Did Barca prove that the Premiership is a week League

[gmloki]

Jus wondered what peoples thoughts were on the Premiership in light of Barca going through last night. The often self procalimed "best league in the world" might not actually have any teams in the quater finals of the Champions League.

It's fair to say that Chelsea are head and shoulders are pretty much above everyone else at the moment in the prermiership. What does that say about the Premier League if the team who are "best" can't make it to the quater finals ??

It can be argued that the Special One isnt that special and he got his tactics completely wrong over the two legs. Granted they had a player sent off but to be fair Chelsea had the best part of one and a half games to win it after the sending off

I don't think any league can boast a really strong all round league. However there are a core of 4-5 good teams in Spain, Italy and England and maybe two to three good teams in Holland, Germany etc. I just don't place the Premiership at the top of that list

Discuss

 

[Calaen]

Chelsea still have a way to go tbh, being a great team in your own league is one thing but having a style of play that is suited to so called european football is another. I think the biggest problem with English clubs i that when it comes to europe they always change there formation to counter or suite the other team. Just go out and do what you do.

In europe Chelsea's lack of quality forwards is magnified. Drogba had a cheek to say he is better than Eto he should never have been on the same pitch as him. Crespo should have started and probably Gudjohnson aswell. Lampard is only effective if the forwards can hold the ball up and create some problems for the opposition defence. That did not happen last night.

I expect Arsenal and Liverpool to go through tonight though. Mourinho is to big for his boots, look back a fwe years ago when United were dominating, Teams and fans hated them and wanted to beat them because they were so good, but they always had respect for the club and the manager. Mourinho has turned that inside out and now everyone wants them to get beat just to listen to him whine and complain.

After last nights match he said over 4 games we have never lost to Barcelona when we have had 11 men on the pitch. That means dick all right now because Barcelona are through. You probably seen the Goal last night he bounced off arguably Englands best Centre half, most players would have went down he did not, when you play against players of his ability there is always a chance someone is going to take him out because he is just so damn good.

Anyway we still rock

 

[Draylor]

Its not a week league, the season runs for many months, with teams often playing more than once a week.

 

[JingleBells]

Chelsea's tactics on the night were screwed, Lampard doesn't play well if he is forced to play as defensive as he did, Drogba is just shite (2 weeks ago we were joking about his "better than Eto'o" statement when lo and be hold, eto'o scored ), and Robben didn't look comfortable having to go through the middle. What's wrong with 4-4-2! (Apart from the fact Chelsea lack strikers, watching Huth up front is just funny).

As for a weak league, I don't think so, separating the English/Spanish/Italian leagues is tough, and the german league shouldn't be discounted, they average more goals per game than the big three leagues apparently. In the 2001/2002 season, no Italian sides reached the quarter finals, last season no Spanish sides reached the quarter finals, these things happen.

TBH, I hope there are no English sides left in the champions league, would save players like Gerrard from picking up unnecessary injuries before the world cup, and from Arsenal being able to repeat what Liverpool did last year, and win from 5th, taking away our 4th place

 

[Bubble]

The Premiership is a pretty strong league, name one thats stronger than it? spanish league? Sure if you look a Barca and Madrid, but thats about it, Serie A? not anymore. For the last 2 years, we had at least 2 teams in the semi finals (3 last year?)
if you looked at the first leg, Chelsea weren't outplayed while they had 11 men, they lost a defender which screwed there ability to take the offence.

As for the 1:1 draw away, thats a pretty good result for chelsea, shame they were screwed over on the first leg.

 

[Nedo]

Never really liked Chelsea as club due to the fact that buying 20 players did not change the boring way they play football as soon as the opponent is even semigood.

Still think Premiership is a good league. Maybe to good for the top teams to compete in CL every year (to many high quality teams make to many hard matches make tired players and so on) .

 

[Calaen]

The Premiership is a pretty strong league, name one thats stronger than it? spanish league? Sure if you look a Barca and Madrid, but thats about it, Serie A? not anymore. For the last 2 years, we had at least 2 teams in the semi finals (3 last year?)
if you looked at the first leg, Chelsea weren't outplayed while they had 11 men, they lost a defender which screwed there ability to take the offence.

As for the 1:1 draw away, thats a pretty good result for chelsea, shame they were screwed over on the first leg.

You could also say though that the penalty decision was very harsh on Barcelona. which gave mourinho something to take away which was the had not been defeated. With regards to your comments on the other leagues, Villareal are through to the next round, Betis beat Chelsea in the group stages and played well against Liverpool.

What you are seeing is a competition where each country has alot more teams in than it should which increases the opportunity for an upset. You still would not be wanting to meet AC milan or Juventus. In all the top leagues in europe you can see teams that you would not normally here of pushing for champions league/uefa cup spots. 2 weeks ago I watched Barcelona get destroyed off Athletico Madrid. But it in the big games you need your big players to stand up and be counted. none of Barcelona's players cowered away, where as alot of Chelsea stars went missing. You cannot afford that over 2 legs of football.

 

[Bubble]

It was harsh yeah

Some years you get 3 Italian teams, all 3 leagues are very strong, the last few years the Premiership has been pretty strong, when it had 3 teams in the semi finals, you gotta admit thats strong by any standards and they were justifed saying its a strong league by the results.