• Premier League

NFL shows way to dethrone Manchester City and Chelsea

West Ham have as much chance of becoming Premier League champions as they do of winning the Super Bowl © Getty Images

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It was a dramatic Wildcard Weekend in the NFL - and the Premier League could take a leaf out of American Football's book when it comes to the business end of the season. Last year's three-way Premier League fight was a noble exception, but most recent races have been two-horse affairs (at best) going into the home straight.

In the NFL, 12 sides entered last weekend with a shot at post-season glory. In each of the two Conferences, the third, fourth, fifth and sixth seeded teams play a one-off game for the right to face one of the regular season's two best outfits in the next round of the play-offs. The other 20 teams of the 32 are out of it, of course, but that's still a hell of a lot more open a field rounding The Elbow than in our football.

Let's face it, a side like (for instance) seventh-placed West Ham have about as much chance of lifting the Premier League trophy as they do of doing the double of the Super Bowl and the Mark Noble Peace Prize.

The Carolina Panthers, who had a modest season and were in the unusual position of making the play-offs despite having a losing record (won seven, lost eight, tied one), produced a magnificent defensive display to stun the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday and progress.

The Panthers' regular season record is history now, and they have an outside tilt at Super Bowl XLIX. That has to be more exciting than 75% of the league just making up the numbers for the final third of the year.

If we had a play-off system in the Premier League for the top eight teams, then we could have guaranteed drama every year and, just as importantly, someone other than usual suspects might actually win once in a while.

Despite their modest season, the Carolina Panthers now have a tilt at the Super Bowl - thanks to the NFL's play-offs system © Getty Images

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Swansea can never compete with the squad size and resources of Manchester City across a 10-month League table system, but in three knockout matches, there would be greater chance of upsets and trophies for the poorer teams.

A similar system should be introduced for the bottom eight, because the lower half of the Premier League is now clogged up with moribund teams who are going nowhere, but don't even have the decency to get actually horrifically relegated. The days of the genuine no-hoper have been and gone, the Derby 2007-2008 type seasons, and we're now left with a rump of okay-ish but basically pointless teams.

The stated aim of clubs like Aston Villa and Sunderland is just to survive in the league and pocket the £65 million or more from doing so. So they spend what they judge to be the bare minimum required on the personnel who can keep them in 17th spot. And, incidentally, many forget the FA Cup and the League Cup, too. Where's the fun? Where's the glory? What, at the most simple level, is the point?

The Premier League has become a grotesque and anti-competitive closed shop for the top few teams, with another 10 or so just sitting in mid-table, constipated: too competent to be relegated, but with no chance or ambition of challenging for honours.

When did sport become just about hanging in there to pick up the cheques for next season? We need a play-off system to give teams other than the bottom three or four and the top two something to play for, and the NFL shows the way.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd