English Premier League

[dauls]

Friday's main story:

The Premier League is considering a proposal to introduce a play-off for the fourth Champions League place. The teams that finish from 4th to 7th could play a mini-knockout competition.

At least 14 of the 20 clubs would have to approve this change and due to existing TV deals the play-offs couldn't be introduced for at least another three seasons.

Surely we already have a play-off for Champions League qualification... it's the 38-game Premier League.

England should be represented in Europe by our best teams, and after 38 games the top four are obviously the best qualified.
Spanish, Italian, German and other European sides would love it if England sent one weaker team into Europe.

Over the 17 Premier League seasons the 4th placed team has finished an average;
* 4.7 points ahead of 5th
* 10.6 points ahead of 7th

Last season 4th placed Arsenal finished on 72 points...
* 9 points clear of Everton (5th)
* 19 points clear of Fulham (7th), with a record of 14 wins, 11 draws and 13 losses; hardly a record to worry Europe's big teams.

It's a nice idea to have different clubs in the Champions League, but they should qualify by finishing in the top 4. Anyway, this season it looks like one of the 'Big Four' might miss out on Champions League football next season.

Then there is the problem an extra 2 or 3 games would cause for the four teams in the play-offs, especially in World Cup and European Championship years. How would the play-off games be squeezed in around the FA Cup Final before the players had to be released to join up with their own National Squads. These play-offs wouldn't just affect England's National Squad, but roughly half the Countries represented at a World Cup. And if a top international player was injured during these play-offs and missed the World Cup, the Premier League would be crucified.

It just looks like the Premier League are looking for another way to make more money, remember the PL's previously proposed '39th Game' has rightly been blown out of the water.


An afterthought: Imagine if this proposal is accepted and in it's first season Everton, Aston Villa, Spurs or Man City finish 4th and then lose the Champions League spot to one of the 'Big Four' in the play-off. The Chairman of the club that came 4th, but still failed to land Champions League football, would wish he'd never voted for the play-offs.

[JenniferParisFan]

Originally Posted by dauls

Friday's main story:

The Premier League is considering a proposal to introduce a play-off for the fourth Champions League place. The teams that finish from 4th to 7th could play a mini-knockout competition.

At least 14 of the 20 clubs would have to approve this change and due to existing TV deals the play-offs couldn't be introduced for at least another three seasons.

Surely we already have a play-off for Champions League qualification... it's the 38-game Premier League.

England should be represented in Europe by our best teams, and after 38 games the top four are obviously the best qualified.
Spanish, Italian, German and other European sides would love it if England sent one weaker team into Europe.

Over the 17 Premier League seasons the 4th placed team has finished an average;
* 4.7 points ahead of 5th
* 10.6 points ahead of 7th

Last season 4th placed Arsenal finished on 72 points...
* 9 points clear of Everton (5th)
* 19 points clear of Fulham (7th), with a record of 14 wins, 11 draws and 13 losses; hardly a record to worry Europe's big teams.

It's a nice idea to have different clubs in the Champions League, but they should qualify by finishing in the top 4. Anyway, this season it looks like one of the 'Big Four' might miss out on Champions League football next season.

Then there is the problem an extra 2 or 3 games would cause for the four teams in the play-offs, especially in World Cup and European Championship years. How would the play-off games be squeezed in around the FA Cup Final before the players had to be released to join up with their own National Squads. These play-offs wouldn't just affect England's National Squad, but roughly half the Countries represented at a World Cup. And if a top international player was injured during these play-offs and missed the World Cup, the Premier League would be crucified.

It just looks like the Premier League are looking for another way to make more money, remember the PL's previously proposed '39th Game' has rightly been blown out of the water.


An afterthought: Imagine if this proposal is accepted and in it's first season Everton, Aston Villa, Spurs or Man City finish 4th and then lose the Champions League spot to one of the 'Big Four' in the play-off. The Chairman of the club that came 4th, but still failed to land Champions League football, would wish he'd never voted for the play-offs.

It sounds like an interesting idea, but as you said they already play enough games. For instance if Arsenal was in the "playoffs" then we would probably end up losing another 2-3 players for the beginning of next season, which is always fun.

In non Premier League news, Lyon defeats Real 1-0 in Champions league!

[Kirsty Scott]

Originally Posted by JenniferParisFan

It sounds like an interesting idea, but as you said they already play enough games. For instance if Arsenal was in the "playoffs" then we would probably end up losing another 2-3 players for the beginning of next season, which is always fun.

In non Premier League news, Lyon defeats Real 1-0 in Champions league!

Obviously it works in the Championship before they are thiking of adopting it for the Premiership .....

As long as teams know at the start of the season the squad size and tactics can be taken into account .... for instance if teams in 4th or 5th can't catch up the top two but are guaranteed a place in the top 4 they can rest players .... give other squad players a chance to get match fit etc .....

However, It would really be more devastating for the likes of say Everton finish in that position .... which they probably won't sustain they next season and then lose the play off's ..... the fans would be gutted.

However, it takes away from the "The Champions League" even more than it already is ..... if teams who finish 8th .... just above mid table get to play in it.

The need to do something to make the Uefa Cup more interesting .....

Kirsty
xxx xxx

Kirsty
xxx xxx

[dauls]

Originally Posted by Kirsty Scott

Obviously it works in the Championship before they are thiking of adopting it for the Premiership .....

As long as teams know at the start of the season the squad size and tactics can be taken into account .... for instance if teams in 4th or 5th can't catch up the top two but are guaranteed a place in the top 4 they can rest players .... give other squad players a chance to get match fit etc .....

However, It would really be more devastating for the likes of say Everton finish in that position .... which they probably won't sustain they next season and then lose the play off's ..... the fans would be gutted.

However, it takes away from the "The Champions League" even more than it already is ..... if teams who finish 8th .... just above mid table get to play in it.

The need to do something to make the Uefa Cup more interesting .....

Kirsty
xxx xxx

Kirsty
xxx xxx

Helping the UEFA Cup, or Europa League (as they have started calling it this season)...

I suppose they could award the Europa League Champions a place in the Champions League for the following season. It's a prize the teams will want to fight for, and they won't pick weakened sides like Aston Villa did in Europe this season.

And they should stop adding the teams that finish the Champions League Group Stage in 3rd place to the knockout stage of the Europa Cup.

Note:
* If Fulham make it to the Europa Cup Final it would be their 19th European football match of the season. That's too many.
* While the Champions League Final would only be Chelsea's or Man Utd's 13th and Arsenal's 15th Euro fixture of the season.

[JenniferParisFan]

Another great weekend for Arsenal after a disappointing performance against Porto. We moved to within 2 points of Man U after they lost 3-1 to Everton, and Arsenal beat Sunderland 2-0. The way things are going right now we might be able to steal 2nd place or even 1st. And how about Everton, after starting their season off with a 6-1 loss against Arsenal, they've now beat the top 2 teams in the league 2 weeks in a row

[Kirsty Scott]

Will anyone going to a Portsmouth game please start throwing money at the players .....

But if you are going wrap up warm it's going to be -9 there.



Kirsty
xxx xxx

[dauls]

Originally Posted by Kirsty Scott

Will anyone going to a Portsmouth game please start throwing money at the players .....

But if you are going wrap up warm it's going to be -9 there.


Kirsty
xxx xxx

Unfortunately that usually gets a fan ejected by the fuzz.