EPL is poor qualiity

I've been saying for a few years now, that the English Premier League is way over-rated and is nowhere near the best in the world, as many people in the game and media keep saying it is.

The top clubs are, at the very best, just average sides and nothing special, as European results recently have shown. And now we've had this "AMAZING" weekend of FA Cup matches with several of the top sides being beaten by lower league teams. In the past, such results were REAL giant killing, but not any more.

Villa losing to Millwall, Oldham beating Liverpool, Norwich being humiliated by Luton, MK Dons winning at QPR, Leeds conquering the rubbish Tottenham. Plus Chelsea struggling against Brentford, Arsenal just about winning against Brighton. I could go on.

It just proves, the qualitity of the Premiership is very average.

The football start to become better and better, also this giants don't have so strong teams like in the past, Liverpool is just a shadow :)

I think it's unfair to use the FA Cup as an example of why it's not as good as it used to be. Cup shocks happen in any league and any country.

Yes, I think the quality has dropped but it's not average. Clubs like Tottenham, QPR, Aston Villa and Norwich are not big clubs. You just need to look at Swansea to see how far they have come from being a Championship side to a Premier League side to possibly a place in the Europa League next season. Arsenal were always going to dip in form after losing Fabregas, Alex Song and Robin Van Persie. Liverpool haven't been good for the past 5 years but that happens to most clubs. The football in the Premier League is good and fun to watch and still one of the best leagues in the world, well I think so anyway.

The EPL may not be the best in the world but it is certainly the most entertaining in the world.

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Originally Posted by Smoggie

The EPL may not be the best in the world but it is certainly the most entertaining in the world.

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Is the best (IMO), Spanish Primera is just Real and Barcelona ...

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Originally Posted by dv8r

Clubs like Tottenham, QPR, Aston Villa and Norwich are not big clubs.

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Totally agree with you there, especially the team I highlighted in bold!

I would not say the premier league is average, I would say it's lost some of its strength, perhaps due to the emergence of power from the 2 spanish giants, (yes you know who you F**King are!!!) Can't stand the sight of them. I'd love to see Tottenham even beat the **** out of them one day, The bundesliga has become more entertaining and competitive in recent years too and thats seen that league grow, Serie A has now got Juventus back where they belong and thats helping that league, Premier League and Ligue 1 and other leagues are in decline on relative strength, Main problem with EPL is the power Man Utd have developed over the past 20 years or so and at times shutting out the competition from even getting close to winning the title and only clubs with money have competed well recently against Man Utd, except for perhaps when the 'professor' could work well within Arsenal's wage structure and build a magnificient team over the years which soon declined due to the club not wanting to over pay many good players and the likes of Chelsea and more recently Man City gazumping Arsenal in the transfer market, Man Utd remained competitive because they went to match the Chelsea's and Man City's spending.

As for the cup giant killings, well the FA Cup has had plenty of upsets since it begin way back in 1872, in 1901 a non-league side has once won the FA Cup.... Tottenham.

I think too many people confuse the two main issues with the Premiership. I agree,iIt IS exciting and unpredictable, but that doesn't mean its the best for quality. Take Man Utd for instance. At present, they are clearly the best team in the division, but they've hardly set the Champs League alight. Their defence can be opened up at will. Chelsea, Arsenal, Man City can be good on their day, but are far too inconsistant to be classed as great. Liverpool are nowhere near the team that they were. And that is why teams like Everton and Tottenham are in with a chance of a Champ League place. If the other BIGGER clubs were playing well, they wouldn't have a hope.

I would say there is 3 ways to improve the quality and excitement of the premier league or english football without too much tinkering with the structure.

1. Winners of the FA Cup = Automatic Champions League Qualification (Runners-up would get it if the FA Cup winners are in the premier league top 3), would love to see all these clubs field strongest XI instead of messing around and putting fringe players in for important squad players which can hinder any cup progression and it would certainly make the FA Cup much more exciting and a big prize at stake

2. If not having the winners of the FA Cup getting Champions League, Then its the playoffs, 7th vs 4th, 6th vs 5th, 2 legs, final at wembley, I don't care the top managers/chairman don't like it when they voted on this a while ago, I would of put it in place whether they liked it or not, it opens up things again, Everton, Tottenham, Liverpool and Newcastle and possibly a few others could have a great season and not get a true reward because Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City and Man Utd have the current stronghold on our top 4 places. Would give us all a very entertaining end to the football season every year without knowing who is going to be in the champions league and having it all to play for, the 3 losing clubs would benefit from an extra full round of gate recepts + tv money which would keep them in check with the other clubs qualifying for champions league.

3. and most importantly for the good of english football and our national team development and fixture congestion that managers always talk about... Get rid of the league cup, Sorry Bradford City and Swansea fans but its true, the competition dubbed the 'mickey mouse cup' really has to go, plenty of understrength sides in a competition that a lot of teams don't really care? Yes its great if you make the final and you have a chance of winning a trophy but what does it really mean? nothing. The league cup was brought in for extra revenue years ago, but with big TV deals going around the competition isnt really neeeded, premier league play 38 games a season and the football league play 46 games a season, If Championship clubs complain about lack of league cup, chuck them in the Football League Trophy. The football league would benefit for having 6 extra slots a season for postponed games or as above to accommodate those Premier League Champions League Playoffs.

I'm an Arsenal fan and I would love to see those playoffs just because it brings excitement between 4 big clubs to fight for that champions league place, even if Arsenal finished 4th, I wouldn't feel that we should have the right because we were 4th, I'd like to see that end of season special event, but they shelved them a couple of years back due to the lack of votes, even though they actually voted 11-9 in favour, they needed 14-6 to pass it on.

Have you guys watched Bundesliga. They don't have as much money than EPL clubs but football in Germany is more skilled, entertaining and tactically clever.

I have a thought about how to encourage bigger teams to take the FA Cup & (particularly), the League Cup, more seriously. At the moment, most of them play below strength teams in the early rounds. My suggestion would be:

All teams that make the quarter-finals, or further, would only be allowed to use players that had played a minimum of 45 minutes in the competition, up to that point. Putting out a team full of reserves and just giving a star player a run-out for a few minutes before the end of a match, would be insufficient.

It might stop managers playing their shadow players in matches up to the quarters, and then sending out their top teams to grab the cup glory at the end.

On the subject of the Champions League, (I know this wouldn't happen, because of the greed of the big clubs), I think the competition should revert to just the "CHAMPIONS" and nobody else. How can a team finishing 4th in their national league be classed as champions? These days, most teams just play for 4th, instead of going for the Championship.

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Originally Posted by ValMJR

Have you guys watched Bundesliga. They don't have as much money than EPL clubs but football in Germany is more skilled, entertaining and tactically clever.

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Think the Bundesliga is the most spectator friendly league in Europe, and I echo your sentiments.

EPL is poor quality - A good reason of this is because the 4th biggest league in europe is "The Championship"

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Originally Posted by July Fourth

EPL is poor quality - A good reason of this is because the 4th biggest league in europe is "The Championship"

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Have to agree there. It's so unpredictable. At the start of the season, there are always about 14-18 teams that are capable of making the play-offs at the very least. The fact that the 3 relegated clubs from the Priemiership are only mid-table shows this. Far more interesting than the Prem.

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Originally Posted by Raykco

Have to agree there. It's so unpredictable. At the start of the season, there are always about 14-18 teams that are capable of making the play-offs at the very least. The fact that the 3 relegated clubs from the Priemiership are only mid-table shows this. Far more interesting than the Prem.

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I think it most be interesting to watch if your a fan of a championship club with the ups and downs in football occuring a lot more commonly in that league, except of course Leeds who just want back in the Premier.