The Scottish Premiership has been subject to relentless criticism in recent years but Savage’s opinion hardly stands up to evidence.
It doesn’t take too many hours surfing Twitter to realise that Robbie Savage and Chris Sutton tend to polarise opinions. So imagine pitching them against each other either side of an intriguing debate? As you’d expect, disagreement ensues.
According to the esteemed Mr Savage, not a single player making the move from the Scottish Premiership to the English top flight in the last 10 years have proven their worth or, indeed, quality.
Yes, the quality of competition north of the border may have decreased in the last few years to the point where Kris Boyd, the SPL’s all-time top goalscorer, couldn’t get a game for Middlesbrough, but Savage’s argument appears to be more a knee-jerk exaggeration than a considered viewpoint. But, to his credit, he’s sticking to it.
And, rather surprisingly, Mr Melancholy himself Chris Sutton has something positive to say in response. And we can’t help ourselves agreeing with the outspoken former Celtic striker.
After all, former Celtic stopper Virgil Van Dijk is arguably the Premier League’s most complete centre-half these days, holding the fort in front of England international goalkeeper and former Hoops team-mate Fraser Forster. Then there’s Victor Wanyama, Tottenham’s standout summer signing, and Robert Snodgrass, the key to Hull City’s survival hopes.
And that’s without mentioning bonafide Premier League cult heroes Mark Viduka, Mikel Arteta and Stiliyan Petrov.
Moreover, as for Savage laughing off claims that revitalised Celtic captain Scott Brown wouldn’t get anywhere near the starting XIs of Burnley, Hull and Sunderland, consider this; in this season’s Champions League, the 31-year-old’s pass completion rate that of Sergio Busquetts, Toni Kroos and Andres Iniesta. Mike Phelan surely wouldn’t say no.
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