It's really gone down the toilet
Just a few years ago and in recent memory the premiership was graced with proper, top shelf class and teams were regulars en masse in the latter stages of the Champions League.
We had United with a front three of Tevez, Ronaldo and Rooney
A bit back they had Scholes, Giggs and Bechkham not using walking sticks and zimmer frames to get about.
We had midfield generals and commandos like Keane, Essien, Makalele, Vieira, Hamann, Gerrard, Mascherano, Lampard, Ballack, Alonso, Fabregas, Robben, Duff, Pires, Ljundberg.
Torres was world class, Drogba a beast, Rvp (well still class).
Rio, Vidic, Agger, Terry, Gallas, Hyypia, Big Sol all still prime.
Now we've got kids and dross trying to hold the league up.
Mikel, Ramires, Shelvey, Carrick, Anderson, Fletcher, whoever arsenal put out as CMs, Allen, Barry, Milner, ancient and aged irrelevants like Scholes, Giggs, Lampard,Parker, and Gerrard as midfielders. Mediocrity & kids.
England B quality and decent but not quality defenders like Kelly, Smalling, Jones, Cahill, Rafael, Jenkins, Dawson, Evans, some Spurs players I can't even remember the names of are supposedly the new Vidics, Sols, Gallas and Rios. pffffft. Mediocrity & kids.
Defoe, Lennon, Young, Walcott, Welbeck. Are you fu&*ing joking??? England C team if the world was right.
Apparently an Ox plays football at the highest level.
Michael Owen could probably make the England side on merit and he is barely good enough to start for Stoke.
The league is a full tier lower in class.
Strangely, it's more exciting because teams can turn up on the day and get an upset result.
Abject Mediocrity or Kids
posted on 12/12/12
Yes! and we all remember that the Sun shone through the whole of the Summer School Holidays don`t we !!!
Stop living in the past and exagerating the Alleged skills of Players of Yesteryear. We will be having the "muddy pitches, heavy laced up T. ball and boots made out of Rhino skin" argument next.
Don`t try to compare, just be happy to enjoy the great game at whatever level.
posted on 12/12/12
Suarez - better than Iniesta?
posted on 12/12/12
Oh come.
Ballack, Makalele, Essien hardly had their best times in this league, Essien due to injury the other two due to age.
Pires had a decent season once upon a time, same with Duff. Alonso was very hit and miss for Liverpool and Drogba dived around a bit and bullied the smaller teams.
The memory is a funny old thing, I remember Dean Suanders being world class, he probably wasn't.
posted on 12/12/12
Nostalgia is a funny thing.
posted on 12/12/12
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 12/12/12
Now this is world class:
Bailey
Nicholl McQueen Buchan Albiston
Coppell Macari Mcllroy Hill
Pearson J.Greenhoff
and that's without the crocked G.Daley
posted on 12/12/12
Personally I think we have some cracking youngsters at United
DeGea
Rafa
Fabio
Jones
Smalling
Clevs
Welbeck
Powell
Not B standard at all for me
posted on 12/12/12
Macca
I completely agree. Unfortunately, certain nostlagics genuinely believe the players of a few years ago never had bad games. A lot of the ones mentioned had multiple very poor seasons, not just poor games.
And on a side note, anyone that has watched Smalling more than 10 times and comes to the conclusion he's 'average' is very misinformed. He's an absolute class act and Wilshere aside, the only young English player I say with the utmost confidence will be the real deal on an international stage.
posted on 12/12/12
Nostalgia and history are very different: Young fans can learn the history but can't yet feel the nostalgia....like, I WAS really there... (a fading but glorious memory) ...albeit they will grow up...I most certainly hope!!
posted on 12/12/12
I don't view it as rose tinted glasses about previous years.
The league is worse. The players are worse.