English national football, where do we go from here?

[sledger]

He should know, by his own admission, he is a midfielder after all.

 

[GIMH]

And he's Scottish, home to at least three world-class footballers in the last 150 years

 

[sledger]

Those being Paul Gasgoigne, Henrik Larsson and Mikel Arteta.

 

[GIMH]

 

[Furball]

Those being Paul Gasgoigne, Henrik Larsson and Mikel Arteta.

Missed Brian Laudrup, the greatest of them all.

 

[sledger]

Missed Brian Laudrup, the greatest of them all.

Haha, yes very good point. Knew there was someone obvious I had forgotten.

 

[Furball]

Imo it's very perculiar to suggest that one league is actually easier than another, can kind of understand people who say one is better than the other or whatever. But to suggest one is easier than the other....well, that is something that anyone here is unlikely to be able to make any sort of accurate assessment over.

I meant easier from a mental point of view, specifically in the context of last season. Given that Barcelona and Real almost never played at the same time, there was always pressure on one of them to match the other and keep in touch/keep their noses in front. That's a unique kind of mental pressure that no player from the Premiership had to contend with.

I don't think it's any coincidence that Lionel Messi flopped for Argentina, or that the Spanish played well below their best - their players, in particular the Barcelona contingent, were absolutely spent mentally and physically.

 

[Furball]

Haha, yes very good point. Knew there was someone obvious I had forgotten.

I'd also have Ronald de Boer in front of Mikel Arteta as well tbf.

 

[GIMH]

I meant easier from a mental point of view, specifically in the context of last season. Given that Barcelona and Real almost never played at the same time, there was always pressure on one of them to match the other and keep in touch/keep their noses in front. That's a unique kind of mental pressure that no player from the Premiership had to contend with.

I don't think it's any coincidence that Lionel Messi flopped for Argentina, or that the Spanish played well below their best - their players, in particular the Barcelona contingent, were absolutely spent mentally and physically.

Messi flopped all the way through qualifying too, of course. And before you say it, wah wah flies across the world, wah wah. Nah.

And I would heavily disagree that not playing at the same time automatically adds more pressure. There are arguments that can be made either way. Your objective in each match, as a title contender, is to win, so it's irrelevant when the other team that play. Let's be honest, it's a complete nonsense theory.

 

[sledger]

I meant easier from a mental point of view, specifically in the context of last season. Given that Barcelona and Real almost never played at the same time, there was always pressure on one of them to match the other and keep in touch/keep their noses in front. That's a unique kind of mental pressure that no player from the Premiership had to contend with.

I don't think it's any coincidence that Lionel Messi flopped for Argentina, or that the Spanish played well below their best - their players, in particular the Barcelona contingent, were absolutely spent mentally and physically.

And this of course entirely speculative on your part. Unless of course you were able to go amongst the various squads to judge their mental wellbeing.

 

[Furball]

And I would heavily disagree that not playing at the same time automatically adds more pressure. There are arguments that can be made either way. Your objective in each match, as a title contender, is to win, so it's irrelevant when the other team that play. Let's be honest, it's a complete nonsense theory.

It's not a theory that I'd bang on about and argue with, but in my opinion, knowing that your rivals have won in this particular round of fixtures, particularly in a title race like the one we saw in Spain last season, adds pressure. I'm not saying that there's no pressure if both teams kick off at the same time, but if you go into a match knowing that your opponents have already won and you therefore can't afford a slip up, I think that's a more pressured situation than if your games kick off simultaneously and you haven't a clue what Real are doing. Some players will thrive under it, some will buckle under it.

 

[Uppercut]

Might affect their mental well-being if they're particularly emotionally invested but I definitely don't think it affects their play on the pitch even slightly. You might think "oh ****, Real Madrid won yesterday evening" in the dressing room beforehand but on the pitch it's just about where you're going to play the next pass.

 

[cpr]

Real and Barca play at the same time as often as Utd and Chelsea do. The mental pressure i'd guess is the same if the two teams are going toe to toe, be it on 70 or 90 points... Infact i dare say the lower the points shows that its more difficult to keep winning match after match, so thats even more pressure 'Chelsea won yesterday, we HAVE to win this, oh but its away to Fulham, this is a bogey fixture....'

As for easyness of the league. I doubt we'll never see Messi play in the Prem, because whilst he'll look very good, he'll be nowhere near he is in Spain, the English game will close him down, restrict him, sit on him (kick the **** out of him, even if he's not playing for Arsenal ). Likewise someone like Milner wouldn't go to Spain, as he'd look out of place and not shine. On the other foot Torres is one of the best strikers in the Prem, Ashley Cole and Glenn Johnson would shine in Spain, as would Lennon/Walcott...... It all depends on the type of player which league is easier, and you'll find most players will gravitate to one known for matching their style (unless Man City offer stupid wages)

 

[aussie]

Mega fail here.

Xavi was carrying a calf injury that he played through for the last month of the season. Andres Iniesta was injured on and off for virtually the entire season.

I actually was very much aware that they had some sort of injury at various points last season. But IIRC i dont think it was that serious thats why i didn't mention it. they seemed to recover quite quickly.

 

[aussie]

Might affect their mental well-being if they're particularly emotionally invested but I definitely don't think it affects their play on the pitch even slightly. You might think "oh ****, Real Madrid won yesterday evening" in the dressing room beforehand but on the pitch it's just about where you're going to play the next pass.

Indeed.

 

[aussie]

Anyway to cut a long story short. Any posts after this, say yes or no if you think the premiership needs a winter break.

 

[chalky]

If we did have a winter break the top teams would only end up jetting around the world chasing the cash playing lucerative friendlys no gain IMO.

 

[grecian]

If we did have a winter break the top teams would only end up jetting around the world chasing the cash playing lucerative friendlys no gain IMO.

This, don't want a winter break, never have done. We may play too many fixtures, but I really don't see the point of squeezing them into an even smaller amount of time.

 

[BoyBrumby]

This, don't want a winter break, never have done. We may play too many fixtures, but I really don't see the point of squeezing them into an even smaller amount of time.

Yeah, reduce to Prem to 18 teams and that's 4 less games.

Would say ditch the League Cup too, but the larger clubs use it to give the stiffs/yoofs a run out nowadays.

Actually not just the bigger clubs and not just the League Cup too; FA Cup looking more and more like an unwelcome distraction from finishing 17th in the Prem for some teams.

 

[Furball]

Real and Barca play at the same time as often as Utd and Chelsea do. The mental pressure i'd guess is the same if the two teams are going toe to toe, be it on 70 or 90 points... Infact i dare say the lower the points shows that its more difficult to keep winning match after match, so thats even more pressure 'Chelsea won yesterday, we HAVE to win this, oh but its away to Fulham, this is a bogey fixture....'

As for easyness of the league. I doubt we'll never see Messi play in the Prem, because whilst he'll look very good, he'll be nowhere near he is in Spain, the English game will close him down, restrict him, sit on him (kick the **** out of him, even if he's not playing for Arsenal ). Likewise someone like Milner wouldn't go to Spain, as he'd look out of place and not shine. On the other foot Torres is one of the best strikers in the Prem, Ashley Cole and Glenn Johnson would shine in Spain, as would Lennon/Walcott...... It all depends on the type of player which league is easier, and you'll find most players will gravitate to one known for matching their style (unless Man City offer stupid wages)

Messi gets booted from pillar to post by teams that can catch him.

Some of the treatment he's had, particularly at the hands of Real Madrid, has been easily as physical as anything I've seen in England.