"Are Man City

" Are Man City & Pep Guardiola turning the Premier League to a \u201cFarmers\u2019 League\u201d? \r\n\r\n Failure of other top teams to challenge Manchester City very soon might see the Premier League eventually becoming a \"Farmers' League\". \r\n\r\n Manchester City and Pep Guardiola continue to exert their dominance of the English Premier League, much to the displeasure of fans who fear that it might soon become a \u201cFarmers\u2019 League\u201d. \r\n\r\n With the Premier League generally kicking off with four or five teams believing they can challenge for top spot, English fans look down on countries where the title winners are seemingly known before the season even starts. \r\n\r\n But the EPL is gradually loosing its much-famed competitive edge, no thanks to Guardiola\u2019s all-conquering City side. \r\n\r\n This article assesses whether the Premier League is becoming a farmers league or not. \r\n\r\n What is a \u201cFarmers\u2019 League\u201d? \r\n\r\n \u201cFarmers\u2019 League\u201d is a derogatory term used by soccer fans \u2014 mostly on social media \u2014 to describe a football league which they think is not competitive enough. This term insinuates that the players playing in such league are local farmers, not elite professional players. \r\n\r\n Jokingly suggesting that the league is made up of footballers whose actual daily occupation is farming, but play football in the evening! \r\n\r\n Furthermore, similar terms like \u201cSunday League\u201d or \u201cPub League\u201d, are also used in belittling or insulting less competitive leagues. \r\n\r\n A farmers\u2019 league tends to lack quality and competition. A single or few great clubs dominate it, while the remaining teams have low expectations, and without realistic chances of winning the league any time soon. \r\n\r\n English Premier League supporters \u2014 overwhelmingly believing their league to be the best \u2014 tend to tag other perceived weaker championships as \u201cfarmers\u2019 leagues\u201d. \r\n\r\n Top leagues that have been accused of being \u201cFarmers\u2019 League\u201d \r\n\r\n Europe\u2019s \u201cTop Five Leagues\u201d comprises of the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A, and the French Ligue 1. Of these, the Ligue 1 is regularly accused of being a \u2018farmers league\u2019 because it is generally considered the least elite of the top flights. \r\n\r\n The top-tier of French football is always accused of being a one-horse race, with a single top side dominating the league at any given time. \r\n\r\n In the late 1980s, Marseille were the reigning club, winning 5 straight French league titles, and Lyon followed in a similar fashion when they won 7 consecutive Ligue 1 championships in the early 2000s. \r\n\r\n PSG have won 9 Ligue 1 titles out of a possible 11 over the last decade, and they seem on course to dominate France for the foreseeable future due to their immense riches and array of superstars. \r\n\r\n Moreso, PSG have been winning the league far too easily, except on two occasions where Monaco and Lille pipped them to the title. \r\n\r\n After Lille won the title in 2020\/21, PSG proceeded to hire their manager, Christophe Galtier. \r\n\r\n Additionally, the fact that Paris Saint-Germain regularly under-perform in the UEFA Champions League supports the argument that the Ligue 1 is not really competitive. \r\n\r\n In fact, Marseille is the only French team to win the Champions League (1993). Monaco (2004) and PSG (2020) have also reached the Champions League final, but both lost. \r\n\r\n Ligue 1 isn\u2019t the only top-flight labelled as a \u201cfarmers\u2019 league\u201d by Premier League fans though, other championships are not spared\u2026\u2026 \r\n\r\n In Germany, Bayern Munich have now won the Bundesliga 11 times in a row after pipping Borrusia Dortmund to the title on the final day in the 2022\/23 season. Their strategy of targeting the best players from the rest of the Bundesliga has equally weakened other teams. \r\n\r\n In Italy, Juventus were Serie A champions 9 seasons in a row between 2011\/12 and 2019\/20. Since then, they haven\u2019t won it again though; with Inter Milan, AC Milan and Napoli becoming Italian champions in the last three seasons. \r\n\r\n In Spain, only Athletico (twice) have broken Barcelona and Real Madrid\u2019s dominance in La Liga since 2004. \r\n\r\n So, Premier League fans enjoy trolling other European leagues as \u2018farmers league\u2019. But the great irony, however, is that the EPL itself could be in danger of turning into a league that lacks genuine competition. \r\n\r\n Is the English Premier League set to become the new \u201cFarmers\u2019 League\u201d? \r\n\r\n For instance, in 2015\/16, Leicester City became title winners despite their 5000\/1 odds to win the title according to bookmakers. \r\n\r\n There is a quote that says \u201cyou become what you mock\u201d \u2014 that has been the case of the Premier League in recent years. \r\n\r\n In the past, the EPL was dominated by four traditional clubs: Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool. In recent years, the \u201cTop Four\u201d became the \u201cBig Six\u201d due to the rise of Manchester City and Tottenham. \r\n\r\n The rise and rise of Pep Guardiola\u2019s Manchester City \r\n\r\n In 2016, Manchester City appointed Pep Guardiola as their new manager to replace Manuel Pellegrini. \r\n\r\n The Spaniard had made a name for himself at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, wowing the world with his brand of football. But critics said his \u201ctiki taka\u201d style of play, as well as his tactics, would never work in the English Premier League. \r\n\r\n Even Sir Alex Ferguson said that Pep would find it difficult to replicate his previous successes in England. \r\n\r\n At the end of his first season in England, Guardiola\u2019s City finished third in the EPL. \r\n\r\n Subsequently, the media was full of phrases like \u201cwelcome to a league without Granada and Frankfurt!\u201d. The implication was that the Premier League is tougher than the other leagues and Pep won\u2019t be dominating it that easily\u2026\u2026\u2026. \r\n\r\n \u2026\u2026\u2026But just in his second season (2017\/18), Man City secured the first league title of Guardiola\u2019s tenure \u2014 doing so in emphatic fashion!! \r\n\r\n They broke the Premier League record for most consecutive wins, with 18 victories between August and December 2017. The Cityzens also recorded 106 goals, 32 wins, and an unprecedented 100 points!!! \r\n\r\n To show that it wasn\u2019t just a one-off, Man City retained the title the following season. \r\n\r\n In the Covid-19-struck 2019\/20 season, an unstoppable Jurgen Klopp\u2019s Liverpool side became Premier League Champions. \r\n\r\n Manchester City duly wrestled their crown back in 2020\/21 though, while also winning the FA Cup, EFL Cup, and reaching a first-ever UEFA Champions League final. \r\n\r\n In 2021\/22, Guardiola would take his side to yet another Premier League title \u2014 City\u2019s second successive crown and 4th title in 5 seasons. \r\n\r\n City reached their peak in 2022\/23 \r\n\r\n Following a disappointing exit to Real Madrid in the Champions League, Guardiola reinforced his attack with the signing of Erling Haaland. \r\n\r\n The Norwegian striker had an immediate huge impact at the Etihad. Haaland averaged a goal per game across all competitions in the 2022\/23 season \u2014 scoring a whopping 52 goals in 53 matches!!!. \r\n\r\n As a result, Man City maintained their strong dominance of the Premier League by retaining the title for a third consecutive season. \r\n\r\n It was their 5th title in six seasons and 7th since 2012. Moreover, it was the 5th under Pep Guardiola. \r\n\r\n City also became the first team to secure three consecutive Premier League titles since Manchester United achieved the feat in 2006\/07, 2007\/08 and 2008\/09. \r\n\r\n The Spanish manager has now completed a \u201cthree-peat\u201d in three major leagues around the world, having previously done so with Barcelona and Bayern Munich. \r\n\r\n It also means that he has won a league title in 11 of his 14 seasons as a manager! \r\n\r\n On his arrival in England, the narrative was that his football style could not be played in a physical league like the Premier League. Fast forward 7 years later, he seems to be turning the English top flight into a Farmers\u2019 League. \r\n\r\n The genius Guardiola has built a formidable dynasty that shows no signs of weakening. His extremely talented team lacks any observable vulnerabilities, a huge testament to Pep\u2019s status as one of football\u2019s greatest managers. \r\n\r\n Criticism: Man City regularly gets accused of \u201cbuying\u201d success \r\n\r\n While Pep Guardiola deserves plenty of credit for his side\u2019s brutal and relentless dominance, detractors always try to undermine his achievements at Man City by attributing his success to money. \r\n\r\n The wealthiest clubs have generally always been the most decorated, and City are certainly no different. They have 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 winning machine. \r\n\r\n Besides, there is still a gloomy shadow over all the hysteria as City faced scrutiny over financial violations. In February, they were charged with 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League\u2019s financial fair play regulations dating back to 2009, and accused of not cooperating in an investigation. \r\n\r\n They maintain their innocence, though, and eagerly await the resolution of the matter. \r\n\r\n Reality \r\n\r\n But now, the uncomfortable truth is that Man City\u2019s EPL dominance is reminiscent of the Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A. That is, the Premier League is slowly being deprived of its much-cherished pride of being very competitive. \r\n\r\n Moreso, the future looks scary as the league champions seems to be getting too predictable. \r\n\r\n The Premier League generally kicks off with four or five teams believing they can challenge for top spot, but the narrative is changing. \r\n\r\n Although Man City won the title by a single point in 2021\/22, the genuine last 3-way title race in the EPL was in 2012\/13. Since then, the title has been won by less than 9 points just only three times. \r\n\r\n Arguments against the Premier League being a \u201cFarmers\u2019 League\u201d \r\n\r\n (1) The EPL is still very difficult to win or even survive in \r\n\r\n The English Premier League is packed with a lot of talent and is still, arguably, the most competitive league in the world. \r\n\r\n It can even be argued that it has generally become more competitive these days. Gone are the days when newly-promoted clubs could hope to finish in the top three \u2014 as a string of them did in the early 1990s. \r\n\r\n The target of most new sides now is to avoid instant relegation. In fact, some teams that dominate the Championship (2nd tier) struggle to remain in the top flight \u2014 Norwich, Leeds United (and Fulham) as examples in recent seasons. \r\n\r\n The money earned by established teams from TV rights and other revenues has made the EPL \u201ctougher\u201d, made smaller clubs hold on to their best players and buy stars, and built a massive gap between those in the top-flight and those in the lower divisions. \r\n\r\n Recent league champions \u2014 Liverpool, Chelsea and Leicester City \u2014 have ruthlessly fallen down the pecking order. In the recently concluded 2022\/23 season, Liverpool failed to make the Top Four, Chelsea finished 12th, while Leicester got relegated! \r\n\r\n (2) Manchester City\u2019s squad depth and determination \r\n\r\n What really sets them apart from other teams is the depth of their squad which allows them to rotate their players frequently, which a lot of times provides them with fresher legs than other teams and makes no one player \u201cundroppable\u201d. It also allows them deal with injuries and fatigue better than other teams.\u00a0 \r\n\r\n To City\u2019s credit too, rather than becoming complacent over their success, their dominance over their rivals seems to be intensifying. Their relentless hunger, and dismantling of opponents, suggest that familiarity with winning silverware has only increased their appetite for more trophies. \r\n\r\n In 2022\/23, Guardiola\u2019s side matched Manchester United\u2019s historic treble win in 1999 by clinching the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League alongside the Premier League trophy. \r\n\r\n Once upon a time, reaching 90 points in the EPL was extraordinary, only achieved by rare teams like Arsenal\u2019s 2004 \u201cInvincibles\u201d and Man United\u2019s 2006\u20142009 \u201cthree-peat\u201d side. \r\n\r\n But since Pep Guardiola\u2019s second season at City, 3 of their 5 title wins have been sealed with total points of 100, 98 and 93. They have simply made gargantuan tasks look so ordinary. What a team!!! \r\n\r\n (3) Decent performances of Premier League teams in UEFA competitions \r\n\r\n Three of the last five UEFA Champions League titles have been won by Premier League sides: (Liverpool 2019), (Chelsea 2021) and (Man City 2023). \r\n\r\n While the 2019 and 2021 finals were even both all-English affairs \u2014 Liverpool vs Tottenham and Chelsea vs Manchester City, respectively . \r\n\r\n Furthermore, 5 English teams have contested in the last 8 Europa League finals, while West Ham won the second ever edition of the UEFA Conference League in 2022\/23. \r\n\r\n Conclusion \r\n\r\n Dominance in football is cyclical and not a new phenomenon, even in England. \r\n\r\n 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, all won four titles in the space of five years. \r\n\r\n City have been superb since Guardiola\u2019s difficult first season in Manchester, but they are not too far ahead of their rivals that the title race would ever be considered a foregone conclusion in August \u2014 unlike in some other leagues. \r\n\r\n The likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal (and probably Newcastle United) now need to mount serious challenges to Pep Guardiola\u2019s all-dominating juggernaut. \r\n\r\n Failure to do so very soon might see the EPL lose its appeal and glory to eventually fall into the abyss of being tagged a \u201cFarmers\u2019 League\u201d \r\n\r\n The Premier League is still the \u201cbest\u201d league in the world, but certainly not miles better than other leagues to the extent of outrightly dismissing other leagues as \u201cfarmers leagues\u201d. \r\n\r\n Thanks to its very powerful marketing and branding, the English Premier League won the media battle which resulted in huge revenues. However, the other top leagues deserve credit for creating similar accomplishments and remaining competitive with fewer available tools. \r\n\r\n "

"Are Man City

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