is ucl div1 a better standard than pboro prem

[barwarz]

just wondered , and would like to know other peoples views ,:soo:

[Tommy Trophy]

A bit of a tired old subject and the obvious answer is the same as I gave when a a manager in the Peterborough Prem - of course it is, and this season even more so.

Anyone who was at our game on Tuesday night away at Rushden & Higham would have seen a really good tight game, where a win took us second. R&H are only a few spaces of the bottom but gave it a real go and are of course in the Northants Cup Final. I spoke to their Chairman after the game and he confirmed a widely held view that the UCL Division 1 is the strongest it has been for years - he told me they came 6th last year, and are down at the bottom with a far stronger squad this time around.

My understanding of the Northants Junior Cup is that UCL Division 1 sides have won it 19 times out of the last 20 with PSL last season the only exception.

Perkins are champions elect of the Peterborough Prem and it is a great achievement for a squad that is not full of obvious stars - I have discussed this with Alex and hand on heart I am not sure if they have any players that most people would say would definately get in the current PNS team for example.

[claude]

surely as a decent manager you would know not to rule any players out.so ur sayin if a perkins player.......ill say....danny wilder for instance,plays for u impresses in training,bangs in loads of goals he still wont get in ur team cos hes not good enough?i dont know myself but perhaps perkins players are happy to play together as a team and win with no star players.the team is greater than the sum of its parts and all that.let me ask this question??would any of the pboro prem players youve signed,get in the perkins side?

[Tommy Trophy]

Agree with pretty much all you say Claude - team is about getting all of the component parts working together.

Players I signed out of Peterborough League and are in the current first team squad:
Marcin Lubniewski, Phil Anderson, Seth Twigden, Darren Bradley & Karl Gibbs - all yes to getting in Perkins team?

Some who have come and gone - maybe not!

Guys that come to training and impress will always get their chance (Ali Nyang for example)

My general point is that Perkins are cruising to the title and the Peterborough League does not go down far enough in terms of overall strength to be able to compare it with UCL Division 1 where in my opinion the bottom 3 would all be top half Peterborough Prem sides.

[carefree]

with my short time at ucl i have to say the standard is much better, there are plenty of players in the pboro prem (some below that even) that i would take to my ucl club and are well good enough.

the differences comes with the whole set up at ucl level.

the players don't just turn up anytime they feel like it, they have to prove that they are worth the shirt they pull on, as believe me there are plenty of players who want to replace them.

disapline and training is the main reason for a better playing standard.

i love it as a ucl manager.
reasons:
i just have to find the players i need and convince them to play for my club and pick the side each game then make the changes during the game if needed.
eynesbury rovers might be 20 mins down the A1 but believe it or not just being the manager i have much more time on my hands then being a pdfl manager/lino/kitman/pysio/dog crap patrol/dugout erector/ect ect ect

you got to remember that of the psl cup winning side 8 now play ucl 1

plus travelling exspenses

answer is yes it is a better standard

[claude]

i agree that the league as a whole is higher and i often get asked or hear ppl sayin is the ridgeons league really better than pboro prem and i always say yes,as a league its far stronger,i was just arguing if u wanna call it that from the perkins point of view,but i deffo agree that the ucl league would prob be stronger in depth than the pboro prem.

[claude]

heres 1 4 ya......ridgeons league or ucl???

[Tommy Trophy]

Ridgeons League is better than UCL Claude at Prem level (not really had that much experience of div 1 other than beating March 3-0 pre-season which isn't anything to judge by)

That is shown every year by the strong showing from ECL teams in the FA Vase and there are another 2 through to the semi finals this year.

Eynesbury in 20 minutes Al - how is the helicopter!

Agree that there have been and are players in Peterborough League who COULD step up, but I have found it is about more than playing ability. Some lack the mental toughness to fight for their place and apply themselves with the discipline it takes. As a manager said this week - players are like oranges - when you squeeze them some of them fall apart (no idea who said it!)

[Number 9]

Think the UCL is stronger but....
Some of the stars from peterborough league in the past seasons have failed at PNS for various reasons while some players who were decent Prem players have shone...
The reason for this is think its a totally different ball game and to be a good prem player you need different attributes to being a good UCL player!:soo:So im sure some of the players Tommy thought would prevail have returned to the Prem while some of his lads he thought squad men or reseves have prevailed!

[spec]

Al and Tommy, spot on with your observations.
The reason some Prem players don't 'make it' at UCL level is simply because of Al's point on discipline, they don't like to be told to turn up on time, told to train, told which formation to play in etc etc. Some players like to be mavericks but when you step up to that next level it just causes resentment among players who want to get on and go higher with their football, you can't get away with one rule for one and one for another, serious players won't respect you as a manager.

It was Aidy Boothroyd with the orange quote Tommy, don't think he is quite in the Cantona league for philosophy yet though!!

[claude]

so as a manager in the ucl,if u was scoutin in the pboro prem,tryin 2 unearth some talent do u always consider the players temperament and their will to improve themselves and win etc....or do u just go for some1 with ability and hope they put in the desired effort?

[spec]

Not a UCL manager so can't comment! But if I was...........
Talent, fitness, attitude, all of those first then sexuality :lol:

[carefree]

the ridgeons's ground in most cases seem to be of better standard, but the ucl are now changing the standards needed to play in the ucl as of next season, right tommy? so over all there shouldn't be that much differences.

there does seem to be a bit more cash in the ridgeons league, but as a pboro based manager the travelling is far to much for me. its ok if your based in or around the newmarket area. but midweek to great yarmouth?? no thanx.

it takes me 20 mins from mac xtra to eynesbury tommy in my shogun, if you take the next turning after st neots, A428 to cambridge, its 2 mins from there. 40 mins in noddy's focus!!!

[claude]

the midweek travelling aint that bad,luckily the league have a bit of common sense,normally at march we go to downham,ely,godmanchester etc for the midwek games and vice versa.u do get the odd slip,i remember goin to cornard(near sudbury)4 a midweek game a while ago.