Is Premier League Boring?

[trueblue84]

For 2 years, the promoted teams have sunk without a trace. We've effectively created the closed league that the "elite" clubs wanted.

Every team now tries to play like city. Pep has done a lot of damage to football with his purist view.

Footy as a sport is dead. It's now WWE, but with 22 detestable fannies running around a football pitch.

 

[JelavicBrate2]

It's been boring this season in the sense that there's not going to be much drama in the last few weeks, but I'm not sure I agree with the general 'it was so different in my day' sentiment. Just typical nostalgia talking that I think.

Agree and disagree, I don't think Premier League was perfect 15 years ago, but it was more interesting. It's why RS have been able to easily win title, similar to Moyes attitude when we went to Anfield managers just take view I'll focus on this game, who cares if we lose to Liverpool. Before Guardiola and Klopp came along, you didn't get teams winning ridiculous amount of games in a row. Those 2 have played huge role in ruining Premier League.

 

[davek]

VAR is a huge turn-off, though. It's now a narrative tool of the authorities to generate contrived controversy. That and the pricing out of anybody other than the slightly insane has turned me away. Subscriptions are simply not worth the money. The "content" is not that compelling.

There's also a generation gap developing for me. I'm 52 now and find it harder and harder to relate to many of the players of today. I think that's natural, to a point, but I think the fact that pretty much every top-flight player is a millionnaire increases any natural gap to a chasm. These are no longer "working-class" or even "middle-class" heroes. They are, very often, entitled privileged content providers.

The latter stages of the Champions League - the highest standard of world football - are often superb. But not always. We were spoiled for a while there over the previous decade. Yet, it's hard to cheer even against the PL clubs with the same passion as before when the alternative is to support the deeply malign presidents of Barcelona and Real Madrid and the human rights-abusing despots that run PSG.

So, it's the World Cup and Euros for me - where the superstars can be rightly judged on how effective they are at dragging more ordinary players to glory instead of being surrounded by other mercenary superstars at elite club level. Yet, even those glorious tournaments have now been turned into Frankenstein's monsters, so bloated they have become in the service of votes for FIFA and UEFA presidential campaigns...

The Big Match Revisited it is, then.

VAR as applied by other Euro leagues I've watched is not a massive problem. That's because in Spain, Germany, France, Italy they use it for clarity and apply it consistently. They dont have the corrupt PGMOL who take their instruction from the PL to use VAR to spice up the product and create controversy - which is what the game in this country measures value in rather than quality of football.

 

[Drico]

I cant even watch MOTD. It's 'kin dreadful. Nobheads like 'Chappers' and 'Links' being all laddish with the dullard pundits and trying to serve up something palatable. But all they have to offer is brief highlights of boiled .

The PL is a zombie league. It'll carry on until someone does the decent thing and slices its head off with a spade.

Yes, televised football is now unwatchable.

I'm currently engaging in a digitisation of my many football DVDs. I am transferring them to hard drive and memory stick (backups). So, I am combining episodes of the Big Match Revisited with ESPN Classic's Dead Good Match library from 20 years ago. This gives me a hugely detailed month-by-month season-by-season BBC/ITV archive of TV coverage since the 1970s. Brian Moore and Jimmy Hill were magnificent. Two or three games, a few observations, the odd interview, and off we go. Modern TV football coverage is the hard sell - constantly promoting the game and pickpocketing our wallets. Moore and Hill used to lament the state of the game, criticising thuggery, defensive play, and attacks on refs, while making critical but reasonable points against poor refereeing decisions or managerial opinions. You didn't have to agree with them, but they did it with integrity - for the good of the game. Today? Any criticism or controversial punditry is merely to promote podcasts and drive viewers there.

The BBC chairman, today, wants to reduce the highlights on MOTD and replace with more punditry...

 

[Drico]

VAR as applied by other Euro leagues I've watched is not a massive problem. That's because in Spain, Germany, France, Italy they use it for clarity and apply it consistently. They dont have the corrupt PGMOL who take their instruction from the PL to use VAR to spice up the product and create controversy - which is what the game in this country measures value in rather than quality of football.

Agreed.

 

[davek]

Yes, televised football is now unwatchable.

I'm currently engaging in a digitisation of my many football DVDs. I am transferring them to hard drive and memory stick (backups). So, I am combining episodes of the Big Match Revisited with ESPN Classic's Dead Good Match library from 20 years ago. This gives me a hugely detailed month-by-month season-by-season BBC/ITV archive of TV coverage since the 1970s. Brian Moore and Jimmy Hill were magnificent. Two or three games, a few observations, the odd interview, and off we go. Modern TV football coverage is the hard sell - constantly promoting the game and pickpocketing our wallets. Moore and Hill used to lament the state of the game, criticising thuggery, defensive play, and attacks on refs, while making critical but reasonable points against poor refereeing decisions or managerial opinions. You didn't have to agree with them, but they did it with integrity - for the good of the game. Today? Any criticism or controversial punditry is merely to promote podcasts and drive viewers there.

The BBC chairman, today, wants to reduce the highlights on MOTD and replace with more punditry...

They were titans compare to the self promoting holograms who present footy programmes today.

And the panels they had years ago were almost fighting each other in the studio because they were so passionate about the game.

Imagine Derek Dougan, Johnny Giles and Frank McClintock on these anodyne footy shows these days...they'd be off air in about 30 seconds flat.

It's just a bunch of insipid show offs they have now and the likes of Neville and Carragher showing off with their 'expert' insight into tactics.

The middle class took over football ages ago. They've routed us and now it's their game.

We're defeated.

 

[catcherintherye]

Anyone wanting to understand why the PL is dead they only need to look at that catastrophic club. Feted as a 'Big' club they're about as relevant as we've been for the last few decades.


Overall, no one can say that the quality of this league hasn't cratered. It's dreadful. Arsenal and Villa will get mullered in their CL QFs.

To an extent yes, but also other teams are taking their places.

 

[jackyboy]

It's absolutely dreadful. If I didn't go the game I'd have watched zero football this season

 

[chrismpw]

It's been boring and pretty much predictable since Abramovich, Sky money and mercenaries. Stopped watching, don't even look up results other than ours.

 

[Cake]

Too many players are just athletes now, they have no character players like Le Tissier, Okocha, Bergkamp your Artetas are a thing of the past. It's been a boring product for a while City and RS just beating teams most weeks, it just isn't that interesting. You don't get games like 4-4 against United anymore, now our players would just treat it as training exercise.

And this is what it now is. You go to the shops looking for a bag of ready salted to be told they don't make them anymore but you love crisps so you just buy any flavour because everybody else is. What will they say about me if I'm not buying crisps? The PL is a skinny latte or a bubble tea on steroids.

How many different 'product experiences' were (are) on offer at BMD? We're all watching the same match, aren't we?

 

[Drico]

They were titans compare to the self promoting holograms who present footy programmes today.

And the panels they had years ago were almost fighting each other in the studio because they were so passionate about the game.

Imagine Derek Dougan, Johnny Giles and Frank McClintock on these anodyne footy shows these days...they'd be off air in about 30 seconds flat.

It's just a bunch of insipid show offs they have now and the likes of Neville and Carragher showing off with their 'expert' insight into tactics.

The middle class took over football ages ago. They've routed us and now it's their game.

We're defeated.

It's the same story everywhere. In Ireland, the TV panel of legend comprised Johnny Giles, Eamonn Dunphy, and Liam Brady, coralled by WUM-in-chief Bill O'Herlihy. I used to watch RTE's coverage of the football almost purely for the analysis. The game itself? Not too bothered. But the pre-match, half-time, and post-match discussion was TV and comedy gold. Passion, invective, insight, hilarity - it had the lot.

Now? Some wan who used to play for the Ireland womens team and Damien Duff.

Not for me, thanks.

 

[Ruairi77]

Yeah, It's crap.
I don't mind watching Everton, probably like some sort of addiction.
But honestly, not one other team excites me, hardly any players.
It's just meh.
A handful of teams that can buy any players
A handful of traditional clubs who hardly do anything and people get excited if they can get third or fourth
And a handful of clubs that could easily be in league two and just get plaudits for being well run.
The atmosphere seems dead at most games.
There's the odd moment like Tarks equalizer but they are so few and far between...

I dont live in Ireland anymore but I can see why most premier division LoI games are selling out.
Theres pyro, terraces, any of 10 teams could put a run together and win the league (or get relegated)
There's a european competition they can compete in.
Since Brexit theres really good young players still in the league.
Most of the players are still local.

When one of the leagues biggest positives is how well BHA, Bournemouth, or Brentford are being run, you know it's boring.
(no disrespect to those clubs).

 

[JelavicBrate2]

Yes, televised football is now unwatchable.

I'm currently engaging in a digitisation of my many football DVDs. I am transferring them to hard drive and memory stick (backups). So, I am combining episodes of the Big Match Revisited with ESPN Classic's Dead Good Match library from 20 years ago. This gives me a hugely detailed month-by-month season-by-season BBC/ITV archive of TV coverage since the 1970s. Brian Moore and Jimmy Hill were magnificent. Two or three games, a few observations, the odd interview, and off we go. Modern TV football coverage is the hard sell - constantly promoting the game and pickpocketing our wallets. Moore and Hill used to lament the state of the game, criticising thuggery, defensive play, and attacks on refs, while making critical but reasonable points against poor refereeing decisions or managerial opinions. You didn't have to agree with them, but they did it with integrity - for the good of the game. Today? Any criticism or controversial punditry is merely to promote podcasts and drive viewers there.

The BBC chairman, today, wants to reduce the highlights on MOTD and replace with more punditry...

Punditry is awful worst is horrific "bantz" between Spitty, Micah Richards and Kate Abdo. It isn't funny punditry is supposed to be expert opinions, not just a bunch of divvies trying to be funny. When Hansen and Larwrenson did punditry it was actually interesting. Talking about defenders positioning, now you have Ed Sheeran gegging in to interviews, it's cringeworthy.

 

[windymiller]

Personally this season has been worst season ever, an average RS side, who have an appalling defence have managed to comfortably win title. Their nearest challengers Arsenal have managed to continually do their best to drop points. I used to know most players from other clubs, now I don't even bother watching other teams. It it just me that finds modern game tediously boring?

Yep, it's rubbish. Twenty years ago I watched loads of footie, as many PL games as I could, MOTD and MOTD2 without fail, championship games, European games, the lot. Ten years ago I'd watch our games, the big title deciding games, Champions League finals and MOTD if I was in. Now I watch our games and regularly go and see my local non-league side, I rarely watch MOTD or European games and almost never watch any other PL games. It's so tedious and predictable. Look at all the major leagues now, there's two, maybe three, teams that can win the league. TV money has been consolidated in a tiny cadre of mega clubs and everyone else is snuffling on the floor looking for scraps from the table.

I know this is an unpopular opinion but a European super league that takes the money clubs completely out of domestic football can't come soon enough for me. Let the nation state and American sporting corp (I know that's us now, sadly) clubs play each other every week with no away fans, no atmosphere and giant global TV audiences. Good riddance.

 

[Ruairi77]

Yep, it's rubbish. Twenty years ago I watched loads of footie, as many PL games as I could, MOTD and MOTD2 without fail, championship games, European games, the lot. Ten years ago I'd watch our games, the big title deciding games, Champions League finals and MOTD if I was in. Now I watch our games and regularly go and see my local non-league side, I rarely watch MOTD or European games and almost never watch any other PL games. It's so tedious and predictable. Look at all the major leagues now, there's two, maybe three, teams that can win the league. TV money has been consolidated in a tiny cadre of mega clubs and everyone else is snuffling on the floor looking for scraps from the table.

I know this is an unpopular opinion but a European super league that takes the money clubs completely out of domestic football can't come soon enough for me. Let the nation state and American sporting corp (I know that's us now, sadly) clubs play each other every week with no away fans, no atmosphere and giant global TV audiences. Good riddance.

Yeah, I agree.
It's way too sanitized. A few years ago I travelled around Argentina and Chile. Caught a good few games. Some were awful with small crowds in huge concrete stadiums but most were great fun and some were insane!
It cost hardly anything to get in, standing, great atmosphere, no frills.

On a side, the last few PL games I've gotten to have had a weird coke fuelled agro buzz. Not fun at all (maybe I'm getting old)