Premier v La Liga

[ManchesterCanary 0]

I acknowledge we are doing much better than expected in the Premier but do people believe the overall standard is dropping?I note Athletic Bilbao are in a similar position to us in La Liga yet they looked fantastic against Man Utd home and away and played them off the park with skill and speed.I think the current top four in the Premier are good but even they would struggle to get in the top 4 in La Liga. There is not really that much to choose between the rest in the Premier League, including us. Wigan outplayed Chelsea at times yesterday and are a good footballing side yet look where they are.Anyone have ideas where it is going wrong for the Premier League? Some of the games (i.e. Stoke v Wolves) are dross.On a positive note I am sure NCFC can progress next year but its such a thin line between success and failure in this league cos everyone but the top 4 are similar.

[Canarino 0]

I think the division-within-a division in the Prem is becoming more and more of an issue. However, we still get some surprises, as we''ve seen recently with QPR''s giant-killing success. However, this season is at least a little more exciting, with very close competition both at the top and the bottom of the table.La Liga - it''s amazing that the team which has a player who''s scored 60 goals already this season isn''t even in top place!

["""""""""Ben """"""""""" 0]

I don''t think the overall standard has dropped, but the quality of defending definitely has. Tons of goals in games involving the big teams this year as they are going for it against each other and everyone else is just playing without fear.

In regard to Bilbao beating United I think that''s just mainly down to Man Utd being shocking in Europe this season due to poor defending and inexperienced line ups. Yes, Bilbao were good against them but United made them looking better then they actually are, and you have to question how much many United really wanted to progress in the Europa League.

As for Wigan, you are always going to get shock results and teams down the bottom really going for it at this time of the season. This has happened most seasons in the Premier League, for example West Ham beating Man Utd at Old Trafford a few seasons ago.

[Gingerpele 0]

European games this season have shown some of the English sides to look poor. I think they are just not taking it as seriously as they should. I will admit I didn''t watch any of the Manchesters games in the Champions League or Europa league this season, but even when not playing ''weak teams'' it just seems like they never really hit top gear.

Its impossible to compare leagues directly, based on ability anyway. Generally, and I could be wrong, but I''m fairly sure most seasons recently more English teams reach the quarter/semi finals of the Champions League. There has often been an English team in the final, even been an all English final.

Based on the ability of players in league games, the cost of those players, and things like that, I''d still say the overall quality of the premiership is higher.

I think its a case of La Liga improving to be honest, maybe even footballers in general. The game is ever changing and I think its easier to see quality in a lot of players that 10 years ago would have been seen as rubbish. Teams like Bilbao, they have a few players that might do very well in the ''big teams'' but I think almost like us, the probably have a good manager who knows how to build a team/squad and plays good football and does pretty well with the resources available.

None of our players, two years ago, would have been thought to be in a team competing in mid table of the premiership. And I think that applies to a lot of players, which is making the overall quality of other leagues better.

[Aggy 752]

It''s a difficult one to pin down. Bear in mind that Chelsea are right down in 5th, yet are in the semi final of the Champions League. I don''t know if it''s that the English teams didn''t take it seriously enough, I think a few things combined - injuries at various points, bad form, just the nature of European tournaments where you only have to have one or two off games and you''re out, whereas over the course of a whole season one or two off games get absorbed into your other results and are far less definitive.

I think at the very top, we aren''t as good as La Liga. Barca and Real are, for me, far, far superior to anything in this division, and even Bayern are probably up there too, despite a bit of defensive frailty (and when you look at how young their back line is when it consists of Badstuber, Boateng and Alaba, and even Lahm is only 27 or so, I think they are only going to improve and are the most likely, at the moment, side in Europe to challenge Barca or Real for any length of time).

Barca''s work ethic is talked about almost as much as the flair side of their game, the likes of Athletic and Napoli - even the weaker sides like Basel - also worked their way to successful results against English sides. Did any of those have better squads on paper than the English teams? I don''t think so to be honest, but they worked harder and wanted it more.

[Reggie Strayshun 0]

Always difficult to make a value judgement on quality by just using CL and Europa league results/progress. Apoel Nicosia got further than both the Manc clubs (and as far as Arsenal) this year, but does that make the standard in Cyprus on a par with England ? also, on nine out of ten meetings , MoanUre or Citeh would murder Apoel !

 

As regards the original question, there''s no doubt in my mind that, at the very top La Liga is progressing much faster than the Prem, but for example, one of the recent leading lights there , Villareal, are in a desperate struggle against relegation, and I''m sure that teams like QPR, Wigan and Blackburn are more competent than the bottom pack in Spain.