Jump to content

Football thread 2015/16 season.

Naysonymous

By Naysonymous,
in Sport

 Share

Recommended Posts

Fry Crayola

Fry Crayola

Posted
Posted

I've always liked the idea. Platini mooted it back when he first became UEFA head, but nothing ever came of it.

While as said the winners more often than not have been CL qualifiers anyhow, you might argue that some of the teams hovering outside the CL places would give it more priority, given there'd be one fewer league place to secure qualification, and it doesn't have the gruelling Thursday-Sunday schedule of a Europa League campaign.

But the real reason I like it is 'cos it champions a victor rather than an also ran, rewarding glory instead of persistence. How romantic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fry Crayola

Fry Crayola

Posted
Posted

How associations allocate their European places is up to them.

The Champions League requires its entrants to qualify via winning one of the two European titles, or via their national league. This is why Liechtenstein don't have an entrant. The Europa League is more flexible, but teams qualifying via a national cup get preference over any league positions.

All an association can do is choose how to award places within that framework. So England and France offer up one of their three Europa League places to the winners of the League Cup or Coupe de la Ligue, but other countries with a secondary cup competition don't bother. Some countries fart about with post-season European qualifiers. The Netherlands, for example, has a playoff for four teams in the league to fight over the last Europa League spot, and previously also had a playoff from 2nd to 5th to determine who gets the second Champions League spot. As far as UEFA was concerned, the resulting team still qualified via the national league, not a cup.

There were the issues back over a decade ago, when Zaragoza in 2000 were denied a spot in the CL because Real Madrid were the holders and the RFEF favoured them, and then Liverpool had to go into the first qualification round in 2005 in similar circumstances, but those no longer apply. A country is limited to five CL spots at most (as Spain have this year), and should six be elligible, the fourth placed side in the league misses out. The national associations don't get a say any more, so when Chelsea won in 2012, Spurs were flat out of places to turn.

No country can willy nilly decide how to award spots, short of farcically refusing to license anybody but their chosen sides. Which I probably won't rule out just yet.

1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fry Crayola

Fry Crayola

Posted
Posted

Relatedly, when Gibraltar wanted to offer up the league runners up as Europa League entrants in their inaugural season last year, UEFA instead said it should go to the cup runner up (the double having been won by Lincoln Red Imps). Rumours that UEFA favoured a team called Europa over a team formerly called Manchester United, scrubbing any evidence of either Red Devils from Europe in 2014-15, are just that - rumours. That I just made up.

Anyway, that was last year and this is this year, where UEFA have decided cup runners up no longer get into Europe, which is why Aston Villa aren't present. UEFA - they love changing the rules, so the only rule seems to be never assume anything.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Revival

Revival

Posted
Posted

Seems a little harsh to pin it all on him as the players are doing the club a huge disservice on the pitch. I can't see us doing anything this year the general state of play is borderline hopeless at the moment.

Maybe stupid to say it four games into the season but Man City are going to walk this one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
toythatkills

toythatkills

Posted
Posted

Seems a little harsh to pin it all on him as the players are doing the club a huge disservice on the pitch. I can't see us doing anything this year the general state of play is borderline hopeless at the moment.

It's been the same since the start of pre-season, though, surely his job is to have worked out what's wrong and fixed it by now? He's had quite a long time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
The Fox

The Fox

Posted
Posted

Seems a little harsh to pin it all on him as the players are doing the club a huge disservice on the pitch. I can't see us doing anything this year the general state of play is borderline hopeless at the moment.

Maybe stupid to say it four games into the season but Man City are going to walk this one.

Was mad not to go for a midfielder when Fabregas has been out of form since last Christmas and Matic since February or thereabouts. Now you're apparently trying to sign Pogba, but I can't see it happening this late when Juve have already lost Pirlo and Vidal, no matter how much money you throw at them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Revival

Revival

Posted
Posted

The problem is it's not just Fabregas that's out of form, If it was me I'd quite happily drop Branno, Matic, Cesc, Hazard and Willian but that's a hell of a lot of first team regulars to make up for and instead of being a galvanised group they just look really stale.

The only positive from today was Kennedy who looked genuinely brilliant and wasn't scared to have a go and show some responsibility. Who knows how long it'll be until he catches the lazy from the rest of the team though.

1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Liamness

Liamness

Posted
Posted

Was mad not to go for a midfielder when Fabregas has been out of form since last Christmas and Matic since February or thereabouts. Now you're apparently trying to sign Pogba, but I can't see it happening this late when Juve have already lost Pirlo and Vidal, no matter how much money you throw at them.

None of the other big clubs in England have signed a central midfielder this window (aside from arguably Liverpool with Milner), and we signed two. Given the yawning chasm that was the time between the signings of Anderson / Hargreaves and then Fellaini, it's a strange reversal of roles.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Gotters

Gotters

Posted
Posted

The Stoke red cards were a bit iffy too. Charlie Adam haters in this thread won't agree but his challenge was just a bit clumsy.

the Adam tackle was a bit clumsy, leaving the foot in and stamping/standing on the man on the floor was pure him though - he's got quite a bit of form for that kind of thing, nasty bit of work and a player not deserving of being given the slightest hint of the benefit of the doubt

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Gabe

Gabe

Posted
Posted

the Adam tackle was a bit clumsy, leaving the foot in and stamping/standing on th man on the floor was pure him though - he's got quite a bit of form for that kind of thing, nasty bit of work and a player not deserving of being given he slightest hint of the benefit of the doubt

Yeah, it was funny in the when we played them on the opening Sunday and Milner (I think) took him out with a fairly robust challenge and he started crying about it. He is, as he's been called before, a coward. A really horrible little player.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. Use of this website is subject to our Privacy Policy, Terms of Use, and Guidelines.

  I accept