Taiwo

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Just watching this feller on Marseille-Bordeaux game and wonder why we never went back for him. Looks excellent as always I've seen him.

[Wooders]

he's a great left back and probably would have been a better fit than Bridge in our back four but hey ho

[Twobob]

But is the French League a scratch on the Prem?

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

But is the French League a scratch on the Prem?

Well considering how much talent has come from there over the years I'd at least say it's pretty good feeder league for Premier League (And Serie A+La Liga). If you look at how much likes of Benzema, Essien and co went it would seem most top clubs agree with that.

I would say that current pecking order in Europe would be:

Premier League and La Liga
Serie A
German Bundesleague and French League 1
Eredivisie
Portuguese Liga Sagres
Greek Super League

The game is little bit different in each league and it's debatable which leagues are closest to each other and which "lesser" leagues are best providers to top leagues. The advantage that French league has, if you look it at English point of view, is that the game is played in very high tempo and they prefer their players quick. That's why they seem to adapt fairly well to England as the pace of the game is what usually makes many Italian and fair few Dutch players struggle (at least at first) in England. Bundesleague's advantage is that the game is quite physical and the attitude of players in general are second to none. Dutch players tend to be very tactically aware and have very good skill level, that's why they tend to work very well in Italy and Spain.

Of course there are exceptions and there's no need to list them but that's the way I see the game.

On the topic, Taiwo has pace, strength, great left peg and is good at defending as well as attacking. Whoever takes him to England will have had a good player I'd say. Better than Bridge? I'd say so but we'll probably never know.

[ant london]

Funny you should say this Antti as I've watched a fair bit of Ligue 1 of late (ie back end of last and start of this season). I've always followed it a fair bit due to having lived in France twice.

I have to say that the standard of football (and of footballers) appears to have risen lately. When I lived there the first time (1995/96) there were gems like Djorkaeff and Zidane in the domestic league and there is no-one quite at that level then BUT the top flight at that point was also minus Olympique Marseille (who were still recovering from the legacy of Bernard Tapie and his Champions League winning/stripping...enforced relegation and player acquisition embargo consequences) which meant a big hole in terms of competetiveness (a bit like how you've seen Inter romp the last several Serie A titles when there is no Juventus in the mix) and I think that really has affected the league for years (see Lyon's utter domination after a period where Guy Roux's AJ Auxerre had a purple patch).

Since Marseille have started to rebuild their finances and hang onto some of their better players (eg Taiwo) they are really starting to look like decent side again.

There are also some decent coaches at work in the league again. Laurent Blanc's Girondins de Bordeaux are looking pretty tasty, PSG look better than the team we faced last season and then if you add in Marseille and Lyon then you have at least a decent four horse race.

Sure there is not the strength in depth team wise that we have in England but, in reality, how far down the PL does that "strength" actually go if one takes the English blinkers off??

(back to topic, Taiwo would have been a good signing but, no point in picking it over now)