DISQUS

Gattuso's exit in the second half had a profound impact on the balance of the game.


As a Milan fan, I was quite disappointed with second half. Milan seemed resigned to waiting for the final whistle as soon as the second half began and DIDA WAS DREADFUL. I hope the rumors of Buffon coming to Milan next year are true.

I'd like to see some better original programming with better talent.


Plus, FFF would be great to watch more than once per week. Either that or have them do other kinds of programming.



With exclusive rights to Serie A, a quality preview/review show is in order I think...as long as the FSWC canada crew doesn't do it. I'm sure there's something in England that FSC could show instead.



I don't like the repackaged FSWC crew. I'd like to see an American-based FSC crew doing programming for FSC.



I'm not someone who wants to see everything "americanized" but I simply don't like the FSWC crew. They're very annoying both in their style and, more importantly, their accents. I never realized how much a thick Candadian accent bothered me until I started watching these guys. Australian, British and standard American accents are fine. That Canadian accent is like listening to the scratching of a chalkboard.

Nice article on the comparison of MLS with the lower English leagues.


I have to admit, I've seen more MLS games this year (Two) than ever watched before in my life. And I have to say it wasn't that bad. The skill is pretty good and the style and pace actually reminds me more of Bundesliga (with less flair) than anything else.



The lack of tactical skill and discipline in the English game is covered territory. many a writer have spoken of it.



I remember living in France when England were eliminated by Holland from going to the U.S.A 94 and reading an article in "L'Equipe" that lambasted the English game as lacking skill, patience and desire to work short passes. I see little has changed.



Vialli's new book "The Italian Job", in comparing the two styles (ENG and ITA), he says The English play with their hearts and the Italians play with their brains.



But anyway, it's hard to argue with the logic of the article in question when we look at the results. The Big Four are decidedly un-English in their style and coaching...not to mention their rosters. The more successful teams do employ more continental flavor...but they do so with the pace and energy that fans of the EPL admire...myself included.



How would the better MLS teams fare against Championship and lower EPL teams? There was a time when I would say the MLS "cream" would need to be play in League one to win the title. I'm not so sure anymore. I'd be curious to a DC United or Houston Dynamo type team play Championship teams and, dare I say, lower EPL squads like Watford and Charlton and Sheff. U.



The results may not be what one would expect.

Gaffer,


Thanks likewise for your comments. But I do have to disagree about Serie A. I don't really see a noticeable gap between the 3 leagues in terms of talent. Italians, like the English and spanish, have always tended to play at home rather than abroad with a few noticeable exceptions....Platt played in Serie A and Zola in the EPL for example. Talent from abroad in present in all 3 leagues. To put Liga or EPL in higher class is quite subjective because the basic facts don't really make that obvious point as say when comparing these leagues to other euro leagues from Portugal and France for example.



But I thought you did a great job. I hope to see more!

Great interview. I would have hoped, however, that you would have discussed the channel itself a little more and gotten some feedback from Hudson on his views of the operation...which I feel is seriously lacking in the stylistic department and in terms of attention to detail.


Also, I'm surprised you completely left Serie A out of the discussions with Ray. Not only should it be discussed when talking about the comparative qualities of top flight leagues (and it is one...not to mention it's still second to EPL in terms of revenue despite all its problems), it's also a rather pertinent discussion in light of the fact that they lost the rights to it to FSC. I'd like to have heard Ray's views on this matter.



Still a great interview. Ray is a shining light amid less talented colleagues and a very subpar production team.



It all may seem a bit harsh to say of GolTV but I'm generally very critical of things that matter more to me personally.

I have to disagree, Gaffer. I watch GolTV because I have to. Not because I want. As an avid soccer fan...of the big 3 of euro soccer in particular, I'm forced to watch the FSC and GolTV. While FSC's production quality and professionalism of delivery are good enough, I hate that they do not offer American based news shows. Not to sound biased but I hate the Canadian accent. I hate the O's, the "out's" and they way Machado says Italy. It's annoying and I'm sure I'm not alone.


Now Gol has better programs and at least use Americans (and Hudson) but the use of of native spanish speakers (and the annoying brazilian guy) is inappropriate and in bad taste. In fact their general taste is extremely lacking and very unprofessional.



Watching the latest addition of CIAO, I was really annoyed by the speakers customary lack of flow in speech with all the "um's" and hesitations. What made this week worse was the voice in the background that we could all hear. And it sounded like the speaker was using him as a guide!



I'd expect better from a video production class in school!



Yes, American Soccer is the best show they have because it's more natural but the rest simply sucks. They don't seem to be very harsh critics of themselves because I'd be embarrassed to put such amateur sounding programming on the air.



I don't think ESPN could produce such low grade programming if they tried! It's a shame Soccernet is not turned into a full service digital channel they I can get like the utterly useless "ESPNU" about college sports.



Moreover, their game-time delivery robs the viewer of any atmosphere. The sound quality at recent matches from Italy's Milan derby, Inter-Roma from the San Siro and El Clasico from Spain were so muted as all their games are. A game from the JJB sounds louder than 80,000 people at the San Siro or the Bernabeu.



I's have had a laundry list of complaints a mile long had I had the chgance to go with you!

I don't see English teams as being as dominant as you suggest. I quick look back over the past 5 years or so of the Chmapions League quarter-finals teams shows that it's pretty much not true. Juve, AC and Inter Milan have figured in the final stages nearly every year.


Just as recently as 2002/03, the final had two Italian Teams.



The same can be said of the Spanish league with the Likes of Real Madrid, Barca and Valencia.





I think your predetermined bias to say this is a little premature. The facts don't back it up.

Guys,


My opinion is split. Firstly, a Euro Super League sounds great. But while it would be a boon for those teams who would be in it, it would truly undermine interest in the rest of the leagues....especially at an international viewer level where the "Big 3"--- EPL, Liga and Serie A---have made great strides in generating more TV revenue...especially the EPL.



So, yes, a Super League, would get a huge amount of attention and may even get mainstream channels all over the world fighting for the TV rights. It makes sense. Could you imagine a league that looked like Champions League but all season long? I salivate at the idea.



HOWEVER, the domestic leagues would suffer greatly and be reduced to majority viewer interest coming from inside the borders and therefore reducing their commerical clout and hence quality.



Middle tier contenders like Everton, Newcastle, Spurs, Lazio, Fiorentina, R Zaragoza, Espanyol etc., etc. may grumble about never being able to consistently contend with the elite teams but they also need those elite teams to make their title runs credible. Otherwise, it's a glorified Championship, Serie B or Segunda.



My take is this:



These leagues all suffer from a overly vertical revenue sharing scheme. Even the EPL, the best of the Big 3, as it tries to share TV revenue as a league (something Italy wants to copy) doesn't go far enough in sharing revenue.



Having the top teams earn a bigger share than the bottom teams is fine but I think the cut between Man U and Watford, for example, will be too drastic. I once saw the revenue sharing table and I find it too steep. A few steps toward parity in this respect would help smaller teams compete in terms of revenue and therefore make the league more competitve.



The NFL does this (too much IMO), and it works though they've gone to the other extreme where nobody is really much better than the next team. That's not good either. But I think you get my meaning.

Interesting article about the relationship between England and the EPL.


I have a few remarks. Feel free to discuss as I'm sure there will be disagreement:



Firstly, I think the article's premise is overstated.



Italy/Serie A is a prime example in several respects.



For the longest time, Serie A was THE league for top international talent and though it still gets a fair share of it, it's not as monopolistic as it used to be. Most/many of the top players from national sides from all over the world, including England, played there...and yet Italy always had a strong national team.



Another thing is that Italy's revenue sharing is terrible and totally biased towards the elite (always has been)...in fact they are trying emulate some of the EPL's ideas to even things out...so that's not really a good excuse either.



When you look back, England has done well in competitions compared to most others. PK's were there enemy at more than one world cup...in fact had it not been for a brilliant Platt volley vs. Belgium at the end of extra time in '90, PK's may have ended their campaign before it started. '98 was similar problem. They were unlucky to lose vs. ARG on PK's. In '06, for all their woes, PK's did them in again. At the Euro level, they've done well as well.



For england, there is solace in looking at Spain who never reach potential despite have the talent to win it all every year.



I find truth in Steve Cohen's words when he says the problem is two-fold:



Lack of good youth academies for the 11-13 years olds is one problem but mostly it's the lack of imagination in coaching at the national team level. Steve is breathlessly critical of McClaren's (and Ericksson's) choices of line-ups and subs which are very status quo, at times senseless and lack the creativity to make serious changes.



How can so many of England's stars be so good in the EPL and then so inept for England?? I fault coaching and management.