Pundit Jamie Carragher Labels Premier League a 'Joke League' Following Manchester City Win

Pundit Jamie Carragher has claimed that the Premier League is becoming a 'bit of a joke league', following Newcastle United's 1-0 defeat against Manchester City on Wednesday night.

Speaking at half time on Sky Sports, Carragher was very annoyed at the tactics that the Magpies used and claimed that the top teams are miles ahead of the bottom teams in the league, as quoted by the Daily Mail.

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"The Premier League now is becoming a bit of a joke league, with the top teams being so far ahead of the ones at the bottom. For those clubs, its almost like they are accepting they are going to lose the game, as long as it is only one or two-nil.

"The Premier League has been built on every team having a go, that's why everyone around the world wants to watch it. Will they keep watching if they keep seeing football like that?"

Carragher felt that Newcastle lacked aggression against City and referred back to his time playing under current Magpies boss Rafa Benitez at Liverpool.

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"I have no problem with them sitting deep, I played under Rafa Benitez, and it's not just Newcastle, I've seen it virtually every week. There has got to be some sort of aggression, some sort of plan for winning the ball back and then going forward.

"It's seeing it at home. When every team came to Anfield they played like that, but at home, it's a sad state of affairs for the Premier League.

"I was scathing more of the Premier League in general rather than Newcastle, and there is no problem with sitting deep, of course you are going to do that against City - but once they go into Newcastle's half, where is the aggression? City had ten yards of space when they were 30 yards from goal.

'It was more the aggression, letting City take two or three touches. This is at Newcastle, an intimidating place with an atmosphere. It was too easy."

The ex-Liverpool man then claimed that the managers in the league were more focused on trying to stay in the game against Manchester City rather than going for the win.

"The main aim of every manager against Man City now is to try and stay in the game as long as possible. Newcastle are in the game, 1-0 down with 10 to go, almost scored, 1-1 would have been a great result.

"It's just sad really for the Premier League if people think it is about keeping the score down. It wasn't great defending from Newcastle that meant they were still in the game, it was because Aguero forgot his shooting boots. It should have been three or four-nil."

Gary Neville agreed with his fellow pundit, and accused Newcastle of showing 'no ambition'.

"He makes this Newcastle tactic look embarrassing. It has to change. There's defending, and there's showing absolutely no ambition whatsoever.

"If it were a boxing match, the referee would have stopped it. Hopefully it will spark them into life, to give them something to watch."

The pundits do have a point here. Lesser sides do set up defensively against the top sides, and maybe that is the best that they can do. As for showing a lack of passion and ambition, that cannot come down to the manager, it comes down to the players.

The players must feel dejected coming up against the likes of Man City, however it cannot become the case of simply rolling over when the big boys come to town, every team must fight until the last second, and as we have seen before upsets can occur.