Manchester City are pretty much there is to claim in England. With three straight Premier League titles, Pep’s fifth in seven seasons, should we be concerned that the Premier League is no longer competitive
To begin with, a Farmers League is a derogatory term given to a football league that lacks competition.
It’s a sneer that has grown in popularity among English fans who look down on countries where the title winners are seemingly known before the season even starts. For instance, we can be ninety-five percent sure that in any given season, Paris St Germain will win the French Ligue 1. Same with Bayern Munich in Germany.
Within the last 10 years, the Citizens have dominated the league by holding 7 titles which is actually a fantastic job that deserves huge credit. Now, under the leadership of the imperial Pep Guardiola, Man City has shown from day 1 that they are ready to defend the title and they are leaving no stone unturned.
And, you can actually bank on the fact it will take an incredibly consistent team to be able to stop this Manchester City side from securing another title next season.Before we answer this question, it’s worth remembering that dominance is cyclical and hardly a new phenomenon, even in England.
Talking of Aston Villa in the 1890s, Arsenal in the 1930s, Liverpool in the late-70s and early-80s, and Manchester United on three occasions between 1992 and 2011. These teams each won four titles in a space of five years in their respective periods of dominance.
Again, in each season Pep has won, we cannot say the title race was considered a foregone verdict by Christmas. In actual fact, in three of Man City’s title triumphs under Pep, the title could only be decided towards the end of the season.
For instance, in the 21/22 season, on December 11, just two points separated Chelsea, Liverpool, and City. And, the title would eventually be determined to go City’s way on the final day of the season.
Furthermore, last season, Arsenal went for a record 248 days at the top of the table. By the end of March, the Gunners had an 8-point lead literally making the fate of the title theirs for the taking. However, the Gunners would eventually bottle it up in April after a series of three successive draws that culminated with a 4-1 defeat to Man City at the Etihad.
Even when that was the case, the title race was not over until 20 May when Arsenal lost 1-0 to Nottingham Forest.
While the Premier League treble champions have imploded spectacularly and rapidly, they may be intimidating but not unbeatable. Just ask Crystal Palace, who have given the Citizens a hard time at the Etihad, or Tottenham who have beaten City in each of their last three meetings in North London.
However, we cannot rule out the fact that Guardiola’s side have started to push the bar in terms of what’s required at the very top. And, will get plenty of credit for their brutal and relentless dominance, but there will always be detractors ready to snipe at City’s achievements.
Let’s also talk about the money…
When it comes to their success, sooner or later the subject of money will come up. The wealthiest clubs have generally always been the most poised for success.City are certainly no exception, having spent more than anyone else since Sheikh Mansour took over the club in 2008, with huge amounts lavished on star players to give Guardiola the quality to mould his side into a machine.
Surprisingly, Pep Guardiola’s Man City is actually third in terms of net spent for the past five years. Behind bitter rivals Manchester United and Chelsea despite The Blues only getting to overtake them with their humungous spending last season.
To be honest, this is inevitable. Maybe 10 years in the future, Newcastle would be the next to farm this league. Even so, this is proof that financial power is only a factor if you’re capable of spending shrewdly.So, is the Premier League becoming obvious? Is it no more competitive than the Bundesliga or Ligue 1?
City are certainly in the middle of a golden period but history suggests that they are highly unlikely to stay there forever, particularly given the quality of rivals such as Liverpool and Chelsea, who have won two of the last three Champions League between them.
The Spaniard has had incredible success with Barcelona and Bayern Munich but is under no illusions about what it takes to be at the top in England.
“To win and win, in this country, in this league, this is my best title [sic] I have and the best I will have when I leave,” was his conclusion after securing the treble last season.So, if you want to see a real farmers league, look up the history of the Scottish top flight, now that’s a farmer’s league!
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Source iHarare
