Richard Sutcliffe: European exits show chink in Premier League armour

WITH apologies to Colin Welland, the English definitely aren't coming. And if this week is anything to go by, they may not be doing so for some time.

The capitulation that saw Manchester United throw away a two-goal aggregate lead against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday night was a crushing blow for those who still claim the Premier League is king.

Coming just 24 hours after Arsenal had been taken apart for the second time in a week by Barcelona, it means the semi-finals of club football's most prestigious competition will take place without an English representative for the first time since 2003.

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For a country that has provided at least one finalist in each of the past five seasons, it is a major setback -– not least because none of this season's competing quartet can complain about being knocked out. Liverpool were deservedly dumped out in the group stage, Jose Mourinho out-manoeuvered former club Chelsea with embarrassing ease and United imploded in both legs against the Germans.

Arsenal may point to the genius of Lionel Messi as the reason why they went out on Tuesday night, but that would be doing a huge disservice to a team display at the Emirates Stadium that was as close to perfection for an hour as we are ever likely to see.

Now, of course, talk of regression may appear a tad premature. United, Chelsea, Arsenal and whoever wins the race for fourth place in the Premier League will, no doubt, be installed among the favourites when next season's competition kicks off.

But anyone claiming this year represents nothing more than a blip and that normal service will be resumed in 2010-11 should take a closer look at what has been happening on the domestic front.

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Sure, the title race is shaping up to be a thriller. Similarly, the four clubs chasing the final Champions League place look destined to battle it out all the way to the finish line.

But, scratch below the surface, and this season's increased competition at the top of the Premier League smacks more of standards having fallen rather than risen.

The top three's respective tally of defeats stands at five, seven and six with five games still to play, a ridiculously high number and one that doesn't compare favourably with previous years.

Last season, for instance, United lost four times in lifting the Premier League title, while runners-up Liverpool were beaten just twice. Delving further back into recent history, Arsenal remained unbeaten throughout 2003-04 while Chelsea lost just once the following season. Since the top flight was reduced to 38 games, only Manchester United with six reverses in 2000-01 had a worse tally of defeats than the current leaders – something explained by Sir Alex Ferguson's men losing their final three games having already clinched the title.

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The up-and-down results of the top three this term together with their European failures shows standards have dipped. No longer is England the place to be for the world's top players, who instead want to play in La Liga where they pay just 23 per cent income tax compared to more than double here.

What England's last two entrants crashing out of Europe may do, of course, is work in the favour of the national team this summer with many of Fabio Capello's key players now able to get some much-needed rest without the distraction of the Madrid final on May 22.

But in terms of the game's standing in Europe, English footballing pride has taken an almighty dent this week – even if Ferguson remained in bullish mood after Bayern's victory on the away goals when he claimed: "It (the Premier League) is still the best league in Europe."

He may be right in terms of excitement and unpredictability, but for the moment the chances of Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore being able to paraphrase Welland's famous Oscars acceptance speech when addressing the rest of Europe appear minimal.