Premiere League & World Soccer Thread

#4,904
#4,904
USA, USA, USA. Sorry, I mean Leeds are looking pretty good up by 2 on Man U
 
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#4,905
#4,905
Still 2nd half to go, but Leeds with the interim manager bounce? They’ve looked lively. Adams and McKennie in midfield have been holding their own albeit Man United doesn’t have Casemiro and Erikson.
 
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#4,908
#4,908
Read some of the details on this. 60-80 teams, no permanent teams in the matrix, multiple divisions, and minimum of 14 games per team in a contest. Good luck with all of that…

 
#4,909
#4,909
Nash_Vol97 said:
Read some of the details on this. 60-80 teams, no permanent teams in the matrix, multiple divisions, and minimum of 14 games per team in a contest. Good luck with all of that…

Click to expand...


Literally no fans want this and as a Liverpool fan I would hate if they were involved...
 
#4,911
#4,911
Through_The_T said:
Literally no fans want this and as a Liverpool fan I would hate if they were involved...
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The weird part is, it’s mainly despised in English football. Read through a bunch of tweets about it and English football fans were sternly against, as am I, but fans of other leagues were fairly pro for it or mixed. I think the recent dominant trend of spending in world football by English clubs propels their thoughts on that a bit. Clubs in Italy, Spain, etc. all need more money. Which is why it’s being pushed by Juventus, Real Madrid, Barcelona, etc. Madrid is kind of the exception there as money isn’t as much an issue for them though.

In the end, I don’t think it gets off the ground without English clubs support, and thankfully we all know that support isn’t coming after the backlash from last time.
 
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#4,912
#4,912
Nash_Vol97 said:
The weird part is, it’s mainly despised in English football. Read through a bunch of tweets about it and English football fans were sternly against, as am I, but fans of other leagues were fairly pro for it or mixed. I think the recent dominant trend of spending in world football by English clubs propels their thoughts on that a bit. Clubs in Italy, Spain, etc. all need more money. Which is why it’s being pushed by Juventus, Real Madrid, Barcelona, etc. Madrid is kind of the exception there as money isn’t as much an issue for them though.

In the end, I don’t think it gets off the ground without English clubs support, and thankfully we all know that support isn’t coming after the backlash from last time.
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This. It’s all about the money. The rest of the European leagues are so far behind on TV deal revenue and such they will need years to catch up.

Though they do kind of have a valid point or 2, it is hard to believe that a newly promoted team like Southampton are able to outspend and out bid Champions League regulars for a player. Or the fact that 1 PL team outspent all of the other ‘Big 5’ combined in the January window is a hard pill to swallow for them. The rest of Europe is in danger of becoming a feeder league for the PL as it stands in their eyes.

Many pundits claim that there is currently a Super League in place. It’s called the Premier League. I won’t call it that just yet until they roll off like 8 Champions League titles in a row where both teams in the final are from the EPL.
 
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#4,913
#4,913
C/O said:
This. It’s all about the money. The rest of the European leagues are so far behind on TV deal revenue and such they will need years to catch up.

Though they do kind of have a valid point or 2, it is hard to believe that a newly promoted team like Southampton are able to outspend and out bid Champions League regulars for a player. Or the fact that 1 PL team outspent all of the other ‘Big 5’ combined in the January window is a hard pill to swallow for them. The rest of Europe is in danger of becoming a feeder league for the PL as it stands in their eyes.

Many pundits claim that there is currently a Super League in place. It’s called the Premier League. I won’t call it that just yet until they roll off like 8 Champions League titles in a row where both teams in the final are from the EPL.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I wouldn’t go as far to say EPL is the Super League either. 3 wins out of the last 10 CL when La Liga has won 6 out of the last 10. It may be trending that way.. EPL has won 2 of the last 4, but until they rattle off some more I’m not saying it.

I think what really needs to happen, outside of revenue from TV contracts for the other leagues because that’s something they have to get themselves, is altering the CL some. Bringing in more teams broadens the amount of money being spread around Europe, but at the same the payouts get a bit smaller to spread to more teams. Does Europa need to expand? Does the new Europa Conference League help? Lots of questions but altering the current format of the CL is the better go then creating a breakaway league.
 
#4,914
#4,914
Nash_Vol97 said:
The weird part is, it’s mainly despised in English football. Read through a bunch of tweets about it and English football fans were sternly against, as am I, but fans of other leagues were fairly pro for it or mixed. I think the recent dominant trend of spending in world football by English clubs propels their thoughts on that a bit. Clubs in Italy, Spain, etc. all need more money. Which is why it’s being pushed by Juventus, Real Madrid, Barcelona, etc. Madrid is kind of the exception there as money isn’t as much an issue for them though.

In the end, I don’t think it gets off the ground without English clubs support, and thankfully we all know that support isn’t coming after the backlash from last time.
Click to expand...
C/O said:
This. It’s all about the money. The rest of the European leagues are so far behind on TV deal revenue and such they will need years to catch up.

Though they do kind of have a valid point or 2, it is hard to believe that a newly promoted team like Southampton are able to outspend and out bid Champions League regulars for a player. Or the fact that 1 PL team outspent all of the other ‘Big 5’ combined in the January window is a hard pill to swallow for them. The rest of Europe is in danger of becoming a feeder league for the PL as it stands in their eyes.

Many pundits claim that there is currently a Super League in place. It’s called the Premier League. I won’t call it that just yet until they roll off like 8 Champions League titles in a row where both teams in the final are from the EPL.
Click to expand...
ED5F3CEA-EC53-4A79-88B9-31C76FC8596F.jpeg
 
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#4,916
#4,916
Nash_Vol97 said:
😬

Boehlys spending won’t keep up. Dramatic overhaul window where he probably went a little more than he originally planned because the loophole will close in the summer. Spend it while the loophole is open. Speaking of that:

This is why the amortization loophole was so exploited by Boehly ->

View attachment 535439
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And my personal thought on the spending is I hope it doesn’t keep up. Love the signings but regardless.. it’s still a lot of risk on the contract side. They are much smarter than me and have it all planned out, but even the best plans can go downhill fast.
 
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#4,917
#4,917
Nash_Vol97 said:
Agreed. I wouldn’t go as far to say EPL is the Super League either. 3 wins out of the last 10 CL when La Liga has won 6 out of the last 10. It may be trending that way.. EPL has won 2 of the last 4, but until they rattle off some more I’m not saying it.
Click to expand...
But CL success isn’t necessarily the best metric. City have been pretty unquestionably the best team in the world for about five years now and have yet to actually win it. Between the random draws, and the one-off final, it’s just too much of a crapshoot. Sure, the La Liga teams can put out a squad that on a given day is capable of beating City, but as we’ve discussed in here before, City are probably capable of fielding two world-class staring XI’s. The teams on the continent lack the squad depth to be able to compete as well in a long-haul, round robin competition with the best English teams.
 
#4,918
#4,918
bleedorange0037 said:
But CL success isn’t necessarily the best metric. City have been pretty unquestionably the best team in the world for about five years now and have yet to actually win it. Between the random draws, and the one-off final, it’s just too much of a crapshoot. Sure, the La Liga teams can put out a squad that on a given day is capable of beating City, but as we’ve discussed in here before, City are probably capable of fielding two world-class staring XI’s. The teams on the continent lack the squad depth to be able to compete as well in a long-haul, round robin competition with the best English teams.
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I’m certainly not arguing that the best league in the world isn’t the PL at the moment, I’m just saying the PL isn’t the “Super League/Champions League”. I think the conversation you wade into here goes into that thought of “can you be considered the best team in the world if you don’t win the ultimate prize?” I struggle with this thought honestly. It’s like March Madness when a team that has all of the tools to be great underachieves or doesn’t dominate all year and then gets hot and goes on a tourney run to win.. are they the “best” team? It’s debatable, but that tournament actually is a crapshoot. CL I don’t consider in that same category personally. I think the CL is a bit different in that it’s a year long tournament. Sure, there are unlucky draws, etc. but until the final you get to play everyone twice. You have 6 games to get out of your group and as a top team in that group it’s not like you have an uphill grind to do it. You do have to be in form in the beginning, middle and end of the tournament, but that doesn’t mean that the “best” team will win. It is the only real way to measure the best club team in the world at the moment though.
 
#4,919
#4,919
Nash_Vol97 said:
I’m certainly not arguing that the best league in the world isn’t the PL at the moment, I’m just saying the PL isn’t the “Super League/Champions League”. I think the conversation you wade into here goes into that thought of “can you be considered the best team in the world if you don’t win the ultimate prize?” I struggle with this thought honestly. It’s like March Madness when a team that has all of the tools to be great underachieves or doesn’t dominate all year and then gets hot and goes on a tourney run to win.. are they the “best” team? It’s debatable, but that tournament actually is a crapshoot. CL I don’t consider in that same category personally. I think the CL is a bit different in that it’s a year long tournament. Sure, there are unlucky draws, etc. but until the final you get to play everyone twice. You have 6 games to get out of your group and as a top team in that group it’s not like you have an uphill grind to do it. You do have to be in form in the beginning, middle and end of the tournament, but that doesn’t mean that the “best” team will win. It is the only real way to measure the best club team in the world at the moment though.
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But what really IS the ultimate prize? It probably depends from club to club and year to year. I’m sure right now, having won 4 of the past 5 PL titles, but never having won the CL, City fans would say for this season, it’s the CL for them. But, three years ago, I doubt their was a single Liverpool fan who given the choice, would have rather been Champions of Europe than Champions of England. Winning the CL may have the most prestige, but winning the PL is undoubtedly the more impressive accomplishment IMO.

That mindset may be limited to England though. Obviously for clubs like Bayern and PSG who win their leagues without getting out of second gear most years, it’s the CL. Less certain about Spain and Italy where there are at least 2-3 teams capable of winning every season.
 
#4,920
#4,920
bleedorange0037 said:
But what really IS the ultimate prize? It probably depends from club to club and year to year. I’m sure right now, having won 4 of the past 5 PL titles, but never having won the CL, City fans would say for this season, it’s the CL for them. But, three years ago, I doubt their was a single Liverpool fan who given the choice, would have rather been Champions of Europe than Champions of England. Winning the CL may have the most prestige, but winning the PL is undoubtedly the more impressive accomplishment IMO.

That mindset may be limited to England though. Obviously for clubs like Bayern and PSG who win their leagues without getting out of second gear most years, it’s the CL. Less certain about Spain and Italy where there are at least 2-3 teams capable of winning every season.
Click to expand...

I’d say CL is the ultimate prize but concede that the view of that can vary club to club, fan to fan, and country to country. I can definitely see English fans valuing PL more than CL, but also feel like that view is more varied at certain clubs than others for sure.
 
#4,921
#4,921
I was listening to a Benfica podcast earlier today and they talked about a similar topic (how they look without Enzo nationally and Euro). They measure their success largely with how they stack up against European competition. Benfica are pretty much an odds on favorite to be top 2-3 in their league every year and make it to the CL. Anything less than 1-2 in their league and a quarterfinal appearance in the CL is often viewed poorly by them. Then I got to thinking about the Portuguese girl I dated in undergrad that was a huge Benfica fan and introduced me to what an actual passionate football fan really was and I became sad. Man could she cook. Zonia, if you read this, message me.
 
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#4,922
#4,922
C/O said:
I was listening to a Benfica podcast earlier today and they talked about a similar topic (how they look without Enzo nationally and Euro). They measure their success largely with how they stack up against European competition. Benfica are pretty much an odds on favorite to be top 2-3 in their league every year and make it to the CL. Anything less than 1-2 in their league and a quarterfinal appearance in the CL is often viewed poorly by them. Then I got to thinking about the Portuguese girl I dated in undergrad that was a huge Benfica fan and introduced me to what an actual passionate football fan really was and I became sad. Man could she cook. Zonia, if you read this, message me.
Click to expand...

Haha.

I dated ~ and blew it - a girl from Barcelona that was a passionate Barca fan.
 
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#4,923
#4,923
C/O said:
I was listening to a Benfica podcast earlier today and they talked about a similar topic (how they look without Enzo nationally and Euro). They measure their success largely with how they stack up against European competition. Benfica are pretty much an odds on favorite to be top 2-3 in their league every year and make it to the CL. Anything less than 1-2 in their league and a quarterfinal appearance in the CL is often viewed poorly by them. Then I got to thinking about the Portuguese girl I dated in undergrad that was a huge Benfica fan and introduced me to what an actual passionate football fan really was and I became sad. Man could she cook. Zonia, if you read this, message me.
Click to expand...

😆

It’s amazing the transfer business that Benfica do and academy players that they turn out. They’ve done a lot more deals than just the 4 I’m mentioning but they made almost €400M on just Felix, Dias, Nunez and Enzo alone. Dias and Felix were almost €200 just the two of them because they came through the Benfica academy. I was reading this article right around the time Chelsea was in talks for Enzo and it’s a great read. They are a well oiled machine.

From Bernardo Silva to Joao Felix: How Benfica made €900m from their academy stars | Goal.com
 
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#4,924
#4,924
C/O said:
I was listening to a Benfica podcast earlier today and they talked about a similar topic (how they look without Enzo nationally and Euro). They measure their success largely with how they stack up against European competition. Benfica are pretty much an odds on favorite to be top 2-3 in their league every year and make it to the CL. Anything less than 1-2 in their league and a quarterfinal appearance in the CL is often viewed poorly by them. Then I got to thinking about the Portuguese girl I dated in undergrad that was a huge Benfica fan and introduced me to what an actual passionate football fan really was and I became sad. Man could she cook. Zonia, if you read this, message me.
Click to expand...
This whole debate is probably really somewhat similar to how I view UT football. At this point, outright winning the SEC one year would probably mean just as much if not in some ways more than winning the CFBP. It would mean over a three month stretch, we were the best team, in the best conference in the country and gotten the best of all our annual, regional rivals. Honestly, I’m not nearly as interested in how we stack up against the Ohio State’s, USC’s, etc. as I am with Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.

Having those local bragging rights over people you live and work around mean a lot. I would imagine, for example, most Man U fans are more concerned with how they measure up to their cross town rivals than Real Madrid or Bayern.

Clemson fans however, probably have a more Benfica-esque mindset. They’re expected to basically stroll through the ACC each year, and probably don’t really start measuring success until the playoffs start.
 
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