I had this chat the other day, I don't think we are the best league in Europe. Look how Bilbao minced United, Villareal, relegation haunted, beat City. It's not just Madrid & Barca, Valencia, Milan, Juventus (back in CL next year) and Bayern are all capable of eating our champions. Is there a real top world star in the premier league? Debatable for me Van Persie & Silva, Aguero & Rooney. Better than Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Ronaldo, Robben, Ribery? Are they bollocks.
I think Van Persie may well be, but I'm struggling to think of another player i'd put in a world 11 who is based in the Premiership. Maybe Vidic... You just need look at the fact that Yaya Toure was only getting about 20 games a season for Barca and way behind Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta and then Mascherano on the list of CM's. He comes to Man City and is their linchpin. If they do make a breakaway European league i think some of the English teams will be shocked for a few years by how outclassed they are week-in and week-out. Long term it would even out, its all partly due to how television rights are ordered. If Man Utd could arrange their own tv rights in the manner of Barca or Real then they'd have an extra £50m or so per year i believe. That doesn't explain how so called crap teams beat our best though...
Agreed. I do go along that our league is the best to watch, intensity wise, but some of the skills on show in la liga are mind boggling. I love English football, but to say quality wise it's the worlds best, it just isn't true. The Italian league, now a whole heap less defensive, is a great watch now, although the overall standard has dropped, German games are wry close to ours.
I love the German League simply because its a real fans football league. Teams which spend within their means and have fans involved in running of clubs, stadiums packed full of supporters (far higher attendences than the premiership i believe). Basically everything the Premiership could have been if the Premiership simple didn't exist - the commercial aspects of our game are a pain. 3 years ago when Newcastle went down a part of me wanted us to go into freefall and the club to end up being sold off at a reduced rate. There was talk of a fans buy-out but the figures required were £100m+ and there was no way that was going to happen. Once that figure drops to £50m then you're only talking about £1,000 per attending fan (we get about 48,000 per week), which is alot of money but with some people willing to put in more than other it would have been theoretically viable i reckon. Maybe just a pipe-dream but sooner or later a big club (one with a sizeable fan base) is going to go bust and have the fans buy it out. I hope so anyway. If it happens they'd probably become my second team. I'd prefer to feel like i own a part of a community club in the championship or below rather than thaat i am paying money into some commercial cash-cow (or money pit).
Kompany is a good shout, though i prefer Vidic. Not many great centre backs in the league now i think about it...
I do like the Bundesliga set up, but bear in mind the massive attendances are due in part to the cities populations, as a ratio, more people per city attend English games! Poolie, Kompany in a world XI? He's cracking, but shoe in Thiago Silva, worlds best CB IMO, and then you have Chiellini, Puyol, Vidic, Sakho, Subotic, Hummels etc. He wouldn't be a straightforward pick.
Oh you missed out James "Perchino" Perch from your list MON. With the injuries to Colo and Saylor we'll be seeing alot of him in coming weeks - watch in envy. I genuinely can't think of a single midfielder in the Prem who would get in a world 11. If Essien gets back to full fitness and ability i'd have him on the bench for mine but i can't think of another - Mata, Silva, Toure, Nani, Wilshere, Nasri, Walcott, Gerrard, Lampard... nope. Summed up by the comment on MotD last night when someone said "I think he's the best winger in the league" whilst talking about... Antonio Valencia. They may be right (though on recent form McClean is better) and that's everything that needs to be said really.
personally I would go with... ---------------- Hart ---------------- Alves -- Kompany --- T.Silva - Marcelo ------ Silva ---- Xavi ---- Iniesta ---- - Robben ------ Messi ------- Ronaldo thats the team I would pick, was hard to pick a keaper I know there is some fantastic ones in Casillas, Valdes, Buffon, Cech etc. etc. but I think Hart is fantastic and is only a young lad as well, think he is going to be a top keaper for many years. many a good player not in that such as Lahm, Sweinsteiger, De Rossi, Yaya Toure, Vidic, Puyol, Pique, Fabregas, Van Persie, Rooney etc. etc.
I think Silva would get in on top form, and then I think Robben, Sneider, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi..... I could go on! One of the players that has most impressed me this season has been Kevin Prince Boateng at Milan. I rated him at Pompey, but when I see him now, he has gone so far forward, it's stunning. He drives the whole team on, a team with Silva, Nesta, Ibra, Pato, Robinho etc, staggering development at Milan.
I'd have Hart as well Poolie, I think he's got it all. I'd swap Kompany for Hummels (unbelievably flawless!) and Silva for an on form Ribery. Schweinsteiger and De Rossi are hard to ignore!
I think you could do with Hoilett, Taarabt if Sess leaves, and possibly Cisse. You'll have a lot of competition though, apart from Cisse
I#d definately have Schweinsteiger in the middle with Xavi and Inesta either side of him. Then i'd have Van Persie up front with Ronaldo and Messi off him in free roaming roles. My defence and keeper would be pretty much identical though I'd probably have vidic in for Kompany, i haven't seen alot of Hummels. Alves isn't my favourite to be honest but i'm not struggling to think of anyone better... It was like 8 years ago someone asking you to name a better right-back than Gary Neville. You were sure there must have been one but struggled to justify one!
Oh and i'm totally biased but i think Krul may be a world-class keeper in the next few years. Not at Newcastle most likely.
Yeah, I thought 'Alves out' , but then drew a blank! Sergio Ramos? Better defender, but not better footballer, and has played CB a bit more. Lahm, often at left back. A great right back is Anthony Revelliere, Lyon and France, brilliant player, but ageing. Maicon?
He will be, with Vorm and Stekelenburg to compete with, he'll be driven to get better. Stekelenburg would be my pick after Hart, although Neuer put in the best run of displays I've seen in te CL last season.
