Has the standard of the Premier League declined?

[spitshine]

I know it's only 4 games into the new season but I'm not overly impressed with quality shown in the PL. Think there has been a general decline
over the last few seasons.

Just switched of the MOTD after the Villa game, With the goalkeeping errors Al Habsi,dropped catch by Szczęsny, Man U bored me and still they have to rely on Giggs and Scholes! Then listening to Jonathan Pearce waxing lyrical about Powell's goal where Al habsi should have saved it. The only thing to look forward too was seeing Berbatov's play. There are other examples which will come to me.
The standard of refereeing is worse, that Wellbeck penalty decision was awful, especially as the ref was up with the play.

 

[edgey-the-yid]

I know it's only 4 games into the new season but I'm not overly impressed with quality shown in the PL. Think there has been a general decline
over the last few seasons.

Just switched of the MOTD after the Villa game, With the goalkeeping errors Al Habsi,dropped catch by Szczsny, Man U bored me and still they have to rely on Giggs and Scholes! Then listening to Jonathan Pearce waxing lyrical about Powell's goal where Al habsi should have saved it. The only thing to look forward too was seeing Berbatov's play. There are other examples which will come to me.
The standard of refereeing is worse, that Wellbeck penalty decision was awful, especially as the ref was up with the play.

Wasnt this question asked last season when a few teams (ourselves included) got thumped in the opening games

 

[spitshine]

Yes, I just think it's dropped further. Have to say city did play well at the Lane last year. I know two of the examples were goalkeepers, but those mistakes were awful. Just like our ex keeper who gifted Arsenal our CL position at West brom last season.

 

[metalgear]

opening matches seems to be worse off for me, but for the past few years the every year the season just gets better for me.
perhaps the long drawn transfers that is now becoming a norm has an unsettling effect on all teams - including those selling.
last year we witnessed swansea - a bunch of nobodies playing good exciting football, and Saudi Sportswashing Machine - a team of misfits and overlooked players
and everton keeps plodding on despite their seemingly perpetual lack of talent and need to sell.

if i were to point out where the decline is i'd say its with English players...except for Hart, I don't think anyone else including Rooney were able to match their foreign compatriots i the EPL

 

[THFC6061]

I think that there are more top quality players in the Premier League now than at any time in the competition's history and on the day, any of the 20 clubs can stand a sporting chance of beating any of their rivals.

The past four seasons have all seen increases in the number of goals scored per match and the 2012-13 season has the highest goals average of any Premier League season so far.

 

[Jordinho]

The gap between the CL teams and the no hopers at the bottom seems to be growing, but everyone has their day. Especially when playing Tottenham. Good to see some of the 'artists' and 'entertainers' being spread out amongst the teams more.

 

[WookieD]

The gap between the CL teams and the no hopers at the bottom seems to be growing, but everyone has their day. Especially when playing Tottenham. Good to see some of the 'artists' and 'entertainers' being spread out amongst the teams more.

There are less and less instances of teams like Derby performing hopelessly in the EPL nowadays. If anything the standard of the lower teams is improving. In fact, having managed to rid ourselves of Bolton and Blackburn, I'd expect this season to be one of the best for football. Di Mateo has Chelsea playing the nicest looking football we have seen from them in years, Saudi Sportswashing Machine are very pleasing on the eye (Fulham are getting there too), we should eventually start playing some very expansive football and I even watched Stoke try to play football against Emirates Marketing Project yesterday. So no, I don't think the quality has dropped at all. If anything, MORE teams are trying to play football.

 

[Nutter-Naylor]

I tend to agree that the gap between teams has narrowed or at least appears so at the start of the season until injuries and suspensions kick in and squad depth has more bearing.

However if you had asked me that question during or after the SAFC v LFC game I would replied in the affirmative. Sunderland really are hideous to watch.

 

[jts1882]

opening matches seems to be worse off for me, but for the past few years the every year the season just gets better for me.
perhaps the long drawn transfers that is now becoming a norm has an unsettling effect on all teams - including those selling.

I think this explains a lot. Teams used to use the preseason for preparation, now its part of a brand awareness exercise. Teams don't know who their players will be so its hard to prepare properly and top players are excused much of the preseason due to international competitions. So the start of the season is misleading on the quality.

A few seasons ago the top four were set in stone. Now there is more uncertainty. City may seem to have replaced Liverpool but there is a realistic chance of one of Saudi Sportswashing Machine, Liverpool and us getting 4th, whereas a few seasons ago there was a large gap. Even Everton could be in the mix as they've decided to start their season at the same time as everyone else this year. Although its ominous that the top four of the table now could well be the top four at the end of the season (with a different order).

I think the argument that there are more good players in the PL and more competitive games is a good one. The only clubs that the top players leave for are the El Firm. With more better and fitter players there is less space and time, leading to mistakes by players and referees, especially early on. The pace of the game in the PL will make it look more error prone.

The pace of the game will also lead to an apparent, and possibly a real, decline of the player quality. In the past a skilful player could compensate for lack of athletic skill or lifestyle choices (smoking, drinking, etc). Now its much more difficult. A skilful player must also be an athlete and a professional. Just look at the professionalism of the two top players in the world now. So perhaps there is a little less skill as some of the less athletic and less dedicated artists can't make it any more, although I would suggest its the willingness of be a dedicated professional that is more important than not being the perfect athlete.

 

[Jurgen the German]

I've thought this for a couple of years.

For me, the standard dropped when Ronaldo left. Look at how good that United side was! Van Der Sar in goal, Vidic and Evra in their primes! Ronaldo, Tevez, Rooney!

Look at the players Arsenal had. Van Persie, Adebayor, Fabregas, Nasri, Henry.

Even we had Keane and Berbatov scoring goals for fun.

La Liga is the best league and the one I enjoy watching the most, along with the Bundesliga. People say Barca and Madrid's dominance shows how weak the rest of the league, they dominate because they are two great teams! They would do the same in this country if they were in the premier league. People always say Ronaldo wouldn't score that many goals in our league, he's already done it for christ sake! He scored 91 goals in his last 3 seasons at United and was far and away the best player in our league.

Atletico Madrid aren't even one of Spain's top 4 teams, and they wiped the floor with Chelsea! They'd do the same to most of the teams in England. Didn't Villareal get relegated last season? Couldn't see them getting relegated if they played in the prem.

 

[Spur of the moment]

Yesterday's ESPN game between Norwich and West Ham was absolutely dire. Don't remember the last time I watched so much boring head tennis.

 

[spitshine]

Also, thinking back to last season where Arsenal lost 8-2 at OT, don't think Man U were great, more the defence they were up against was inferior. Higher scoring games always ring a bell with me, you have to look at how the goals were scored. Too many easy goals being scored does nothing for quality.

 

[Spurs7891]

I feel the quality of PL have been going down gradually over the years. It looks as if anyone can beat anyone else so far this season. I think almost all the teams have been inconsistent for the past few years. The fact all the 3 promoted teams escaped relegation last season only shows the lack of quality nowadays.

 

[braineclipse]

I think there's been a slight decline at the very top, United and City last season weren't as good as the best United and Chelsea teams some years back. Although City have a ton of good players they still don't function as a team well enough to reach their potential. United aren't that far off that level though and Chelsea are putting together a squad that could be great in a few years (or sooner). Only natural for there to be some swings in quality at that level.

Rest of the league is about at the same i would say.

 

[milo]

I think that it is good that the league is more even and that most promoted teams are trying to play attacking football. The league might not have so many star players but the fact the the title, top four places and who would get relegated went down to the final game is far more exciting.

I hated it when the top four was guaranteed before a ball had been kicked and half the teams in the league played for a draw away from home.

 

[Modric THFC]

Of course it has. A not great United team nearly won it by default last year.
Compare Mancini's City team with Mourinho's Chelsea. There's only one winner there.

 

[milo]

Of course it has. A not great United team nearly won it by default last year.
Compare Mancini's City team with Mourinho's Chelsea. There's only one winner there.

I think that the big difference between Mancini's City and Mourinho's Chelsea is the managers.

 

[charlietheyid]

I dont really know about the level itself but i do know that some teams are very boring to watch.

Chelsea for example with the likes of lampard and terry we are all bored with. Check out the Chelsea from the late 90s, they were fantastic to watch, Zola, Flo, Hasselbaink, poyet they were a joy to watch.

I have had enough of watching the same United with Scholes and Giggs being there.

City are also boring to watch and liverpool cant put two passes together. Arsenal play some good stuff but the quality of the likes of Henry and Bergkamp is far away.

The promoted teams are not good enough, the likes of Norwich, Southampton are very boring to watch. But thats not the problem, theres always been some poor sides in the premierleague but nowdays they are boring to watch.

The more i think about it actually, the more i think the premierleagues level has dropped a lot and the games are really boring.

 

[SUIYHA]

You want clues that the Premier League's standard is far higher now than ever before?

This team qualified for the Champions League in 2004:

No. Position Player
1 GK Jerzy Dudek
2 DF Stéphane Henchoz
3 DF Steve Finnan
4 DF Sami Hyypiä
5 FW Milan Baroš
7 MF Harry Kewell
8 FW Emile Heskey
9 FW El Hadji Diouf
10 FW Michael Owen
11 MF Vladimír Šmicer
13 MF Danny Murphy
15 MF Salif Diao
16 MF Dietmar Hamann
17 MF Steven Gerrard
18 DF John Arne Riise
20 MF Anthony Le Tallec
21 DF Djimi Traoré
22 GK Chris Kirkland
23 DF Jamie Carragher
24 FW Florent Sinama-Pongolle
25 MF Igor Bišćan
26 MF Richie Partridge
28 DF Bruno Cheyrou
29 GK Patrice Luzi
32 MF John Welsh
33 FW Neil Mellor
34 MF Darren Potter
36 DF Jon Otsemobor
40 GK Paul Harrison



This team qualified for the Champions League in 2005


No. Position Player
1 GK Richard Wright
2 DF Steve Watson
3 DF Alessandro Pistone
4 DF Alan Stubbs
5 DF David Weir (captain)
6 MF Mikel Arteta (on loan from Real Sociedad)
7 FW Marcus Bent
8 FW James Beattie
10 FW Duncan Ferguson
11 FW James McFadden
12 MF Li Tie
14 MF Kevin Kilbane
15 DF Gary Naysmith
17 MF Tim Cahill
20 DF Joseph Yobo
21 MF Leon Osman
22 DF Tony Hibbert
23 DF Eddy Bosnar
24 MF Guillaume Plessis
25 GK Nigel Martyn
26 MF Lee Carsley
31 FW James Vaughan
32 DF Daniel Fox
33 DF Anthony Gerrard
37 GK Iain Turner



Those teams are absolute pants compared to the CL contenders of today. The Everton and Liverpool teams that came 7th and 8th last season have better squads than those two imo. You could even argue that Fulham did too and they came 9th.

Even looking at something a little more recent - this team came 7th in 2008:

No. Position Player
1 GK Brad Friedel
2 DF Andre Ooijer
3 DF Stephen Warnock
4 DF Christopher Samba
5 MF Tugay Kerimoğlu
6 DF Ryan Nelsen (captain)
7 MF Brett Emerton
8 MF Johann Vogel
9 FW Roque Santa Cruz
10 FW Benni McCarthy
11 FW David Bentley
12 MF Morten Gamst Pedersen
13 DF Zurab Khizanishvili
14 MF Steven Reid
15 MF Aaron Mokoena
16 DF Stéphane Henchoz
17 FW Maceo Rigters
18 FW Paul Gallagher
19 MF David Dunn
20 DF Bruno Berner
21 MF Sergio Peter
22 MF Keith Treacy
25 DF Andy Taylor
26 DF Eddie Nolan
27 FW Matt Derbyshire
28 DF Tony Kane
29 DF Martin Olsson
30 FW Jason Roberts
31 GK Peter Enckelman
32 GK Jason Brown
33 GK Frank Fielding
34 GK Gunnar Nielsen
35 DF Dean Winnard
36 MF Josh O'Keefe
37 MF Rostyn Griffiths
38 FW Jamie Clarke
44 FW Raffaele De Vita
45 MF Bryan Hodge


That is probably worse than the Sunderland team that came 13th and the Stoke team that came 14th last season. Probably on a par with Wigan who came 15th.

 

[Raziel]

Judging any league 4 games in is useless

Emirates Marketing Project is an extremely strong side and imo with experience will probably dominate in Europe as well.
Lower level teams have better players now, Berbs at Fulham, Ceasar at QPR, list goes on

Spanish league is a fudging mismatch, yes Barca and Madrid are great sides, but anyone below 5th/6th is cannon fodder.