somze:

Cant you guys make your point without stooping low to insults?
BTW I think i'm liking the exchanges between tkb471 and dayokanu

Dayo
It always boils down to Bayern doesn't it.
Sometimes I think all you are begging for is support for your German team
Do it the English way -
[list]
[li]Use English Language as your lingua franca[/li]
[li]Hype up the League - Claim its the best in the world[/li]
[li]Hype up the players and produce Celebrities like David Beckham, probably more popular than Maradona or Pele[/li]
[li]Make sure its shown across continents on cable before the other leagues get the idea[/li]
[li]Did I say you should hype up the league and players?[/li]
[li]Ofcourse profits are everything, so you need to regularly display the profits made by the league as a whole[/li]
[li]Get players from all around the world so the fans from the country would support the team[/li]
[li]Finally make sure fans don't forget the hype[/li]
[/list]

you are correct guy

@TKB,
England, France and Holland missed world cups recently Therefore I can extrapolate from your analogy that they were not amongst the elites then and countries like Bolivia, Greece and South korea in the case of 1994 are the elites of that time. My guy don't do this to me now!!!!

Get this Hargreaves was never at any point in time the best player in Bayern. Hargreaves wanted to play in his home country and Ballack wanted more money simple.

One more thing, please post the records of hargreaves and Ballack and those that REPLACED THEM for all to see and lets see if those you bought are in tandem with those that left. Liar Liar

I dont understand this. are you expecting players that replaced Hargreaves to have done better in 3 months what Hargreaves did in 7 years?

@Somze,
I can't beg people to support Bayern we have our own discerning fan base not those that watch what T.V has to show. I heard some people support Arsenal before now switched to Chelsea. we sure don't need those types we would rather not follow the crowd cos sometimes the crowd is wrong.
Thankfully you noted the hypes that go with the English game.

@dayokanu, Bayern are re-emerging after a disappointing season last term, ok? Milan had a disappointing local season last term, ok? Real Madrid? Great come back to claim the league but CL, woeful, others were there, ur so called elites. Point is The Leagues in Europe are Improving and sorry, the most hyped is the EPL, yes, most hyped.

I am a dyed in the wool ARSENAL fan but i also know dat the La Liga is the Most Skillful, Serie A, the Most Technical, Bundes Liga, well, physical. who else, Portuguese Liga, just there, same for the other leagues in Europe. Ever asked urself why clubs from England, Spain, Italy and Germany make up the All Powerful G-14 clubs, Global presence. Guese u can't give me a starting line up of a Nigerian Clubside but u can attempt Orlando Pirates or Santos or Kaiser Chiefs in SA. DSTV brought the EPL to our homes before the other leagues woke up, so we are not crazy about the EPL, We were taken there by KANU.

@Dayokanu
I didnt say Hargreaves was the best at bayern. I said Ballack and he left for a better club.
See, when those guys didnt play at the world cup, they were down and thats the fact. When you can't compete at the world stage, you can't win the trophy FACT
Are you saying, if they don't qualify anymore, ill still count them as europe elites based on past achivements. NO.

You are a big team when you play where the big bois play. Not because you were once playing der. Bulgaria didnt allow France to qualify and they got to the semis of the world cup. It means, France wasnt good enough. same for Holland and England.

Bayern didnt qualify for this year UCL because they couldnt come 1st,2nd and 3rd. haba!!!
Anyhow, my take is this
EPL is better than serie A,the Bundesliga,Eredivise, et al. La liga and the EPL are almost equals as at today 17th day of October year 2007. take it or run mad

Let me go your way and tell you this. Add all the UCL titles in each league overtime and see what you come out with. La Liga isnt far from the EPL.
so can we seize fire now my friend.

Let me do a list

1. La Liga : Real Madrid has won about 9 if im correct, so i give it to the league that can achieve that
2:EPL: A lot of clubs have won and the list reads, Liverpool, United,A.villa,N.forest. This has produced 10 trophies and recently,Arsenal played in the finals,Liverpool got to the finals twice in 3 seasons, Chelsea is always in semis, United made the trio of the EPL clubs that got to the semis last season.
3.Serie A: i think the EPL and serie A are on the same page. But serie A nowadays only boast of AC. Inter is asleep while Juve is on the low.
4: Bundesliga: Bayern has won a couple of titles with Hamburg and Dortmound. All these other clubs will be beaten by the Evertons of this world.

With this, Dayokanu, ull agree that the EPL isnt doing badly.

The problem with most of the premiership fans is that they all started watching football with the advent of DSTV and since most cant think without the help of the press they come here and be yarning nonsense that EPL is the best in the world what crap, pls dont decieve urself that best players play in the premiership, name the best players in each position in the primership and I will name 2 players for that position from other leagues. Cos u've have seen just ur fathers's farm doesnt mean its the biggest, go and see other pep's father's farm before u claim ur father has the biggest farm.

The problem with most of the premiership fans is that they all started watching football with the advent of DSTV and since most can't think without the help of the press they come here and be yarning nonsense that EPL is the best in the world what crap, please don't decieve yourself that best players play in the premiership, name the best players in each position in the primership and I will name 2 players for that position from other leagues. Cos u've have seen just your fathers's farm doesnt mean its the biggest, go and see other pep's father's farm before u claim your father has the biggest farm.

tell us when you started watching soccer and lets see. tell us where you watch soccer before the advent of DSTV. all these wannabes on Nairaland sha. Una too get mouth.

See, make points with facts and dont barge in intelligent discourse with mundane points. Listing players wont address any points. tell us the teams that are in those leagues you are talking about. Mind you, DSTV shows La Liga, the championnat, The portuguess league et al.

The EPL is one of the best in the world. If you have issues with this, then take a nap.

PS: Come with good points and not the listing of players cos you can always google that. Talk like someone who has been watching soccer before the advent of DSTV

Oga I thot ur line was EPL is the best in the world, that is what I have a problem with, but if u say one of the best, I cant argue with that. By the way how leagues make up "one of the best"

we speak english ere and they the English people/commentators speak the same.shikena!
How come more 9jas play in UK
How come more french speaking africans play in france.

I no fit shout jare,by the way England is known 4 der hype,so if u aint watchin it na ur wahala

the time fixed 4 spanish league games+the kinda funny-english commentary makes me sleep early

moirme
was DSTV d first cable company in Nigeria? DSTV was even the child of MultiChoice which was here since 1996 or so, I watched 1994 world cup on cable and DSTV was not out by then.

@Moirme
We have good leagues in Italy,Spain,England,Portugal,Holland,France,Germany. No particular order here.

But ill pick la liga ahead of all but the EPL is close now. Serie A may come third.
Thats my point. personal opinion.

well,i think most players go to the EPL because of money and also thereby increasing the overall quality of the game there.but thats not to say they are the best in the world now.ooops,u kinda changed it to one of the best.

dont know much football,but i tend to see the biz side of it and who is making money and who is making a loss.

somze:

Cant you guys make your point without stooping low to insults?

I wonder ooo.

You can't analyze here without some people stooping
that low.

By their posts, you shall know them.

Akin Alabi

Sorry England lost to Russia again!! while Germany was the first country to qualify crappy team!! _{hisses loudly}

I don't have freaking idea either about the unexplainable love for european league by Nigerians. I swear if everybody would be like me, all the players would earn averagely cos i can't use my kobo to watch ball even for free

akinalabi:

I wonder ooo.

You can't analyze here without some people stooping
that low.

By their posts, you shall know them.

Akin Alabi

Thats the fun of it but the truth is that one need not be too derogative

Please let me re-emphasize that we don't need to get insultive to have fun.

Really i dont know why people find it hard to accept the fact that times change. The EPL was once the amateur league but it's now the Hypest and most glamourous league in the world. While some of the so-called "European Elites" are now thoroughly RUSTY.

Anyway, i think it would be absolutely boring to have the "European Elites" still dominating the UCL. That's why Im so glad "smaller" teams are beginning to rise up to the challenge in Europe.

I can almost bet that the guys who're clamouring for the "Elites" to keep dominating in Europe would be absolutely bored by now had that been the case.

Please, let the young grow and really THE YOUNG ARE GROWING! and hey, watch your back cos Arsenal is growing very fast.

The love for the Premiership has been occassioned by the excellent packaging of a substandard product by the English media and those that are passionate about it.

I must confess that in recent years this packaging has  helped the league as it has helped attract money bags to invest in clubs, attract quality "foreign players", attract quality coaches (Mourinho, Benitez) which has helped them perform very well in European competitions. 3 finals in a row and one win.



But stilll i will always support the league and team that has brought out the best ever defender in the world in Franco Baresiiii.


Forza Milan

Rossonero Till i Die

We created the legends Dutchmaster, Van Basten
Baresi, Maldini, Rijkaard, Gullit e, t.c and will create many moreeeeee

The attraction that the premiership had at the start was the fact that it was fire and thunder style of play.

The English game is normally played at 100mph and full of incidents.

Tackles were hard and unforgiving, rivalry was passionate and occasionally ended in violence both on and off the pitch.

You will see grown men cry when their team gets relegated and trust me he will be back next season in the lower league following his team and not jumping ship like some naija boys.

Compared to this the Italian games were a snorefest!

Plus Sky TV has done a brilliant job of broadcasting and packaging the premiership.

I will always remind you that The Premiership is different from the English national team.
Remember it's always every players' dream to play in the premiership, b'cos it's the most higly rated team in england. Even, READING (a team that got promoted last season) could beat the LYON(the champions of france) who 5 consecutive french Ligue.

dayokanu:

Sorry England lost to Russia again!! while Germany was the first country to qualify crappy team!! _{hisses loudly}

Nigeria could even qualify out of Africa for the world Cup last year so what up with England. Mind your own business

Premiership is still the most watched football league in the world. Its exciting and full of African players. Arsenal is the best club in the premiership.
Gunners for life, No offense to non gunners.

It's simple, The EPL is the most interesting league in the world and we Nigerians,good football is something we are always part of.

@Dayokanu

The premiership was crap a few years ago.

A complete retirement waste land

In the past 4yrs it has been badly transformed, thanks in part to Roman A

Its a very high quality league now

dude, are u sure u know wat u saying,
i tink on the contrary roman has succedded in turning english football/chelsea
into a complete retirement land,
wats the average age in the chelsea line-up? tink again!!!
only teams like arsenal and man-u give u full value for money, wit all them sizling yougsters!!

@Guyz

5 yrs ago we would not have been having this kind of debate coz the English league was Poo

@DayoKanu

dont bother yourself. Anybody who had really been watching the champions league for more than 3 yrs would not dare to make an argument about Arsenal and Chelsea beign European powerhouses.

That argument in itself would be foolish.

Just 5-6 yrs ago, the likes of Fiorentina, Lazio, Valencia and Broussia Dortmound trash the shit out of the mediocare english teams that dominate the EPL/premiership

But the EPL is very strong now, all a 3-4 yr transformation

Only 5ys ago Arsenal and Chelsea would consider themselves as having made a big achievement to survive the first group stage only to be eliminated in the second one

And by the way, i regard Bayern with a lot more respect than the hyped teams that have no history in the most elite competition of European powerhouses

@Sage
whats your point?
years ago they were shits!!!! Are we talking about years ago or the present day.
Na wa for comprehension o!!!
Bring your Fiorentina and Dortmund and im sure Spurs will spell the name of the coach.
So which is mediocre now. Parma or Chelsea?

This language is difficult sha. haba

Living in the past makes you go wrong with judgements. UEFA wont give trophies based on past achivements. Chikena

@topic, "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel"

sage:

@Guys

5 years ago we would not have been having this kind of debate because the English league was Poo

@DayoKanu

don't bother yourself. Anybody who had really been watching the champions league for more than 3 years would not dare to make an argument about Arsenal and Chelsea beign European powerhouses.

That argument in itself would be foolish.

Just 5-6 years ago, the likes of Fiorentina, Lazio, Valencia and Broussia Dortmound trash the shit out of the mediocare english teams that dominate the EPL/premiership

But the EPL is very strong now, all a 3-4 yr transformation

Only 5ys ago Arsenal and Chelsea would consider themselves as having made a big achievement to survive the first group stage only to be eliminated in the second one

And by the way, i regard Bayern with a lot more respect than the hyped teams that have no history in the most elite competition of European powerhouses

5 years ago English league were shit??
stop talking through your asses.
because you started watching 5 years ago does not mean it was crap prior to then.
So when Man U won the CL, what did that say about the EPL? Do you remember what year that was?
Plus I hope you all remember the fact that English teams were banned from Europe for almost 10 years due to Hooliganism and it took them a while to readjust to being back in Europe.

People should not talk about things they do not know. The English league has been exciting for donkey years! I am talking about excitement here and not whether Barcelona can beat Ipswich!

Micheal Thomas last minute goal against Liverpool at Anfield to make Arsenal win 2-0 on the last game of the season and guess what? Arsenal had to win 2-0 to win the league otherwise Liverpool would have won it!!

What about the 21 man punch up between Arsenal and Man U in 1990? and Arsenal got docked points and still won the league?

Cantona flying into the fans with a Kung Fu kick?

Vinnie Jones grabbing the balls of Gazza!

Roy Keane doing that Man City player.

Ian Wright trying to Kill Schmeichel

Giggs scoring that semi-final goal against Arsenal after Bergkamps miss. (the bastard!)

Please guys learn that live existed pre- DSTV and even pre-Sky!

Vieira:


I hope you all remember the fact that English teams were banned from Europe for almost 10 years due to Hooliganism and it took them a while to readjust to being back in Europe.

Very good point.

They were doing great before the ban and there
was no way they could have come back to do
very well after 10 years in the wilderness.

Now they're back amongst the best.

No questions!

Akin Alabi

To be honest, I dont just like the Premiership   League like the Spanish League which is the best league in the world.
Try to watch the next features of the spanish league and enjoy the beauty of football. Up Blaugranaz  (BARCELONA) .

@Akin Alabi and Viera
I know people wey sabi footie when i see them.
Keep it up men and say some more. Im sounding like a broken record already.

All these bits people dont know and they just yarn what they feel.
I said something about the Busby Babes and somebody said hes friend that are United fans cant understand what that means. The 10 year ban is a very good point to show you guys that the EPL has been fantastic eversince. Liverpool is next to Milan and Real. So how come they ruled the world so many times, United has won twice likewise Forest.
so what the heck??
Please, people should make me understand

CONSPIRACY THEORY
Football has long been discovered as the best way to distract Nigerians from the perpetual corruption in government and crippling hardship. Initially, the local league and national teams were good enough in this role, but the over time the perennial corruption in government has rendered football in Nigeria unable to perform. So in come the innovation of satellite TV to import football into living rooms and sports bars, to keep the masses busy with sports entertainment while the country is looted.

Visit ur skool of thought