Is Premier League Boring?

[chrismpw]

I can’t help thinking that all the people saying ‘I never watch any games at all these days which proves it’s boring’ aren’t really in the best place to know whether that’s true or not…

But you surely have to question why previously avid followers of the game, who could once name most first team players in the league, have been turned off. I would struggle to list the prem teams today, let alone their players. And when I dip in and watch a bit of a game in hope, it generally just verifies my previous choice to bin it.

Stat driven, safe, slow posession football, easy passes among the back 4 or 5 ad nauseum. All the best players in the top few teams, based on outside money; predictable outcomes; mercenaries with no ties with the team other than exorbitant wages. Yawn.

 

[chrismpw]

Agree and disagree. There is a difference between honest mistakes and blatant corruption. Clattenburgs mistakes in derby game, weren't honest mistakes, they all favoured RS. I witnessed plenty of bad refereeing decisions before VAR, but they were honest mistakes. VAR has just allowed blatant corruption and match fixing in Premier League. Ref against United was deliberately shown wrong angle of challenge. Haaland was only booked for putting ridiculous challenge from behind in Mykolenko, Allan got sent off for a challenge that wasn't dangerous at all. Not 1 Palace player wanted DCL sent off, yet VAR decided it was a sending off. Had we not been given penalty before VAR for Rodri handball, I would of just shrugged my shoulders and said "maybe ref didn't see it". He just didn't want to give pen, couldn't be bothered looking at monitor and listened to unaccountable VAR officials. VAR hasn't improved anything, refs are still not making right decisions. So what's the point in it? Plus VAR has ruined enjoyment of goals such as Tarkowskis goal against RS, because it had to be looked at for 5 minutes. If linesmen and ref didn't blow up for an offside or foul what was the need to look at VAR?

Nailed.

 

[Lanolin]

But you surely have to question why previously avid followers of the game, who could once name most first team players in the league, have been turned off. I would struggle to list the prem teams today, let alone their players. And when I dip in and watch a bit of a game in hope, it generally just verifies my previous choice to bin it.

Stat driven, safe, slow posession football, easy passes among the back 4 or 5 ad nauseum. All the best players in the top few teams, based on outside money; predictable outcomes; mercenaries with no ties with the team other than exorbitant wages. Yawn.

Not really. There are loads of reasons for that. I used to be able to name all the players, and all the grounds, and tell you who was top of different European leagues etc etc. the fact that I can’t do that now is nothing to do with the league being boring and everything to do with me now having an actual life. My nephew can now do all the things I used to be able to do, almost as if it’s just a bit of a rite of passage at a certain stage in your life and not something that you continue with forever.

 

[Charro]

But you surely have to question why previously avid followers of the game, who could once name most first team players in the league, have been turned off. I would struggle to list the prem teams today, let alone their players. And when I dip in and watch a bit of a game in hope, it generally just verifies my previous choice to bin it.

Stat driven, safe, slow posession football, easy passes among the back 4 or 5 ad nauseum. All the best players in the top few teams, based on outside money; predictable outcomes; mercenaries with no ties with the team other than exorbitant wages. Yawn.

That’s simply because people grow up and prioritise other things in their life.

I think that’s what this thread is mostly about.

Everybody has grown up and has other things going on in their life.

Also, people think everything was better in their formative years.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

I've stopped watching Premier League games that don't include Everton.

I've watched more Championship games this season.

 

[MACCA75]

That’s simply because people grow up and prioritise other things in their life.

I think that’s what this thread is mostly about.

Everybody has grown up and has other things going on in their life.

Also, people think everything was better in their formative years.

Exactly this. They have made themselves believe that Scott Gemill or Gareth Farrelly were better players than Idrissa Gueye.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

It's also become over sanitised, product driven.

I mean, this is the Premier League's Instagram account;

Sprinkle in VAR, countries owning football clubs and self preservation/agenda driven custodians of the game - then it all becomes really offputting.

 

[Tipp blue]

That’s simply because people grow up and prioritise other things in their life.

I think that’s what this thread is mostly about.

Everybody has grown up and has other things going on in their life.

Also, people think everything was better in their formative years.

It's not though, I work in a secondary school in Ireland and yesterday there was a Jersey day and there was a charity collection, the school has near a thousand students and there were very few football jerseys it was mainly GAA jerseys followed by Rugby and few football jerseys, there's not massive games of football going on every day at break like it was years ago.. In Ireland certainly my local area the younger lads are not overly pushed on football.

 

[Martin Alvito]

There's a lot to unpack. At a competition level, there's a real dearth of quality striking and netminding these days. Two decades ago, United would have had two prospects ready to roll in net when Onana faltered. Now, Amorin has to sit and defend Onana to the media while he seethes.

It's hard to win titles without those things, and as City has proven this season, they're not enough if the other ducks aren't in a row. The financial chasm between the Prem and the Championship now yawns so wide, promoted clubs mostly go straight back down without even putting up a fight. On the plus side, the financial and recruitment mismanagement of some of the "haves" are making it possible for traditional powers to have another day in the sun. I hope that's us, soon.

I don't know what it's like over there, but over here everything is paywalled six ways to Sunday. If I wanted to watch the Prem, the Champions League and the cups, I would need to spend about $35 a month for all four major networks' add-on services, in addition to the $100 cable subscription. Fifteen years ago, the $35 alone bought me satellite TV with half the Prem games every week, the big cup games, every single Champions League game broadcast and most of the outer court Grand Slam tennis matches, along with the traditional American sports diet. Nicotine and alcohol are probably cheaper addictions, these days.

So, I think it's a combination of factors. I do think the quality has slipped some. In conjunction with how expensive it has become to watch, a lot of long-time fans have tuned out. You could take "It's boring" as code for "It's too expensive" if you were so inclined.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Agree and disagree. There is a difference between honest mistakes and blatant corruption. Clattenburgs mistakes in derby game, weren't honest mistakes, they all favoured RS. I witnessed plenty of bad refereeing decisions before VAR, but they were honest mistakes. VAR has just allowed blatant corruption and match fixing in Premier League. Ref against United was deliberately shown wrong angle of challenge. Haaland was only booked for putting ridiculous challenge from behind in Mykolenko, Allan got sent off for a challenge that wasn't dangerous at all. Not 1 Palace player wanted DCL sent off, yet VAR decided it was a sending off. Had we not been given penalty before VAR for Rodri handball, I would have just shrugged my shoulders and said "maybe ref didn't see it". He just didn't want to give pen, couldn't be bothered looking at monitor and listened to unaccountable VAR officials. VAR hasn't improved anything, refs are still not making right decisions. So what's the point in it? Plus VAR has ruined enjoyment of goals such as Tarkowskis goal against RS, because it had to be looked at for 5 minutes. If linesmen and ref didn't blow up for an offside or foul what was the need to look at VAR?

That wasn’t meant to be a defense of VAR, you just have to be honest about what it is actually causing and what it isn’t. Tons of decisions blamed on VAR are just wrong if it doesn’t exist, and tons more that VAR did fix are staying wrong. There’s reasons to not care about that. But there’s too much dishonesty in the discussion.

 

[JelavicBrate2]

That wasn’t meant to be a defense of VAR, you just have to be honest about what it is actually causing and what it isn’t. Tons of decisions blamed on VAR are just wrong if it doesn’t exist, and tons more that VAR did fix are staying wrong. There’s reasons to not care about that. But there’s too much dishonesty in the discussion.

I think corrupt refs play a huge role, such as Oliver giving Arsenal goal last season, when VAR told him it was a handball. But VAR has simply been used as a tool to further corruption, such as DCLs sending off against Palace, no Palace player even called for a red. As I said poor refereeing decisions are 1 thing, corrupt decisions such as Rodris are another thing. Under current system nobody is accountable, Clattenburg didn't ref us for about 5 years after his derby performance. Now refs can blame VAR and VAR officials can blame ref.

 

[overkill]

I don't really know, I don't watch other games than Everton.
I watch a lot of non league football though which I've always liked (Bootle FC, Marine etc)

 

[chrismpw]

Not really. There are loads of reasons for that. I used to be able to name all the players, and all the grounds, and tell you who was top of different European leagues etc etc. the fact that I can’t do that now is nothing to do with the league being boring and everything to do with me now having an actual life. My nephew can now do all the things I used to be able to do, almost as if it’s just a bit of a rite of passage at a certain stage in your life and not something that you continue with forever.

I've wondered that. But rhen every time I watch a game (increasingly rarely) I am quickly bored to tears.

 

[catcherintherye]

Not really. There are loads of reasons for that. I used to be able to name all the players, and all the grounds, and tell you who was top of different European leagues etc etc. the fact that I can’t do that now is nothing to do with the league being boring and everything to do with me now having an actual life. My nephew can now do all the things I used to be able to do, almost as if it’s just a bit of a rite of passage at a certain stage in your life and not something that you continue with forever.

I basically came to a similar realisation over the last couple of years. Its not that things are worse, it's that things always seem better when you are younger.

Objectively I think the league is actually really interesting. There's about 12 teams who are really close, it's very open. However we all view things subjectively.

 

[maccavennie]

It's also become over sanitised, product driven.

I mean, this is the Premier League's Instagram account;

View attachment 303434



Sprinkle in VAR, countries owning football clubs and self preservation/agenda driven custodians of the game - then it all becomes really offputting.

That's appalling if that's the home page.

It's been so one sided and a piss poor league, they've gone all in on the rs to ensure they're still generating clicks