PL Finale: Matchweek 38

[YNWA14]

People get it from the obvious, like Fulham and Boro being in European finals. That would seem like good criteria to me.

I'm not sure what you're trying to say here. I think you're speaking about relativity which is completely different than the actual quality.

 

[les Habs]

I’m biased but United’s 08 season and team were better. League title and CL title. Unbeaten in the CL start to finish. Beat good Lyon, Barca and Roma teams on the way to the final.

That Barça wasn't that good. Completely mismanaged at that point. Had Guardiola been manager to start that season you wouldn't have knocked us out.

From someone whose three preferred teams in England are Arsenal, Tottenham and Everton I have to agree. Chelsea had a very good team that year too and it wasn't a fluke to see an all-EPL final. Hard to imagine that happening nowadays.

 

[Stray Wasp]

I think the notion that today's mid to bottom table teams are worse than the ones 10 years ago is silly. They're not worse. The top end teams are probably better overall, which creates a bigger gap, but these teams are definitely not worse. Look at the roster of Stoke for example and compare it to some of the mid table teams of the past. Coaching is becoming more and more important, too.

I have looked at Stoke's roster. What I see is a team lacking energy in central midfield, short of creativity out wide and without any goal scorers. The biggest individual talent is a bloke notorious for being temperamental.

Coaching certainly helped sink them, but a team with the weaknesses outlined above would be rotten in any era.

In 2007-8, the team that finished 11th had Dimitar Berbatov up front. Not sure what that proves.

 

[YNWA14]

True enough. As with most sports and athletics the teams and players of yesteryear are almost certainly better than those of the present, and likely future. Especially since developments in sports on and off the field have grinded to a screeching halt and where sports were once for men and heroes they are now populated by whiny-boys and primadonnas.

 

[Stray Wasp]

You'll Never Straw Man Alone.

 

[Stray Wasp]

One thing I'll say is that a comparison between the coaches in 2007-8 and those now would be in the modern era's favour.

 

[East Coast Bias]

From someone whose three preferred teams in England are Arsenal, Tottenham and Everton I have to agree. Chelsea had a very good team that year too and it wasn't a fluke to see an all-EPL final. Hard to imagine that happening nowadays.

It was an all EPL final. United won on penalties in Moscow. That Chelsea team in 08 was damn good. United beat in the league by 2 points also.

 

[Savant]

It was an all EPL final. United won on penalties in Moscow. That Chelsea team in 08 was damn good. United beat in the league by 2 points also.

That year England had 3 teams in the semis too. Chelsea beat Liverpool after an insane two legs that went to Extra Time.

 

[YNWA14]

You'll Never Straw Man Alone.

How clever.

 

[The Abusement Park]

That year England had 3 teams in the semis too. Chelsea beat Liverpool after an insane two legs that went to Extra Time.

When England actually had good coaching and teams that played like teams instead of individuals brought in for their marketability.

I think the biggest issue nowadays with English teams is that they have been they haven’t built teams, just assembling talented players that don’t mesh well. And clearly City and Liverpool have finally changed that and are looking very promising going forward.