| Best League in Europe etc 09:14 - Apr 25 with 925 views | coolranger |
Much nonsensical talk on the radio this morning that the two Champions League results this week 'prove the Bundesliga is better than La Liga' - rubbish. These results don't prove anything of the sort.
The fact is Germany have two outstanding sides - Bayern and Dortmund. Just as Spain have two outstanding sides, Real and Barca. In Germany only Schalke are anywhere near bridging the gap, and for Spain one might say the same of Atletico Madrid. The rest in both leagues are way off their pace. Neither league is truly competitive, with few upsets against the top sides.
I think it could be argued the Premiership is 'more competitive', although the quality of our very best sides is currently below that of the two dominant German and Spanish clubs.
Unfortunately one of the outcomes of regualr Champions League football is that all the top European Leagues are heading towards an 'Old Firm' situation where only 2 or at best 3 sides can realistically win their domestic leagues. Most of the the leagues are being made up of West Brom level sides. |  | | |  |
| Best League in Europe etc on 09:16 - Apr 25 with 901 views | fakekerby |
Not sure you can argue the Premiership is more competitive this season when Man Utd are on 84 points and closest rivals at 68! | | | |
| Best League in Europe etc on 09:17 - Apr 25 with 897 views | smegma |
How many 'outstanding sides ' are there in the premier league then ? If you look at the efforts in european competition (how we are judging) only Chelsea and Man Utd have regularly done well in Europe. Equal to Spain & Germany then. | | | |
| Best League in Europe etc on 09:56 - Apr 25 with 843 views | Bluce_Ree |
I hear good things about the Bundesliga from a mate of mine. Great standard of football, better crowds etc. This season hasn't been competitive but it usually is.
My issue is that I can't get behind any German teams any more than I could hope Leeds would do well in Europe or something. Fk them.
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| ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH MARTI THE REDEEMER WHO STRENGTHENS ME. |
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| Best League in Europe etc on 09:57 - Apr 25 with 843 views | Neil_SI |
It's not just the top flight.
If you experience these countries, including from grass roots level, the difference overall is enormous. I was very impressed with the grass roots level I saw when I lived in Germany in comparison to England, and that was back in 2003 before they really started to restructure themselves.
The German's have totally revitalised their league infrastructure and the way football is governed and they're reaping the rewards and there is a much improved relationship between supporters and their clubs and supporters and the national team. The product and match day experience out there is very good and improving all of the time.
Both these countries are way ahead in many areas than England, but the positive for English football is that there is a lot of room to improve and Germany have proven that you can overhaul for the better, and with a vision and philosophy in mind, over a period of time. There are many on these shores who don't think it's possible, but it is, it just needs the right people, with the right idea, and the right execution.
What's more impressive with Germany though is they've evolved and gone through phases in that period too. They started working with what they had, the physical and tactical elements that made up their footballers, and now they've evolved and are starting to incorporate technical elements and flair as part of their long term vision.
They did have the World Cup in 2006 to help them as well, as that was the perfect reason to improve stadiums and transport facilities as well as generating new interest in football. But they seized the moment, and we've so often not done that. |  | | |
| Best League in Europe etc on 09:57 - Apr 25 with 840 views | Antti_Heinola |
best league in the world arguments are fun, but impossible to prove or quantify. Also, it doesn't really matter.
Spanish football is great because technically the players in all positions are so gifted and comfortable on the ball.
German football is great because it's exciting, the crowds are fantastic, there's a real emphasis on attacking football.
English football is great because it's blood and thunder mixed with some sublime skill.
Scottish football is great because... oh, forget it. |  |
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| Best League in Europe etc on 10:02 - Apr 25 with 832 views | JonDoeman |
Prefer that German style to the Spanish anyway, 'Tiki-taka' bores the tits off me!
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| Best League in Europe etc on 10:47 - Apr 25 with 792 views | Essex_Ranger |
So if the argument for which is the best league is purely down to the 2 results then consider the following:
Bradford beat Arsenal
Arsenal Beat Bayern
Bayern beat Barcelona
Therefore, based on the logic of results only Bradford must be better than Barcelona??
Makes sense I suppose!
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| Best League in Europe etc on 11:20 - Apr 25 with 755 views | coolranger |
| Best League in Europe etc on 10:02 - Apr 25 by JonDoeman |
Prefer that German style to the Spanish anyway, 'Tiki-taka' bores the tits off me!
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I totally agree with this sentiment. 40 per cent of the passing among Spanish sides, and especially Barca, is in their own half along the backline or between 2-3 midfielders just 'fiddling' while they try to find an opening for a forward pass.
I find the German style of football far more energetic, exciting, direct and penetrative, without trying to be too clever.
Barca & Real made 1500 passes and scored 1 goal. The two German sides made 900 passes and scored 8 times. | | | |
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| Best League in Europe etc on 11:32 - Apr 25 with 736 views | simmo |
The Bundesliga have had 5 different winners in the last 10 years.
Granted Bayern and Dortmund recently have bossed it, but they do so much better than we do, from grassroots to final product. Its ridiculous. |  |
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| Best League in Europe etc on 11:39 - Apr 25 with 723 views | Juzzie |
Far from improving it, the FA/PL has destroyed English football IMO.
The PL is not competitive. It's all geared up for the global TV brand.
It's all about the top clubs in the PL and especially Man Utd. If Liverpool get back in the top 4, the FA/PL will be even happier.
We scoff at the SPL only being about 2 clubs (well, before Rangers got booted out) but how is the PL any different? Proportinally, it's not much different.
I don't buy into all the grass-roots academy's bollox from the top teams. How many of the kids make it through? The PL needs players from all over the world to keep up the interest, look at us with Park, imagine what it's like with all the top internationals.
If all our top teams were full of local talent, it would be great with all the interest from the UK, but around the world who would care?
Our national team is light years behind.
If things were to change and the global domination of the PL was to go, there would be an implosion in the English game.
Bring it on. It may take a decade but maybe we can start from scratch again.
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| Best League in Europe etc on 11:46 - Apr 25 with 710 views | daveB |
people often get confused between best leagues and best teams. The German league is good with 2 great teams same as the Spanish but for me the English league is still on top but not by as much as it was 2/3 years ago. |  | | |
| Best League in Europe etc on 11:52 - Apr 25 with 699 views | TacticalR |
One of Jonathan Wilson's mega articles...
He sees both Bayern and Barcelona as flowing from the same school - Rinus Michels and Ajax.
'Only Barcelona have higher possession stats and have completed a higher percentage of passes than Bayern in Europe's top five leagues this season. That Bayern last night achieved only 37% possession is because they modified — or were forced to modify — their approach against the only side better than them at holding the ball in Europe. The core philosophy of both is the same.'
Will the football world now follow Bayern's method rather than Barça's?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2013/apr/24/bayern-munich-barcelona-jonatha |  |
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| Best League in Europe etc on 11:58 - Apr 25 with 684 views | TheBlob |
| Best League in Europe etc on 11:52 - Apr 25 by TacticalR |
One of Jonathan Wilson's mega articles...
He sees both Bayern and Barcelona as flowing from the same school - Rinus Michels and Ajax.
'Only Barcelona have higher possession stats and have completed a higher percentage of passes than Bayern in Europe's top five leagues this season. That Bayern last night achieved only 37% possession is because they modified — or were forced to modify — their approach against the only side better than them at holding the ball in Europe. The core philosophy of both is the same.'
Will the football world now follow Bayern's method rather than Barça's?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2013/apr/24/bayern-munich-barcelona-jonatha |
Soaking the central part of the pitch so the ball holds up and your opponents can't play their normal game may indeed be the way forward. |  |
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| Best League in Europe etc on 13:14 - Apr 25 with 619 views | robith |
| Best League in Europe etc on 11:32 - Apr 25 by simmo |
The Bundesliga have had 5 different winners in the last 10 years.
Granted Bayern and Dortmund recently have bossed it, but they do so much better than we do, from grassroots to final product. Its ridiculous. |
Came in to make this point. And it's only been uncompetitive this year because Dortmund have basically forfeited the league to go after Europe
I do think the Bundesliga is the best league in Europe. Reasons - it is generally far more competitive. The football is generally exciting and of a high standard
When Dortmund won the league their team costs 30m euro and their wage bill was £46m. Ours is almost £60m!
The fan ownership (though is does have a downside as it gives an advantage to Munich due to their historic size) means prices are reasonable and the fans are connected to their club.
The atmosphere at the games is great. I went to Wolfsburg vs Schalke a couple of years ago. It was a nothing game really, the noise was deafening.
Also drinking beer and eating a massive sausage in my seat was wonderful |  | | |
| Best League in Europe etc on 21:09 - Apr 25 with 532 views | FredManRave |
| Best League in Europe etc on 11:46 - Apr 25 by daveB |
people often get confused between best leagues and best teams. The German league is good with 2 great teams same as the Spanish but for me the English league is still on top but not by as much as it was 2/3 years ago. |
I blame Hughes. |  |
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| Best League in Europe etc on 21:19 - Apr 25 with 520 views | newgolddream |
| Best League in Europe etc on 11:46 - Apr 25 by daveB |
people often get confused between best leagues and best teams. The German league is good with 2 great teams same as the Spanish but for me the English league is still on top but not by as much as it was 2/3 years ago. |
Good post there daveB bout English League as QPR will find out next season in the toughest second tier on the planet. |  | | |
| Best League in Europe etc on 00:51 - Apr 26 with 444 views | Cornish_oooRRRR |
I agree with the OP. Who knows what would have happened had the Spanish teams been playing at home first.
Don't forget a shite arsenal team started to give BM a bit of a fright . I wouldn't be surprised if real Madrid get really stuck in against Dortmund . Three nil is definitely possible. [Post edited 1 Jan 1970 1:00]
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| Best League in Europe etc on 01:25 - Apr 26 with 430 views | merovingian |
OP is spot on.
Also the Germans only care about themselves IMO through out history time & again. Dortmund's more like rugby players, last match. |  |
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| Best League in Europe etc on 02:01 - Apr 26 with 419 views | SonofNorfolt |
Ours is still the best to watch, although not as much so as it once was.
The closest is the Bundesliga, in both spirit and culture.
There hasn't been a terrace disaster there, hence they get bigger crowds on similar stadia, especially with the WC '06 upgrades. Hertha, Koln & Kaiserlautern were relegated last season but at present two will probably return, Braunschweig being the surprise package, though I'm hoping Augsburg will keep there top division place just because we had such a good time last pre-season.
As clubs, Franco's Real Madrid and the no sponsor Barcelona(until the recent UNICEF, Qatari Foundation shiitt) should be despised. Not for the utterly brilliant Messi & Co, along with not as good but fukkin good Ronaldo, but for the fact that they get pretty much all the TV money in Spain, which should always enhance the title wins of Valencia & La Coruna over the couple of decades as exceptional.
The Italians, whilst always canny with their National and club sides over the years often over achieving, really aren't that good any more, and from a spectating point of view they haven't moved on from Italia '90, whereas that was the spark that seemed to re-ignite our national game.
Elsewhere, France may achieve club success with PSG soon because of their influx of Euro's. That apart a decent Dutch or Portugese side will spoil, perhaps with rouble rich Russians or a monied Ukrainian Donetsk might get close in years to come.
However, there will be no Red Star Belgrade in '91, or even the not as good Stueau Bucharest in '86?, mainly because of the money involved and the less chance of a lesser team going through the group stage.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrggggggghhhhh |  | | |
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