Is the defending in the Premier League getting worse or is the attacking getting better?

[DB11]

Joe Hart has been quality this season as well

[Stadt]

Joe Hart has been quality this season as well

I think if Hart was a different nationality he would be regarded as nothing better than decent.

[Langston]

Come off it - Joe Hart is a superb young goalkeeper who's been having a rough time of it this season. He's not gotten so highly regarded by fluke.

[Guest MattP]

Come off it - Joe Hart is a superb young goalkeeper who's been having a rough time of it this season. He's not gotten so highly regarded by fluke.

He's a fine young player no doubt, but the fact the vast majority of English Premiership players put him in their World XI over Nueur and Buffon just shows he is being over-rated by us at this stage of his career.

[Captain...]

I think I owe you an apology, I just get fed up with some of the bashing of the PL and you are one of the ones that are always negative. I believe it is the most entertaining league and certainly the best supported. It's not whether the football is the best or whether the league is competitive there is just something special about the PL that no other league has or can have.

The only thing special about it is it is blasted onto our eyeballs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Sky, ESPN, BBC, ITV, C5, the every newspaper and news channel picking up every little detail and magnifying every little rift and ruck and tension, that is what is special, that and the history of it, but if you had that much coverage of any league or any sport you would believe it was special too.

The premiership is not a patch on what it was, and there are other leagues that are more currently exciting, eg Germany, France, the Championship whereas the Spanish league has the best players in the world. The Italian league is so mired in controversy and scandal I can't take it seriously.

Nobody is saying don't watch prem games, or don't enjoy, it is just a fact that at the moment it is at a low ebb, our big guns are failing in Europe and the technical quality of the football was never our strength, the passion of the players and the fans was what raised it to the best league in the world, but that is now on the wane, the majority of players are foreign mercenaries caring more about their next big money move, and the real fans are disillusioned and drifting away being replaced by football tourists and football consumers.

Add to that the number of games I see ruined by referees making game changing errors, or being conned by players, having spats with the managers and footballers spitting, kicking ball boys and generally just being as far removed from the heroes of yesteryear as possible.

All of that could be forgiven if the quality of football was there, but it just isn't, yesterday United had the game wrapped up against Everton early on and just hit cruise control, Villa vs West Ham was an awful match until the last quarter, Saturday Man City, the current champions, fvcked up 3 times, to gift Southampton 3 goals and lose, effectively handing the title to United with a third of the season left.

The sooner players stop seeing the premier league as the pinnacle the better, there is more money to be made in Asia, Russia and the middle East, let the mercenaries fvck off and we might start seeing some improvement, but then with clowns like that lot at QPR throwing silly money around for the likes of Samba, I have very little hope for what was the greatest league in the world.

[MC Prussian]

Maybe players (especially defenders) are more afraid of tackling because the level of tolerance has swung in favour of attackers.

As a defender or defending side, it's way easier to get booked these days, which means you won't find a lot of physical sides in the higher leagues anymore.

Those rules have been (partially) implemented due to FIFA and UEFA paving the way for a more customer-friendly, spectacular type of football worldwide.

[Dan]

I think I owe you an apology, I just get fed up with some of the bashing of the PL and you are one of the ones that are always negative. I believe it is the most entertaining league and certainly the best supported. It's not whether the football is the best or whether the league is competitive there is just something special about the PL that no other league has or can have.

Only just seen this. Apology accepted anyway.

Don't get me wrong, you're spot on about my negativity surrounding the league, I wish I didn't have it but I honestly can't help what I think about things and I really do think it's over-rated painfully.

It definitely has its positives, but it really annoys me how some blindly will claim it's the best league in the world without ever watching a foreign game.

[Dan]

The only thing special about it is it is blasted onto our eyeballs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Sky, ESPN, BBC, ITV, C5, the every newspaper and news channel picking up every little detail and magnifying every little rift and ruck and tension, that is what is special, that and the history of it, but if you had that much coverage of any league or any sport you would believe it was special too.

The premiership is not a patch on what it was, and there are other leagues that are more currently exciting, eg Germany, France, the Championship whereas the Spanish league has the best players in the world. The Italian league is so mired in controversy and scandal I can't take it seriously.

Nobody is saying don't watch prem games, or don't enjoy, it is just a fact that at the moment it is at a low ebb, our big guns are failing in Europe and the technical quality of the football was never our strength, the passion of the players and the fans was what raised it to the best league in the world, but that is now on the wane, the majority of players are foreign mercenaries caring more about their next big money move, and the real fans are disillusioned and drifting away being replaced by football tourists and football consumers.

Add to that the number of games I see ruined by referees making game changing errors, or being conned by players, having spats with the managers and footballers spitting, kicking ball boys and generally just being as far removed from the heroes of yesteryear as possible.

All of that could be forgiven if the quality of football was there, but it just isn't, yesterday United had the game wrapped up against Everton early on and just hit cruise control, Villa vs West Ham was an awful match until the last quarter, Saturday Man City, the current champions, fvcked up 3 times, to gift Southampton 3 goals and lose, effectively handing the title to United with a third of the season left.

The sooner players stop seeing the premier league as the pinnacle the better, there is more money to be made in Asia, Russia and the middle East, let the mercenaries fvck off and we might start seeing some improvement, but then with clowns like that lot at QPR throwing silly money around for the likes of Samba, I have very little hope for what was the greatest league in the world.

Couldn't have put it better.

[C-man]

I think I owe you an apology, I just get fed up with some of the bashing of the PL and you are one of the ones that are always negative. I believe it is the most entertaining league and certainly the best supported. It's not whether the football is the best or whether the league is competitive there is just something special about the PL that no other league has or can have.

In what way is it 'certainly' the 'best supported?'

The average gates must be 10k below Germany, the percentage of sell outs are lower and those that do turn up are mutes! Traditional fans are being priced out and replaced by tourists who want to upload photos of Wayne Rooney's face to Instagram, and for those that remain, their loyalty is being tested to the very max.

One thing I will say is that I do think the PL is pretty exciting. I don't really care that Manchester United are 20 points clear or whatever; the relegation battle is going to be a thriller this season.

I find it a bit of a silly argument anyway: in the past 5/6 years the Bundesliga has been generally regarded as the most competitive and equitably balanced but then this year Bayern have strolled the league and probably have enough points to win 2013/14 already, the top 4 are fairly set (although it is thrilling that a promoted team currently occupy 4th!), the relegation places are nailed on and it is now just down to who can finish in the relegation play-off spot.

In sum, in every league you will always get years that a boring at the top but there are plenty more things to enjoy than who (generally) has the most money!

[TheSomersetFox]

Just read what he said^^

[Super_horns]

The suggestion made on Talksport by ex Man City player Paul Power was that the top teams in the Premiership have much tougher games each week than their counterparts across europe...is that fair or just typical media/english arrogrance?

[Dan]

The suggestion made on Talksport by ex Man City player Paul Power was that the top teams in the Premiership have much tougher games each week than their counterparts across europe...is that fair or just typical media/english arrogrance?

It's just ridiculous excuses (as usual). Put our bottom 5 against Spain, Germany & Italy's bottom 5 and you won't see much between them.