It Can't Cross The Line

Yesterday, the world was at ease knowing that, finally, the Champions League is here and the beautiful game was just that again. A day where, European giants jockey for past glories, the underdogs search for the stars, the sleepers fight for their place and the cinderella stories dream of strolling into Wembley. The particular focus of the day will be on the failings and the fall of an English Giant.

But first, Ronaldo continues his impressive scoring spree of 5 goals in 3 games, yet, to no avail as the day belonged to our favorite army of yellow-jackets. Dortmund, now sit atop a group that gives the viewer the best of Europe's premier leagues; from England to Netherlands, group D has it all. Yet, group D alludes to a growing trend in European football. Manchester City curiously sits last in this, group of group, why? I believe that the answer is rather simple, English football is becoming and maybe already has become, inadequate, outdated, and overhyped. Its inadequacy lies in the numerous examples of the English Premier League teams looking lost against European competition. Manchester United's early exit in last years league, with the rather lackluster and incredibly weak performances versus Athletic Bilbao or Sporting Braga, a more recent example, demonstrates that this is a team which falters in the face of weaker opponents. What happens when they face the powerhouse teams of PSG or Dortmund?

Arsenal and Chelsea, the reigning European Champion, both have been effectively taken apart in their recent performances. Relying on immense individual efforts, they have been able to accumulate the points they currently posses. Should I even mention that England's best team is last in it's group, behind Germany's champion, behind the Spanish Champs, and behind the Dutch champions. Still not convinced that England just does not cut it? Then lets look at how Tottenham and Liverpool, two of England's most prestigious teams, both are resting in third place in their groups, behind superior European opposition. Are we all truly blind to the evidence at hand? 

All of the glory, money, and investment in the "world's best league," has amounted to very little and produced nothing but, hollow and disparate results. The English live in the past. They parade their league around the world as the best football has to offer and seem to think that since they invented the game or that they won the world cup in the 1966, justifies their superiority. In the past eleven years of European Competition, England has been crowned champions on only three occasions. The Italians maintain the same number of titles in the same time frame and the Spanish top the list with five trophies. England clearly has not dominated. Even in the Europa League, England has only earned one trophy, compared to both Spain and Portugal who have both earned more titles, five and two respectively. In fact, England's style of play, throughout history, has been outmatched and underdeveloped compared to the likes of Germany, Spain, Netherlands, or Argentina. The English gave us the game, but the Brazilians made it Joga Bonito, the Netherlands gave us Total Football, and the Spanish perfected both. Yet, the English still live and die on their style, which, just look above, has not worked.