17 Jul 2016 18:10:49
Is not having European football really a benefit or just a myth? Like six group games makes a CL team worse off? Bigger squad to cope with more games, maybe better quality (? )

The time spent coaching and drills etc wouldn't that be more so, with more games?

Only downside is recovery, but I've not seen much of Messi, Xavi, Inesta, Ronaldo, Ramos etc need rests like the EPL players require. And then isn't that back to the squad note above?

It's a myth for me and we should be just as wary of teams in Europa and CL as anyother.

1.) 17 Jul 2016
17 Jul 2016 18:44:39
Winter break makes a difference tbh. A lot of our top players played a full season, played in another summer tournament and then a gruelling preseason and then the start of another season. It's makes a difference not having European football, for teams that don't have the squads to compete at that level, and honestly that is definitely us at the moment. So it's not a benefit to teams like Arsenal, Chelsea, city etc but it's a benefit to us.

2.) 17 Jul 2016
17 Jul 2016 18:45:37
Although I agree, don't forget these players in foreign leagues get breaks over Christmas between the group and knockout stages.

3.) 17 Jul 2016
17 Jul 2016 19:26:44
Depends on the fitness of the individual players more I think.
I honestly think players in Europe tend to have better diets, lifestyles and therefore better fitness than those based in England.
I mean compare ronaldos stomach to rooneys then tell yourself that's because Ronaldo has Xmas off.

4.) 17 Jul 2016
17 Jul 2016 19:27:33
Klopp has said during pre season already that they almost had no time to train last season. We had a long European season and 2 cup runs. Games midweek for a lot of them season. It makes a difference when a new manager is trying to learn about his players and get them to play how he wants. Going from game to game with the thoughts of who has most energy and least niggling injuries and with their main aim of not overworking players would have effected us.

5.) 17 Jul 2016
17 Jul 2016 19:49:07
It's not just the winter break, Barcelona, Madrid and Bayern generally have about 10 competitive league games a season because their leagues are much weaker.
The rest of the time it's like shooting fish in a barrel for them.
Every game in the premier league is a physical battle.

6.) 17 Jul 2016
17 Jul 2016 19:55:36
How can you possibly say the other leagues are weaker what makes you think the premiership is a stronger league than la liga. Is that because there were 2 spanish teams in the champions league final 3 spanish teams in Europa league semi finals. remember Seville haven't exactly been flying in la liga over the last few years yet still beat us.

7.) 17 Jul 2016
17 Jul 2016 20:09:05
There isn't a more physically demanding league than the premier league but I wouldn't worry to much about whose making finals, every league has its strong periods.

05-10 wasn't it pretty much the English champions league. Before that Italy and now Spain and germsnt.

We will get stronger again and start making more finals.

8.) 17 Jul 2016
17 Jul 2016 20:21:09
The premier lge is a far more physical lge . That's why it's more demanding.

9.) 17 Jul 2016
17 Jul 2016 20:25:21
Peely, what Ron has said is not controversial or indeed that ground breaking. Most knowledgeable football fans know this, not least those in Spain, Germany, France etc. Those leagues tend to be dominated by a handful of teams, which is indicated by a simple wiki search of the league tables in Spain, France and Germany over the last few years.

Ed002 will no doubt put me straight here (please ma'am), but I also believe that the TV money in the EPL is shared much, much more proportionately than in other leagues. I believe, for example, that Real and Barcelona negotiate their own TV deals so they get the vast, vast majority of all TV money, making them able to compete for the best players and the majority of their competitors not.

We may have had the likely top 4 10 years ago - Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and Us (happy days! ), but no longer. City have money, Spurs have money, West Ham are about to move into (I think) the second largest stadium by capacity in the EPL which will further boost their coffers, Leicester have the significant kudos of being the surprise champions. Even teams like Crystal Palace - minnows by comparison to us only a handful of seasons ago - are able to offer £30m plus for players due to the new TV deal.

Ron, and the majority of the sane, adult, football following world, recognise the truism that, for a large number of reasons (some of which I have identified above), the EPL has the greatest depth of competition of all of the European leagues. It's not like he's claiming the world is flat! Plus he's bought a 'Zeddicus' shirt, so his word is law 😉.

{Ed002's Note - The situation in Spain is changing. But the majority of sides want the "big sides" gone so they can have a more even playing field. That will include letting the "B" sides in to La Liga but not at the main stadia.}

10.) 17 Jul 2016
17 Jul 2016 20:55:29
I don't know if anyone has mentioned this already but additional games can also lead to additional injuries, every game you play can lead to injury to a player (or more) and so 10 additional games can take it's toll on your squad if you are unfortunate.

Just throwing in another point.

11.) 17 Jul 2016
17 Jul 2016 20:55:29
I don't know if anyone has mentioned this already but additional games can also lead to additional injuries, every game you play can lead to injury to a player (or more) and so 10 additional games can take it's toll on your squad if you are unfortunate.

Just throwing in another point.

12.) 17 Jul 2016
17 Jul 2016 22:07:35
Cheers for clarifying Zeddicus 😉

Basically when I said weaker I meant "less competitive". No doubt la Liga sides have a lot of technical ability compared to the premier league, but 2 teams stand out and about 3 or 4 other teams occasionally provide opposition.
The Bundesliga is a bit ridiculous at the moment because 1 team has such a vast competitive advantage.

13.) 17 Jul 2016
17 Jul 2016 22:23:54
how can you say two teams stand out when atletico is always so close and actually winning it . In England it was also three horse race (spurs, arsenal and leicster) . premier league is phisically strongest, most direct and has a lot of teams capable of hurting you with different styles of play so manager has to have players able to adapt to all circumstances but to say it is strongest it is just not fair. la liga has 10 good teams not just two, la liga teams are so good in european competitions and great club doesn't want excuses. We are Liverpool and we will be there again!

14.) 18 Jul 2016
18 Jul 2016 00:08:21
La Liga probably do have 10 good teams in terms of European competition but do they really challenge Barcelona and Real in La Liga?

191
185
176
186
181

These are the combined points totals of those 2 teams for each of the past 5 seasons out of 228 and they score over 100 goals each every season.

15.) 18 Jul 2016
18 Jul 2016 03:09:21
Tbh this winter break I just don't buy it.

If I run 10 miles every Wednesday and Saturday from januray to may is it really going to make a difference that I had a few weeks off for Christmas.

Ramsey, Allen, kanu, Williams, fonte, Cedric, payet, kosciely, sagna, giroud. All managed the semis at least and didn't have a winter break.

Its to easy to blame English success in general down to a few weeks off, but just not the problem.

16.) 18 Jul 2016
18 Jul 2016 06:42:12
Tbh I've spoken to a few ex-pro's about the winter break and what they say is the biggest problem is the lack of recovery time from the little niggling injuries they pick up in matches. Not the injuries that keep them out for months, but the little knocks which we don't necessarily hear about.
Over the Christmas period it's not unusual to play 3-4 games in a week-10 days as opposed to having a fortnight off.
Then, if like last season, you go far in a domestic and European cup competition then you end up playing twice a week for the last 5 months. It's the lack of recovery time that takes its toll not '6 extra games' or whatever it is.
So I think not having European competition next season will help the team in the second half of the season.

{Ed001's Note - that is why you have a squad, to see you through busy periods. There is no need for a break.}

17.) 18 Jul 2016
18 Jul 2016 09:50:16
It's alright Ron people will take one line of what you say twist it slightly and then argue that point till the cows come home even when it has nothing to do with what was said. Again he's referring to the distribution of quality rather than the overall quality of the top teams.