by sussexpob » Tue Jul 17, 2018 1:08 am
Out of the five one off events held this year worldwide, four of the best live attendances are English football competitions (sold out Wembley for the EFL, FA Cup, EPL playoffs and charity shield). So if anyone has experience of playing high pressure games, it's us. The last playoff final contained two younger players highly regarded and touted to make England's next world cup team (Grealish and Sessegnon).... No excuses
Far from being stale, the top level of English football ranks as the third best watched spectacle in world sport by live attendees, although the NFL has less than half the games, and the Bundesliga has four less, so I believe it beats both in number of people actually going. It is the most watched annual sporting league on TV worldwide. And the incredible thing is, this is just the top level. The championship and league one attendances in combination exceeded attendances in la Liga, serie a and blow the rest of the Bundesliga pyramid out the water ....no excuse. English players play in a highly competitive and relevant league.
As for dominance....Juventus have won the last 6 serie A titles, as have Bayern Munich in Germany. Paris have won 6 out of 7 in France. You have to go back to the early 80s to get more la Liga clubs who've won the title than in England in the last 6 years.....The Premier League is by far the most open league in world football in recent history.
Finally, mercenary players. Look at Frances team. Lucas has had 4 years and averaged about 12 matches per year at atletico, not got much football. Pavard has played one season in a non-continental qualification mid table German side.l and not a lot else. Umtiti only played 20 odd times for Barcelona last year, which about what stones got at city and both have had similar careers and moves at the same ages. Sunderland nearly signed Mendy ion a free a couple of years ago, half a year at Monaco and he was the most expensive full back ever. Tolisso started 17 league game last year for Bayern in bundasliga. Pogba is a united youth player from england. At 25 no one had heard of kante. Steve nzonzi didn't exactly cut it in the premier league in 200 games as a youngster, or certainly wasn't world cup final player class. Matuidi was thrown out of PSG and told he was finished last summer. Thuavin was useless at newcastle, did he even score for them? Giroud couldn't get a start at the team who finished 6th in the premier league and got flogged off to warm another bench. Griezmann was famously ignored in France as a youngster and had to go overseas. And Marcus rashford has played more games for united then Mbappe has in his career so far at a similar age.
So what are we saying? Why when so many French players have not really played that much, do we now find them world champions? The fact is, Mbappe didn't need games, he was better coached. Others the same. If English players were to standards they'd get games.
Look how many Croats in the team we lost to are playing bags of games attop teams, in top leagues? The majority aren't. Strinic tipped us apart and could not get a game at sampdoria.
Oh and for the record...Croatia football top league has an attendance of 2,700 per match, has been won 12 out 13 years by dinamo Zagreb, and currently has a huge scandal which essentially wrecked the local FA....
2010 French Open fantasy league guru 2010 Wimbledon fantasy league guru 2014 Masters golf fantasy guru 2015 Players Championship FL Guru 2016 Masters Golf Fantasy Guru
And a hat and bra to you too, my good sirs!