EPL overrated yes, but is it bullshit? No.
EPL has caught up with Serie A no doubt, and in a way it was inevitable given their financial strenghts. Both leagues have cons and pros, and to be honest it is difficult to say which one is better at this stage. Nonetheless, I do believe EPL in general is tab bit overrated. Here is the reason why.
The playing level of Italian top clubs and English one in terms of financial strenghts is pretty even and in fact that Italian Big 3 is better than English ones, IMO. However, English have many teams with financial muscle that tries to break into upper echleon with likes of Middlesbourough, Newcastle, Spurs and co. which is absent in Italian league apart from Roma, Fiorentina and Palermo (Lazio could be counted once their sort out their books). This is due to more equitable sharing of TV revenues, and strong local ties with the team, which makes EPL far more competitive system than Serie A IMO. Secondly, these teams have strong incentives to invest given big discontinuities in terms of revenue between EPL and Championship, and thus clubs even thoughs battling for relegation are willing to take some risks and try to stay on (Portsmouth, Bolton, Leeds for example). It may payoff like Bolton, or it may not. The point is that unlike Serie A, as there is more equitable distribution of TV income, there is stronger incentive for EPL's weaker teams to spend than Italian or Spanish counterparts. Of course given such incentives and high cash flows, English teams are more able and willing to buy high-price less risky commodity than other big leagues. Hasselbaink, Viduka, Reiziger, Van der Sar are such examples. These players may not necessarily be better than up and coming young players in Spain or Italy such as Mauro Esposito, Langella, Pinzi, Pizzaro to name a few but given EPL teams to produce instant result trying out these players arent really an option unless you are Crystal palace which is similar to Italian provincial teams in terms of makeup and structured incentives.
This means that EPL is likely to be stacked with overrated high priced players like Mark Viduka, N'gotty, Andrew. Cole, who I can't really see them doing any better in Serie A. Furthermore, this also means than young English talents are more likely to be squeezed out of the league than Italian or Spanish players. No wonder Italian U-23 has won all but 2 of European Championship and finish highest in Olympics. Speaking of National team, the anlaysis of league cannot be complete without referrence to Senior National teams and players that constitue both NT and the league. As I have said, there will likely be more overrated players than both Serie A and La Liga but that doesnt mean every player in the league will treated as such. Frank Lampard, IMO, is extremely underrated player given that he is extremely consistent, gives 110% in every game, and scores goals just like a beauty against Norwich. A. Cole is another one whose attributes goes unrecognized in world stage. He is surely one of the best DL in the world but he isnt exactly a household name a la Roberto Carlos. This is because English NT is extremely underrated given their lack of success in the past. But I see very capable group of young players coming through (remarkable given their depth at youth isnt anywhere deep as Italia) and players constituting the team are treated in same way like Terry, Defoe, Lampard, Cole and Gerrard, unless you are Beckham, Owen and Rooney - All of whom are grossly overrated and over-hyped. Azzurri, on the other hand, was extremely overrated coming into Euro 2004 (I think they were worst group of players since 1992) whereas it is now underrated given the fact that Italians failed to live upto their expectations. I see good group of youngsters making their breakthroughs, and if Lippi can harness likes of Chiellini, Espositos, Gilardinos, De Rossis, well with Totti, Canna, Buffon and co. and have guts to say good bye to Del Piero, Vieri, Pannucci et al. I think Azzuri can have a good tournament in 2006.
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