Premier League chiefs should be worried by Ruud Gullit and Arne Slot verdicts

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Perhaps candour is a particular trait of the Dutch or maybe they simply still have some sort of romantic attachment to Total Football. Or perhaps it is just a coincidence that their assessments of the visual allure of Premier League football came in quick succession and were similar in nature.

In comments to a radio station in the Netherlands, Gullit was apparently less than complimentary about last Sunday’s Arsenal-Chelsea match, while Slot’s observation about Premier League football not being a ‘joy to watch’ prompted widespread discussion. It was an interesting topic that gathered pace thanks in no small part to Fabian Hurzeler’s dismissive comments about Arsenal’s style of play after the Premier League leaders had chiselled out a 1-0 win at the Amex.

But for all the talk about so many matches being unwatchable, stadiums are full, waiting lists for season tickets are long and the Premier League is in the first season of a four-year domestic TV deal worth £6.7 billion. So, nothing to worry about then.

These set-piece contests might look a bit scruffy but the tills keep ringing. No drama. Only Premier League executives will be worried, and Premier League club owners should be worried.

And no matter how Slot, Gullit and Hurzeler clarify and qualify their remarks, they will have raised eyebrows in the offices of Sky Sports and TNT Sports. They pay billions to broadcast Premier League football and, in the case of Slot and Hurzeler, two of the main managerial protagonists are being less than complimentary about its allure.

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One of the things Gullit is reported to have said is that he mainly watches highlights now, implying entire live matches can be tedious to sit through. And at the Premier League and at broadcasters' headquarters, that will be noted with concerned interest.

Figures presented to the Premier League last summer suggested viewing figures for games broadcast on Sky Sports and TNT Sports during the 2024/25 season fell by an average of around 14 percent. Year-on-year, numbers at Sky Sports were down 10 percent, while TNT Sports saw a 17 percent drop.

The blame for the decline was laid at the door of a title race and relegation battle that were decided well before the final day of the campaign. Liverpool's title was decided by April 27 and the final team to go down, Ipswich, had been confirmed the day before.

It remains to be seen what level of intrigue and jeopardy the Premier League will take into the final weeks of this season. And it remains to be seen whether TV companies still believe they are getting bang for their buck.

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There were some lively midweek games but there is a certain irony about one of the main TV discussions being a debate on just how bad - or otherwise - the product they are showing is. They pay huge money for the rights and then pass it on to you.

Analysis of what it costs to watch every available Premier League match varies but the ballpark figure is not far shy of £100 a month. This is to watch it legally, of course.

Piracy is a problem the Premier League is having to tackle on a daily basis. The Premier League has three more seasons of the current domestic TV deal left to run and negotiations for the next one are likely to get underway towards the end of next year.

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