for the Premier League. English football needs to move on from Manchester Utd and Fergie and I hope next season City, a rejuvenated Arsenal and maybe a even a rising Newcastle and Tottenham can help to break-up the dull sequence of Old Trafford Premier League trophies.
English clubs have been extremely poor in Europe too. I'm glad that Chelsea managed to save our blushes to an extent with their great result at Napoli and their reaching the semi-finals of The Champions League but they are almost certain to be defeated by Barca and with mid-table Spanish opposition beating our champions so soundly in the Europa League it looks clear that the gulf in class between La Liga and our own division has never been so wide. Which begs the question why so many Premier League sides have rolled over for the red dogs this season. When a team properly gets stuck into them, like Bilbao, Basel and City did earlier this season, the team is liable to crumble. The problem is that teams give United far too much respect. If they were playing in the Spanish League they'd be lucky to qualify for Europa so come on English clubs, get your acts together!
So we need some stronger teams and some proper opposition for this awful United side. They've had their time in the sun, let's see a new team step forth that can replace them at the top of the table and provide quality opposition to the La Liga giants.
This season has been a low
posted on 9/4/12
I don't buy into this top four elite thing as a Newcastle fan I am gob smacked at where we are right now. Man Utd have a manager they have had for how many years? That seems to me to be the key, long term planning, something alien to My club. There is no top four its a myth, Newcastle were top four a few years ago, Man City have spent a fortune to be runners up, Spurs have gone from bottom of the league to top four and liverpool, well who knows whats going on there. Don't think our league needs a shake.
posted on 9/4/12
Ohh dear, someone else who understands very little about football, it is a complicated game I will give you that.
Bilbao promptly lost 3-0 to Valencia not long after one of their games where they took us apart, they also covered the most ground of any team to come to Manchester in the last 10 years...
Lastly they give Barcelona what they described as one of their toughest games of the season. Basically they seem to be a team that will run themselves into the ground for a big game (be that a cup or an important league game) and they will sacrifice an unimportant league game.
Leading them to be finalists in the Spanish cup and one of the favourites for the Europa league but only 6th in La Liga.
It is also worth noting a poor Valencia team, who finished 3rd in the group Chelsea won and who only managed a loss and a draw against Chelsea (funnily enough that is what Chelsea managed against United) sit comfortably above Bilbao suggesting that United, who are far superior to Valencia would too...
United would be a shoe in for 3rd place in La Liga and I would fancy our chances of doing better, especially if we had their nice location and unfair TV deals...
United have been far better opposition for the La Liga giants than anyone else in the premiership has been over the last few years.
United in Europe are the only team with a record comparable to Barclona's over the last few years in Europe... let me guess that is just because of European teams respecting us too much as well?
It wouldn't be hard to write some similar rubbish about Newcastle's season but I have no reason to be bitter about their season and I hope you manage to scrape that CL spot!
posted on 9/4/12
7 T B I'm not doubting Manu's record it is undeniably the most impressive of any British club over the last two decades but in Europe you've looked a spent force since you were humiliated by Barca last year. Don't forget that it wasn't just Bilbao who trounced you over two legs you also failed to qualify from an extremely poor group falling behind Benfica and Champions League minnows Basel! Manu have had their run it's time for things to move on.
As to Gazza and the idea that the top 4 is a myth: besides Liverpool imploding and Man City becoming the new Chelsea not a lot has changed as of yet. Newcastle were top 4 a long time ago now but I hope the glory days return to the former St James'
posted on 9/4/12
Supershearer
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Bitter
posted on 9/4/12
ha ha ''for the Premier League. English football needs to move on from Manchester Utd and Fergie''
possibly the most bitter comment i've seen in a long while....
Oh btw, that ships sailed...it's way too late.
UTD may go a season or 2 without winning the Euro/cup trophies or the League, but they are set up to always challenge....and i mean properly challenge, not fall off, by Feb, Mar, April.
we are the Madrid of the Prem....
and theres nothing to stop us.
when the financial fair play thingy kicks in....
We are gonna be unstoppable...
posted on 9/4/12
"The problem is that teams give United far too much respect. "
No they don't. Teams raise their game to Man Utd.
You just cannot admit Man Utd are the better team!
posted on 9/4/12
This has been my favourite season for years.
posted on 9/4/12
Would it have anything to do with Newcastle Andy?
posted on 9/4/12
SS one year in the early 2000's we came bottom of our group in the CL, a bunch of unimpressive teams in that as well.
I guess that was the year our dominance died and United stopped winning trophies....
That is if we ignore the fact we made 3/5 finals starting only a few years after that...
Basically it is just another blip, to be honest it is less worse than ones we have suffered before so you'll excuse me if I don't believe United are in decline, people have been saying it for years and people have been wrong for years...
posted on 11/4/12
To be fair, United are winning the league the right way, not merely trying to BUY the PL, like, er, our noisies. Our season has been as remarkable as yours, we have over-achieved. Having City buy the PL with their Billionaire Boys Club antics would have been horrific for football in general. Fergie will retire soon enough.