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EPL in Europe this season


mrniaboc

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I hate the English media as much as anyone, and I know a lot on here think that the EPL is hyped up to be better than it is, but if you look at European competition this year it's hard not to rate it as the league with the most quality teams. 6 of the 16 teams left in Europe at the quarter final stage are from the EPL. The closest after that is La Liga with 3 (only one of those in Champions League compared to EPL's 4).

So it makes me think, when people say things about how players should stay at a team like Celtic rather than go to a team outside the top 6 in the EPL because they will get European games, does this really make sense? They will get at least 12 games against serious European-quality teams in a standard season in the EPL. 

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10 minutes ago, mrniaboc said:

I hate the English media as much as anyone, and I know a lot on here think that the EPL is hyped up to be better than it is, but if you look at European competition this year it's hard not to rate it as the league with the most quality teams. 6 of the 16 teams left in Europe at the quarter final stage are from the EPL. The closest after that is La Liga with 3 (only one of those in Champions League compared to EPL's 4).

So it makes me think, when people say things about how players should stay at a team like Celtic rather than go to a team outside the top 6 in the EPL because they will get European games, does this really make sense? They will get at least 12 games against serious European-quality teams in a standard season in the EPL. 

At the same stage last season, Spain had 4 teams left and England had 3.  

In 16/17, Spain had 4 left and England had 2.

In the last 5 seasons, Spanish sides have lifted 9 of the 10 trophies available, England had the other.

They are having a great season but are still a long way behind Spain. 

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I get that La Liga is good too, possibly even better. I think they are almost certainly the two best leagues in world football. However, sometimes I think we can be in denial about just how good the EPL is because it's English. Kind of in the same way an EPL team will underestimate a player with a Scottish name compared to one with a continental European name. 

In short, the EPL is really fucking good and our players should be playing there if they get the chance, and not just because it's a lot easier than getting a move to Spain. 

Edited by mrniaboc
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1 hour ago, PASTA Mick said:

At the same stage last season, Spain had 4 teams left and England had 3.  

In 16/17, Spain had 4 left and England had 2.

In the last 5 seasons, Spanish sides have lifted 9 of the 10 trophies available, England had the other.

They are having a great season but are still a long way behind Spain. 

Aye, pretty much nailed it. They need a fair bit more consistency for this conversation to hold much weight. With the way Liverpool and Man City are going about their business, and if Man United get their next managerial appointment right, then there's a fair chance it could happen mind.

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The media jumping the shark a bit, one season isn’t evidence of any trend.

England’s problem anyway is that all of their successful club teams are dominated by foreign players. Although there’s signs they are producing better technically gifted players in recent years. 

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1 hour ago, mrniaboc said:

I get that La Liga is good too, possibly even better. I think they are almost certainly the two best leagues in world football. However, sometimes I think we can be in denial about just how good the EPL is because it's English. Kind of in the same way an EPL team will underestimate a player with a Scottish name compared to one with a continental European name. 

In short, the EPL is really fucking good and our players should be playing there if they get the chance, and not just because it's a lot easier than getting a move to Spain. 

Some of the EPL is great, let's not get carried away. Watching a game involving Fulham/Cardiff/Huddersfield really doesn't stir my loins.

Edited by Bobby Russell's Lovechild
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3 minutes ago, Bobby Russell's Lovechild said:

Some of the EPL is great, let's not get carried away. Watching a gene involving Fulham/Cardiff/Huddersfield really doesn't stir my loins.

I'd rather see a young Scottish talent playing regularly for one of those three teams, being tested every few weeks against the big 6, rather than them playing for Celtic/Aberdeen/Rangers and coming up against St Mirren and Hamilton level teams lost weeks. 

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2 hours ago, Bobby Russell's Lovechild said:

Some of the EPL is great, let's not get carried away. Watching a game involving Fulham/Cardiff/Huddersfield really doesn't stir my loins.

Some of the games featuring the best teams against each other have been horrendous to watch. Any game can turn out to be great regardless of the players on show. 

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6 hours ago, mrniaboc said:

I'd rather see a young Scottish talent playing regularly for one of those three teams, being tested every few weeks against the big 6, rather than them playing for Celtic/Aberdeen/Rangers and coming up against St Mirren and Hamilton level teams lost weeks. 

Tierney in danger of stagnating at Celtic. Fair enough he's a fan and probably deep down wants to stay for 10 in a row but reality is he needs to move on now when you see what Robbo has achieved south of the border. Celtic don't even play much CL anymore so for example Leicester could yet quality for europa league and come in for him if Chilwell leaves, probably same level as Celtic.

I could understand more players staying in Scotland if the teams did better in europe. It was only around 10 years ago Celtic AND Rangers were both making knock out rounds of champions league, now you get just one in it and they have to win three rounds to make group stage.

Worse for me is europa league. Could be wrong but don't think a side outside the old firm has made group stages since Aberdeen had that nice little run to the knock outs in 2007-08. Pretty embarassing when you think since then likes of Dundalk and St Pats Athletic from ROI have both player in group stage, Irish league is part time.

Edited by Tartan Chris
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A chain Is only as strong as its weakest link.

I watch as much La Liga as I do the EPL and I'd say that the teams in the mid-lower half of La Liga are better than the EPL equivalent. If you amalgamate both leagues then there's no doubt in my mind that the bottom 10 would be entirely made up of English teams and the La Liga teams would dominate the top 10.

As people have said, La Liga teams have dominated Europe In recent times, so I'd say that La Liga is better than the EPL. I'd much rather have a Scotland player in La Liga than the EPL, purely because it's more technical and more intelligent. 

This year has been a bit of a lucky year for the English teams in Europe. How Man United beat PSG is still hard to understand. United were camped in their own half for about 70% of the match.

Of course the EPL is one of the top leagues, but it isn't the toppest (not a word).

The English media make me laugh. For 10+ years they've been saying that the EPL is the best league in the world. Just last week (because of the club success in Europe) Sky news had a poll "Is the EPL the best league in the world?". Why the poll? They've been confirming that the EPL is he best league in the world (Along with Wembley being the best stadium in the world, the FA Cup being the best domestic cup competition in the world, their pitches being the best pitches in the world, their boots being the best boots in the world, their socks being the best socks in the world, their shin-guards being the best shin-guards in the world, the studs on their boots being the best studs In the world, their shorts being the best shorts in the world, their tops being the best tops in the world, their linesman flags being the best linesman flags in the world, etc.) so why ask the question?

It's akin to telling people a lie long enough and hoping that they believe it.

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3 hours ago, Chripper said:

This year has been a bit of a lucky year for the English teams in Europe. How Man United beat PSG is still hard to understand. United were camped in their own half for about 70% of the match.

It's because they had a Scot in their team ;)

Seriously though, I wasn't trying to restart the age old debate of La Liga vs EPL. I was more trying to point out that EPL is really really good quality and our players have an in there, unlike other European leagues. They should use it. I really don't understand the argument that a player like KT should only move to the EPL if it's to a top 6 side. Remaining in Scotland is nowhere near as much of a test of skill as playing in any other side in the EPL, and the "getting European games" argument is a logically fallacy. Sure, if you're not guaranteed games in the EPL then stay in Scotland and hone your skills. The frustration comes when we see great players like Armstrong get a big money move to an average/poor EPL team and still somehow don't manage to break into the first team squad. But I'm glad he actually took the shot, and hopefully he'll make it work next season. So much better having a 50% chance down there than having a 100% chance in Scotland, sadly.

 

Edited by mrniaboc
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2 minutes ago, mrniaboc said:

It's because they had a Scot in their team ;)

Seriously though, I wasn't trying to restart the age old debate of La Liga vs EPL. I was more trying to point out that EPL is really really good quality and our players have an in there, unlike other European leagues. They should use it. I really don't understand the argument that a player like KT should only move to the EPL if it's to a top 6 side. Remaining in Scotland is nowhere near as much of a test of skill as playing in any other side in the EPL, and the "getting European games" argument is a logically fallacy. Sure, if you're not guaranteed games in the EPL then stay in Scotland and hone your skills. The frustration comes when we see great players like Armstrong get a big money move to an average/poor EPL team and still somehow don't manage to break into the first team squad. But I'm glad he actually took the shot, and hopefully he'll make it work next season. So much better having a 50% chance down there than having a 100% chance in Scotland, sadly.

 

Nah, I know what you're saying.

If I had a choice between a Scotland player playing in the EPL or the SPL it's a no-brainer. The more players that we get playing in the top leagues around Europe, the better. Take Tierney for example, it could go either two ways with him: his heart could over-rule common sense and he stays with Celtic for the rest of his career or a team offers Celtic an offer they can't refuse. I have a strong feeling that it's the first one as I don't think Celtic will let him for anything less than £25m, and no team with ever pay such an amount for a Scottish player based in Scotland.

Hopefully Harper, Bates and Henderson get promoted into La Liga, Bundesliga and Serie A. 

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  • 1 month later...

As I said, EPL is really really good quality. Of course, the four European finalists being from EPL this season doesn't automatically mean its a better league than La Liga, but I think it does mean it's at least a close second. The key difference is that EPL is more comfortable signing Scots. I desperately hope we have more Scots starting in it next season than we did this season. 

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I do agree with the point premier league isn't great in bottom half and would say La Liga bottom half teams do play more structured football against top teams which is reflected in results.

What's promising for premier league is you look at squads likes of Leicester and Wolves are building and they should be capable of pushing on and challenging Arsenal and Man. Man. United at least next year for europa (Wolves will probably be in it anyway).

I really don't see what issue is for say Tierney to go there. Let's say Man. City sign Ben Chilwell for 50m. Leicester then have that to play with and Rodgers has managed Tierney for last 3 years so seems obvious move to me.

Ultimately you'll have to defend against world class players, Augero, Salah, KDB, Aubameyang, Lacazette, Hazard if he stays etc.

Who out of interest is the highest class foreign player in SPL these days? Morelos with his grand total of 3 caps for Colombia?

Late 90s/early 00s you had Gazza, Brian Laudrup, Di Canio, Van Hoojidonk, Van Brocknhurst, Albertz, Larsson and Moravcik as attacking options at Old Firm so lots of fantastic quality so any young Scottish defender growing up was much more tested than nowadays. Dundee had Canigga and Ravenelli for a while, Hearts had Juanjo, Hibs had that really good French guy (forget his name) and Kilmarnock had some good foreign players aswell.

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