Is Premier League Boring?

[bluenorthwarrior]

It's a blend of the pep way being adopted by every team as the way to attack, coupled with the big Sam two banks of 4 on edge of own box to defend.

Every team does both of these things now, and the problem is exacerbated by the pep way giving time for the big Sam way to set up as it is so slow to move the ball forwards. Teams are ultra organised rather than unpredictable and exciting.

A highlights reel from a game in 2009 was on in the background in the pub in limassol that I was in last night. Every time utd got the ball they surged forwards at pace, it was brilliant, and do you know what so did their opponents (Derby I think).

 

[Bryan+]

Yes - next question. I’ll watch any league other than the premier league. If you fancy good footy, the Dutch, German, Italian and La Liga are all decent but as corrupt as they come, especially la liga and Serie A.

Just go and watch the refereeingin the Roma v Juve game last night. The Portuguese league is a very profitable one too, but I can’t find any network that shows it regularly. German fans are what English fans wished they where.

 

[PhilM]

This is the production line, it is the scouting network, it is easier selling an athlete into a club and letting them do the development into a player. This is where the jack of all trades, master of none comes to the fore. Agents don't care about players, or abandoned adolescents, or entertainment, or clubs or silverware, they only want or give a toss about money. They'll flog anyone anywhere and step over their own ma to do so. Get em signed, get em sold, get the cash and move on and do it all again. The game is quicker, the counter attacks more of them, and the gamesmanship is more rife than ever.
Someone mentioned Rooney further back in the thread, a kid so in love with the game, was finishing school, going to training twice a day, then of an evening going for a kick about with his pals that lived near his. When modern football has corrupted this ideal in the minds of children then the game has evolved into something much darker and nastier.

I can tell you from first-hand experience with my son, that the academies are geared up to recruit athletes, often of a certain/group of demographic.

So, it's only going to get worse.

 

[Saint Domingo]

And I think that's why it has become boring. If I were to watch a non-Everton game, free from tribalism, I want to be entertained, and that doesn't happen as much.

I want to see crunching tackles, beautiful football and glorious goals. Remember this? You'll struggle to get one or two of these now, if that.

Good to see nothings changed and you can always bank on most of the goals of the season flying in against us

 

[Marcus Kendall]

Too many games and all. Fatigue sets in. International friendlies, nations league?? Club world cup?? Conference league??

Quantity over quality for sure, its happening in other sports too, you have the darts player Luke Humphries basically saying he's bored of playing because of the amount of tournaments he has to play so you'd imagine other sports people will feel similar

 

[chrismpw]

And I think that's why it has become boring. If I were to watch a non-Everton game, free from tribalism, I want to be entertained, and that doesn't happen as much.

I want to see crunching tackles, beautiful football and glorious goals. Remember this? You'll struggle to get one or two of these now, if that.

⅓ of those against Everton ffs!

Can't shoot from there now lad. It's a statistics possession game ... no risks.

 

[Marcus Kendall]

They ALWAYS regenerate up front. Doesn't matter who leaves, they get a world class finisher in.

That said, Salah has been phenomenal.

He has been but he's looking his age now. He's certainly past peak. But yes they always seem to find a world class finisher and the days of Heskey, Baros, Babel and N'Gog are sadly no more

 

[DualityNSNO]

And I think that's why it has become boring. If I were to watch a non-Everton game, free from tribalism, I want to be entertained, and that doesn't happen as much.

I want to see crunching tackles, beautiful football and glorious goals. Remember this? You'll struggle to get one or two of these now, if that.

This is easily proven wrong, motd upload their best of the month for every month. There's several blammos per month as well, but the goal that wins is usually a "sky 6", as boring as the goal is. The official goals of the year compilations are 20 min long and have some fantastic goals, it's not like every single team plays Pepball?
Quick google search gives me this, where more than half the goals are from outside the box, the rest are some bizarre shots or genuine class finishes:


I get the fatigue from watching it for many years and the medium changing overall, but "there's no more long range goals and the game's gone soft" is the most boomer take out of any you can have about this - we've had several of those goals last year ourselves, in an atrocious goal draught.

Also "Tim Howard vs. Any Long Range Shot" is just a nightmare duo. And that Matty Taylor goal, just awful.

 

[PhilM]

⅓ of those against Everton ffs!

Can't shoot from there now lad. It's a statistics possession game ... no risks.

Sadly, you're correct. I remember being in my seat and watching Drogba's goal going in and thinking, 'That deserves a clap!'

 

[blulouie]

It's been far from boring for us the last 3 seasons , sort of got used to it tbh.

Enjoyable ?.....certainly not.

 

[JelavicBrate2]

Like I say, I think it's just rose coloured glasses personally. 15 years ago Chelsea won the league having won 17 (and drawn one, with us) of their 19 home games and won 13 games - more than 1 in 3 - by 3 or more goals. It doesn't sound more interesting/even when you put it like that does it?

But you still got a lot more interesting games, it was never perfect just more interesting I can think of countless games that were interesting around that time. 2 years in a row we drew 2-2 v West Ham at home. We drew 3-3 at Chelsea, 3-3 v United. It was a lot more interesting then, even under Martinez you had more interesting games.

 

[Saint Domingo]

Data has destroyed many sports.

Every basketball team is trying to get a 3 point shot from the corner as they all know you only have enough time per quarter for a certain number of shots so they should be high scoring so they all try to make the same shot.

Rugby is just a succession of kicking back and forth because they’ve seen the stats on handling errors of teams that run the ball and the effect of set pieces in certain parts of the pitch.

Tennis similarly they’re all hitting the same shots into the same areas.

Football is going the same way. Don’t shoot from distance as you have more chance of playing it out wide and pulling it back. Some teams don’t even want to cross any more when given the option. Don’t take anyone on you might lose it.

It’s becoming boring

 

[davek]

He has been but he's looking his age now. He's certainly past peak. But yes they always seem to find a world class finisher and the days of Heskey, Baros, Babel and N'Gog are sadly no more

Sean Dundee was my favourite.

 

[Lanolin]

But you still got a lot more interesting games, it was never perfect just more interesting I can think of countless games that were interesting around that time. 2 years in a row we drew 2-2 v West Ham at home. We drew 3-3 at Chelsea, 3-3 v United. It was a lot more interesting then, even under Martinez you had more interesting games.

I'm not sure comparing Everton under Dyche to Everton under Martinez is a very sensible approach to deciding how interesting the league is as a whole to be honest with you.

 

[longers]

I don't really get the moaning, the league is more competitive than ever. The gap between the big clubs and the rest used to be way bigger back when we were fighting for top 6 under Moyes.

Bournemouth have been hovering around top 4 most of season, Forst up there, Villa and Newcastle are now very tidy sides and clubs like United and Spurs have completely fallen off.

It's been a dull season in terms of a title fight and relegation battles but the league is more competitive than at any point before IMO, although I'll admit the standard of the top teams is not at the level it used to be.