The NSNO Everton Forums

I don't think the Premier League is up to much either (I know you disagree BD), so to see the likes of Spurs and Newcastle and even Liverpool where they are after their performances this season isn't a great indicator of the strength of footy all round at the minute. Rooney laughed at Walcott asking what would happen if the United 08-10 team went up against this Arsenal team and Rooney was absolutely correct that they'd batter them (and win the league comfortably).

I can accept the lower teams being better but the quality of players at the top has significantly dropped imo.

I think part of it is that the way teams play in the Premier League is so different that most European opposition don't see it worthwhile to spend two weeks preparing specifically for that one game against a PL team.

Shogun wrote: ↑Wed Jan 21, 2026 11:00 pm I don't think the Premier League is up to much either (I know you disagree BD), so to see the likes of Spurs and Newcastle and even Liverpool where they are after their performances this season isn't a great indicator of the strength of footy all round at the minute. Rooney laughed at Walcott asking what would happen if the United 08-10 team went up against this Arsenal team and Rooney was absolutely correct that they'd batter them (and win the league comfortably).

I can accept the lower teams being better but the quality of players at the top has significantly dropped imo.

Points taken.

When we look at the teams from the past, like the 2008 Man U team you reference we tend to romanticise the quality a bit and rose-tint things, and we forget how much crap there was. The quality of the league generally was nowhere near what it is today. A large section of the league was utter dross.

If you look at the 2008-2009 season the following managers and teams were in that league -

Tony Mowbray's West Brom (relegated), Gareth Southgate's Middlesborough (relegated), Alan Shearer's Newcastle (relegated), Phil Brown's Hull (17th), Ricky Sbragia's Sunderland (16th), Sam Allardyce's Blackburn (15th), Paul Hart's Portsmouth (14th), Gary Megson's Bolton (13th), Tony Pulis' Stoke (12th), Steve Bruce's Wigan (11th).

That was the bottom half of the Prem! Genuinely indistinguishable from the top half of the Championship. On top of that you had Mark Hughes managing City and Zola managing West Ham in 10th and 9th places.

Is it any wonder that Rooney, Ronaldo, Berbatov and Tevez absolutely pissed the league against those kinds of teams and managers? The gap was enormous.

Look at the bottom half of the Prem now - you have Forest who have spent £475m in 3 seasons back in the Prem, you have Spurs who have spent £700m in that same period. West Ham have spent £485m in that time. You can't take any game for granted against any opposition in the Prem.

The Man U 2008 team just had to turn up for half their games and it was a 3-0 win. I remember that time and that's exactly how it was. It's much much harder for Arsenal and City and the others now. If they rest players or they have injuries or they have an off day, they are dropping points every single time.

Good luck to Fenerbahce tonight.

Hoping West Ham continue this improvement and drag Forest down.

Good start.

Not sure how that deserves being awarded a near certain goal.

Absolute Blammo.

What a finish

Sunderland been overachieving the first half of this season.

Firmly expect them to finish bottom half.

They are dire away from home.

Xhaka is a huge miss for them.

They have over achieved but it's still nice to see.

Should have been 4 up in the first half when we went to their place.

Two wins in their last ten league games since the start of December now for Sunderland, How sad.

It would be nice if we could pump Leeds on Monday and have them looking over their shoulders too.

Preston heading for a fourth straight defeat with zero goals scored

Cereal Killer wrote: ↑Sat Jan 24, 2026 1:55 pm Preston heading for a fourth straight defeat with zero goals scored

The Armstrong effect

Haaland on bench.

Mad how much the Comms/media are going on about it