As a Spurs fan even I'm surprised that we are still on 5 points off the leaders going into February. This has somewhat changed my view on the champions league slightly. I think its a great competition to qualify for prestige and cash but for the next 2-3 years I would prefer us to concentrate on achieving the highest finishes that we can.
I'm hoping that should we qualify for the Champions league next season we still treat the league as our priority. I think we need to adopt a similar approach to most of the European teams that qualify.. 'enjoy the competition but don't risk fatigue on the players that could help you win the league'.
We should use qualifications of the Champions league as a means to recruiting top class players that can help us finish as high as possible in the league rather than get lost in the romance of the competition and suffer a loss of league form.
I guess what I'm saying is at this stage in our clubs development I couldn't care less about winning the champions league.... I'd rather win the premiership or be competing for the title right up until May.
Champions or Champions league?
posted on 2/2/12
+1 on "wealth distribution" .
The RDBD loves the FA Cup and Wimbledon cos the nobodies get there on merit, not artificially. And every yr at least one of them pulls off a shocker or lingers well above their position.
I don't see that in the UEFA tournaments.
posted on 2/2/12
If I were Platini I'd merge the EL and CL into a huge straight unseeded knockout tournament akin to the FA Cup, the plastics (and beancounters) get the Inter Milan's, Chelsea's, Bayern Munich's, Real Madrid's (who would all currently be in the Uefa Cup under the old system) while the smaller nations get (with a bit of luck in the draw and over two legs) two or three entrants each and with a better shot at glory than under the current set up...
posted on 2/2/12
Lobby the Sports Minister now !!!
Revert to the old UEFA tournaments, or bring forth the U(9026)EFA Super Cup !!!
posted on 2/2/12
I'd like to see a CL where each country's domestic league and FA cup champions qualified, perhaps opening a slot too for the runners-up in the strongest domestic leagues.
It would really add some spice to domestic cup competitions and would actually resemble something like a Champions League.
The presence of league runners-up would slightly distort it, but would also reduce the chances of it not being won by the best team in Europe in any given season.
posted on 2/2/12
"The presence of league runners-up would slightly distort it, but would also reduce the chances of it not being won by the best team in Europe in any given season."
Actually, the weakness of a domestic league causes this.
In the 80s heyday, you had the Pooool empire, and Forest and Villa.
Without Heysel happening, Everton would have had a couple of attempts too.
posted on 2/2/12
Actually, the weakness of a domestic league causes this.
---
Could you clarify that? I don't understand what you mean.
posted on 2/2/12
A bottom half team in one league would probably be a top 3 team in another country.
posted on 2/2/12
There was a bit more variation in the league champions in the 80s.
That by definition translates into new blood into the Champions Cup.
Another thing I noticed when doing some stattery, is that twas much more variation in the top 4 pre PL, than the "Sky 4" piggie trough. Again, that translated into more English variation in the UEFA Cup.
posted on 2/2/12
Another thing I noticed when doing some stattery, is that twas much more variation in the top 4 pre PL, than the "Sky 4" piggie trough.
--
That's very true. Not just in England.
The problem though is that if UEFA try to switch towards fewer participants from the big leagues, the big clubs will inevitably play the 'breakaway league' card, which is what brought the current format into being in the first place.
posted on 2/2/12
The CL has done immense damage to the english league.
Qualifying for it for the piggie trough is most important.
It caused the imbalance of the "Sky 4" , which can only be gate-crashed by Sugga Daddy FCs, or the odd Spurs/Everton foray.
Twas glory in winning UEFA tournaments.
But the participation was a BONUS, not the main aim.