Rafa Watch

[Craig_H]

A question for a new thread really but, does the fact that the top teams in England are not doing so well against the lesser teams mean that the league is more or less competitive?

More.

The gap between the top sides and the rest, had reduced significantly. There's no standout team(s) in terms of running away with it (unlike in Scotland, or even Spain, where 2 teams are ahead and the gap is a chasm).

[danperkins]

That just suggests the Prem has been a stronger league.

And more competitive to play in, Four teams constantly challenging for honours domestically as well as on the continent and apart from the Milan teams no other Italian team has come anywhere near challenging in a long time, Juve being the last one in 2002 i think. So stronger and more competitive.

[dom9]

That is something new to this season however.

That's not really the point.

[Craig_H]

And more competitive to play in, Four teams constantly challenging for honours domestically as well as on the continent and apart from the Milan teams no other Italian team has come anywhere near challenging in a long time, Juve being the last one in 2002 i think. So stronger and more competitive.

The fact that english clubs did well in the CL, doesnt mean the league is more competitive to play in.

Stronger, yes. More competitive, certainly not.

[danperkins]

More.

The gap between the top sides and the rest, had reduced significantly. There's no standout team(s) in terms of running away with it (unlike in Scotland, or even Spain, where 2 teams are ahead and the gap is a chasm).

IMO the promoted teams are much higher standard than in previous years, and the mid table teams likes of Bolton and Blackburn has improved alot. Saying that the top teams seem to come to a bit of a stand still, instead of pulling away.

But definitely lower teams have improved, great to see IMO.

[Kenneth]

As much as lots of Liverpool fans want him back, I don't think he'd get past the first round of applications with NESV, should be be sacked by Inter in his first season, tbh.

[Mattshark]

And more competitive to play in, Four teams constantly challenging for honours domestically as well as on the continent and apart from the Milan teams no other Italian team has come anywhere near challenging in a long time, Juve being the last one in 2002 i think. So stronger and more competitive.

No, in the past 15 years serie A has had 5 winners, England 3 same over the last 10 years in fact.
Inter scrapped the league from Roma last season by 2 points so your wrong there. In fact 06/07 was really the only season they ran away with it.

[danperkins]

The fact that english clubs did well in the CL, doesnt mean the league is more competitive to play in.

Stronger, yes. More competitive, certainly not.

Ok fair point competitive may be wrong word as such

But my point being that the premier league is much stronger league than Serie A and has been for quite some time. Getting back to the point, considering the state of LFC when Roy took over and then losing a world class player in Masch, compared to the state of Inter when Rafa took over, a world class squad fresh off the treble, Rafa is having an absolute nightmare.

[Mattshark]

And more competitive to play in, Four teams constantly challenging for honours domestically as well as on the continent and apart from the Milan teams no other Italian team has come anywhere near challenging in a long time, Juve being the last one in 2002 i think. So stronger and more competitive.

Stonger is not even remotely the same as competitive. Germany isn't anyway near as strong as a league, but is massively more competitive and any team really can win it as recent seasons have shown.

[Craig_H]

Ok fair point competitive may be wrong word as such

But my point being that the premier league is much stronger league than Serie A and has been for quite some time. Getting back to the point, considering the state of LFC when Roy took over and then losing a world class player in Masch, compared to the state of Inter when Rafa took over, a world class squad fresh off the treble, Rafa is having an absolute nightmare.

Coming off a treble win, brings its own problems too.

[danperkins]

No, in the past 15 years serie A has had 5 winners, England 3 same over the last 10 years in fact.
Inter scrapped the league from Roma last season by 2 points so your wrong there.

Each country has spells of success, its gone form spain, to germany, to Italy, to the premier league. Seems to me success follows the money in these leagues.

And Inter have won the league 5 years on the trot, its expected of them by their fans and their president, they are used to winning. They wiped away all competition last season, and now they are languishing with exactly the same treble winning side.

Relax ate i'm not saying anything anyone else isn't, Rafa is having a mare "at the moment" things can change, but if it doesn't he'll be out on his arse.

[danperkins]

Coming off a treble win, brings its own problems too.

very much so mate. A ridiculous level of expectation from already expectant fans and a power hungry president.

[Mattshark]

Ok fair point competitive may be wrong word as such

But my point being that the premier league is much stronger league than Serie A and has been for quite some time. Getting back to the point, considering the state of LFC when Roy took over and then losing a world class player in Masch, compared to the state of Inter when Rafa took over, a world class squad fresh off the treble, Rafa is having an absolute nightmare.

We were not in that bad a state when Roy took over though, despite what the media say and with the decline in the strength of the top premiership teams, we should in fact be doing much better.
Rafa should be doing much better, but the again the is a closing gap of quality around the other teams in Serie A too.

[danperkins]

Stonger is not even remotely the same as competitive. Germany isn't anyway near as strong as a league, but is massively more competitive and any team really can win it as recent seasons have shown.

Hence me correcting it in post above Matty

[danperkins]

We were not in that bad a state when Roy took over though, despite what the media say and with the decline in the strength of the top premiership teams, we should in fact be doing much better.

We should be doing better, but we were in a bad state. Finishing 7th, no money to spend and having many unhappy players, one of our world class players jumps ship too, but yes of course we should be doing better, not denying that.