The Official 2024/25 Premier League Thread

[Raziel]

Said it on another thread, say it again, watching some of the game this weekend and quality wise, the PL has to be in the worst state I have seen forever. When I say that I mean the real quality in the league, I just don't see it anymore. Bar maybe 4 players, there is just a real lack of players where I would go........."fcuk me they are special".

Said it as well, got corrected

- Forest, Bournemouth, Fulham season's aren't some view of the EPL is so strong, it's a reflection that everyone's quality has dropped off, City is no where near the side they used to be, Arsenal has regressed, us & United are a fudging circus and Chelsea is equivalent to say Villa despite spending billions, Villa is 6th in PL with a GD of 0 .. fudging 0 and people think they are a success story?
- 2 teams in the entire league have lost less than 8 games, that's 18 out of 20 teams have lost 25% or more of their games

 

[harr1984]

Don't think it's just the Premier League, it's world football in general. Look at the players Real Madrid and Barca have playing for them now, they aren't anywhere near the teams they were a few years ago. The world's best players were Messi and Ronaldo, now the best are the likes of Haaland/Mbappe/Vincius Jr. Good players but that's quite a come down.....

 

[Grays_1890]

Don't think it's just the Premier League, it's world football in general. Look at the players Real Madrid and Barca have playing for them now, they aren't anywhere near the teams they were a few years ago. The world's best players were Messi and Ronaldo, now the best are the likes of Haaland/Mbappe/Vincius Jr. Good players but that's quite a come down.....

I went down a rabbit hole the other day on the CL in the late 80s, 90s and 00s and the teams were littered with stars, even those that go knocked out regularly in the last 8.

Milan has the likes of Nesta, Maldini and Cafu, that was one side (and yes it was generational) but then other sides had equally world class defenders at the same time, not you can't find more than 5/6 world class defenders in the game.

Look at the drop off from CL top scorers and compare them to today

The top end quality in the game has dropped off a cliff, I had this argument the other day, yes the middle section of the PL has improved, but the top end globally has regressed badly. It might make for a more even product, but the technical high end level of the game is on the floor IMO

 

[harr1984]

I went down a rabbit hole the other day on the CL in the late 80s, 90s and 00s and the teams were littered with stars, even those that go knocked out regularly in the last 8.

Milan has the likes of Nesta, Maldini and Cafu, that was one side (and yes it was generational) but then other sides had equally world class defenders at the same time, not you can't find more than 5/6 world class defenders in the game.

Look at the drop off from CL top scorers and compare them to today

The top end quality in the game has dropped off a cliff, I had this argument the other day, yes the middle section of the PL has improved, but the top end globally has regressed badly. It might make for a more even product, but the technical high end level of the game is on the floor IMO

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Yeah agree, I'm not going to pretend I know the answers to why exactly. But I will say that PL mavericks such as Ginola/Le Tissier/Di Canio wouldn't have a chance of playing in the PL now, it seems to be that forward players have to be able to press as much as anything else in the same way that goalkeepers have to be able to be good with the ball at their feet as much as they have to be good at actual goalkeeping aspects. The game is so systematic now and lacks authenticy in so many aspects, I don't enjoy it anywhere near as much as I did in the late 90s/00s (ironically we are far better now than we were then!)....

 

[Grays_1890]

Yeah agree, I'm not going to pretend I know the answers to why exactly. But I will say that PL mavericks such as Ginola/Le Tissier/Di Canio wouldn't have a chance of playing in the PL now, it seems to be that forward players have to be able to press as much as anything else in the same way that goalkeepers have to be able to be good with the ball at their feet as much as they have to be good at actual goalkeeping aspects. The game is so systematic now and lacks authenticy in so many aspects, I don't enjoy it anywhere near as much as I did in the late 90s/00s (ironically we are far better now than we were then!)....

Me either, I do think there is a focus on sports science and athleticism over technical on the ball stuff

Even with them aside and I get the CM role has changed, we had the likes of Scholes, Keane, Viera, Lampard, Gerrard, Carrick etc and most with some intersecting played at the same time. Now we have Rice as a 100m player who as good as he is, could not lick their boots and he is considered one of the best. Not having it

 

[K.D.D.D.D.Soc]

I believe it's all about the system/tactic, players following instructions rather than expressing themselves. All teams need a plan or framework but we are producing robots judged on stats. Players are fitter, faster, stronger and possibly better technically but I'd rather watch people doing amazing things than following the playbook.

 

[Kandi1977]

I went down a rabbit hole the other day on the CL in the late 80s, 90s and 00s and the teams were littered with stars, even those that go knocked out regularly in the last 8.

Milan has the likes of Nesta, Maldini and Cafu, that was one side (and yes it was generational) but then other sides had equally world class defenders at the same time, not you can't find more than 5/6 world class defenders in the game.

Look at the drop off from CL top scorers and compare them to today

The top end quality in the game has dropped off a cliff, I had this argument the other day, yes the middle section of the PL has improved, but the top end globally has regressed badly. It might make for a more even product, but the technical high end level of the game is on the floor IMO

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I think this is a product of how players are developed now. They all come from the same mould so to say. They are all technically good, and good passers of the ball, but none of them have a stand out quality/speciality. Defenders are tought how to pass, not how to tackle or win headers. They're all tought the same and basically being trained to be midfielders, and then just put in a random position. At least that's how it looks.

 

[Grays_1890]

I think this is a product of how players are developed now. They all come from the same mould so to say. They are all technically good, and good passers of the ball, but none of them have a stand out quality/speciality. Defenders are tought how to pass, not how to tackle or win headers. They're all tought the same and basically being trained to be midfielders, and then just put in a random position. At least that's how it looks.

Thats how it looks to me too, hence why there are no really Strikers left in the game bar a handful. Everyone now bar a few play exactly the same style now too, everyone adopted the Pep style of play, probably why they are struggling because people are matching it man to man.

I honestly find alot of it boring, I could watch 3 matches at a weekend and they all mesh into one for me.

 

[tommysvr]

Hard to disagree with most of what has been said here, but my summation differs. I think the quality has increased across the board, which is why we don’t have the same level of superstar.

Very much agree that it is a game of midfielders developed to play every other position.

 

[Kandi1977]

Hard to disagree with most of what has been said here, but my summation differs. I think the quality has increased across the board, which is why we don’t have the same level of superstar.

Very much agree that it is a game of midfielders developed to play every other position.

The average technical level has increased. So has fitness and structure/defending as a team. But individual defensive skills is nowhere near as good as it used to be.

 

[SteveAWOL]

Can we make up the 16 point gap to Barcodes to snatch that 5th CL spot?!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1909716865112289400