecting the champs league this year to be some sort of election speel of UKIP now. To demonstrate that british jobs for foreign workers worsens our competitiveness.

Don't get fooled by the pundits/press who are ever searching for their legacy soundbite.

I see that England could lose it's 4th spot in the Champions League, due to the poor performances of teams in Europe over recent years.

could or will? Isn't it already pre determined by a formula so there shouldn't be any could about it.

I'm not sure, but next season may be the last for some time. I don't know if anything is set in stone.

The Premier League is probably the most competitive league in the world, but La Liga would probably have the edge in terms of top end quality.

With the latest TV deal, a few of our Premiership sides will be able to compete with any European side. So in theory the best players in the world could be playing in the Premiership very shortly.

ArmchairDieHard wrote:The Premier League is probably the most competitive league in the world, but La Liga would probably have the edge in terms of top end quality.

How are you quantifying competitive?

Only five teams have won the Premier League in over 20 seasons. Four of those make up the current top four.

The three teams promoted from the Championship last season currently occupy the bottom three places in the Premier League.

The same 6 teams almost always occupy 6 of the top 7 places.

Chelsea have been top of the table virtually since the first day.

It certainly isn't competitive in the sense that it is a competition that allows all teams a good chance of success. Admittedly La Liga and the Bundesliga are even more of a closed shop, but Serie A seems to throw up a variety of teams towards the top over the years.

Spyman wrote:

ArmchairDieHard wrote:The Premier League is probably the most competitive league in the world, but La Liga would probably have the edge in terms of top end quality.

How are you quantifying competitive?

Only five teams have won the Premier League in over 20 seasons. Four of those make up the current top four.

The three teams promoted from the Championship last season currently occupy the bottom three places in the Premier League.

The same 6 teams almost always occupy 6 of the top 7 places.

Chelsea have been top of the table virtually since the first day.

It certainly isn't competitive in the sense that it is a competition that allows all teams a good chance of success. Admittedly La Liga and the Bundesliga are even more of a closed shop, but Serie A seems to throw up a variety of teams towards the top over the years.

I mean that you rarely get the top sides smashing the lower placed teams anymore.

It's not unusual to see Real or Barcelona putting five or six past teams on a regular basis over there, whilst we get more closely fought games.