Edouard will go for about £30m next year then on for more once he “proves himself” in England. McGreggor, Shved, Johnstone, Ntcham, Rogic, Forrest, young Dembele, Ajer, Julien, and a few more would easily get a game. The only reason you would doubt that is because they play here and as I said haven’t proved themselves in England.
I never want us to draw and English team but if we get out of our group I hope we get Wolves. Of course they are a Orem team so we will have no chance according to everybody down there, but I would bet we would knock them out.
We have improved defensively with a few competent guys who have come in. So, I’m hopeful we do well.
Talking about not being good enough to win anything or compete at the top level. I watched the England game last night. Utter pish. Just as well you have money down there to buy great world class foreign players or your league would be shit too.
As for an all British league? That’s got as much chance as England have winning a major trophy. A non starter.
This decade, a number of players have moved down to English teams from Scotland and got nowhere near Prem first teams. Although some have. And vice versa, very average Championship players or Prem squad players who can’t get a minute’s game time in the Prem go up to Scotland and look top class up there.
Scott Sinclair was a joke at City, couldn’t trap a trump in his arse cheeks, but he was one of the leagues best players in Scotland and seemingly similar to his level could express as when he was in the Championship with Swansea.
You’d have the same chance of beating Wolves as any Championship team would in the FA Cup. Raising your level in cup games is done year-in-year-out in the FA and EFL Cups. Everyone calls it the “Magic of the Cup”. But what it really is, is, hard work beating talent when the talent hasn’t worked as hard as the opposition they’re better than.
I can’t remember if I made this point in this thread or another, but even in getting relegated last season, Huddersfield earnt more money than Atlético Madrid and current bottom of the league Watford would be the best team seen in Scotland since Larson played for Celtic. The players that bottom half English teams can buy are better than many CL group stage teams can.
Of course the Prem wouldn’t be as good without the money it has. But that’s like saying your house and everything in it wouldn’t be as good if you didn’t have as much money.
But in the last five years or so I think the Prem and top half of the Championship have rocketed to never seen before levels of quality. I genuinely think some very good Prem title winning teams from decades gone by wouldn’t finish in the top6 in the Prem now, so please don’t think I’m just belittling the SPL. Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister, Paul Ince, Brian McClair and others from that early United Prem winning team wouldn’t get in bottom half Prem teams these days.
As for England, they’re a decent enough side considering the amount of foreign players in the Prem, and they’ll always be a quarters team by trend (with the odd anomalies of being shitter or getting to a semi). But I’d take never seeing England win another game of football if it meant the Prem kept up it’s high level and what I pay my money to see week-in-week-out year-in-year-out was he most entertaining and high quality league in the world. I go to more City games in one week sometimes than I’ve been to England games in my whole life.
I know a British league system won’t happen, but I’d like it to (I’m in a minority on that but I think it’d be exciting). I am British after all, that’s what it says my nationality is on my passport. So I suppose that’s why I’m not so bothered by England.
Great Britain Rugby League team are back this Autumn for the first time since 2007. I’m more passionate about them as a Briton than I am of England footbal.