Of course Leicester winning is a great story. And the fact that it is Leicester and not one of the 'usual suspects' has made it more interesting / exciting. But when you look back at it, it's been one of the most one sided league races in years, similar to when we won in SAF's final year. Back then, we weren't brilliant, but more consistent and better than everyone else, but the others did underperform also, and there are similarities to this season.
Ever since Leicester went top, we were all expecting them to fall away, all expecting to say 'great season, Leicester, but you were never going to win the title', but they went from strength to strength, grinding out wins like champions whilst others dropped points or underperformed.
This is not to take anything away from Leicester or what they have achieved. But at the start of the season, no-one looked at their team and thought, yeah I want him, him or him. Even now, and I know people rave about Mahrez, Vardy, Kante etc, but does anyone seriously think that if they went to 'bigger clubs', they would be a definite a success?
All the top managers should be hanging their heads in shame. If Pellegrini wasn't leaving he should be sacked, Wenger has no excuse, LVG has no excuse, and of course Chelsea did sack Jose. Even Spurs should be thinking - what a great chance we have thrown away.
No-one expects Leicester to do it again, and we could be doing them a dis-service if they are up there again, but as good as the Leciester story has been, for me, the current standard of the EPL is highly questionable. I look at our own indifferent perfomances this season, still bewildered at how we can still 'dream' of 4th place, and I don't know whether to be optimistic or scared that we have become use to this mediocrity.
I admit that part of me still can't believe that Leicester have won the title, and done so pretty comfortably. And no matter if we get top 4 and win the FA cup, just how poor we have become.
One sided title race
posted on 8/5/16
I found the Spurs the most consistent team line pundits and spurs fans used funny as they had never been top and they even bottled one chance to be top.
posted on 8/5/16
I actually disagree with what has become a pretty widespread claim that the league has got weaker - that's just a lazy way of explaining away what has happened with us this season.
I reckon the Premier League is now stronger than ever over all and that's how we've ended up with Leicester winning the title.
Yes, the 'big' clubs do perhaps have slightly weaker squads than in recent years, but the real change has been in the quality the sides below them are able to field.
The reason Bournemouth can beat Chelsea and Swansea beat Arsenal etc etc isn't because Chelsea and Arsenal have got worse...it's because bottom half clubs like Swansea and Bournemouth are much better than their equivalents were a couple of years ago.
Quite simply the gap has been cut, and I honestly believe that's got more to do with lower and mid-table sides signing better and better players than it has with the top clubs having worse ones.
That's where we won it - against Stoke and Watford and Southampton, not against Man City and Arsenal and Spurs.
We found a way to squeak past the majority of the teams in the Prem who are honestly not a lot worse than us - hence all the 1-0 wins.
On the other hand the big clubs have come a cropper against those same teams - just look at the staggering number of games Man City have lost on the road.
That's why I totally disagree with the poster who said La Liga is a better league - I watch it on Sky sometimes and it's interminably dull.
Competition is what makes our league the best and most watched in the world - let's enjoy it!
posted on 8/5/16
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posted on 8/5/16
I think manutd 82 pretty much summed my thought. If it were United, City or Chelsea pulling away it would become a tad tedious as it was a juggernaut whom you knew wouldn't slip up. With Leicester there was always the big element of doubt and a sense of "when will they crack?" That has made it exciting, in a way it wouldn't have been if it was one of the established order pulling away
posted on 8/5/16
TIM
Good post.
We didnt see many 4 goal plus thrashing this year. Something that is common place in La Liga when ever Barca or Real play a team lower than third place.
posted on 8/5/16
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posted on 8/5/16
Depends what you mean by best.
Our isn't the strongest, as the best teams in Europe don't play in it and our teams are routinely beaten by European opponents in recent years.
It might be the most entertaining and competitive, though that's very hard to quantify anyway.
posted on 8/5/16
Good article. Well said.
posted on 8/5/16
In terms of the league, I think a number of clubs outside the usual 'bigger' teams have improved immensely and narrowed the gap, but there's no doubt for me that the top teams have underperformed also - otherwise they should have been at the very least able to give Leicester a closer run for their money - there are some seasons when there is a real standout team who has blown everyone away, and whilst Leicester are deserved champions, I don't have them in that category. The fact that as poor as we have been, we are still in with a shout of 4th shows that some other teams have underperformed badly.
It's always been the case in the EPL that on any given day any team could beat any other, but perhaps the difference now is that the top teams could get away with more bad games than what they can do now, and it is tougher to simply grind out wins. I still think that even with more money than ever for the lower placed clubs, the 'bigger' ones will still dominate, and we still expect to see the usual suspects in the mix next season.
posted on 8/5/16
i think it felt like a race because everyone kept thinking Leicester's run of form had to end. Even in the last month a lot of people thought surely they have to trip, they're not Man City or a Chelsea or United who would simply keep winning until the end.
But they did