Messi should move to England. It would prove once and for all that he's overrated. A great player, but his 40 goal seasons are not because he is a god, but merely playing in an overstrong team in a league with too many weak links. Or it would prove me wrong. But I doubt it.
I think it's the one thing that C. Ronaldo has over Messi. Ronaldo was a tornado in the PL, mainly because his style suited the league. I think Messi could be successful, but I also think he could produce displays like he does at World Cups.
We just don't know but are the likes of Newcastle any better than Granada or Las Palmas, two teams at the bottom end of La Liga. Also there were 6 La Liga teams compared with 2 PL teams, in the last 8 of both European competitions. 3 definitely in the last 4 and may be 4 if Villareal do the business. No doubt I will have to hand all my Spurs memorabilia over to FLT if Sparta win!! Whereas the PL is bunched in the middle, La Liga is spread out with regard the points. For example the great Athletic are on 47 points, 6 ahead of the next team. But they are 30 points adrift of Barca.
I think it is a fruitless waste of time comparing the Premier League to La Liga. It's not about how many Spanish teams are left in European competition compared to English. It's about competition within either league. La Liga is uncompetitive because just a few teams hoover up all the money. Real and Barca especially. Gary Lineker explained La Liga rather well in that he said that all the Spanish teams pretty much play the same way and Barca [Real and perhaps Athletic] are far and away the best at it. Barca especially, so they lose very rarely indeed. I would suggest that La Liga is a thoroughly good training session for the likes of those top few, there is so much distance between them and the rump of La Liga. The Premier League, on the other hand, is starting to share an enormous amount of money out. It's been getting bigger and bigger and next season it will be the biggest yet. So big that Real and Barca, etc.. are properly scared of being left behind, especially as new La Liga rules are going to make sure that league's money is more evenly shared. That can only be good for La Liga. It may mean that Barca, Real, etc... may make a slow decline in European competition for a while, but competition is only really valid when it is closer to being even. But hopefully, to answer your initial comparison, why do PL teams not clean up in Europe when they have most of the money? Well compared to Barca and Real's income, they aren't any better off currently. That's possibly going to change as Barca and Real's income goes down and PL clubs' income goes up. In the Europa League, other factors come into play. Lower order La Liga teams are high quality and can compete with, and beat, comparable teams from other leagues. They're just miles away from their own league's top few. Our PL middle clubs are much closer to our top clubs, and they're going to get closer still with the new money. That may mean that English clubs start to dominate Europa. Who knows? Good fun though.
If they win the EL, and therefore qualify for the CL, then they can be ignored in terms of who gets the two (or three, depending on FA Cup winner) EL places through league placings.
Nope. Five sides would qualify for the CL. Only if the EL winner and the CL winner finished outside the top four, would 4th place be demoted to the EL.
Michael Owen on BT Sport saying he's been very impressed by Liverpool since the second Dortmund goal went in. As the Away side, I've been really impressed by Dortmund. Speedy, pressing, efficient and accurate, so far.
