I personally believe Athletic would beat United every 3 out of 5 times they played. United has a very hard time with teams who press high up the pitch and move the ball around through their midfield.
How many times have ManU, been upset this year Basel, Bilbao and Benfica. They couldn't get out of the group stage in CL and got knocked in the round of 16 of Europa. Maybe, they are just not that great and the reason there at the top of the EPL is because the EPL is not that great? I personally didn't think this match was an upset after watching the first leg, I knew Bilbao could do it again.
How many times have ManU, been upset this year Basel, Bilbao and Benfica. They couldn't get out of the group stage in CL and got knocked in the round of 16 of Europa. Maybe, they are just not that great and the reason there at the top of the EPL is because the EPL is not that great? I personally didn't think this match was an upset after watching the first leg, I knew Bilbao could do it again.
i feel bad for you if you think la liga is a better league than the EPL
Athletic were wonderful. Not only did the simply outclass them, but they outworked them too. Scoreline flattered United as Athletic were superb in the second half. Some of those near misses were nice plays too, like Iraola's and Muniain's from the first half. And that tackle from Javi Martinez on Rooney... Wonderful advertisement for Athletic, for football and for the league. And look at how young that Athletic side is too. Would be a great story IMO if they went on to win it all.
I'd be wary of Atletico as well. They're playing better under Simeone and they have a lot of talented players in that side. Ditto for Valencia, but unlike the mattress men let's how they don't advance past the next round.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HajdukSplit
Everybody knocks La Liga because of that, but the "two team league" happen to be the best two teams in Europe right now. Really the EPL is no different, only that sometimes the two teams are different, but usually it is a two team race
Yep, or maybe a 3 team race.
Amazing the hype still going on about the Premiership.
Haha. I have given up arguing with EPL fans a long time ago. I mean they'll always come up with something.. "Yeah but Stoke would beat up Barça" "EPL teams don't actually care about the Europa League" etc etc
I personally believe Athletic would beat United every 3 out of 5 times they played. United has a very hard time with teams who press high up the pitch and move the ball around through their midfield.
My argument is not on how good the teams are but in the expectations of the league. In La Liga, it seems like it is a 2 horse race for the title every season, Barca and Madrid. In the EPL it seems like there are a handful of teams that could win the league each year. This has nothing to do with the level of the teams in the league but in competitive balance. It is well documented that Barca and Madrid have things so much better for them than the other spanish teams. This has led to the competitive imbalance. In the EPL there is a similar imbalance, but it is not to the level of La Liga. If Fifa/UEFA's financial fair play rules ever take a hard hold, and you don't have clubs pulling the bs than Man City did with that whole name rights ****, then I think this would lessen the gulfs in the two leagues. Let some of these teams that are a little better than people give them credit for have a chance in Europe and what not and show the true depth of both leagues.
They have spanked united but united is also pretty bad this year. Still the better team won
I would say United is extremely inconsistent this season. At times playing like champions (usually at home), at times playing like a team relegation bound (usually away). Defense and midfield have been the biggest problems, there's no denying that problems started arising when the injuries began mounting, first to the midfield players and then to defense, namely Vidic. A healthy Vidic alone would improve the defense immensely (no need to play Evans). Midfielders injuries meant that United couldn't play the short passing system they had at the start of the season anymore because the players available didn't have the skill for it.
My argument is not on how good the teams are but in the expectations of the league. In La Liga, it seems like it is a 2 horse race for the title every season, Barca and Madrid. In the EPL it seems like there are a handful of teams that could win the league each year.
It's funny you say that. This is actually a very common argument.
Yet let's watch FACTS :
Over the last 7 years, la Liga has known 2 winners, Barca and Real. Valencia won it 8 years ago.
Over the last 7 years the EPL has known.... 2 winners, Chelsea and ManU. Arsenal won it 8 years ago.
In fact you have to go back to 1995 (Blackburn) to see a team other than Chelsea, ManU and Arsenal winning the EPL. In the 19 years the EPL has existed, there have been only those 4 winners.
In the last 19 years, la Liga has known 5 winners (Barca, Real, Atletico, Valencia, Deportivo).
See something weird in your argument?
If you look at FACTS, la liga has had less obvious winners than the EPL.
I would say United is extremely inconsistent this season. At times playing like champions (usually at home), at times playing like a team relegation bound (usually away). Defense and midfield have been the biggest problems, there's no denying that problems started arising when the injuries began mounting, first to the midfield players and then to defense, namely Vidic. A healthy Vidic alone would improve the defense immensely (no need to play Evans). Midfielders injuries meant that United couldn't play the short passing system they had at the start of the season anymore because the players available didn't have the skill for it.
Hard to say they have been better on road or home. I think they are the best on the road this season.and if you remember, last season road form was poor.
They have had a longer unbeaten streak on the road, concede less. And show similar. This is based on premier league only.
Saf needs to stop playing Rooney as a lone striker. Rooney has evolved he pushes back a lot more. When he gets the ball, he has no one in front of him.
Hard to say they have been better on road or home. I think they are the best on the road this season.and if you remember, last season road form was poor.
They have had a longer unbeaten streak on the road, concede less. And show similar. This is based on premier league only.
Saf needs to stop playing Rooney as a lone striker. Rooney has evolved he pushes back a lot more. When he gets the ball, he has no one in front of him.
Yeah, they've gotten good results but one could say it's been despite the style of play or tactics.
Havent seen a team undress United like Bilbao did for a long, long time. They played a great fluid game, and were unlucky not to be atleast 2/3 goals more a head. I did hear on the radio today that Bilbao did rest a good chunk of their squad a head of the United tie....
It's funny you say that. This is actually a very common argument.
Yet let's watch FACTS :
Over the last 7 years, la Liga has known 2 winners, Barca and Real. Valencia won it 8 years ago.
Over the last 7 years the EPL has known.... 2 winners, Chelsea and ManU. Arsenal won it 8 years ago.
In fact you have to go back to 1995 (Blackburn) to see a team other than Chelsea, ManU and Arsenal winning the EPL. In the 19 years the EPL has existed, there have been only those 4 winners.
In the last 19 years, la Liga has known 5 winners (Barca, Real, Atletico, Valencia, Deportivo).
See something weird in your argument?
If you look at FACTS, la liga has had less obvious winners than the EPL.
Yep, and the only thing I would add to that is that there have generally been 1-3 teams really challenging for the title in the PL for the last 8 years or so. The only thing one can argue against that in favor of the PL is that there has been some rotation as to whose 1-3 sides are, though very little and it doesn't look like much will change in the near future. And this season is no different with it being a two horse race, Man Utd and Man City as I said it would be from the beginning.
