The London Banter Thread

Hi Watford, hope your all good.

I've had dogs abuse for saying this on the Spurs board but I'll say it hear...

The quality of the Premier League has been in decline since 2010. Chelsea's double winning side was the last great team to win it, the rest have just been very good.

That's the main reason why I'm reluctant to write Arsenal off. This isn't a special Arsenal team by any means but does it really have to be, even with injuries?

If the competition was as feeble as this for 02-04 Arsenal, 04/06 Chelsea or 07-09 United then they'd be laughing. I honestly can't remember a time where English football has been so weak, both the international team and top flight are laughably bad.

 

I didn't think they allowed any abuse on the spurs board ?

 

Yeah they do, they like to abuse guests but hate it coming back.

 

All good mate, hope you're well.

I agree. Far too many teams with the sole aim of finishing 17th has worsened the general level. Seems like teams are getting more defensive too, including some of the top sides. I wouldn't say it's laughably bad, however. The supposed big three may not be as good as top sides in years gone by but the chasing pack, Pool, Arsenal and Spurs are probably better than the 4th, 5th and 6th teams in previous years.

Still can't see Arsenal winning the thing unless they are very lucky with injuries and even then you're relying on Szczesny in goal who's not in the class of the other teams' keepers.

 

I agree with that but Southampton and Swansea etc are doing well to compete given the vast sums of money (unfairly) pumped into the top four by sponsors and UEFA's money.

When you look at the last two West Ham sides that have gone down it beggars belief that Sunderland and Villa are STILL in the Premier League.

There's now a group of six teams that will dominate, three or four other decent sides outside that and then the rest of the league is made up of relegation candidates happy to come 17th. Bad for the league IMO.

 

I agree... BUT... towards the lower end of the table, it's getting better imo. Compare the Sunderland that went down with next to no points! Derby with their record. A pathetic display from Wolves... Now I can't pick who will go down. Could be anyone. It's starting to even itself out more and more. I know there isn't one team that will run away with it this season... It will be incredibly close. But the quality still ain't bad and it could lead to very exciting seasons.

You can see it already... Everyone apart from the two scouse teams has lost. Would be unheard of that after 4 games a few years ago

 

I disagree, back in the day you had 1/2 awful teams but the rest all had quality.

Sunderland, Fulham, Cardiff, Hull and Palace will realistically not finish any higher than 11th. I can remember teams like Ipswich, Portsmouth, Sunderland and Wigan giving it a real good do and making an impact in the league despite being newly promoted sides.

Whilst the money gap between the Premier League and Championship is widening, I'm not so sure that's reflected by the overall quality of the league.

Wolves went down to League 1, Bolton are now bottom of the Championship, Blackburn only just avoided the same fate as Wolves and will struggle this season.

People used to mock Birmingham, WBA and West Ham for being yo-yo clubs but I'll tell you what, that was a sign that the gulf in quality between the PL and the rest was huge. Now there's no longer that gap and QPR look the only team likely to come straight back up but they should never have gone down anyway and only went down due to mismanagement not quality.

 

Totally agree. You only have to look at some of the signing made by the lower clubs too. Southampton and Norwich both signed players we were strongly linked with just last summer. that would not have happened in the past. It makes the league way better for it.

 

Exactly... Southampton signing Lovren, Wanyama and Osvaldo. Swansea signing Wilfried Bony. Norwich signing Van Wolfswinkel, Hooper, Fer and Redmond. Cardiff signing Medel and Cornelius. Sunderland with Giaccherini and the rest... They are some incredible signings for lower league clubs (granted Swansea are mid table). Makes the league better for it as you say and poses questions of the better teams in the league. No game is easy anymore. Be it away to Cardiff or away to Palace as Man City and Sunderland both found out.

 

Don't agree, DL. Derby, Sunderland, Watford, Bradford all had dreadful sides.

That awful Liverpool side coming fifth with 58 points and Everton, 61 points in 2005.

Liverpool second 01/2!

 

I think that was a sign of how competitive the league was though. There were no free rides or easy games and as a result of that English clubs excelled in Europe.

Whilst La Liga has been (rightly) slated, there is quality outside the big two as Bilbao, Valencia, Malaga, Atletico & Madrid have all proved and it's more of a case of Real/Barca being that much better than everybody else being poorer as is the case in the Premier League.

 

Surely derby, 11 points, Sunderland 15 and 19, Bradford and watford were free rides, more than any sides now

 

I see Spuddlings are selling tickets for Hull at 4 for 40 or 10 a ticket.
What i don't get is why they need to do that with such a massive season ticket waiting list.

 

Advertising on talk sport!!

 

Must be a hoax last year it was £10 each or £70 for four.

 

I figured out why they have tickets left......they are duller than watching paint dry.

 

Jol and Redknapp's teams were always entertaining to watch win or lose. It's not great stuff at all, tiki taka without the end product.

 

A number of their fans seem to agree but then there is the lunatic fringe who are trying to say it's 'efficient'. Boring is the word.

 

AVB = Jose-lite

 

The tickets were reduced for the Capital One Cup & thursday cup games with the 4 for £40 aimed at families ie 2 adults & 2 kids.

Don't all clubs, bar Utd, reduce prices for the early rounds of the cups?

And, to be honest, who in their right mind would lump out £44 + to see some of the crap ties in the Thursday cup!

Plus as a couple of you have said, the football on offer hasn't been that entertaining recently, I've only missed the 2 away games in Europe so far and apart from the Norwich game and the 1st half against you lot, it's been dull to watch!