hahahahahaha ulpal. lovin the dispute tho lol

also ronaldo over messi any day of the week.

i think sometimes people forget that messi hasnt graced the premiership. the home of great players becoming failures.

this is coming from a city fan aswell

ronaldo what a player, in the premiership are you forgettin just how good he was.

messi prob wont come to the premiership because he knows when he does it wont be long for him to no longer hold his worlds best player crown.

To be fair, why would anyone ever leave this Barca team...

Related question- given the Champions League records the last few years, is the Premier League still the best in Europe or have the others caught up?

Disagree with that completely. Barca are a team based around winning the ball back as quickly as possible. The way they press teams in defence is amazing to see and Messi is an important part of that.

He is also not afraid to track back.

of course the premiership is the best lol

none of the other leagues touch it. haha

and its just my opinion i watch barcelona and i think yea nice players but ya know i get bored watching them. all this clean football makes me tired lol

there has been some amazing matches this season in the prem end to end thrilling stuff its quality.

no other league has such depth in terms of obverall abilities and also just general rivalries and stuff were the best for it always have been and always will

were so good at it even the yanks have given up they know they cant take our football!!!

if i was messi when i was thinking about one day retiring, id always be saying to myself, i wish id played in the premiership

sat watching match of the day crying to himself cos he was too scared too hurt his legs in the winters freeze down at torquay in the cup!!!

hahahaha. yea he will regret it if he dosnt come one day, then its his loss when hes down the old pensioners home and every1 is bumming ronaldo about how he destroyed the prem, messi trying to chip in about his hat trick at osasuna pmsl

sit down messi, this is the mans table!!!

Meh the premier league has a lot of average teams it this season as does la liga.

After Sunderland (and only recently have they been any good) our league just falls away.

La Ligas seems to go after Valencia though. Still they are more technically gifted in Spain, more tactically aware as well, just don't have the natural assets of strength power and pace. For example Micah Richards and Kyle Walker would be horrible footballers if they weren't powerful natural athletes.

Plus Madrid and Barca are the two best sides in the world IMO, then it's anyone's pick out of City, Utd, Bayern and AC for the third best atm.

Only have to see how AC dealt with Arsenal to see the difference in class there for example yet people still say "poor italian teams". Well the prem will have at best 1 team in the last 8 of the Champions League. Last season we had none in the semis.

It is that dinosaur like attitude to football that sees England struggling when we play sides like Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Holland, Kazakhstan etc...

Look at this I found. Hope it's real

I'd rather everyone realised we were just an average league rather than this top league.

Like Spain, Portugal, Italy and France our league is mainly revolved around 2 or 3 teams. Could possibly add Germany in there but this season looks a bit tighter and better.

A really good league would be to have where most teams are equal anyone can beat anyone and it is very tight at the top middle and bottom, not the same 2/3 teams running away with it all the time.

On the Messi/Ronaldo thing...

Messi is a technical genius.
Ronaldo is a crying baby.

Ronaldo is a freek kick genius.
Messi can't play for a team withought Xavi Iniesta and co.

I personally feel Messi just edges it but both very good players and wouldn't complain about having either in my team haha.

Yes! I'm a neutral observer of the Bundesliga (because my team is in 2nd division), but a few weeks ago, there were 4 teams tied on points at the top of the table.

Just noticed Borussia Monchengladbach there up in 3rd. Now there is a blast from the past!

We beat them in 77 3-1 to take the European Cup.

Marco Reus of theres is quite some player. Surely he will look to move soon?

I reckon Bayern will take the Bundesliga title this year. They need Schweinsteiger back fit though.

Edited at 03:11 Sat 18/02/12 (GMT)

Gladbach really has a strong side this year. Reus is indeed very good and during the winterbreak already linked with Bayern Munich.

About the premier league...the only league where i like to watch full matches. Why? There is pace and power. No easy matches for every team. Man Utd visiting Wolves i.e, no guarantee they will win and they need alot effort to get the three points.
Best players of the world do play there...from a van Persie to Nasri, Aguero to David SIlva, Adabayor to Ba, Rooney to Bale, finally also UK players involved. Those foreign stars only come to England for the money...for the weather you would stay on the continental. Big question is...when you the rich owners turn down the money valve?
By the way...saw yesterday Rading-Burnley...entertaing match also...with a decent Burnley side who deserved too little...

Best games in England are always the lower league games, you will see brilliant goals, sendings off, action, end to end stuff high scoring games. And you are to expect this in most games, however the prem this season has seen some brilliant games. When Blackburn beat United 3-2, Spurs masterclass when they have brushed away Liverpool and Newcastle. Then down to single masterclass performances from the likes of RVP, Demba Ba, Modric,

Then we have talentes youngsters coming through like Chamberlain etc, but I will still say Bundesliga is better than us, and in many aspects, be it the financial stability, range of teams and how close it is between everyone.

Reus is moving to Dortmund at the end of the season, already signed.

Gladbach were something like 10 points behind a non-relegation spot at one point last season, then somehow saved themselves and are now in third. Some turnaround.

The title goes to Bayern or Dortmund, with Dortmund looking very good right now and Bayern struggling. Should be close with Gladbach and Schalke also getting a look.

1-0 down at half time to Birmingham in the Fa Cup...

AVB is bricking it now about the sack.



I am a whizz on paint, between that pic and the one on FSE thread I am a master, I thank you all in advance.

Edited at 13:43 Sat 18/02/12 (GMT)

you should've made it a brick...

Lmao boss pic, dead realistic looking that

They scrawped a draw, according to bbc sport Torres lasted 45 minutes before getting the hook for Drogger

Arsenal out

Gladbach are always a quality price as well. They have been strong over the last 3 4 seasons?

Today, Torquay let me down...

And Bayern Munich let down my 8 teamer! Away to Frieburg who are bottom of the league... ridiculos. Today as well, Arjen Robben was played at left back. For the life of me I cannot believe he was left back, is this a naturally thing? There was Muller and Ribery on the wings, Robben Lahm LB n RB with 1 upfront and Kroos just behind? Away to bottom... You dont need to defend!

I think Chelsea could compete with any of the sides in the CL (espescially Napoli) but not with AVB as manager and Torres starting over Drogba.

Or with Miereles starting over Lampard and Mikel starting over Essien.

But if AVB done one, and even Gus Poyet came in (I think Capello defended Terry because he wants Chelsea job) then Gus would steer us better than Boas.

I dont think United would do too badly either, now they have stability.

City had a hard group.

You cant say that Basle, Inter, Benfica, Zenit, Apoel, Shakter, Lyon... are better than Chelsea, Spurs, Utd, City...

I think besides Real and Barca (who are beatable) then the English clubs are well and truely up there. For the simple fact United and City win games against weak opposition, like Chelsea use to. Munich cant beat bottom, Milan scored 3 goals in 5 games against weak mid-low table teams.

At the same point last season, they were bottom of the table, 7 points from a non-relegation spot. They somehow saved themselves by finishing third-last and winning the relegation games against the third-placed team from the 2. Bundesliga.
With the same players too! The seasons before, they finished 15th and 12th.

This season, they've been excellent and just passed Bayern in the table.

The only reason I questioned the strength of English teams now is that the've had poor showings in the last 2 seasons of the champions league and only Chelsea have hope of getting to the quarters this season.
Remember the two Machesters, good in the league, were knocked out! Napoli got 4 points off Man City, Basel got 4 points off Man Utd, Benfica drew them twice. Spurs were beat by PAOK Saloniki and Rubin Kasan....... not exactly shining stats.
It feels like the English teams are just living off their name now, because results don't really reflect any quality at all.

Edited at 11:33 Sun 19/02/12 (GMT)