Why a Dominant Manchester United Is Good for the EPL

The gap between the haves and have-nots in English football is as wide as it's ever been.

It's no longer a matter of a few clubs being better than rest—it's a matter of an ever-growing gulf between the top 10 teams and everyone else.

Over the next few years, the same group of teams will fight for the right to play in—and stay in—the Premiership (my own team Charlton, for instance).

These the are borderline clubs. Anyone can tell you that—and anyone can tell you why.

The answer isn't money, though that's undoubtedly a major factor.

No—the answer is the character of a club, as defined by its manager, players, chairman, board, and fans (not necessarily in that order).

Arsenal prove this on a daily basis, thriving as they have with solid finances and young, internally-developed talent.

Manchester United have a similar thing going on—both United and Arsenal ooze quality, thanks to the combination of factors noted above.

Passion is important for a football club, as is determination. And, to their credit, the best teams are always entertaining.

Anyone from outside Manchester will admit that United's last few games have been slightly below par—but boring?

No. That designation is reserved exclusively for Derby vs. Fulham.

Manchester United may have looked Chelsea-like in squeezing points out of their most recent competition, but the return of Ronaldo and Rooney ensures more goals down the road.

For Wigan, a 4-0 loss to United on Saturday was the same old story: The body was willing, the passion was burning, and the determination was steel-strong...

But when Manchester United get going, there's nothing any of the borderline clubs can ever do to stop them.

I know. I've seen them try.

But that doesn't mean losing fans don't get their money's worth.

Even in runaway games, Manchester United put on a great show. That, my friends, is real football—the kind where your team can lose badly and you can still be entertained by the match itself.

Perhaps Roman Abramovich was onto something in cutting ties with Jose Mourinho. After all, Chelsea have been pretty boring for the past few years, eh Jose?