Barcelona and Real Madrid.

[Mikhail Chigorin]

I was just idly pondering, the other day, about Barcelona and Real Madrid and I just wondered if, in some sort of parallel universe they were to play for a season or two in the Premier League, which of these two sides would do better than the other, bearing in mind their respective styles of play and strengths/weaknesses etc ??

Moreover, I was wondering how they would both fare overall, in view of the tough games they would encounter from most of the teams in the Division (especially the "away at Stoke on a wet, wintry evening in the middle of winter" aspect), as opposed to the many weaker sides in Spain they have to face ??

I also wondered if they would be adversely affected by our own domestic version of Financial Foul Play ??


Personally, I would feel, albeit for no valid or sustainable reason, that Real Madrid would perform the better of the two sides, but that finishing in the top two, or three, would be by no means guaranteed for either of them.

[KinkyKinkladze]

Barca would start off well but eventually be ground down and become an arsenal. Can play beautiful football but can't do it on a wet Wednesday in Stoke. Because we all know that's the barometer for being a successful footballing side.

I think real would fare better, I always think their game (and mentality) is quite English. I think they'd be up there with us and Chelsea.

[KinkyKinkladze]

Mind, I base this on absolutely fuck all.

[Wooders]

Sadly I think it would make the PL a 2 horse race

[Mikhail Chigorin]

Sadly I think it would make the PL a 2 horse race

Between City and Chelsea ???!!??

[lets all have a disco]

They wouldnt be able to hack wet Tuesday's in Stoke.

[DoomMerchant]

If Simeone's experiment is any indication, they'd both struggle to win the league running away imho. Those that think they'd walk it are delusional. They'd get mauled on a weekly basis and the diving, cheating cunts would probably be even more embarrassing than they are now. It wouldn't be pretty.

Madrid would stand a much better chance on current roster makeup.

The Prem is the most exciting league in the world for a reason. it isn't for the faint of heart and i'd love to see Bayern, Madrid or Juventus as guest teams in the league for a season. That would be fun as fuck.

If the "G14" or whatever they are/were called were really thoughtful they could create a really fun pan-European system that would fucking blow away the CL in a heartbeat without destroying the soul of each country's leagues.

cheers

[Nigels Tackle]

Barca would start off well but eventually be ground down and become an arsenal. Can play beautiful football but can't do it on a wet Wednesday in Stoke. Because we all know that's the barometer for being a successful footballing side.

I think real would fare better, I always think their game (and mentality) is quite English. I think they'd be up there with us and Chelsea.

against their former reserve team??!

[DoomMerchant]

Barca would start off well but eventually be ground down and become an arsenal. Can play beautiful football but can't do it on a wet Wednesday in Stoke. Because we all know that's the barometer for being a successful footballing side.

I think real would fare better, I always think their game (and mentality) is quite English. I think they'd be up there with us and Chelsea.

against their former reserve team??!

Licker-like.

cheers

[sheblue]

The fact of the matter is that both of them are better than us chelski, rags etc. This idea that they would just fade away is pure nonsense. They would win the league easily.

[Im_Spartacus]

The fact of the matter is that both of them are better than us chelski, rags etc. This idea that they would just fade away is pure nonsense. They would win the league easily.

Assuming city and Chelsea have the advantage of experience of playing the lower teams in the division, and barca/real have the advantage of having a better (albeit less suited squad for the league), it would likely come down to a straight shoot out who could grind out results amongst the top 4 or 5 clubs, in which case Chelsea would probably be favourites for the league, as that's the sort of stuff where Mourinho's anti-football comes to the fore

[LoveCityHateUtd]

Pulis left 2 years ago, Stoke play more football now and that is why I think both teams would destroy them.
Both clubs have better teams and squads than anyone in the prem.
Think we would deserve 7 champs leagues spots though, with Spain getting 1.

[DoomMerchant]

The fact of the matter is that both of them are better than us chelski, rags etc. This idea that they would just fade away is pure nonsense. They would win the league easily.

Absolute bullshit.

See Athletico Madrid as a reference point please.

Do you watch La Liga at all?

Cheers

[WhyAlwaysMe?]

If they were playing in the Premier League, instead of La Liga, Barca & Real Madrid would be fighting a lot more teams (including City), for 1st & 2nd place, than they currently do. With the move to the PL, they would immediately lose the monopoly of TV money they currently receive, that allows them to continue that stranglehold at the top. With less TV rights income, Barca & Real Madrid would have a much tougher time, competing in the future.

There is currently a big debate and call to have the La Liga TV rights shared more equally, in Spain. Of course, Barca & Real Madrid are against this! While they still have their current dream teams, they will still be successful... As players like Xavi get older & leave, both teams will have a tougher time buying up all the most famous players in the world.

[Tim777]

If they were playing in the Premier League, instead of La Liga, Barca & Real Madrid would be fighting a lot more teams (including City), for 1st & 2nd place, than they currently do. With the move to the PL, they would immediately lose the monopoly of TV money they currently receive, that allows them to continue that stranglehold at the top. With less TV rights income, Barca & Real Madrid would have a much tougher time, competing in the future.

There is currently a big debate and call to have the La Liga TV rights shared more equally, in Spain. Of course, Barca & Real Madrid are against this! While they still have their current dream teams, they will still be successful... As players like Xavi get older & leave, both teams will have a tougher time buying up all the most famous players in the world.

+1

Also, they'd want to compete on all the same fronts as the current Premier League top 4/5 do (more competitions than La Liga teams have), thus putting way more pressure on them, with the frequency of the games, and intensity with which they will need to uphold to maintain their reputations.
Real will fare better because it seems to me that in the past two years or so, the PL trend is swaying towards less attacking football and playing a more *defensive game. And what a surprise they will get when they realise that the PL bottom 10 teams are imo of a way better calibre than the La Liga bottom 10 teams that they currently tramp all over most of the time.
*This imo is the key to City's success in the coming season - to solidify our defense.

[WhyAlwaysMe?]

+1
Also, they'd want to compete on all the same fronts as the current Premier League top 4/5 do (more competitions than La Liga teams have), thus putting way more pressure on them, with the frequency of the games, and intensity with which they will need to uphold to maintain their reputations.
Real will fare better because it seems to me that in the past two years or so, the PL trend is swaying towards less attacking football and playing a more *defensive game. And what a surprise they will get when they realise that the PL bottom 10 teams are imo of a way better calibre than the La Liga bottom 10 teams that they currently tramp all over most of the time.
*This imo is the key to City's success in the coming season - to solidify our defense.

Tim, this is an excellent analysis of the differences between both leagues.

I would also guess that both Barca & Real would receive more yellow cards for diving and simulation and far less penalty/free kicks, from the Premier League refs! Every La Liga player that has transferred to the PL has noted the difficulty of adapting to the pace and physicality of PL.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

There's no right or wrong here, but it's a fascinating debate, I tend to think both would fight for the title, but the ultimate success would be based on adaptation.

Barca play amazing football but as most think it's not immediate suited to the premier league. That being said nor would most have predicted what pellers did with us two seasons back working. It did and it was beautiful. Nothing would stop barca slightly modifying there style yet keeping it beautiful and technical and being successful. It would depend on how stubborn or clever they are.

As for Madrid their style seems better suited to the prem, but in my opinion their midfield isn't suited to play there style here. It's all well and good playing on the break, but leaving 3 players to face 5 man midfield a every week has just as much chance of coming unstuck as barcas tika taka. They too would have to modify, possiby less so, but still.

It would be fascinating to watch, but ultimately like every other top team in England the true winner would be the 1st to find consistency and a style suited to that season. If one style was superior enough to name a winner now no way on earth would the last two prem winners be so stylistically different.

[nottsblue]

I suspect in the first couple of years either side would probably win the league, but as time progressed and they received less TV money and the toll of playing 30ish tough games in the League instead of the 15 they play now, would mean their success would wane. As Tim777 wrote, the lower end of the Prem is much better than the Spanish counterpart. Would the worlds best be clamouring to join Real/Barca if half the games were in England? I think not.

The notion of a European league is interesting. Would fans be happy with say a Euro league of 12 teams (2 Spain, 2 England, 2 Italy, 2 Germany, 1 Portugal, 1 France, 1 Netherlands and 1 from a playoff between say Belgium, Russia, Greece, Scotland). The simplest way to determine who is in is the respective domestic league finish in the previous campaign.Teams would play each other home and away in a league format. I know 22 games is a lot but the top teams play 10+ in Champions league at present. Do away with League cup and the fixture list is reduced.

Clubs have big squads now so there would be more game time to share round and as a league format, the influence of UEFA and the co-efficient system would be neutered and it would make for a more level playing field. Plus it keeps the season going for longer. With more games to broadcast, sponsors would likely be on board very quickly.

[Blue Since 76]

Where are the refs from? If the CL ones, they'd both get over 200 points and the rest of us would just have to roll over for them. If from the PL, they'd do well for a month or two until everyone had pointed out how much they dived and that there were soft, at which point they'd turn into Arsenal and get kicked out of games.

Real would do a bit better as they are more physical, but Tranny would implode in a fit of annoyance in January when Bale didn't pass to him.

[Mikhail Chigorin]

I suspect in the first couple of years either side would probably win the league, but as time progressed and they received less TV money and the toll of playing 30ish tough games in the League instead of the 15 they play now, would mean their success would wane. As Tim777 wrote, the lower end of the Prem is much better than the Spanish counterpart. Would the worlds best be clamouring to join Real/Barca if half the games were in England? I think not.

The notion of a European league is interesting. Would fans be happy with say a Euro league of 12 teams (2 Spain, 2 England, 2 Italy, 2 Germany, 1 Portugal, 1 France, 1 Netherlands and 1 from a playoff between say Belgium, Russia, Greece, Scotland). The simplest way to determine who is in is the respective domestic league finish in the previous campaign.Teams would play each other home and away in a league format. I know 22 games is a lot but the top teams play 10+ in Champions league at present. Do away with League cup and the fixture list is reduced.

Clubs have big squads now so there would be more game time to share round and as a league format, the influence of UEFA and the co-efficient system would be neutered and it would make for a more level playing field. Plus it keeps the season going for longer. With more games to broadcast, sponsors would likely be on board very quickly.

Nice post NB and some interesting thoughts.

Moreover, I'm enthusiastically in favour of anything which would nullify the influence that UEFA wields, together with their cursed and corrupt manipulation of events and competition set-ups.