Best league in the world

[Bally]

What league is the best in the world England, Spain, Germany or Italy? I say England because its one of the hardest league to play in, the pase of the game is much faster than any other league out there, the other teams are full of depth too not just the top 3

[Rodney]

Ah voting for England...but not wholeheartedly. England has always had a more competitive league than the other 'BIG' Euro leagues, but head to head matches don't give us definite proof.  Things tend to go in phases in football...currently English teams seem to have the edge over Italian and French teams (i.e. English sides win more of the ties than their opponents) but there is stalemate with the Germans and Spanish sides dominate English ones. Yet Spanish sides tend to get cutarse from German teams and so on. For me the difference is the variation of English sides that have won European titles...shows England's greater depth over the years. If it was'nt for the five year ban who knows how many cups would have been won by English teams.

[football king]

ENGLAND close winner for me faster more physical than the others arsenal, man u, liverpool chelsea could hold they own with europe's best think england not sure but they also play more games mauybe i am wrong

[palos]

Only people who REGULARLY watch football from leagues other than EPL should respond to this thread.

In my opinion...The best league right now is La Liga.  That is where the best FOOTBALL on a consistent basis is played.

Most people grow up watching EPL or whatever English first division football was called before the EPL and have an emotional attachment to the teams and players from that league.  Most people can tell you the names of the most obscure English teams but can't name any team out of the top 5 in the other leagues.  This is primarily because of the hype of the EPL.

EPL is an entertaining league and the fact that people know the starting XI for West Bromwich Albion is testament not to the quality of the league...but to the great media hype of that League.

EPL for me is the best MARKETED League.

The best FOOTBALL is still played mostly by Continental teams.  However, with the advent of continental and international players as well as even more importantly, Continental coaches...the standard of the EPL is getting better.

[Observer]

Italian league is still the toughest for me. The best football quality for me is Spain. I also like the league in Argentina very entertaining

[Bally]

Palos I was a big Italian soccer fan when I was young also loved Brazil and still do but to be fear I will say England over Spain because I have Gol tv and they show a lot off Spanish games and to me there’s only a couple of good teams remember its because of Real Madrid every body was Spanish football was the best they had the best players in the world     

[JDB]

From top to bottom the Spanish League is the best in the World although the English league is and will always be my favourite.

The English league is just not competitive enough right now. The same goes for Italy. There was a time when promoted teams would regularly be competitive, this season WBA stayed up with what 35 points. Very Poor. In Italy teams that were once competitive like Fiorentina, Parma, Sampdoria are struggling and are no match for Juve or Milan, even Inter is not in the race.

In Spain you have different teams making an impression every year. Depor and Valencia struggled this year but you have Villareal filling that gap and playing good ball.

La Liga is the better thann the EPL.

[samo]

The PFL... W connection, San Juam Jabloteh etc: borse teams...

[Savannah boy]

De Italian league by far as they have more international players. Dey welcome foreign footballers not quota dem to death. Is really a thing of beauty to watch dem La Lig teams play..no lie.

[JDB]

De Italian league by far as they have more international players. Dey welcome foreign footballers not quota dem to death. Is really a thing of beauty to watch dem La Lig teams play..no lie.

Actually in the last WC and Euro more players played their club ball in England than any other country. Now the quality of players is a different story.

[Ponnoxx]

 Spain is the best league.

[Observer]

De Italian league by far as they have more international players. Dey welcome foreign footballers not quota dem to death. Is really a thing of beauty to watch dem La Lig teams play..no lie.

No league in Europe have quota?? Den again like yuh can't make up yuh mind. Yuh talking about Italy and den yuh say La Liga is a thing of beauty. 

[Jumbie]

Since I get to see more of the EPL than the others so it's a fav for me. I am more familar with the players and teams in that league.

There are times when I get to see La liga and must admit that I could easily choose this as my top pick. Teams match up well, no matter where they are on the tables.

Then I'll follow it up with the Italian leage.

Finally I wish I could get more of the Dutch and French league since , for me they have real attractive and creative players in that league..especially the new breed of Africians and children of Afr immigrants. More so the French league.


Jumbie

[Savannah boy]

Well Observer, to answer yuh question De Italian League is still de best as far as I'm concerned. If yuh listen to Beckham and Owen, dey say de Spanish League much better than de EPL. So my order will be Italy, Spain, England and Germany a distant fourth.
The Italian league still sees good foreign players as a way of bettering their own. The English are for ever debating on how many foreign players to allow and dis thing about national caps fuh wuk visa does go too far. Is jes another protectionist barrier. Yuh ever hear dem kinda talk in Italy? Dat is de point I'm making about Italy and de quota business.

[Solo]

I watch all the major leagues inculding Argentinian, Brazilian, Dutch, French, EPL ect. I dont discriminate. Beckham and Owen will say La Liga is the best because thats where they are earning. They went to RM for the glitx and glamour of being called a 'galactico'.  But Figo recently said he wants to go EPL next year because its better there.

 I think the EPL has the more competitive games because they do not allow the space that La Liga allows during play and a lot more technically sound players are migrating there but not all of them are finding it to be a walk in the park. Morientes is a good example. with Real Madrid or Monaco he would be bossing the play but not in the EPL. The spanish players are technically good but not better than the dutch . However when it comes to league, today, the EPL is the best and has the most technically gifted striker in the world Thierry Henry while La Liga has the best techincally gifted player in the world in Ronaldinho. Yet nether of their teams made it to the finals.

But, players alone dont make leagues, it is strong teams and quality of play and coaching make leagues and i think with the impact of chelsea this year it is easy to see why the EPL can claim the title now. Two years ago it was Italy, last year it was Spain, this year its all English.

[Touches]

Besides watchin Arsenal............EPL is BOO!

However they does real hype up this league and the lil games like Fantasy manager etc does help the cause.

I like Italian.....So thats my vote,

But La liga is a close second in terms of style of ball and attractiveness of teams.

[Savannah boy]

Mr Solo, how would Figo know the EPL better? Yuh will choose his opinion over Becks and Owen who come from England. Dat doh make no sense to me.

[palos]

Mr Solo, how would Figo know the EPL better? Yuh will choose his opinion over Becks and Owen who come from England. Dat doh make no sense to me.

De man jes tryin to make a case fuh he argument.  So what if he argument wrong?  He entitled to fudge facts to support it anyway he can...

By de way Solo....Figo want to go EPL because none a de top teams in Spain want him.  He know it go be a easy pay cheque because tradiitionally, dat is where most of de players close to retirement would like to go.  Is de league dat pays de most money.

Other than Ronaldo, Robben, Cisse and some players from Arsenal....most of the EPL imports are either close to past dey "sell by" date or followin a manager from a nex league...e.g. Mourinho and Benitez.

[dcs]

EPL got better after the Bosman ruling.

Serie A still have the edge technically but EPL teams just battle till the end.

That Champions League Final characterize the two leagues good.

AC Milan destroyed Liverpool in the 1st half.  Boy talk bout total domination....they was moving at a blistering pace.

2nd half...Liverpool show that workman like English never say die attitude that pull off another miracle.  They outdo Man Utd 99 comeback.

But when it comes to the bizness side EPL is a cash cow that marketing itself better than any of the others.  Language is another factor when it comes to following what going on with the teams.

[palos]

dcs....how much Englishman play in dah Final?

Gerrard, Carragher and who?

[dcs]

dcs....how much Englishman play in dah Final?

Gerrard, Carragher and who?

Dey still playing in England with English supporters, critics and administration and that affects the way they play.

On another note...anybody see England vs. USA game?  I see from bout the 66th min and boy...I had to wonder if them English players doh know how to trap, pass.  But dat was the end of the game.

[Tallman]

Fuh all de men who does regularly watch de EPL and La Liga. What is de deal wit Forlan? He gone from being ah shitsnake wit ManU tuh top scorer in LaLiga. Ah guess it have tuh do wit de type of ball dey playing. Generally, South Americans doh light up de English league. Since Osvaldo Ardiles and Ricky Villa played wit Tottenham in de early '80s nobody from South America really leave ah mark on de English game.

[Savannah boy]

Yuh damn right Tallman. De keep away, short pass game dat generally conserves energy in de tropics doh wuk in de EPL. Yuh better be fit, ready to run and have good aerial skills. The set plays are also of a better design in the EPL and shots come from everywhere. It is asking a lot of the South Americans to come into a league and perform in roles they're not accustomed to. One player who would have done well in the EPL would have been Batistuta. His heading ability was excellent and his running and work rate would have made him suitable. But yuh notice how Brazilian midfielders and forwards in particular does avoid the EPL like a plague.

[Solo]

Good point Tallman. Outside of the fact that the EPL was better this year than La Liga there are some reasons why Forlan did so good this year in La Liga:

 1. More than 70% of his goals this year came around the six yard box. At ManU he was not allowed to poach there beecause that was Van Nistelrooy's poaching ground. Ferguson made his play to a different game on the wings;

2. Juan Roman Riquelme - he and Forlan understand each other very well and in fact Forlan relied on Riquelme for most of his final passes - Riquelme has the most assists on the Villareal team. Riquelme was to Forlan this year what Savo was to Dwight at Aston Villa - a provider;

3. Forlan himself said that the pace of the EPL was too much for him. He prefers Spain where they play more south american and defenders stay back and man get space to dribble and weave whole day and spin and turn and do tricks and short passes - not so in the EPL ( Thierry Henry and Arsenal excepted - the guy is just a legend and the team just has a good short passing rhythmn going);

4. He plays almost exclusively inside for Villareal while he was always put on the left or right wing by Ferguson and invited to take the 18 yd shots whenever he could. He has both feet is quick and has a nice dipping shot from long range but at Villareal he re-discovered what made him so lethal at Independiente - his inside nippy play.

The guy was just playing with the wrong team in England and playing a brand of football that did not match his style.

[JDB]

Goodd observations Solo and here's another major reason, confidence.

Last year I see Forlan miss some goals, in the six yard box, one on one and even open goal. He had opportunities but never felt like he had the manager's full support.

I always say that as a striker you need to miss some to score some and he just didn't have the long stretches he needed to be sharp.

[noname]

Forlan was asked this same question recently....I believe his answer was along the line of JDB's observations...never had a full run out with the manager behind him.

[palos]

Yuh damn right Tallman. De keep away, short pass game dat generally conserves energy in de tropics doh wuk in de EPL. Yuh better be fit, ready to run and have good aerial skills. The set plays are aso of a better design in the EPL and shots come from everywhere. It is asking a lot of the South Americans to come into a league and perform in roles they're not accustomed to. One player who would have done well in the EPL would have been Batistuta. His heading ability was excellent and his running and work rate would have made him suitable. But yuh notice how Brazilian midfielders and forwards in particular does avoid the EPL like a plague.

Daz why de same South Americans does buss dey ass more often than not whenever they meet in international competition.

[Savannah boy]

Palos yuh know fully well dat de only South American countries dat could mash up England on a regular basis is Brazil and Argentina. Dey have the players to do it. Man wouldn't bet dey money, life or a bald head wife on any of dem other South American countries to beat England.

I was very careful to diffrentiate the position of the players. The South American midfielders would not like de style of play at all...too much running for de midfielders and plenty Air Service to the forwards. However men like Cafu and Roberto Carlos would fit right in as defenders. Any defender in dat kinda mould would fit in the EPL.
.............................................

On an unrelated topic:

Boy, if only T&T had backs like dat. They take some heat off the midfielders who don't have to trek back deep in their half all the time to bring up the ball...facing we goal with pressure on dey back. We need to send some Trini wajang thing up to Martinique and Guadeloupe to bring back a Thuram and a Tresor for we.

[Observer]

Fuh all de men who does regularly watch de EPL and La Liga. What is de deal wit Forlan? He gone from being ah shitsnake wit ManU tuh top scorer in LaLiga. Ah guess it have tuh do wit de type of ball dey playing. Generally, South Americans doh light up de English league. Since Osvaldo Ardiles and Ricky Villa played wit Tottenham in de early '80s nobody from South America really leave ah mark on de English game.

Sometimes is so it go. Forlan had a good season in Spain mainly because he played on a consistent basis. With ManU he came off the bench and was never given an extended run. he did score many important goals for ManU even with his limited playing time. I do not buy the argument about South Americans in the EPL. The English always had their prejudice, remember they use to say Black players did not like the cold and were lazy and that myth get thrown out the window. Most of the clubs in the EPL never bought the best of South America, Those players played in Italy and Spain traditionally. With the exception of Ardiles, Villa, both of whom mash up the league, who of name play in England??? Veron ok but whom???  Mirandinha (who was he) who by the way top scored at Newcastle, Asprilla who did the same, Juninho, Angel??? Is really bargin shopping SA players. Gilberto and Edu make history with Arsenal. But lets face it you could buy the best SA attackers but if you have them British midfielders providing service they ass dark. Just look at the final four teams in the CL over the last 6-8-10 years and you will see which league have the most consistent teams in it.
One cannot go by one or two years of CL if that is the case Portugal and France go jump in the argument. Let me give ah different spin How many English British players leave dem league and shine abroad. Rush score 40+ goals ah season at Liverpool and fail to score 7 in Italy??? just a starter on the argument on the Forlan issue

[JDB]

Let me give ah different spin How many English British players leave dem league and shine abroad.

English/British successes abroad.

Souness, Wilkins, Samways,  Charles, Keegan, Brady, Trevor Francis, Archibald, Lineker, Joe Jordan, Hately, Platt


English/Brtish Failures
Des Walker, Hughes, Gascoigne, Blissett, Law and Greaves