For the second year running, two English sides have exited the UEFA Champions League at the group stage.
Chelsea and Manchester City might have the money and the stars, but they don’t have the team unit. They both made unwanted history this week.
For this to happen to the Premier League once could be seen as careless or unlucky, but for it to happen two seasons consecutively suggests that the English game has some severe problems.
Is it time to panic and make sweeping changes or just accept that our top league is simply not good enough anymore.
Total Football’s Simon Wright investigates how these failures might have occurred in the past two years.
A competitive element
Over the years, there have been those that have said the Premier League is the best in the world.
To all those out there who said that, take a reality check and a dose of the right medicine. It isn’t the case anymore.
The Premier League is the most exciting for sure and probably the most competitive division in the world, but it isn’t the best. La Liga owns that crown and with good reason.
Despite their financial issues, both Malaga and Valencia advanced into the last 16 of the Champions League with something to spare, while the rich powers of Chelsea and Manchester City did not.
Technically, La Liga is the best in terms of player quality. I can’t see the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or Xavi coming to play their football in England anytime soon.
Of course, it means that the title race in Spain is always between Barcelona and Real Madrid.
That isn’t the case in England. The two Manchester clubs, Chelsea and Tottenham have all made strong title tilts in the last two years.
Arsenal are so unpredictable to work out and then you’ve got the midfield pack of Everton, Newcastle, West Brom, Stoke, Liverpool and Swansea amongst others.
Traditionally, Barca and Real can thrash teams 3-0 or 4-0 every weekend and focus more intensely on the European games.
There are no easy matches in the Premier League anymore. The former ‘big four’ is no more.
The competitive edge to it is great, as anyone can beat anyone on their day. West Brom defeating Chelsea and Manchester United losing at Norwich are prime examples of this.
However it is affecting our sides form in Europe, not just in the Champions League too.
There is also now a case to say that the Bundesliga sides are technically better than our clubs too, and that is a worry – especially when thinking about the European rankings in the future.
Underestimating the big games
For the majority of the English sides in the Champions League, there has been a distinct case of underestimating their opponents.
Manchester City have got no excuses. Sure, they were in a very tough group for the second year running but how can you not be prepared for a game against the Dutch champions?
Ajax showed what they were capable of at Old Trafford in the UEFA Europa League back in February; they are no slouches at this level.
Roberto Mancini and his players got tactics and organisation badly wrong in those matches and it has cost them even a consolation Europa League place in the New Year.
Chelsea (Oscar pictured looking disappointed) also had a tricky group, but as European champions, it was alarming to see them being beaten comprehensively by Shakhtar Donetsk and Juventus away from home.
The problems at Stamford Bridge have been well-documented of late. Both of these sides have some fantastic individual talent but neither work as a team.
I doubt the Blues will win the Europa League either. They will be touted as a favourite now but there are better team units in this competition, such as Atletico Madrid, Napoli, Bayer Leverkusen, Lyon and even the Ukrainian sides.
Manchester United have played the same chicken game and got away with it this season.
They did the work successfully after four matches but a home defeat to CFR Cluj from Romania indicates that they have problems of their own.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s side made an embarrassing and ignominious exit from the group stages last year. Once they qualified this season, they lifted off and lost both their remaining matches.
The Red Devils never looked convincing in Group H. They laboured to beat Galatasaray at Old Trafford and showed some massive vulnerability at home to Sporting Braga.
They have a better team ethic and a determined approach to fighting back than City and Chelsea, but it is a strong last 16 in the Champions League this time around.
If they show exposure at the back against an FC Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk or AC Milan side, they will be punished severely.
Arsenal might have gone through but again, lacked conviction, class and belief in Group B.
They were thoroughly outplayed in both matches by Schalke 04 and if only Olympiakos were better away travellers, Arsene Wenger’s side might have also faced an early demise from Europe’s most prestigious competition.
Other European sides play like a team and give full respect to their opponents.
Look at Malaga. No money, a lack of strength in depth but they play as a team and they comfortably headed Group C, ahead of the mighty Milan and promising Zenit St. Petersburg side.
Sometimes, I don’t think the English sides play as a team at this level anymore.
Chances of a repeat
Previous history in this competition is unpredictable and knockout football is a better strength for the English sides.
It would be daft to rule Manchester United out of winning the competition.
Ferguson will want a third European Cup and with the final being back at Wembley in May, that is great motivation for the Scot.
Putting last season aside, United’s recent Champions League record has been impressive.
They won the prize in 2008, reached the final in 2009 and 2011 and semi-finals in 2007.
None of the runner-up sides and I’d include Real Madrid in that, will want to play the Red Devils in the next round.
As for Arsenal, they are the weakest side in the competition left in my view, apart from Galatasaray and possibly FC Porto.
Knockout football has never been kind to them and they can implode in a one-off game, as the trip to the San Siro showed in February.
Wenger will look at the potential opponents the Londoners could face and surely he must tremble with fear.
Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund; Serie A champions Juventus, oil-rich PSG, last season’s finalists Bayern Munich and a solid Malaga side.
He won’t be keen on any of them I reckon and if they get paired with Barcelona, they might as well not turn up.
Over two legs, they will have more hope of winning the Premier League title this season than beating Messi and co.
So, can either English side repeat Chelsea’s Munich triumph? The odds are unlikely.
It isn’t impossible but it is going to have to take better focus, quality players being bought in January and a bit of luck for it to happen again.
We have got quite used to seeing an English side reach the Champions League final.
Only once since 2004 has it been an all foreign affair (2010). I fear that might become two this season.
As a football fan, we just have to accept that at the moment, the English league is far inferior to the likes of La Liga and the Bundesliga.
European fallibility has been exposed too often this season, and the sight of seeing two English clubs drop out of the UEFA Champions League before Christmas is becoming a regular and disappointing habit.
By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88
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