The English Premier League Debate: Is It Really The Best?

Time and again at the end of every season this question comes up: is the EPL really the best league in terms of entertainment and quality of football?

The answer to this question can never be absolute or certain but definitely the general consensus is that it is ONE of the best leagues. The one question that subsequently follows this observation is—if this league has completed the transition from the relative to the superlative—i.e. from "one of the best leagues" to "The best league."

Opinions are varied and each argument comes very logically derived and nicely articulated to sound convincing. Here I take my stand on this matter.

The first criteria that judges a league is the entertainment it provides (though I have always maintained it should be the quality of football). Anyways, there can never be a shadow of a doubt that the EPL is definitely a very entertaining league. With high tempo matches. Players ranging from the technically gifted flair players to ones who dig in and do the job for their team's week in and week out.  

It must also be noted that Manchester United remains the club with the largest fan base in the world. With the traditions of clubs like Liverpool, United and Arsenal and the moolah that Chelsea inject into their football it is ensured that the players playing in it are the very best in the world. 

All this makes the EPL the most watched league in the world. While the Spanish league is also a very popular league I doubt that it can match up to the excitement of the Premier League. With this year the title race going down to the last match, my point is further seconded.

Now coming to the most important aspect (which, I must admit, is very dear to football critics and pundits). The quality of football.

For me this league provides the best overall package of footballing skills. We have teams which play sublime touch football. The ones who play the direct balls. The ones who counter attack at deadly pace. The point I want to make is that here you get to see a good mix of footballing ideologies.

The first point that people come up in opposition to the idea of EPL being the best is the BIG Four and the gap between them and the rest. Well to the defense of my argument let me point out that though the difference in quality is there this season we have seen the teams like West Ham, Bolton etc giving a good competition to the big four.

Then again, let me ask which league does not have this difference of quality between the top teams?

In La Liga the difference between second and third is more than evident when you see teams play. Moreover because the Spanish team's defenses are so shaky (I guess I'll be backed up on this one) that all matches are very open so we can see the lower teams being able to put (almost every time) one or two past the bigger teams.

Somehow I can't seem to buy the opinion that the Spanish league is more competent.

The case with Seria A is even worse, the gap ("a huge rift" would be a better phrase to use here)  between the top teams and the rest of the league is very evident and I don't think I need to talk you into buying this Idea.

Then we come to the title challenge. Some would say that the EPL is always a three horse race, But isn't the Spanish league a two horse chase (always after Deportivo and Valencia self destruct) and Seria A used to be a toss up between Juve and AC Milan and more recently the title seems to have found a home at the San Siro with both sides of Milan fighting it out.

Two years is row we have had three semi finalists. For I guess Four years in a row an English team is in the finals. This year we have both the teams featuring in the finals from England. It cannot be a fluke year in and year out. 

Also I guess the English teams are playing the "complete football" (certainly United and Chelsea). Taking the best of skills from each of the league. Flair from Spain, defensive resilience from Italy and heart, passion and counter attacking skills from England.  

We all know that United and Chelsea are a very good attacking line up. United having the best attacking record in the Champions League this year. Ronaldo being the top scorer, but when time comes they can defend as good as any legendary Italian defenses.

Balancing it out has been the secret to success for the English teams. 

Some may say the original English style of football has been lost, I say a new and better style has been imbibed and incorporated.

Change is always an index of growth (though the National team seems to be stuck with the old English style, hope Capello changes it for the good because at the end it is the trophies that matter and with the talented players that the English national side boast of, both the players and the National team deserve more). 

At the end of this article I would like to point to the fact that we are compelled to talk about this league and participate in this never ending debate which testifies that the League has grown too good to ignore.

Love it or hate it, you can't ignore it.