Is it true the Premier League lacks genuine quality?

When the Gunners won the Premier League in 2002 and 2004, they fulfilled Sacchi’s creed in the process. They were unbeaten away from home in both seasons – an outstanding achievement. Beating Arsenal then was considerably tougher than it is currently.

To prevail against Manchester United last season, it would seem you didn’t need to maintain a similar level. The plaudits they’ve received appear premature and this term they haven’t had to be at their finest. Arguably this has lead to them coming unstuck in the Champions Leagueagainst the likes of Basel. United would benefit from a more competitive division, thus giving them better preparation for the challenges of the Champions League.

That’s part of the reason why Bayern Munich cruised past Manchester City. Edged out in their opening game despite they dominated Borussia Monchengladbach, Jupp Heynckes used it as a wakeup call. Since this mishap, the Bavarians have obliterated the opposition standing in their path, even though they’re playing in a more competitive league.

The golden years of the Premier League in European competition appear to be cooling. Many point out how there’s been an English side in six of the last seven finals. What is ignored is the amount won by the English – two. It’s doubtful whether people will remember the quantity of teams who were runners up in years to come.

So Bayern Munich may well be strolling their way through the Bundesliga at present but it is still giving them enough food for thought to defeat teams of Manchester City’s calibre.

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Now this is not to suggest the English top flight lacks any quality. Indeed, there is a concentration of high quality players in the top six. If you were to make a team of the best players outside the Premier League elite though, it would be much inferior to a side of the best players in the top six.

The Premier League needs to find a balance between excitement and quality to move forward. With Financial Fair Play about to take effect, the English top flight lacks the right quantity of these two ingredients. Whilst the Bundesliga is not perfect, it is much closer to this balance than any other league in Europe currently.

Whether the Premier League’s top sides will be able to find a financial loop hole will emerge soon. They are yet to rally against Financial Fair Play which implies the clubs’ lawyers have already found a way to circumvent the new measures. For whilst the excitement may be there in abundance according to the likes of Sky Sports, the quality on show throughout the league is poor considering the amount of money involved with the Premier League.

Written by Archie Rind-Tutt for Footballfancast.com

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