The Ongoing Serie A, La Liga, All English Football, Champions League Thread - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Part 55

[BlackFox]

Embarrassing.

Half the English teams in that list may not even qualify for the CL this season and they want to join some "Elitist Euro League" that they dont stand a chance in, the only reason is money, are Arsenal fans expected to trapes around Europe watching their side getting smashed week in week out in Spain and Italy, after 2 games lost the league is over for them so whats the point in watching or carrying on any more for them if they cant get relegated anyway.

They want to turn this into the NFL/NBA clearly and its backed mostly by Americans like the Glazers who hadnt even hear'ed of English football before 2005.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Embarrassing.

Half the English teams in that list may not even qualify for the CL this season and they want to join some "Elitist Euro League" that they dont stand a chance in, the only reason is money, are Arsenal fans expected to trapes around Europe watching their side getting smashed week in week out in Spain and Italy, after 2 games lost the league is over for them so whats the point in watching or carrying on any more for them if they cant get relegated anyway.

They want to turn this into the NFL/NBA clearly and its backed mostly by Americans like the Glazers who hadnt even hear'ed of English football before 2005.

This has been Perez's baby for 12 years. He just finally got like minded individuals.

This is literally how the European Cup started. Created by Bernabeu himself. If this happens, Madrid will create the next biggest competition in club football.

Of course they want to guarantee money. Why wouldn't they? What bothers me about this is there is a lot of complaining about this, but so little for how UEFA and FIFA are messing up the game. With stuff like the Nations League, the revamped CWC, forcing players to make themselves available for international friendlies, expanding the tournaments, etc. They finally got rid of the useless Confederations cup, and what did they do? Replaced it with even more legs to run into the ground. With the FA/EFL, why does the EFL cup still exist? They run these players into the group and have for decades.

This is happening because of the oil money. The sugar daddies of football have basically placed a lot of clubs in a situation where they either secure their place now, or they drown.

Anyways. format would be like this:
- Two groups of 10.
- Home and away inside those groups.
- The top 3 teams in each group qualify for the KO stage.
- Each groups 4th and 5th places will playoff for the final 2 spots.
- Home and away for the QF and semis.
- One legged final.

In my personal utopia, there would be the league and the CL. No more cups. Those two trophies are what you play for in the top flight. Everyone can play for their league and those that do exceptionally well get that CL experience.

No international friendlies. Two potential super tournaments, the WC and your confederation's tournament. You can play qualifiers, but that is it.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Football is Life

This really doesn't make much sense.

 

[BlackFox]

Buzzing for Arsenal v Spurs to see who comes 9th and 10th in their group, great days.

Not that I will be watching as you will need the "Elite Super Duper Premium tv pass" at just £2,300 a month to watch all the games of your team.

 

[Iceman]

The main thing I don’t like about a ESL is no promotion and relegation in there. Otherwise it would be exciting to see the biggest clubs play regularly - independent of whether right or wrong.

The FA Cup has got to stay though. There’s the romantic aspect where a non league club that wins their ties can eventually play at an Anfield or Old Trafford.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

 

[DarthSkywalker]

The main thing I don’t like about a ESL is no promotion and relegation in there. Otherwise it would be exciting to see the biggest clubs play regularly - independent of whether right or wrong.

The FA Cup has got to stay though. There’s the romantic aspect where a non league club that wins their ties can eventually play at an Anfield or Old Trafford.

You just explained why these bigger clubs think they can do this. Why they are being undervalued. If being in the FA Cup for the vast majority of teams is about being able to play at one of the big clubs house, why do those teams not get compensated in the manner they think they deserve?

We can talk about merit but the truth is United, Liverpool, Madrid, Barca, etc. have spent decades creating the brands that are the life source of English, Spanish and European football. Those links I posted above. It drives teams nuts that you watch a club like Fulham get rich because they exist in a league with the likes of United and Liverpool, but don't actually add much value.

I honestly don't know what is going to happen now, but I think these bigger clubs are going to come out better no matter what happens now. If these teams don't play in the PL, La Liga, SERIE A, and the Champions League, those competitions take a massive downgrade. All these smaller clubs want some sort of equality, when the don't make the money.

 

[BlackFox]

The main thing I don’t like about a ESL is no promotion and relegation in there. Otherwise it would be exciting to see the biggest clubs play regularly - independent of whether right or wrong.

The FA Cup has got to stay though. There’s the romantic aspect where a non league club that wins their ties can eventually play at an Anfield or Old Trafford.

The novelity will wear off pretty quickly as Madrid and Barca end up dominating the thing with City the Leicester of the league. The United v Milan games in the Europa were awful I really dont see how thats any better than watching us v West Brom or Burnely just because of Milans history. Its just a name and prestige thing. Money has blinded many for a long time in the CL that its somehow better than everything and should dominate the footballing scene. The Prem will end up an afterthought and go the way of the FA Cup as well as the so called big 6 (which is more laughable description by the day) will just prioritise the ESL as that's where the money is and wont care too much about where they finish in their own league as it wont mean anyway.

The league cup needed binning or keeping as Championship and lower some time back to reduce games but this will mean teams just end up playing more and more, squads will be huge just to be able to complete all the fixtures.

Yeah the FA Cup needs to stay, its the oldest cup competition and having minnows get drawn against and even on occassion knock out the big guns can never be lost or the game has truelly gone to the dogs. ESL will never be able to have that majic of David v Goliath or replicate that for all its "prestige" and billions (unless you count Arsenal )

 

[Iceman]

Sky says Mourinho has left Spurs.

 

[AverageMan]

MOURINHO SACKED.
Rumours that he refused to take training over clubs involvement in proposed Super League.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

The novelity will wear off pretty quickly as Madrid and Barca end up dominating the thing with City the Leicester of the league. The United v Milan games in the Europa were awful I really dont see how thats any better than watching us v West Brom or Burnely just because of Milans history. Its just a name and prestige thing. Money has blinded many for a long time in the CL that its somehow better than everything and should dominate the footballing scene. The Prem will end up an afterthought and go the way of the FA Cup as well as the so called big 6 (which is more laughable description by the day) will just prioritise the ESL as that's where the money is and wont care too much about where they finish in their own league as it wont mean anyway.

The league cup needed binning or keeping as Championship and lower some time back to reduce games but this will mean teams just end up playing more and more, squads will be huge just to be able to complete all the fixtures.

Yeah the FA Cup needs to stay, its the oldest cup competition and having minnows get drawn against and even on occassion knock out the big guns can never be lost or the game has truelly gone to the dogs. ESL will never be able to have that majic of David v Goliath or replicate that for all its "prestige" and billions (unless you count Arsenal )

Aren't you missing the point that all these clubs with have a lot more money to spend, while also being allowed to set the rules? A lot of these clubs are pissed about how City and PSG have gone about things. They are allowed to spend as they see fit, as FFP has been all but useless. The clubs would be able to stop that here, while also having more to spend themselves. If this were to happen, in 5 years time, the AC Milan you'd see there would be light years better then the one we have seen the last decade.

You bring up domination like it is an issue. But what has made all these clubs viable? Domination. United dominated the PL for 2 decades. Madrid started the European Cup winning it 5 times. Barca owning La Liga for over a decade has made them the most valuable club on the planet.

Fans love domination. They gravitate to it. Bayern Munich are who they are for a reason. I get people love the romance, but people love winners. I didn't start watching soccer as a kid because I saw a bunch of losers in red, white and black or played them in a game.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

MOURINHO SACKED.
Rumours that he refused to take training over clubs involvement in proposed Super League.

Jose with the classic, "you can't fire me, I quit" while trying to get some cred on his way out the door. If this thing doesn't happen, he will take credit for "stopping" it.

 

[BlackFox]

MOURINHO SACKED.
Rumours that he refused to take training over clubs involvement in proposed Super League.

Jose the paragon of virtue, WHAT A MAN!

This is brilliant though, this could literally rip Football apart.

Civil War, Jose is Captain America, Madrid president Iron Man.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

 

[AverageMan]

 

[BlackFox]

Spurs fans celebrating twice today, Jose out the door and being called an Elite european club all in the same day. Like winning a trophy for them.

Seriously though I wonder who will take over now at Spurs long term, any names being thrown in the mix yet? Assuming football still exists by the end of the week

 

[Mandon Knight]

Blimey.....

Jose Mourinho: Tottenham sack manager after 17 months - BBC Sport

 

[B]

I'm pleased that the reaction to this proposed;

"Super League"

has been overwhelmingly negative, so much so that Manchester United & Manchester City didn't even have the bollocks to post their statements on Twitter, which is arguably their biggest platform for getting things out, after seeing the reactions some of the other clubs that have brass necks got on their feeds from their very own supporters.

The mere notion that you can have a competition, in which 15 teams (out of 20) are permanently protected, can never fail to qualify, be relegated or excluded for dog shirt performance is as far as I'm concerned anti-football & it's anti-competitive created, designed & motivated purely by greed.

Some of these clubs aren't even the best teams in their current domestic leagues & you've others like AC Milan, Arsenal, Inter, Manchester United & Tottenham who aren't even good enough to either qualify or go beyond the group stage of the current premier European competition & they have the gall to suggest they should be in a European Super League.. fork outta here.

 

[B]

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Which is why he left Zaragoza, and Bilbao, and United all to end up at... PSG. I am sure they are the club of his youth. The hypocrisy is hilarious. B, you can't see the logical fallacy of that post, really?

Let me ask you something B, and I am curious if you will answer this. If the concern is earning it on the pitch, why does this change anything? They want to kick all these teams out of the leagues. So do it and just keep playing. Nothing changes. Have the PL, La Liga, SERIE A and the CL without these teams. Why do these teams have to be involved for it to suddenly be merit based? Let them do what they want.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I'm pleased that the reaction to this proposed;

"Super League"

has been overwhelmingly negative, so much so that Manchester United & Manchester City didn't even have the bollocks to post their statements on Twitter, which is arguably their biggest platform for getting things out, after seeing the reactions some of the other clubs that have brass necks got on their feeds from their very own supporters.

The mere notion that you can have a competition, in which 15 teams (out of 20) are permanently protected, can never fail to qualify, be relegated or excluded for dog **** performance is as far as I'm concerned anti-football & it's anti-competitive created, designed & motivated purely by greed.

Some of these clubs aren't even the best teams in their current domestic leagues & you've others like AC Milan, Arsenal, Inter, Manchester United & Tottenham who aren't even good enough to either qualify or go beyond the group stage of the current premier European competition & they have the gall to suggest they should be in a European Super League.. **** outta here.

The NFL has no promotion and no relegation. It is infinity more competitive then the European leagues or CL. Why is that?

 

[BlackFox]

The NFL has no promotion and no relegation. It is infinity more competitive then the European leagues or CL. Why is that?

There is only 32 NFL teams, there are 92 Pro clubs in England alone, let alone the rest of Europe with jobs that peoples livelyhoods depends on, not one club is more important than another and especially some "Big 6" nonsense. Its works for the American league because nobody is excluded from the competition that wants to be.

Not sure the Cleveland Browns think its that competitive anyway.

Your comparing two drastically different things here.

 

[Hunter Rider]

I really don't have a lot to say about this shameful super league garbage, and I'm ashamed that United are not only involved but spearheading it with Perez. Hopefully it's not only blocked but is the catalyst to these toxic owners being ousted from the clubs they are poisoning.

I’d try and sneak Lingard in there (for his late season performance alone), at least on the bench. He’s at many times been the player that has changed games for West Ham.

Yeah, to be fair we deserve to be relegated and would have been in other seasons. Just this time Fulham’s loss of form saved us and otherwise there has been 3 clubs nailed to the bottom all season. Could never have foreseen Sheff Utd being so poor after their progress over recent seasons.

Everton and Spurs both look like they don’t have the killer instinct to forcefully claim a European place and one of them will get it by default. They’re lucky Arsenal are so bad this season or they would have both missed out. Also imagine Spurs if Kane goes.

Lingard's form has been tremendous, he's given himself every chance of making England's Euros squad.

I'm not sure what's happened to Sheffield, their collapse is a bit surprising, I'm glad Brighton have stayed up as Potter has them playing good stuff, shame that Fulham couldn't out Burnley.

Obviously this disgraceful Super league trash makes European qualification irrelevant for Arsenal and Spurs.

At the minute, I'd go with probably

GK - Martinez
RB - Wan-Bissaka
CB - Diaz
CB - Stones
LB - Shaw

CM - Gundogan
CAM - Grealish
CAM - Fernandes

LW - Son
RW - Salah

ST - Kane

Subs - Mendy, Cresswell, James, Soucek, De Bruyne, Rashford, Bamford

Special mentions are all English players that if they keep their recent hot streaks going till the end of the season they'll be hard not to include IMO - Foden, Mount & Lingard.

RB is one position i can definitely see a lot of debate over, for special mentions I'd also add Raphina, Neto and Tielemans.

Mine wouldnt be too different, from what I have seen which is not everyone all the time, something like:

GK Martinez

LB Shaw
CB Coady
CB Diaz
RB Cancelo

MF Fernandes
MF Gundogan
MF Mount

Fwd Son
Fwd Kane
Fwd Calvert-Lewin

Subs: Bamford, Dallas, Stones, Salah, Grealish,

Kane would be my player of the season by quite some way, he's head and shoulders above the rest this season and its not even close, considering the team he plays in (and who for!!) his game has gone on a level and expanded to more than just a target man.

Cool to see Martinez getting the recognition Kane's all round game has been superb this season, he's not only goal scorer he's now chief creator at Spurs given how Mourinho set them up.

 

[AverageMan]

Here lies the problem:

 

[Holy Slapper]

MOURINHO SACKED.
Rumours that he refused to take training over clubs involvement in proposed Super League.

Fake.