As season 2004/05 approaches its climax, does anyone on here believe that despite all the money, the foreign players and all the sensationalist headlines, the Premier League is becoming predictable and - dare I add - stale?

We've now got a three horse race, at least in financial terms. Chelsea are buying their way to success; Man U still have capital clout and L'Arsenal aren't far behind, moving into their new, corporately sponsored stadium at the end of the current season.

Money talks and these days, if you've got it, it's shouting very loud. I watched a dreadful bore-draw last night, the once great Liverpool versus a dire 'we've come for a point' Blackburn. Neither team was prepared to take a risk and win the game! I honestly think that there are possibly 5 or 6 teams looking towards the top of the league, and the rest obssessed about being relegated - and all the financial problems relegation brings.

Since the Premier League's inception, look at some of the clubs who once graced that league but which have been relegated. Leeds nearly went bust, Wednesday could be in trouble for a long time yet. How do clubs without a cheque-book chairman compete at this level?

Don't you think this has ruined our supposedly Top League? Also, the amount of 'cheating' that has come into our game is a disgrace. Diving, appealing, remonstrating and even pretending a ball, two yards in the net, never crossed the line!!

Wasn't the old Division One better? Your comments would be appreciated.

Funny enough I was going to create a similar thread with a poll but more revolving around what was ruining football in general.

I think many issues revolve around the Premiership that are spoiling football in my opinion, such as:

Players wages
TV dictating when games are played
Rich/Poor club gap getting wider
The rise in ticket prices
Too many foreign players
Pyramid league system falls down because of the premiership are so far apart from the rest.

There are other issued as well which I'm not sure can be linked with the Premiership such as players cheating, and total lack of respect for the refs and many think ALL seater stadiums ruin the atmosphere.

There's no doubt about it that Sky has probably had more influence on football in this country than anything else. The way games are moved to suit the armchair fan - and I'm one of them - has altered the game as we know it. Sometimes there are only four Premier League fixtures on a Saturday and usually they don't kick off at the same time either.

Paradoxically, as the Premier League has become quite boring, there seems to be more interest in the Championship (Old League One) and there are very often better fixtures in this league, where the results aren't as predicable as a Man U versus West Brom match.

The question is, is reaching the Premier League the Poisoned Chalice to these clubs?

I'd rather watch the Primera Liga. The Premiership is predictable, the teams play rubbish football, and the fact that despite all the money swilling around for 13 years clubs still can't produce English players that can control a ball properly - well, it's very depressing.

Charlton Athletic and Bolton are fighting it out for a European place. 'Nuff said about the state of our game.

Originally posted by Greenback
I'd rather watch the Primera Liga. The Premiership is predictable, the teams play rubbish football, and the fact that despite all the money swilling around for 13 years clubs still can't produce English players that can control a ball properly - well, it's very depressing.

Charlton Athletic and Bolton are fighting it out for a European place. 'Nuff said about the state of our game.

Spot on Greenback.:thumbsup:

I am honestly of the opinion that if a youngster with incredible technical skill is spotted by some scout, and has trials and is subsequently taken on by a professional club, then that club will knock all the skill and technique out of that player.

'Pass the ball', 'there's others on the pitch to pass to'. 'don't be so greedy' etc. At international level, we always pass the ball to players who are already marked and who have to pass the ball back whence it came. We play in little triangles! We get to the 18 yard box and then look back and pass the ball back to midfield, defence, goalie! Compare to foreign sides who pass the ball into open space for players to run onto or even - gasp - take players on.

A team 1-0 up away from home - back in the domestic league now - with TWENTY minutes to go, gets the ball to the opponent's by-line and does what? Tries to score a second goal and wrap the game up? Not on your nellie: they trap the ball at the corner flag in the hope of wasting time.

Boring and negative. We're light years behind the Spanish, Italian and German Leagues. Why, add Moldovan league to that....:rant:

Yep.

It will be the same old story in a years' time, though. England will get to about the last 16/quarter-final stage of the 2006 World Cup, come across a team that can control/keep the ball, we will lose by the odd goal, the media will concentrate on a contentious decision rather than on the fact that our footballers aren't skilled enough, and nothing will be done to remedy the situation...