EPL v SPL

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

Interesting this is.

I keep hearing how the EPL is the best and most exciting league in the world. Talentwise - its up there, but the most exciting is debatable.

I am beginning to find this league far too predictable and i see in the coming years not much to change with the top 3, possibly 4 with Liverpool, pulling further and further away from the rest of the pack.

The sides that are promoted more times than not end up going straight back down.

Then you have the SPL - ok, the quality isnt the best, we all know that. But look at recent seasons. Last 2 has seen the title go to the very last day being decided on goal difference and then in the 88th minute last season.

Last season you had the title, the european places and the relegation battle also all going down to the wire.

So far this season we have Hearts clear at the top - Rangers getting humped 3-0 at home and then the battles all around the rest of the league very tight so far and i imagine this to continue throughout the season.

Anyone have any arguement for the EPL being more exciting than the SPL?? I find it the other way around myself, shame the quality isn't the same though.

[zonker84]

That's the reason why the English Premier League isn't so wide open, because the standard is better. The teams in the middle of the league and the promoted teams are a million miles away from the top teams, and it would take them a long time to catch up. Hearts can sign a few unknown foreigners, and suddenly they're challenging the Old Firm. You could put the same players into Sunderland's team, and they'd still have lost every game.

The SPL had a close finish at both ends last season, but there's no guarentee that it'll happen against this season. Hearts might have it wrapped up by March

Don't forget that in the EPL, the European places were decided last season by a last minute missed penalty by Robbie Fowler in the last game. The relegation issue went down the last day, when West Brom came from nowhere to survive.

The SPL has had a couple of close finishes for the top spot in the past 3 years, but then Celtic have also won it easily in recent seasons sometimes. Chelsea and Arsenal have ended up winning the league easily in the last 2 seasons, but it's not always this way.

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

So in short Zonks - which league would you say is the most exciting then?

[zonker84]

Well they both have their good and bad points I am sure.

I must admit to not seeing that many SPL games live in comparison to English ones. For me though, I'd rather watch better teams in action. A lot of SPL teams wouldn't look out of place in English League One, so the EPL has to be the better to watch

[christianu]

Nah theres suprises every year in the EPL, Everton and W.B.A last year for example.

What about that Arsneal 2-4 Man United game, you'd never ever ever ever see a game like that in the SPL. The quality, commitment and pace was absoultey unreal. There'll be suprises again no doubt this year too. Id always say the EPL is 10 times more exciting. The problem is im English, your Scottish and we have no objective viewpoint. Its really impossible for us to settle this with any conviction.

I aint throwing your argument out of the window though but heres a little example, say a mid-table game in the SPL was going on, Kilmarnock vs Motherwell and a mid-table game in the EPL was going on. Charlton vs Middlesborough. I know for a fact which one id prefer to see every time.

As Zonker says the title isnt always over so quickly another thing, survival sunday, that was class. The SPL has always in the last decade just been Rangers and Celtic and thats a bit boring. And who really cares if Livingston go down or not eh other than Beanie

I think the EPL is far more exciting but like i said need an objective viewpoint, not subjective, or is the other way around .

[mrmuzeman]

TBH I cant believe you ask the question. The fact theres 20 teams makes the league twice as exciting for a start. Celtic and Rangers have been lording it since I can remember, at least in EPL Chelsea, Liverpool, Leeds, Newcastle and Blackburn have had brief forays of success

[crowie]

Originally Posted by mrmuzeman

The fact theres 20 teams makes the league twice as exciting for a start.

Does that make Serie B more exciting than the EPL then? Or the Championship or Nationwide leagues. Strange thing to base how exciting a league is - on the number of teams in it

Both leagues have exciting games and they both have poor games like any leagues do. The SPL live games are only available on Setanta now so its sort of a "closed shop" for actually seeing what the excitement levels are. The EPL has more media coverage, is better presented and has more big name players. Its certainly the more glamerous league and its certainly the more skillful league but overall, trying to define which is the more "exciting" is near impossible I think.

[mrmuzeman]

Seems like a fine thing to base it on for me. More teams to play, more venues, more different players. More teams to chellenge for european places and relegation scraps to make things exciting near the end of the season etc

[crowie]

So you are therefore saying the CC Championship and Nationwide leagues are more exciting than the EPL - as they have more teams in them? Promotion places, play offs, relegation fights and they also have 4 more teams than the EPL for that little bit more excitement.

Personally I don't think any of those 3 leagues are more exciting than the EPL but thats just my opinion.