England team for the Euros

[Panda Paws]

Grealish is way over-rated and doesn't work in the system we play. He's not fit to lace Foden's boots.

[Bob's Orange]

Curious about this and I’m not having a dig but why do you think it’s overhyped?

For me it’s comfortably the best league in the world and has been so for a couple of seasons now, although according to the likes of Sky it been that way for the past 25 years!

It’s a not a coincidence that the 2 of the last 3 CL finals have been all premier league affairs

its an interesting topic of conversation. I'm also of the opinion that its overhyped and my reasoning is thus.

When I was younger, in my teens, early to mid-twenties etc I would watch any televised game going, but as I got older football was on telly ALL the time and its appeal diminished. Going to Swindon and watching lower league football was much more of a buzz. Then the whole Sky Sports 'best league in the world' gambit was thrown down viewers throats and it got me thinking, well is it, really?

I only really watch a handful of Premier league games these days, often the bigger games down the pub. If I am honest I don't really enjoy it that much. Don't get me wrong, the standard of football is excellent and we have some of the best players in the world in our league. But is it the best? For me the best league is one that excites viewers, does the EPL do this? Not for me. Taking the final day of the season into isolation what excitement was there? Some tepid battle for European spots, the relegation spots were dealt with weeks ago, dull dull. Look at the Championship, an epic relegation battle on the last day was fascinating. The play-offs have been incredibly dramatic (to be fair they always are). Looking further abroad Spain had a fascinating title race, Italy and France had new winners of their leagues.

I don't bother with the CL either anymore, I might try and watch the final and if i'm on holiday will find a bar and watch a game, I just don't have the buzz for it anymore.

[Shrivvy Road]

Grealish is way over-rated and doesn't work in the system we play. He's not fit to lace Foden's boots.

Better option than Bamford still though for me

[Panda Paws]

Better option than Bamford still though for me

They play completely different positions? They're not comparable.

I'd rather a fit Harvey Barnes over Grealish and Watkins deserves to go ahead of Bamford for me.

[Bob's Orange]

They play completely different positions? They're not comparable.

I'd rather a fit Harvey Barnes over Grealish and Watkins deserves to go ahead of Bamford for me.

Would you have Harvey Barnes over Maddison?

[Kinky Tom]

Grealish is way over-rated and doesn't work in the system we play. He's not fit to lace Foden's boots.

Have to disagree with you here but that's football.  We still don't know what our system will be for the tournament, if Maguire is fit I think we'll go 4 at the back so Grealish looks perfect to me.

[DV]

Grealish is way over-rated and doesn't work in the system we play. He's not fit to lace Foden's boots.

If the England squad was based on those fit to lace Foden’s boots we’d only have...well, Phil Foden....

[Nemo]

We've got plenty of options, that's for sure. Go back to the last World Cup and we took Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Fabian Delph, we have about 20 midfielders better than him now. We don't have too many absolute top class players, but there's a lot of depth in quite good ones.

France aside, every other team looks to have weaknesses. It'll be a fun tournament - we probably won't win, but I'd say we have as much chance as anyone not called France. Draw isn't terribly kind though, think we probably get Germany or Portugal in the first knockout game which might be that.

You do get odd tournament winners- in the last 30 years it's been won by Denmark, Greece and 2016-edition Portugal - I reckon we're better than any of those teams. It's only really the tiki taka Spain years where the best side in Europe won.

[Shrivvy Road]

They play completely different positions? They're not comparable.

I'd rather a fit Harvey Barnes over Grealish and Watkins deserves to go ahead of Bamford for me.

I thought you were comparing. Totally agree regarding Harvey Barnes

[Shrivvy Road]

Would you have Harvey Barnes over Maddison?

I would . I used to rate Madison but he seems to be going backwards

[Bob's Orange]

I would . I used to rate Madison but he seems to be going backwards

Shame as he started off this season (I think) really well. Perhaps he has hit his peak already.

[Audrey]

Stuart Broad and Jofra Archer up top.

[Jimmy Quinn]

I would . I used to rate Madison but he seems to be going backwards

Let himself down by going out drinking when he shouldn't........always a footballers curse!

[Abrahammer]

its an interesting topic of conversation. I'm also of the opinion that its overhyped and my reasoning is thus.

When I was younger, in my teens, early to mid-twenties etc I would watch any televised game going, but as I got older football was on telly ALL the time and its appeal diminished. Going to Swindon and watching lower league football was much more of a buzz. Then the whole Sky Sports 'best league in the world' gambit was thrown down viewers throats and it got me thinking, well is it, really?

I only really watch a handful of Premier league games these days, often the bigger games down the pub. If I am honest I don't really enjoy it that much. Don't get me wrong, the standard of football is excellent and we have some of the best players in the world in our league. But is it the best? For me the best league is one that excites viewers, does the EPL do this? Not for me. Taking the final day of the season into isolation what excitement was there? Some tepid battle for European spots, the relegation spots were dealt with weeks ago, dull dull. Look at the Championship, an epic relegation battle on the last day was fascinating. The play-offs have been incredibly dramatic (to be fair they always are). Looking further abroad Spain had a fascinating title race, Italy and France had new winners of their leagues.

I don't bother with the CL either anymore, I might try and watch the final and if i'm on holiday will find a bar and watch a game, I just don't have the buzz for it anymore.

Fair points and I won’t derail this thread anymore.

Only thing I’d say is Italy and France, this season aside, have been 1 team leagues much like Germany for last 7/8 seasons. We do get a little more variety here in terms of title winners, although that might end of City sign Kane!

[Bob's Orange]

Fair points and I won’t derail this thread anymore.

Only thing I’d say is Italy and France, this season aside, have been 1 team leagues much like Germany for last 7/8 seasons. We do get a little more variety here in terms of title winners, although that might end of City sign Kane!

Indeed and I wouldn't disagree there either. Although very one sided, I do like the German league, I always seem to find the games pretty entertaining over there.

The other thing I think that put me off the Premier league was getting tickets to go and watch Spurs last season. It was £75 a ticket, the seat was fantastic in an epic stadium. Food and drink was top notch, there were loads of toilets etc I couldn't fault the facilities in the stadium and the quality of football on show. But I still had that niggle at the back of my head that it was all just an overblown Corporate Americanization of what football used to be, all razmatazz and glitter etc. Give me a broken PA system and the old school football experience at the CG any day of the week!!