Spuds Fans Imploding

[McNamara That Ghost...]

That's what I meant, the point is though away goals are a real problem in two legged affairs.

A bad result at home, 3-2 for example can't be very hard to recover from, Benfica showed that against us in 92, when we got done at home with away goals pretty much finishing us off (after a draw in the 1st leg), likewise Chelsea in the semi.

The group stages are p*ss easy IMO.

We could easily get a group of ourselves, Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund next season. If you're lucky in the draw, it can be 'piss easy' but other times, you can get a nightmare group. Just ask Citeh.

Away goals are a danger but they're a danger for the inferior side in each tie too. The rallying against the Champions League for me is missing the point slightly - we get the benefit of being able to qualify for the competition from a position of third and fourth because English sides have been able to do well year-on-year.

And why is that? The big smoking gun would be the money Premier League teams get from the gravy train competiton we're involved in for 38 games a season.

[Özim]

We could easily get a group of ourselves, Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund next season. If you're lucky in the draw, it can be 'piss easy' but other times, you can get a nightmare group. Just ask Citeh.

Away goals are a danger but they're a danger for the inferior side in each tie too. The rallying against the Champions League for me is missing the point slightly - we get the benefit of being able to qualify for the competition from a position of third and fourth because English sides have been able to do well year-on-year.

And why is that? The big smoking gun would be the money Premier League teams get from the gravy train competiton we're involved in for 38 games a season.

True but that's very rare, being a seed it means you tend to avoid the harder teams. Away goals are a danger for both teams yes, but what a 2 legged tie doesn't allow is complacency, if you have a bad game and get done by a smaller team it's hard to recover from.

You have a point, but I just don't like the idea of 3rd/4th getting in, would rather see the winner of a playoff with a cup at the end like the playoff's in lower divisions and the cup winner going into the CL.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

True but that's very rare, being a seed it means you tend to avoid the harder teams. Away goals are a danger for both teams yes, but what a 2 legged tie doesn't allow is complacency, if you have a bad game and get done by a smaller team it's hard to recover from.

You have a point, but I just don't like the idea of 3rd/4th getting in, would rather see a playoff with a cup at the end like the playoff's in lower divisions and a cup winning going into the CL.

Of course it's rare, just like FA Cup shocks are rare, it has happened to Man Utd twice and Liverpool also though (perhaps through arrogance, who can be sure?) Recoveries happen against the smaller teams more than you think. It's 'rare' that a smaller team will win against the bigger team by more than one goal and that's very recoverable.

If there is to be a shake-up in the competition it's not going to have the desired effect you seem to think it will for quite a few seasons down the line, you can't undo the amount of money the bigger clubs make within one summer. And without that Champions League money it will possibly be even harder for a shock two-legged result.

[Özim]

Of course it's rare, just like FA Cup shocks are rare, it has happened to Man Utd twice and Liverpool also though (perhaps through arrogance, who can be sure?) Recoveries happen against the smaller teams more than you think. It's 'rare' that a smaller team will win against the bigger team by more than one goal and that's very recoverable.

If there is to be a shake-up in the competition it's not going to have the desired effect you seem to think it will for quite a few seasons down the line, you can't undo the amount of money the bigger clubs make within one summer. And without that Champions League money it will possibly be even harder for a shock two-legged result.

To be honest the shocks tend to happen earlier on in competitions when a teams mind isn't as focussed on winning it, the closer you get to the final the more focus there is, hence the reason you rarely see big team getting beaten in semi's/finals.

I think two legged ties from the start would create a less predictable competition personally.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

To be honest the shocks tend to happen earlier on in competitions when a teams mind isn't as focussed on winning it, the closer you get to the final the more focus there is, hence the reason you rarely see big team getting beaten in semi's/finals.

I think two legged ties from the start would create a less predictable competition personally.

How? They'd surely be 'more focused' by your logic because it's a two-legged tie from the outset.

[Özim]

How? They'd surely be 'more focused' by your logic because it's a two-legged tie from the outset.

Teams don't tend to be as focussed earlier on in competitions, just look at the FA Cup and when the top teams tend to get knocked out, generally it's before the quarters and almost always before the semi's. The focus gets greater as you get closer to winning it, likewise with the CL, in the group stages top teams sometimes get complacent.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Teams don't tend to be as focussed earlier on in competitions, just look at the FA Cup and when the top teams tend to get knocked out, generally it's before the quarters and almost always before the semi's. The focus gets greater as you get closer to winning it, likewise with the CL, in the group stages top teams sometimes get complacent.

Even if they aren't, they get a second chance to get it right. What you're saying is then the competition would be exactly the same as what you think it is now once you get to what, the last 16? And that's going to make it more intriguing?