Now that the EPL has finished, here's to a great finish

[RMCF]

As many will know I am a little baised here, and prefer La Liga to the EPL.

I thought that the EPL sort of trailed off near the end after promising a great finish, due to Chelsea's poor results. Indeed the relegation battle saved the excitement (as usual?).

Now we have the situation where La Liga might really go the wire. A few weeks back it was very tight between the Top 4, but some bad results for Sevilla and Valencia have left them facing an uphill task.

But Barca and Madrid could fight it out to the last game. I know some aren't great fans of 'foreign' football and think it isn't as exciting as the EPL, but recent games have rubbished this theory.

Games like (admittedly some in the Kings Cup):

- Barca 3 - 3 Real Madrid
- Barca 5 - 2 Getafe (with that Messi goal)
- Real Madrid 3 - 2 Sevilla
- Getafe 4 - 0 Barca
- Real Madrid 4 - 3 Espanyol (after being 1-3 at halftime with winner in last 2 mins).

- Plus of course Espanyol v Sevilla to come on Wednesday night in Glasgow in the UEFA Cup Final.

I am shocked at how Madrid are playing at the minute - they bear no resemblance to the team for the first two-thirds of the season. They are playing as a team and have the momentum, especially after last nights comeback. Barca are stuttering but its in their hands.

And I sort of feel sorry for Sevilla - they have played the best football all season and probably deserve the title, but they seem to have bottled it when it mattered.

So will you lot all be tuning in to the title run-in in Spain, or has the football ended this season for you?

[LFC_SL]

You know what is odd? There has been speculation about Capello all season long. We had the Beckham fall out. Seemingly no team spirit. But their rivals all trip up and stumble and Real are still in the race and may well even win the damn thing. And to top it off, they are now playing something that resembles a 1st XI and may well steal the title. I watched the highlights and was shocked a) Pandiani scored a hat trick b) Real showed the bottle to come back last night

[CFC1]

Barcelona only draw! ... leaving RM top with 4 games to go!

[overkill]

I prefer La Liga as well. Ever since the Premiership started it's become a boring one horse race more often than not. I didn't see any signs of life this season tbh, despite the attempts to hype up Chelsea's 'challenge'. At least in the days of Liverpool's domination we still had some spirited, top quality challengers, and, until the 80's recession crashed gates, often three or four of them too.

Even back in the 80's, only that period of 82-84' was it as predictable as it is now, and even then in 82', had Robson not bottled it, the football map of Britain may have been very different. Now, pick any one of two names out of a hat each year, and then stick and each way bet on it. You can't lose. Sadly.

Back to Spain, I can't believe that Real are back in it! They played some shocking stuff, right up until Feb. However, they did grind out some results when it mattered and that's kept them in it. Agree on Seville RMCF, they really have bottled it, and it's sad that they have. They've played the best football of the three.

Do you think the UEFA cup has distracted them?

[LFC_SL]

Actually Barca and Real are level on points, but I think Real are top by virtue of having won one more game

And I realise what I typed before wasn't very clear lol. What I meant to say was imho Real do not "deserve" the title compared to the others, but by virtue of events going their way, they could "fluke" their way. OK, that may be harsh given their recent vastly improved form, but two months ago it was all "which Prem manager will be tapped up signed" and Beckham having/not having the support of the team

[RMCF]

Firstly overkill, I do think that Sevilla were put off by the UEFA Cup. Although it is probably not as big to them as the league title (since they won it last year) I do think they want to be the 1st team to retain the UEFA Cup (which they probably will). I would like to see them win it a second time as just reward.

By the way, as I have already said, I would have liked to have seen them win La Liga - they deserved it and I can admit that.

Now LFC_SL, I know where you are coming from. Madrid for most of this season have been pants. Bad tactics, bad team spirit, bad performances, bad morale, some bad players all conspired to make them useless. They were only in the race because they had the best away record in the league (I believe it is the best away record EVER in Spain this season - hard to believe).

But they hung in there, and I think the morale started to lift when they seen Barca's shocking dip in form (added to Sevilla and Valencia dropping points). And apparently the entire team spirit changed. Many stories have circulated about why this changed. Becks is in the middle of a few of them!! Firstly, I think he was well liked by the likes of Raul, Carlos, Guti, Helguera etc, and when Capello dropped him the players sided with him. Then when he came back I think it lifted morale and they all wanted to win it for him. You can now see they are playing like a team again. They have the momentum and with Barca's result tonight they now have it in their own hands.

Personally I would like to see them win it for Becks. He is a good fella, an honest footballer and he has shown that he still has another season or two in him and I am sure the club wished he was staying (as I am sure he does too).

Finally, Madrid are now officially leading because if you are level in Spain it goes on the best head-to-head record between tied teams:

Madrid 2 - 0 Barca
Barca 3 - 3 Madrid

Madrid's title !!

[RMCF]

Originally Posted by overkill

I prefer La Liga as well. Ever since the Premiership started it's become a boring one horse race more often than not. I didn't see any signs of life this season tbh, despite the attempts to hype up Chelsea's 'challenge'. At least in the days of Liverpool's domination we still had some spirited, top quality challengers, and, until the 80's recession crashed gates, often three or four of them too.

Even back in the 80's, only that period of 82-84' was it as predictable as it is now, and even then in 82', had Robson not bottled it, the football map of Britain may have been very different. Now, pick any one of two names out of a hat each year, and then stick and each way bet on it. You can't lose. Sadly.

Back to Spain, I can't believe that Real are back in it! They played some shocking stuff, right up until Feb. However, they did grind out some results when it mattered and that's kept them in it. Agree on Seville RMCF, they really have bottled it, and it's sad that they have. They've played the best football of the three.

Do you think the UEFA cup has distracted them?

Yet both Hansen and Shearer said it was a FANTASTIC season this year !!

Tell the sheep and they will believe.

[RMCF]

Its still wide open to be fair !!

Remaining games are (with potential toughies in RED):

Real Madrid (66pts)
Recreativo (A)
Dep La Coruna (H)
Zaragosa (A)
Mallorca (H)

Barca (66pts)
Atletico Madrid (A)
Getafe (H)
Espanyol (H)
Nastic (A)

Sevilla (64pts)
Dep La Coruna (A)
Zaragosa (H)
Mallorca (A)
Villarreal (H)

Valencia (62pts)
Mallorca (A)
Villarreal (H)
Levante (A)
Real Sociedad (H)

I predict that the teams will pick up the following num of pts, leaving them with totals listed:

Real Madrid 10 -------> 76pts
Barcelona 10 ---------> 76pts
Sevilla 10 ------------> 74pts
Valencia 12 ----------> 74pts


So as I said, Madrid's title

[overkill]

Originally Posted by RMCF

Yet both Hansen and Shearer said it was a FANTASTIC season this year !!

Tell the sheep and they will believe.

It's being repeated like a mantra now. Like Politicians claiming being thumped at the polls is a sign that they are still 'doing well' and opponents are 'exaggerating' about how poorly they did.

It was a rubbish season, led from start to finish, practically unchallenged, by the club that's now won it nine times out of the last fifteen seasons. Add to that the poor, poor football being served up from 5th downwards, the fact that Utd are odds on to win a fourth double/treble in just fifteen years, and people saying the prem is 'fantastic' or the 'most competitive in Europe' gets what it deserves, a good belly laugh............

If Hansen and Shearer really think it's been a 'fantastic' season I would suggest they change the prescription on those glasses.

[LFC_SL]

Exactly. When the fight against relegation has been more exciting than the title race 10x over, you know something is up. Of course, you do need to give credit for the consistency of the top 2 in England... and you could argue the situation currently in the La Liga is precisely because of inconsistency... but still something doesn't feel right. But who cares? 20 chairman are laughing all the way to the bank!

[RMCF]

Originally Posted by LFC_SL

Exactly. When the fight against relegation has been more exciting than the title race 10x over, you know something is up. Of course, you do need to give credit for the consistency of the top 2 in England... and you could argue the situation currently in the La Liga is precisely because of inconsistency... but still something doesn't feel right. But who cares? 20 chairman are laughing all the way to the bank!

More often than not the relegation battle is the exciting thing in the EPL. The chase for the title has been very flat over the last few years.

Admittedly, the chase in Spain is better because Barca are faltering and dropping silly points. But Madrid have hung in there and kept winning games that they were dead and buried in. But does all this matter for the fans, especially neutrals? It makes it very exciting and good entertainment (which is what football is meant to be about after all). I too would argue that Spain has a better standard of mid-table team that can give the leaders a game if they happen to have any sort of dip in form. This is not so likely to happen in the EPL.

Final note on the chairmen. I agree that there is now so much money in the EPL that teams are just happy if they stay in it. More and more I think the likes of Villa, Newcastle, Man City, Middlesbrough are showing less and less ambition. They know at the start of the season they aren't going to win it. Some are not even contenders for a Euro spot any more. They just aim for mid-table safety and that'll do nicely. Not great for their fans though.

[overkill]

Originally Posted by RMCF

More often than not the relegation battle is the exciting thing in the EPL. The chase for the title has been very flat over the last few years.

Admittedly, the chase in Spain is better because Barca are faltering and dropping silly points. But Madrid have hung in there and kept winning games that they were dead and buried in. But does all this matter for the fans, especially neutrals? It makes it very exciting and good entertainment (which is what football is meant to be about after all). I too would argue that Spain has a better standard of mid-table team that can give the leaders a game if they happen to have any sort of dip in form. This is not so likely to happen in the EPL.

Final note on the chairmen. I agree that there is now so much money in the EPL that teams are just happy if they stay in it. More and more I think the likes of Villa, Newcastle, Man City, Middlesbrough are showing less and less ambition. They know at the start of the season they aren't going to win it. Some are not even contenders for a Euro spot any more. They just aim for mid-table safety and that'll do nicely. Not great for their fans though.

Agreed, on all points.

The latter point is the most worrying as, quite frankly it has a serious bearing on the domination of the top two (or three). If the middle ranking clubs made more effort to actually beat the top sides, and if they played full strength sides in all competitions the big four would have a much greater fight on their hands, trophies would start being shared out again, and, as a spin-off, an important one mind, football would have to improve as everyone raises their game.

At the moment stagnation has set in, in a big way, as all that happens is the same crop of clubs wins everything, and gobbles up the Euro places too. Anyone noticed that a decreasing number of club is getting UEFA cup places in recent seasons?

As you say RMCF, the lack of ambition, among way too many clubs, beyond collecting their prem place award each year is becoming more and more damaging.

[KevD]

The great finish gets even better!

Penultimate games of the season, going into the last minute Barcelona are leading Espanyol 2-1 and Real are 2-1 down to Zaragoza. Meaning the title is pretty much in Barcas hands as Selvilla are only drawing.

Ruud pops up with an equalizer for Real and within 20 seconds Espanyol have levelled against Barca menaing all change again

Really the finish I had hoped for in the EPL, but just great to watch

[CFC1]

Here's one for LGS...What is it with Argentinians and handball? Another "Hand of God" goal by Messi ... Glad Barcelona conceded a late equaliser... Hope RM does it now!

[KevD]

Originally Posted by CFC1

Here's one for LGS...What is it with Argentinians and handball? Another "Hand of God" goal by Messi ... Glad Barcelona conceded a late equaliser... Hope RM does it now!

I couldnt believe it when I saw thet, goes along nicely with the other Maradona style goal he scored. Dont think he was even born when Maradona scored those goals