Premier League this Season

[prestonibbo_mcfc]

Why is this years being classed as worse than any other year. By that, I mean not just for us. Many keep saying it's weaker this year. I don't see this. Are we saying that the 3 promoted teams from last year aren't as good as the 3 relegated, because that's the only change in the league from previous season. I know we haven't been anywhere near as good as last season (we have been weaker), but this doesn't mean the rest of the league is weaker.

 

[MCFC BOB]

Most of the teams near the top are in transition.

We're weaker than we were last season, Chelsea haven't settled since they sacked Mourinho, Spurs need a few additions to make a challenge and Arsenal are Arsenal. United havetaken advantage because they're the only team with an effective system in place. QPR have underachieved massively, Newcastle have regressed horribly, Stoke aren't the force they were either. Villa are very much a team in transition and Wigan don't look like producing a late surge at this moment.

Southampton have been the big surprise package with huge home wins over us, Chelsea and Liverpool. It's nice to have the Hammers back in the Premier League too. Everton have done their usual thing of just missing out on the top 4 again, and Fulham have been their usual innocuous, last on Match of the Day selves. Swansea have done well considering they lost a couple of important players in the summer too.

Overall it's just the same as every other year, just more boring where the main fights for positions are concerned.

 

[cibaman]

When United won the title with only 79 points in 1999 the top ten was:

United
Arsenal
Chelsea
Leeds
West ham
Villa
Liverpool
Derby
Boro
Leicester

I reckon this year's top 10 is much stonger. Certainly the top 5. But United's 1999 team is usually claimed to be much stronger than their current team. And because they've won the title relatively easily the presumption seems to be that it must therefore be a weaker league.

 

[supercrystal7]

The premier league has been getting weaker ever since 2009. The league is weaker, because most of the top teams grew weaker over the summer. Tottenham lost Modric and VDV. Adebayor was playing for a contract instead of being lazy. Bale went up a level, but I still don't think they are as strong as last year despite having a better manager. Arsenal are obviously much weaker losing RVP and Song. You admit that City are weaker. Liverpool are pretty much the same. Only United have grown stronger. Chelsea have bought well, but are gelling and sacking managers has hurt their season. The bottom clubs may be as bad as they have always been, but the midtable is much weaker. Partly due to the lack of quality English players. 5/6 years ago Scholes, Rio, Gerrard, Lampard, Hargreaves, Cole etc were in their prime and the likes of Young, Wilshere, Parker, Milner were playing for teams around 6-9. Now these same players are playing for top four sides.

 

[kp789]

I wouldnt say is has become a weaker league. Like Bob mentioned, many teams are going through a transitional period. The bottom clubs and mid to top table clubs are a lot closer. Look at teams like Swansea and Southampton. Recently, them beating a team like Chelsea or City etc would be a major coup. However, now they have started to build decent squads with a group of solid players and one or two star individuals, it can start to be expected. With the lower tabled teams being either 'stronger' or more 'even', it can make things more interesting as the whole 'relegation battle' starts to include more teams and keeps everyone guessing.

 

[foetus]

pretty much what BOB said

 

[Deleted member 52846]

When we look back on this season, how many memorable games have their been? Last season there was the Spurs 1 City 5, United 1 City 6, Chelsea 3 Arsenal 5, plus about a dozen other great games and the final game of the season was the most dramatic thing I've bed seen in sport.

This season has been boring.

 

[kp789]

When we look back on this season, how many memorable games have their been? Last season there was the Spurs 1 City 5, United 1 City 6, Chelsea 3 Arsenal 5, plus about a dozen other great games and the final game of the season was the most dramatic thing I've bed seen in sport.

This season has been boring.

Last season was something else

 

[THFC6061]

2012-13 still has the potential to be Tottenham Hotspur's best ever in the Premier League Era, so I'm sure you'll forgive me if I beg to differ!

It's been a great season for us despite having a brand-new manager and losing three of our best four players at the start of the season.

Yet here we are with five games remaining and if things go our way we could be looking at a third-placed finish.

 

[Dubai Blue]

United have pissed the league with a team that certainly won't be considered 'vintage', and they could still break the points record. They've won 15 games by just 1 goal and been wholly unconvincing in most of them.

Even the rags I speak to are generally unimpressed with this current team. Yet they still pissed the league. So you can certainly see why the obvious conclusion is that the league is weaker. Whether that is actually the case or not, I don't know.

Could that 15-game stat above be used to argue that the league is actually stronger as the rags have dominated less teams than they usually do? Or is just a sign that the champions themselves are relatively poor in comparison to previous seasons?

The one thing that isn't up for debate is the fact that we've blown it big style this season. Had we converted 5 of those 8 draws into wins and not conceded that late goal in the derby, we'd be 3 points behind now with a game in hand, and the media would be wetting themselves over it being one of the best league seasons ever.

So, basically, it's all our fault. Again!