Premiership inferior, says Lalas

Donald McRae
Tuesday June 19, 2007
The Guardian (http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2106111,00.html)

Alexi Lalas, the president of LA Galaxy and the man responsible for taking David Beckham to Major League Soccer in the United States next month, has suggested that the Premiership is an "inferior product" whose global success is largely down to American marketing techniques.

"There's no accounting for bad taste," Lalas said in an exclusive interview with the Guardian. "That a segment of the world worships an inferior product in the Premiership is their business. English football now has the haves and the have-nots. It's just that the Premiership have become so skilled in presentation. They took a page out of American football and so now they have Saturday Showdowns and Super Sundays. I love it. This is high-calibre marketing - taking an inferior product and improving it through packaging."

Lalas hit out at English criticism of football in America. "The experts in England talk about David Beckham as if he's going into semi-retirement. It's insulting to say Beckham is on his way to Hollywood when he's coming to play in one of the most competitive leagues in the world. There are a lot of stars who would struggle here.

"There's this delusion that if it's English then it's great. But a whole world exists outside of England. That's reflected in the difficulties they had when everyone ran to the Premiership. Maybe it's OK for the fan but, for the average development of the players, their game is struggling."
Does he not even realise he signed Beckham from a Spanish rather than an English club?

Does he not even realise he signed Beckham from a Spanish rather than an English club?
Premiership inferior, says Lalas

Donald McRae
Tuesday June 19, 2007
The Guardian

Alexi Lalas, the president of LA Galaxy and the man responsible for taking David Beckham to Major League Soccer in the United States next month, has suggested that the Premiership is an "inferior product" whose global success is largely down to American marketing techniques.

"There's no accounting for bad taste," Lalas said in an exclusive interview with the Guardian. "That a segment of the world worships an inferior product in the Premiership is their business. English football now has the haves and the have-nots. It's just that the Premiership have become so skilled in presentation. They took a page out of American football and so now they have Saturday Showdowns and Super Sundays. I love it. This is high-calibre marketing - taking an inferior product and improving it through packaging."

Lalas hit out at English criticism of football in America. "The experts in England talk about David Beckham as if he's going into semi-retirement. It's insulting to say Beckham is on his way to Hollywood when he's coming to play in one of the most competitive leagues in the world. There are a lot of stars who would struggle here.

"There's this delusion that if it's English then it's great. But a whole world exists outside of England. That's reflected in the difficulties they had when everyone ran to the Premiership. Maybe it's OK for the fan but, for the average development of the players, their game is struggling."


I think he is having a bite back at some comments made by the English press, pundits, players and managers (i've highlighted the quote) regarding Football in America being inferior to European football and how Beckham will suffer by moving there. I don't think he is having a go at the club/country that they actually signed Beckham from!
Whatever he is refering to... he's wrong!! Football in America is about the equivelent of our 1st/2nd division football and Beckham will suffer in terms of fitness and quality oposition.

I think he is having a bite back at some comments made by the English press, pundits, players and managers (i've highlighted the quote) regarding Football in America being inferior to European football and how Beckham will suffer by moving there. I don't think he is having a go at the club/country that they actually signed Beckham from!
His argument is that people have criticised MLS because they can't see beyond England's borders:

"There's this delusion that if it's English then it's great. But a whole world exists outside of England."

That the criticisms of MLS were made in response of Beckham's move from the Spanish League completely undercuts his whole argument.

His argument is that people have criticised MLS because they can't see beyond England's borders:

"There's this delusion that if it's English then it's great. But a whole world exists outside of England."

That the criticisms of MLS were made in response of Beckham's move from the Spanish League completely undercuts his whole argument.
Yes, he is slagging off the English in response to critisism from the English Media.

Yes, he is slagging off the English in response to critisism from the English Media.
Do you really not understand how the crux of his argument is undercut by Beckham not having played in the Premiership for 4 seasons?

Lallas claims that MLS has been criticised because; "There's this delusion that if it's English then it's great. But a whole world exists outside of England."

This argument makes no sense when you consider that Beckham isn't being mocked for moving from a Premiership to a MLS side but from a La Liga side as such Beckham has long been in one of the bits of the world outside of England. So the English media can't possibly be saying that everything that isn't English is crap, I suppose some of them could have said that "if it's Spanish then it's great" but that seems unlikely.

The MLS is a joke. It will take a hell of a lot more than David Beckham to change that.

Better players than Beckham have gone there and it's still on a par with League 1.

Do you really not understand how the crux of his argument is undercut by Beckham not having played in the Premiership for 4 seasons?

Lallas claims that MLS has been criticised because; "There's this delusion that if it's English then it's great. But a whole world exists outside of England."

This argument makes no sense when you consider that Beckham isn't being mocked for moving from a Premiership to a MLS side but from a La Liga side as such Beckham has long been in one of the bits of the world outside of England. So the English media can't possibly be saying that everything that isn't English is crap, I suppose some of them could have said that "if it's Spanish then it's great" but that seems unlikely.
Plekh, although i am now bored of constantly bickering with you i will still try to explain what point i was trying to get across:

In your caption it clearly states - Lalas hit out at English criticism of football in America.

Our media, players, managers and pundits have all been commenting on how Beckham has been like a new player recently and that his performances for England have been top class. They then went on to say how Beckham moving to the U.S.A would do him and his International career no good at all as their league is just not good enough. Lallas has hit back at these comments by the English by trying to put us down and big them up (a sort of, you slag my country off and i'll slag yours, kind of thing)

The caption i've highlighted says it all fella - he hit out at us because we hit out at them.

I'm not claiming our media have stated that everything outside of England is crap, i'm simply saying that we have said that football in America is crap, hence the response by Lallas.

Sheesh I know why he said what he did that's obvious to anyone, my point was and is that what he actually (regardless of why he said it which was so blindingly obvious that it hardly needed commenting on) was stupid, it's not my problem if you're too dense to understand that very simple point.

to be honest im not really all that interested in football, i watch it occasionally because i have to (thats being married for ya)

the bit i love about the quote is "there's this delusion that if its English its Great, but a whole world exists outside of england" this is exactly how a lot of americans feel about everything american....

Sheesh I know why he said what he did that's obvious to anyone, my point was and is that what he actually (regardless of why he said it which was so blindingly obvious that it hardly needed commenting on) was stupid, it's not my problem if you're too dense to understand that very simple point.
Hey cheers Plekh, just remember that post when you next dog someone for being offensive!!!
It does seem to be you though who is a little dense however as 'your point' as you put it, was that Lallas didn't realise that Beckham was playing in Spain, when that has absolutely no relevense to what he said and why he said it!
You will no doubt try and get out of this with some more 'put downs' and 'insults' but the fact remains....... your thread is poor!

If the american league is good I wonder how many of us can name 6 players that play over there, coz I cannot.

Wild offence from the Galaxy coach Lalas, laying the smackdown to all of the English soccerball fans! It's a clever play he's made by launching a safety blitz deep from left field. I don't know about you Don, but I think the English fans are gonna be choking on their Buds when they read this. Great stuff, and now a word from our sponsors.......

I don't know about you Don, but I think the English fans are gonna be choking on their Buds when they read this. Great stuff, and now a word from our sponsors.......

My salty lovetears fall from my face.