Fixing Football

[Cripps_orig]

My old man told me that back in the day, because only champions were in the European Cup, it arguably made the Uefa Cup harder to win and it carried more prestige than it does now, because the teams who finished 2nd and 3rd were involved.

Pretty much.

Also bring the CWC back. That and the UEFA Cup in the 90s were great trophies.

[Olivier's xmas twist]

There are so many great teams in Europe that arent necessarily champions though. In spain every year one of Barca or Madrid wouldnt be in it. I think the way the CL is a.t.m isnt exactly boring and in some countries it is only the top one or two isnt it?

Thats just more way to make Uefa money tbh, they rather have madrid or barca in it even if they don't win their league their some rubbish russian or greek team who wins their league no one has heard of and its wrong.

We should be no where near the Cl just seems to be a safety blaket for us and its dangerous. We benefit from it being just champs or top 2 tbh.

[Letters]

There are so many great teams in Europe that arent necessarily champions though. In spain every year one of Barca or Madrid wouldnt be in it. I think the way the CL is a.t.m isnt exactly boring and in some countries it is only the top one or two isnt it?

If you're happy with a system where a little group of clubs at the top of each club can qualify year on year and qualifying gives them the prestige and money to stay up there (or, at least, makes it easier to) then yeah, it's fine. If you're OK with knowing from the start of a season that only one of 2 or 3 clubs can win the league. I personally think that makes things less interesting.

[LDG]

Should be the champions, for the champs league / european cup.

Then winners of the FA cup and maybe Carling Cup for the Cup Winners Cup

Then two / three for the europa.

5 places for Europe.

Seems good to me.

[Olivier's xmas twist]

Get rid of Plantini and Blatter that will be a start to fixing football.

[Dog Toffee]

If you're happy with a system where a little group of clubs at the top of each club can qualify year on year and qualifying gives them the prestige and money to stay up there (or, at least, makes it easier to) then yeah, it's fine. If you're OK with knowing from the start of a season that only one of 2 or 3 clubs can win the league. I personally think that makes things less interesting.

I wouldnt say the CL is 100% responsible for the fact only a few teams have the chance to win the PL each year. In fact when we won the double, wasnt it a 2 horse race between us and united? And now Id say its a race between 4/5 clubs (United, City, Spurs, Us, Chelsea) and maybe Liverpool. Clearly only either Manchester team will win it this year, but next season you could hardly say any of those teams dont stand a chance. And you cant say its only the CL that creates an 'elite' at the top. Its down to the fact rich people like having football clubs to flaunt as their own property, CL or no CL there will always we rich successful teams and poorer less successful one IMO.

[Letters]

It's not only the CL, no. But it's a factor.

[Xhaka Can’t]

How? Do they play each other ten times or something?

You stayed in it until you lost 6 games or had a goal difference of -12 or greater, whichever came first.

[Xhaka Can’t]

We'd have been in it 3 times under Wenger. But, and here's the point, that would make it more exciting if and when we are in it. Teams being in it year on year make it less exciting and special as it becomes routine. Plus it gives them such a big financial advantage that it makes it easier for them to stay in the top few and it can all become self perpetuating. City and Chelsea bought their way in, it's pretty hard to do it otherwise (which, grudgingly, makes Spurs achievement this season quite impressive although they've not exactly been thrifty themselves).

Tell me more about this 'financial advantage' you speak of.

[Coney]

Tell me more about this 'financial advantage' you speak of.

It means the board has a financial advantage over the supporters.