Champions League

[AnfieldEd]

Well throughout history only 2 spanish teams have won the CL with only Valencia coming remotely close in 99 and 00.

The english teams don't get the credit they deserve, but fair enough. La liga for me is weakening every season. Sevilla are a shadow of the team under Ramos. Valencia are a billion miles from what they were under Rafa. Atletico keep putting their foot in it when the opportunity presents itself.

While technically la liga is ahead, I believe is most other ares epl are ahead now.

Basically the brutal truth is that Real and Barcelona have no competition. it is a 2 horse league really and the others pale into insignificance, while in england there are now a good 6 or 7 clubs that compete with the top 4.

Also the wealth is more distributed. We also have 4 of the top 10 managers in world football in england too.

But above all it is cyclical england has dominated european football before, it was due another era.

 

[Zqa-]

Also the wealth is more distributed. We also have 4 of the top 10 managers in world football in england too.

Say what?

 

[VivaBarca]

La Liga is definately more entertaining. There are more goals.

 

[Warik]

In the EPL the Premier league negotiates a TV deal and distributes the money evenly through all clubs. In Spain each club negotiates its own TV deal, which often means Barça and Real end up with huge amounts of money, and the other teams not so much. Same with the amount of money distributed for final finishing position in the league, it isn't a vast gap like it is in La Liga.

4 of the top 10 managers? Hiddink, Ferguson, Wenger, Benitez. I'd say that is true tbh.

 

[Beast]

Correction: Everyone apart from Barça has fallen behind. TBH it is the English style plus the adaptation to what made the Italians a force, Catenaccio. When English teams go away from home and open up (like Man Utd against Milan in 06/07) they fail miserably. They have simply became more tactically aware tbh. Then there is the finances, which will not last forever as alot of the big 4 English sides are in crippling debts which WILL catch up to them eventually.

Look at it this way even Man Utd at their best only just squeezed through against a (by all standards poor) Barcelona side last season. Barça even if we lose against Chelsea have been in 3 out of the last 4 semi finals...The dominance isn't EPL, it is EPL + Barça. Also suffice to say this has been a bad year for Spain even in the UEFA Cup. BUT it hasn't been fantastic for EPL teams either. Beyond the top 4 I'd match up Atleti, Valencia, Villarreal, Sevilla with Spurs, Everton, Villa and Man City.

The solution is simply to keep going with our style Beast but to buy into what makes the EPL so dominant, power. Their players are big and strong but are also fitter than they have ever been before. How did they do that? by hiring foreign coaches, and using their methods. You'll hate it but you do what Pep has done and what has arguably made Barça so hard to beat in La Liga this season beyond our possession, bring in powerful players who are also good with the ball at their feet.

Look at us now with Keita, Busquets and Pique (a signing you thought wouldn't come off but has come off amazingly well as he is the big guy who can mark the English's big forwards like Drogba). You could also say Alves is physically strong, even if in stature he is small. Hleb even though he has not come off, is a player with EPL experience. Add to that Toure, Abidal, Puyol and Marquez who we already had, and Peps orders for Messi, Xavi, Iniesta and Eto'o to spend hours in the gym outside of training to bulk themselves up for an English tie and we have been preparing for this all season. All our players look physically more muscled now than they did early in the season.

Then look at how our tempo of play has sped up immensely. TBH You can try say it is the Liga's problem Beast but right now Barça are way ahead of the rest in meeting the English threat. You'll probably disagree but we are the best equiped team to meet the English, not only because of our attack either.

Yes Warik.. Barca style and current squad enable them to withstand the English dominance to a certain extent and there is no doubt you are better (this season ) then the rest ..and might hold yourself against them
however some may argue(without taking any credit from Barca ) that the reason you've reached the Semi - final this season & last season had to do with the draw had avoided you an early clash with the EPL teams ... cause the fact is the last 2 seasons u did crash out to them (Liverpool & Man U respectively ) still u are way better then Real who are crashing out to everyone more or less
now u once again meet them and lets see how u do this time..
I'm not attacking any team in particular i'm worried about the league i love & worried about the pattern

regarding your strength .. i'll have to disagree for 2 reasons.. first u haven't met an English side yet.. second your strength is in your passing/possession game not having the right players hired last summer (pique did come out great Warik.. but Caceres is still a walking disaster ) .. that style of game MIGHT take out the EPL due to lack of time given to them to play...

@Beast

The problem is with the infinite money which the EPL teams have..Another problem is with youngsters..Any prospective youngster and they lure him imm with offer of big money...Laliga teams suffer because of the lack of money from TV rights and also from youngsters being poached up time and again..

The problem with Real is the money spent wastefully...

I don't think it's just about money.. but the kind of players and the attitude of management

La Liga is definately more entertaining. There are more goals.

no doubt.. but it's not just about that.. Liga was once a dominating league .. now it's more a showcase.. when the difference is a stable 12 points and 20 something between the third place & 1&2 place.. u know something is not going well.. it's entertainment due to poor teams in terms of tactics/players and everything.. there is no competition in the last 2 years ( u do beat what's in front of u .. but the difference between Barca+Real and the rest is too damn big mate )

Well throughout history only 2 spanish teams have won the CL with only Valencia coming remotely close in 99 and 00.

The english teams don't get the credit they deserve, but fair enough. La liga for me is weakening every season. Sevilla are a shadow of the team under Ramos. Valencia are a billion miles from what they were under Rafa. Atletico keep putting their foot in it when the opportunity presents itself.

While technically la liga is ahead, I believe is most other ares epl are ahead now.

Basically the brutal truth is that Real and Barcelona have no competition. it is a 2 horse league really and the others pale into insignificance, while in england there are now a good 6 or 7 clubs that compete with the top 4.

Also the wealth is more distributed. We also have 4 of the top 10 managers in world football in england too.

But above all it is cyclical england has dominated european football before, it was due another era.

I kinda agree but we haven't seen any league dominate the top 4 places in such manner .. it' was always one strong team (Real,Milan..etc ) not 3 of the top 4 of one league for 3 consecutive seasons.. that's not dominance that's monopoly

In the EPL the Premier league negotiates a TV deal and distributes the money evenly through all clubs. In Spain each club negotiates its own TV deal, which often means Barça and Real end up with huge amounts of money, and the other teams not so much. Same with the amount of money distributed for final finishing position in the league, it isn't a vast gap like it is in La Liga.

4 of the top 10 managers? Hiddink, Ferguson, Wenger, Benitez. I'd say that is true tbh.

it's part of the problem but not the whole problem.. even South American's who used to prefer the liga then Serie A as number one destination are looking for the EPL ..
we have more technical players no doubt.. but we do lack power/team work and stamina to withstand the English game..

 

[VivaBarca]

I would like to congratulate Villareal and Real Madrid for confirming that the EPL has better teams. Villareal knocked out 4-1 by Arsenal and Madrid beaten 5-0 over two legs by Liverpool. It's up to Barca ( again ) to fly the flag for Spain.

 

[Barcaman]

Champions league Player of the round (poll made by Madrid based Marca and Gazzetta dello Sport)

 

[Gnegneri]

Iniesta again topping a Marca poll?

 

[Fourteen]

Yeah, apparently Iniesta is the most adored player in Spain, even by Madrid fans and it's easy to see why really.

 

[Warik]

He'd be better than Messi if he could shoot tbh.

 

[AnfieldEd]

Well no he wouldn't but he is defo world class but Messi is in a league of his own.

 

[Beast]

Iniesta is a league of his own when it comes to consistency add to that he is very very humble guy.. never bad mouth anyone or anything.. .. that's why he is so adored ..
back from injury , off day for his team.. Iniesta still play his game.. he is very intelligent it doesn't even matter if he is not 100 % fit .. he use his brains to do the damage with the bare minimum fuss.. quite an amazing player

 

[AnfieldEd]

I agree with you beast, I just believe Messi is in a league of his own as well!

Anyway Iniesta is by far better than fabregas and why on earth barca want cesc I don't know.

 

[Quash]

We want Cesc because his talent and style is almost identical to one of our most important players, Xavi, who's more honed and better but is getting on in years. Cules see him as his rightful replacement, being one of our youth products.

 

[VivaBarca]

Cesc is unreal and I think he's fantastic, world class when he wants to be but is not as good as Iniesta and Xavi and we need Busquets/Yaya/Keita because they are defensive but Cesc, Xavi and Iniesta are more attacking so that's why I don't think Cesc should be in a Barca shirt this season. When Xavi gets older ( 32,33 ) then yes but not now.