Is the Premier League becoming vastly overrated?

[LoveCity]

This is what ive been saying to a few of my mates. I think its true. Look at us, were the best team in England on form and we couldn't even beat Napoli home or away.

The reason is because the style of football and tactics are completely different in Europe and we haven't come to grips with it. We have one of the four best squads in the CL so if you went on that, we should be in the semi finals, but Mancini visibly has not yet figured out how to get us functioning in the CL and dare I say it, has been tactically outclassed by Mazzarri and Heynckes so far and has to think harder about our system in the CL next season.

In England there is so much kick-and-rush thoughtless football that it is a lot easier to outsmart the limited scope of managers and get better results. I'm not sure what he tried to do yesterday and in the first match against Napoli but it failed because we were too slow and naive.

 

[Ardwick AFC]

Arsenal beat Barcelona in the champions league last season. Spurs knocked the holders out (Inter Milan) And then knocked AC Milan out as well. All with english style, attacking prowess down the wings. They couldn't live with it up them. Players like Lucio and Maicon torn to pieces. We could've done with some of that style of play, last night. Getting behind defenders and making them turn towards their own goal. All of our play is down the middle and quite predictable if you've done your homework and watched us play. We have two strikers over 6ft and hardly give them any crosses from open play.

It might just be that European teams are used to playing against Mancini's style of play. If we changed it up a bit and stuck AJ on one wing and Nasri on the other for 20 mins and tried to get some crosses in, we might have come away with something. Dzeko was unplayable for Wolfsburg in the air, but we're not playing to his strengths.

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

we're an evolving team and the likes of Bayern and the Italians are more on the level of United/Chelsea/Arsenal than they were a couple of years ago as all 3 have gone backwards.

Let's face it United only got to the final last season because they had a walkthrough draw, first good team they played was in the final.

this year they can't even beat Basle and Benfica.

It's too early to judge us on 1 season.

 

[Cobwebcat]

Napoli simply upped their game after not winning a game in the last 7. Imagine the Mancini out cries if we had done that. Napoli won't qualify again for years.

Mancini is doing fine. Huge over reaction to a couple of results. Fully expect us to do much better next time. How did the rags get on the first time in the CL?

 

[Why Always Ste]

Put Napoli in the Prem and then tell me this league is weak.

it is over-rated but this league is a product and it is vastly overhyped in order to sell advertising/tv deals and so on....

Napoli have treated these games against us like their Cup Finals, whereas we've been playing full strength teams and going all out against the likes of Newcastle only a few days previous.

the league is as strong as ever, the champs league is a complete different league with different styles of play

 

[LoveCity]

Arsenal beat Barcelona in the champions league last season. Spurs knocked the holders out (Inter Milan) And then knocked AC Milan out as well. All with english style, attacking prowess down the wings. They couldn't live with it up them. Players like Lucio and Maicon torn to pieces. We could've done with some of that style of play, last night. Getting behind defenders and making them turn towards their own goal. All of our play is down the middle and quite predictable if you've done your homework and watched us play. We have two strikers over 6ft and hardly give them any crosses from open play.

It might just be that European teams are used to playing against Mancini's style of play. If we changed it up a bit and stuck AJ on one wing and Nasri on the other for 20 mins and tried to get some crosses in, we might have come away with something. Dzeko was unplayable for Wolfsburg in the air, but we're not playing to his strengths.

Pace would have helped a lot and not just how fast players run but how fast we moved the ball... we seemed to operate at half-speed compared to in the league. We don't really have the personnel to play the two fast wingers style, we have Johnson who isn't that fast but is good enough for one flank, but don't have any other wide options besides throwing Milner, Nasri, or Silva out wide... this is probably why Mancini has scouts looking at players like Cerci, El Ghanassy, Lavezzi (not a traditional winger but we saw how much he is like one yesterday), and the the probably much more expensive but potentially Ronaldo level Hazard. Unpopular opinion but Bellamy would have troubled some of these European defences.

 

[blumoonrisen]

Arsenal beat Barcelona in the champions league last season. Spurs knocked the holders out (Inter Milan) And then knocked AC Milan out as well. All with english style, attacking prowess down the wings. They couldn't live with it up them. Players like Lucio and Maicon torn to pieces. We could've done with some of that style of play, last night. Getting behind defenders and making them turn towards their own goal. All of our play is down the middle and quite predictable if you've done your homework and watched us play. We have two strikers over 6ft and hardly give them any crosses from open play.

It might just be that European teams are used to playing against Mancini's style of play. If we changed it up a bit and stuck AJ on one wing and Nasri on the other for 20 mins and tried to get some crosses in, we might have come away with something. Dzeko was unplayable for Wolfsburg in the air, but we're not playing to his strengths.

Pace would have helped a lot and not just how fast players run but how fast we moved the ball... we seemed to operate at half-speed compared to in the league. We don't really have the personnel to play the two fast wingers style, we have Johnson who isn't that fast but is good enough for one flank, but don't have any other wide options besides throwing Milner, Nasri, or Silva out wide... this is probably why Mancini has scouts looking at players like Cerci, El Ghanassy, Lavezzi (not a traditional winger but we saw how much he is like one yesterday), and the the probably much more expensive but potentially Ronaldo level Hazard. Unpopular opinion but Bellamy would have troubled some of these European defences.

Which is where Micah and Clichy would have come in handy..

Apart from a handful on here, the Bellers opinion wouldn't be too unpopular.. but we've moved on and mainly get along without him now.

 

[whothefisAlice]

Now i know we have had the hardest group in the CL out of all the PL teams in the competition however with the likes of United and Chelsea both struggling in what you could call 'easier' groups i believe the expectations of the English football fans, pundits, media etc very much farfetched in what we can produce.

Another example i could give would be the World Cup last year, look at the hype that was going around before the competition and lets face it, we played average to say the least.

Do you think the quality of other leagues are now starting to take over the PL which has played its part as the king of the leagues in recent history?

Absolute bollocks that, every word of it. Where on Earth have you come from? I am guessing this is your first topic/thread creation, and what a load of cobblers.

Instead of slating you and not offering any form of rebuttal or opinion, I shall leave this with a little something. Would you rather we were La Liga with two teams, Scotland with two teams, France with no real world beaters etc? The Premier League is still by far the strongest league from top to bottom and I don't see it changing anytime soon.

 

[Ardwick AFC]

Arsenal beat Barcelona in the champions league last season. Spurs knocked the holders out (Inter Milan) And then knocked AC Milan out as well. All with english style, attacking prowess down the wings. They couldn't live with it up them. Players like Lucio and Maicon torn to pieces. We could've done with some of that style of play, last night. Getting behind defenders and making them turn towards their own goal. All of our play is down the middle and quite predictable if you've done your homework and watched us play. We have two strikers over 6ft and hardly give them any crosses from open play.

It might just be that European teams are used to playing against Mancini's style of play. If we changed it up a bit and stuck AJ on one wing and Nasri on the other for 20 mins and tried to get some crosses in, we might have come away with something. Dzeko was unplayable for Wolfsburg in the air, but we're not playing to his strengths.

Pace would have helped a lot and not just how fast players run but how fast we moved the ball... we seemed to operate at half-speed compared to in the league. We don't really have the personnel to play the two fast wingers style, we have Johnson who isn't that fast but is good enough for one flank, but don't have any other wide options besides throwing Milner, Nasri, or Silva out wide... this is probably why Mancini has scouts looking at players like Cerci, El Ghanassy, Lavezzi (not a traditional winger but we saw how much he is like one yesterday), and the the probably much more expensive but potentially Ronaldo level Hazard. Unpopular opinion but Bellamy would have troubled some of these European defences.

Samir Nasri played perfectly well as a left winger for Arsenal for 3 years. And has done for the French national team as well. Napoli defended as a tight unit, and they parked the bus infront of their 18 yard box, breaking up attacks with numbers. You need to take hints from other English teams in Europe down the years, like Spuds last season and the Rags. They have wingers hugging the touchline, who drag defenders out of position to create space, they also have overlapping fullbacks who can cross or make runs into the danger areas. European teams don't like this style of play, their goalies and defenders hate having balls fizzed across their six yard box. Napoli had a trial run at playing against us in the first leg, and last night they pretty much continued where they left off. Platt/Mancini/Kidd should have had a plan B to rattle them.

 

[lee-mcfc]

Now i know we have had the hardest group in the CL out of all the PL teams in the competition however with the likes of United and Chelsea both struggling in what you could call 'easier' groups i believe the expectations of the English football fans, pundits, media etc very much farfetched in what we can produce.

Another example i could give would be the World Cup last year, look at the hype that was going around before the competition and lets face it, we played average to say the least.

Do you think the quality of other leagues are now starting to take over the PL which has played its part as the king of the leagues in recent history?

If we had beaten napoli would this thread be here? no

some people are talking shit tonight!