FC Barcelona

[Fez of Mahrez]

Is anyone else watching them every week?

La Liga is streets ahead of the Premier League in my opinion and Barcelona this season have been probably the greatest team I have ever seen (although I only sing it about Leicester...)

Valencia have looked a tidy outfit so far this season, were 3rd going into the game last night and it promised to be an interesting game. Got absolutely annihilated by a Barca team missing Eto'o and Iniesta, amongst others.

It's just brilliant to watch.

[Guest]

Anyone who thinks the Premier League is the best league in the world is very much deluded, if you want my opinion.

If you don't want my opinion, then tough!

[lildave3]

Average.

[JakeShingler]

Did Henry score a Hat-trick last night?

[Fez of Mahrez]

Anyone who thinks the Premier League is the best league in the world is very much deluded, if you want my opinion.

If you don't want my opinion, then tough!

Obviously it has the most money, so you'll increasingly get Robinhos heading over here for the £££, but the overall technical level isn't even close to Spain.

[Joe.]

I don't watch La Liga as much as I'd like to, but I have to disagree tfrom what I've seen. The Spanish game for me is incredibly slow at times, broken up by constant diving and niggly little fouls.

Saying that, some of the football played over there is a joy to watch sometimes, and it's always nice to know that there's a good three or four other teams side from the big two who have a serious chance of winning something.

I do like Liga, but I wouldn't go as far to say it's light years ahead of the Premiership.

[lildave3]

There's something about me that just doesn't enjoy watching Spanish football, or any football, as much as I do english football.

[JakeShingler]

No way near as good as the prem.

[Fosse Boy]

Anyone who thinks the Premier League is the best league in the world is very much deluded, if you want my opinion.

If you don't want my opinion, then tough!

It's a very valid opinion. I've never believed any of the Sky Sports propaganda that we're meant to swallow about the Premier League being "the best league in the world". Large amounts of cash floating around and a cartel of only four clubs who have a decent chance of winning anything does not make for an exciting league system, let alone a 'great' one.

I'm not a big follower of Spanish football either, but certainly value its status as a competitive and exciting football league above that of our own supposed 'great' league.

[Samilktray]

Anyone who thinks the Premier League is the best league in the world is very much deluded, if you want my opinion.

If you don't want my opinion, then tough!

Pretty much agree with all of that.

[Tevez]

I couldn't believe they hammered Valencia 4 - nothing the other day. Does seem full flow attacking football.

[Fez of Mahrez]

Practically every game Sky show is ludicrously entertaining. Getafe 3-0 up last night at Villarreal but you just knew that Villarreal would get back into it, probably to do with the Villarreal-Atletico game they showed earlier in the season, that ended up 4-4!

I don't even think the defending is as bad as some English people make out. There is more of a commitment to attack and the passing is far better so possession doesn't change hands as often, meaning more chances and more goals.

10 La Liga players in the first-choice Spanish XI at Euro 2008 tells its own stories, and Fabregas and Alonso are no Xavi or Iniesta.

I honestly don't think anyone who says it's not entertaining can have watched many matches this season - Barca have been 4 or 5 up by half-time scoring out-of-this-world goals most weeks, everyone else is slightly behind on entertainment value but even games like Valencia-Betis the other week end 3-2. Sporting Gijon got murdered by Barca and Real earlier in the season but they have given it a real go since and ended up winning at Valencia recently. Deportivo-Athletic Bilbao the other week was good. Racing Santander are good to watch. Villarreal and Atletico are superb to watch especially at home.

[Guest]

Obviously it has the most money, so you'll increasingly get Robinhos heading over here for the £££, but the overall technical level isn't even close to Spain.

That's one of the reason the PL doesn't work for me. Too many are here for the money, and it shows at times.

But then you get a game like the one today at Goodison Park, and you start thinking it's not all that bad, but I can guarantee the next time I watch a so-called "big" game, I will be bored to tears by it!

[Fez of Mahrez]

Have to add about the games tonight, not the greatest pick for the current match although I'm not watching. I bet Real Madrid-Sevilla later will be a decent watch though, especially if Sevilla play both Diego Capel and Jesus Navas.

[Fosse Boy]

I'll only usually watch live English football on TV if it's a local derby nowadays. It's a sad indictment on the Premier League that in the years since we were last in it, I've only ever been interested in the relegation battles and not the title race.

[Darkzzz_]

Is anyone else watching them every week?

La Liga is streets ahead of the Premier League in my opinion and Barcelona this season have been probably the greatest team I have ever seen (although I only sing it about Leicester...)

Valencia have looked a tidy outfit so far this season, were 3rd going into the game last night and it promised to be an interesting game. Got absolutely annihilated by a Barca team missing Eto'o and Iniesta, amongst others.

It's just brilliant to watch.

Damn... I am so glad you started this, I was going to but didn't think I would generate enough interest on here because of the "Anti Anything But The Prem" thing by some.

I go to the Camp Nou every season for a game and have been for going for 6 years now. Love it.

The Camp Nou is a spectacular venue and when they finish the planned works on it, It will be even better.

I will have to get some of my pics on here.

They were awesome last night and are really on form once again under Pep after a massive clear out which was long overdue.

La Liga is a great league with some excellent talent, Excellent mangers and Excellent youth systems.

[Guest]

It's a very valid opinion. I've never believed any of the Sky Sports propaganda that we're meant to swallow about the Premier League being "the best league in the world". Large amounts of cash floating around and a cartel of only four clubs who have a decent chance of winning anything does not make for an exciting league system, let alone a 'great' one.

I'm not a big follower of Spanish football either, but certainly value its status as a competitive and exciting football league above that of our own supposed 'great' league.

A good point too. How do you think the Champions League has effected European domestic competition? I think most leagues are being dominated by a few now, and you can pretty much work out who is going to finish in the various areas of the league tables. Obviously money has a big say in this.

I honestly believe that to make football more exciting, we need to find some way of levelling the playing field, so to speak. Whether it is wage capping (easily got around though), or something more radical like clubs only being allowed to spend a certain percentage of their income on wages or transfers, I don't know.

[Guest]

I don't watch La Liga as much as I'd like to, but I have to disagree tfrom what I've seen. The Spanish game for me is incredibly slow at times, broken up by constant diving and niggly little fouls.

It's played at a different pace purely because of the climate. When we played Atletico, not only was it one of the few times I've been warm at a football match, but with the later kick-off time, it was even more bizarre!!

[Darkzzz_]

That's one of the reason the PL doesn't work for me. Too many are here for the money, and it shows at times.

But then you get a game like the one today at Goodison Park, and you start thinking it's not all that bad, but I can guarantee the next time I watch a so-called "big" game, I will be bored to tears by it!

Very True.

The monopoly of the "Big Four" is boring now.

People here don't realise that the English infrastructure has suffered for years because we are light years behind Europe.

We always say we are better, the Premiership is only one of the best leagues in the world because of Foreign players and managers.

The reason being is because they are simply better.

[Fosse Boy]

A good point too. How do you think the Champions League has effected European domestic competition? I think most leagues are being dominated by a few now, and you can pretty much work out who is going to finish in the various areas of the league tables. Obviously money has a big say in this.

I honestly believe that to make football more exciting, we need to find some way of levelling the playing field, so to speak. Whether it is wage capping (easily got around though), or something more radical like clubs only being allowed to spend a certain percentage of their income on wages or transfers, I don't know.

I totally agree. However, sadly I believe that the only way domestic leagues will become enjoyable and exciting in Europe again is if the select few teams who win everything go off and form a European super league to satisfy the commercial desires of both UEFA and the themselves. Then we can return to having genuinely competitive seasons year after year and hopefully in the process we can rid ourselves of all the commercial bollocks that the Premier League franchise entails as the likes of Scudamore, foreign owners, Sky Sports etc. become less interested in domestic leagues and concentrate only on the big clubs in Europe.

The sooner it happens, the better as far as I'm concerned.

[Fez of Mahrez]

The difference between the Barca of last season and this season is unbelievable - and it's practically the same team but with Daniel Alves and occasionally Keita and Pique in. Usually though, it's 10 of the 11 that started most games last year.

Most English fans seem to base their opinions of Barca and Messi on their showing against Man United in the CL last year. Barca weren't playing well at the time and still dominated possession in both legs. If they came up against Barca in this sort of form, I can't imagine Man United would get close to them - and I would rather watch Messi than Ronaldo any day of the week.

In another thread the Forlan argument came up, but there aren't that many top La Liga stars who have come over to the Premiership in their prime. Robinho and Deco haven't exactly been Forlans so far. van Nistelrooy scored goals in both leagues. Henry scored in both leagues. But Henry was the best player in the Premiership, he isn't even in the top 3 best players at Barcelona, let alone La Liga.

[Finnegan]

Enjoy the Spanish league more than any other. It's just great attacking football.

I've soft spots for half the teams in the league, haha.

[Stevosevic]

Practically every game Sky show is ludicrously entertaining. Getafe 3-0 up last night at Villarreal but you just knew that Villarreal would get back into it, probably to do with the Villarreal-Atletico game they showed earlier in the season, that ended up 4-4!

I don't even think the defending is as bad as some English people make out. There is more of a commitment to attack and the passing is far better so possession doesn't change hands as often, meaning more chances and more goals.

10 La Liga players in the first-choice Spanish XI at Euro 2008 tells its own stories, and Fabregas and Alonso are no Xavi or Iniesta.

I honestly don't think anyone who says it's not entertaining can have watched many matches this season - Barca have been 4 or 5 up by half-time scoring out-of-this-world goals most weeks, everyone else is slightly behind on entertainment value but even games like Valencia-Betis the other week end 3-2. Sporting Gijon got murdered by Barca and Real earlier in the season but they have given it a real go since and ended up winning at Valencia recently. Deportivo-Athletic Bilbao the other week was good. Racing Santander are good to watch. Villarreal and Atletico are superb to watch especially at home.

What a club, what a team, what a city! I love Barcelona. Went last year for a game and it's an incredible experience.

Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Henry, Eto'o, Bojan...

[sdb]

bojan isn't much to write home about, yet anyway. it does seem a great league but it's no less predictable than the prem, this season especially. there's a clear top 2, and top 4 in both leagues, and the standard of mid-table prem teams is higher, i would argue. too many in england for money i agree and i'm sure the recession may see a slight decline in top players here for a few years.

[Fez of Mahrez]

Enjoy the Spanish league more than any other. It's just great attacking football.

I've soft spots for half the teams in the league, haha.

Me too.

I love Racing for the way its pronounced and Garay. I love Almeria cos they've got Pablo Piatti who was a legend on FM08. I love Athletic Bilbao for the Basque-only policy, the romance of the club and Llorente's hair, I love Getafe for the image of their centre-back striding over the halfway line at the Bernabeu last season as Real were still celebrating a disallowed goal, on his way to set up Uche's goal to win it 1-0, I love Valladolid for the way me and my mate last season thought "they played really well" when they lost 7-0 to Real Madrid, I love Valencia for Silva and Villa, I love Atletico for Kun Aguero and their atrocious defending this season, I love Sporting Gijon for the way you pronounce Gijon and their kamikaze approach to matches this season, I love Betis from when they had Denilson and the green-and-white stripes, I love Deportivo for their Diego Tristan and Valeron team (featuring Manuel Pablo), I love Villarreal for having Nihat and Pires and Senna... and Cygan and I love Barcelona for everything.

And I hate Real Madrid.