2014/15 has so far proved to be a season once again categorised by English teams failing to do the business in Europe. While Chelsea certainly remain nicely poised in the lead up to their second leg with PSG next week, both Manchester City and Arsenal seemingly have a mountain to climb just to cling onto survival in the competition.
The likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich remain a class above any Premier League side these days, despite the English domestic season often talked of as ‘the best league in Europe’. It definitely does seem like one of the most expensive events on the continent, but as such financial backing has simply failed to turn England’s big spenders into true Champions League powerhouses, countries such as Spain and Germany ultimately remain better placed as a result of their respective expenditure.
When you consider that both Tottenham and Liverpool crashed out of the Europe League in recent weeks to so-called ‘inferior opposition’ – leaving survivors Everton to march on in their absence – it must be conceded that English football really has taken a dent in reputation among its European counterparts.
With that in mind, to what extent have these recent developments thrown into question the Premier League’s potential status as the best of its kind in Europe?
The case for such a claim – whilst seemingly arriving with a suspected amount of bias from an English point of view – does at least warrant some kind of analysis in what has become a more than competitive field. The Premier League definitely brings with it some of the world’s most illustrious stars. Although La Liga tends to dominate in regards to signing players of a ‘galacticos’ status, the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal are certainly no pushovers when it comes to putting great talent on show for their fans.
[ad_pod id=’football-friends’ align=’center’]
The Premier League also arguably has the best atmosphere throughout Europe – with a legion of varied fan bases coming together to create a consistently strong level of support. Such a ‘twelfth man’ addition would seemingly prove a positive force when it comes to succeeding in either the Champions or Europa league.
The power of the fans however, whilst appearing as an apparent confidence booster, only adds to the pressure of the English game and can often take its toll on the expensively assembled sides. Because the level of atmosphere throughout most Premier League grounds match, and perhaps even better, those found in Europe on an impressively frequent basis, competition within English football is invariably taken up a notch in comparison to the continent’s other major leagues.
Weekend fixtures in England are rarely seen as mere league outings where the ultimate outcome is seemingly known to everybody in the stadium before the actual game has kicked off. Although several results inevitably turn out in favour of the suspected front-runners, pre-match speculation is always left wide open, with each team having to do their upmost to combat their opponents.
Along with the fact that the Premier League still remains stubbornly opposed to the potential winter break so commonly found on the continent, English sides certainly have a greater congestion of competitive fixtures to deal with every season. Each of the smaller teams carry with them their own threat, and nine times out of ten, remain confident of beating anyone on their day – the pressure therefore is seemingly never lifted.
As the rest of Europe potentially give their Champions League battles greater priority over their domestic campaigns – something that English teams could never afford to do – the level of competition in the Premier League simply gives the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City a great deal more to contend with at home before they can even think about Europe.
For this reason alone, not only does the lack of English dominance in Europe completely fail to signify a decline in the Premier League, it may even go as far as improving it in grand scheme of things. Even if the nation’s big spenders are determined to increase the gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’, English football ultimately remains just as exciting as it has ever been – regardless of how it compares with its European counterparts.
Win a pair of Puma football boots as worn by Cesc Fabregas and Super Mario by filling in this quick survey!
Create your own user feedback survey
[ad_pod id=’ffc-video’ align=’center’]
