[Bruvva]

La Liga > Premiership.

The epic El Clasico aside, I watched Villarreal v Sevilla after it last night. Great game of football. Then I flicked over to Match of the Day in time for Wigan v Bolton. Entertaining certainly. Football? Not so much. Made Aberdeen v Celtic earlier in the day look good!

Apart from "el classico" being the most puffed up, self regarding, preposterous name for a football match ever, Real Madrd are shit, shit, shit.

Yeah, because Sky never tack on stupid names to Premiership games. Especially those involving the top four.

Real Madrid aren't that bad. But they have made an arse of probably their two biggest games since Ramos took over.

Ah, Sky come up with Grand Slam Sunday when assorted members of the big 4 are playing, they don't assign titles to individual games. Real are the worst they've been in their history, they were awful against Liverpool - in both legs of that tie. Mind you, they'd probably beat Newcastle who are just laughable.

[Yudster]

Real are the worst they've been in their history, they were awful against Liverpool - in both legs of that tie.

How come when I said that you moaned and whined and said that it wasn't fair how people always say that about anyone Liverpool beat well?

[Bruvva]

Mainly because Inter, Barca, Milan, Real etc have apparently ALL been crap recently which was the only reason Liverpool could beat them. However, that's a different point, Real are crap.

[Bonanzoid]

Barca were so much better than Real. And Munki I have to disagree, the Premiership is better than La Liga. La Liga has a handful of good teams but largely they suck, and there are so many cards given out each and every game. Sevilla are 3rd in La Liga yet every time I've seen them play they're nothing special. Although, Espanyol's recent form to avoid relegation has been very impressive.

...there was something else I was going to say but I've forgotten it, might just double post it in a bit if I remember.

[Bonanzoid]

Remembered! Joey Barton is an absolute prick. That "tackle"/attack on Xabi Alonso was absolutely horrendous, he should not be allowed to play football.

[Munki Bhoy]

The problem I have with the Premiership is the gulf in class between the top four - four of the best teams in Europe I can't dispute that - it's when you get outside of that. It's crap. None of them can come close to challenging the top four. Sure, Villa, Spurs, Everton - they've all come close. But they can't sustain it. Compare that with Spain. It wasn't that long ago Real Sociedad were pipped to the title itself. Now they're in the Segunda! The top four there changes every year. But the key point for me is the quality. I'll watch a midtable game in Spain long before I'd watch one in England. The quality of football is simply better. They do the basic stuff very, very well. I swear it's something they can't grasp in Britain.

Maybe that's the problem and the Chelsea v Barca game showed it up clear as day. Here, it's all about keeping it tight and win. There it's about outscoring your opponent.

But then there the teams are owned by the fans in one way or another. Here they're owned by suits who wouldn't know one of their own team's songs if their life depended on it.

Sure, the British way works - and it is the British way because it's just as bad up here with less quality to do it - but the British way is boring as hell to watch.

So forgive me if I'd rather watch entertainment ahead of success. To be honest, I've had this same debate with many Celtic fans and they think I'm kinda mad too.

[Munki Bhoy]

P.S. It becomes even more frustrating when you get things like the 4-4 games Liverpool have been involved in. It shows they're capable of it. But then I guess it helps when you have so many Spaniards

[Boboff]

Eugh, I didn't mean to come in here. All men and Football, Yuk!

[Yudster]

I may have to go out tonight, I really don't want to watch this damn game.

[Bonanzoid]

Some mid-table Spanish games are good, I think I saw Osasuna vs Mallora the other day and enjoyed it but largely I disagree. I think most mid-table Premiership teams could beat mid-table La Liga teams, except Real Betis of course because they're my new adopted team haha.

I think I dislike Spanish football just because of Sevilla really. 3rd in Spain, yet you watch their star players (Kanouté, Luis Fabiano, Diego Capel etc) and they're all pretty shit. I mean Capel has committed about 77 fouls in 22 games, I remember seeing that as one of his stats. Fabiano is just an angry git and for their topic scorer Kanouté is as lethal as a rat in a bullfight.

[Munki Bhoy]

All the mouth from Wenger before the game... that almost has an air of inevitability about it. Game dead and buried within the first ten minutes. Very disappointing for the neutral, brilliant if you're a Man United fan.

[Bruvva]

Arsenal fans walking out with over half an hour to go of a champions league semi final..Great supporters.

Not as funny as united fans * off at 4-1 in the league, but still....

[Yudster]

The Emirates was literally half empty ten minutes before the end of the game. No excuse for home supporters to do that. Visitors at least have the excuse of wanting to get to the bus/train without having to encounter the home fans, but to do that to the team you supposedly support at your home ground is awful.

I was pleased at the way it went becaue I absolutely hate these matches and it was brilliant to be able to relax and enjoy the game from early on. I shall follow tonight's game with interest (no Sky, wont be watching live) - Chelsea are surely favourites, but you never know with Barca. Personally I'd prefer Barca to win because it would be boring if the final was the same as last season. Obviously what little allegiance I have to any of the teams is with United (grounds for divorce otherwise I believe) but United/Chelsea games are rarely entertaining, even when they aren't cup finals.

[Munki Bhoy]

As long as Barca win I really don't care how.

[lima eel]

I feel sorry for Kieron Gibbs. Lets hope it doesn't ruin his career, as he is showing excellent promise. I feel sorry for Arsenal, it just goes to show the fine line between success and failure, 2 mistakes in the first 11 minutes and the game is over. They just didn't know what to do. I was really hoping that that blue nose * Rooney was going get a second yellow, that would've been the the only happy ending to that game.

I really think (and hope) that Barcelona will beat Chelski tonight.

[Bruvva]

I really don't know where to stand tonight, on the one hand Chelsea are supported by horrible arriviste twats whose interest in "chels" before Roman turned up consisted of looking at their results in the Sunday times whilst drinking a frappaccino in the putney branch of Starbucks with a pastel coloured jumper draped around their neck and on the other, the "Barca" love in that goes on in some quarters is nauseating.

I think Barca, on the grounds that Lampard, Terry and Cole don't play for them. Mind you, United'll twat them in the final.

[Bonanzoid]

I'm firmly rooting for Barca tonight, both because I'm in Spain and because I hate Chelsea.

The game was last night was pretty crap for all Arsehole Wenger's fightin' words before hand. Arsenal just really aren't very good I think. How they got to the Champions' League semis I will never know. I can't see them putting in a good title challenge in the League for years to come. As much as I dislike Man Utd. too, they'd totally outclassed Arsenal last night.

[Yudster]

I feel sorry for Kieron Gibbs.

Exactly the same thing happened in the first leg - didnt result in a goal that time. Someone at the club needs to look at what boots he is wearing, he might be better off with something different. Anyway, he'll be England left back in a couple of years with no trouble.

[Yudster]

Have you been to Stamford Bridge though?

[Munki Bhoy]

This is the weirdest one sided game I've ever seen. Barca have all the ball, Chelsea are the only one troubling the keeper. What the hell?!

[Munki Bhoy]

Like I said, I don't care how they win as long as they do. One shot, one goal, one team goes on to Rome. And it's not Chelsea.

That ref was appalling though. Chelsea are raging about it, but he was awful for Barca too. I mean, there were two good penalty claims for Barca, two not so good but you could understand if he gave them. Chelsea were diving left right and centre though and none of them get booked for it, the sending off had no contact whatsoever (Anelka tripped himself up).

But my favourite one - Chelsea booted Iniesta up and down the park all night and it barely got penalised... except once. And it's cost them dearly.

[Bruvva]

Good to see Drogba taking it well.

[Munki Bhoy]

My highlight was the slow motion replay of Ashley Cole looking gutted. Can't stand that guy.

Although hearing Drogba's rant live and then hearing Drogba's unedited rant again later on was also very entertaining. Sky, you're a * disgrace for allowing that to go out unedited

[Bruvva]

It's entertaining, if nothing else.

Also, if you want a laugh, listen to 606 on listen again - just to hear how upset Lovejoy is and also, the rather irate welshman about 50 minutes in.

[Munki Bhoy]

The great irony is, if Drogba had done his job in either leg and beaten Valdes, he wouldn't have had anything to moan about. But then he'd rather fall down a lot instead.

Great example I got in a text message. If Drogbs was tugged from behind by his shirt, why did he fall forwards to look for a penalty? That would only happen if he were pushed. Great striker, crap at physics.