Midweek football

[Mad Ferret]

What do we reckon for the League Cup semis then?

I have a feeling Arsenal will turn over Newcastle and get to the final. Seems like the Geordies are already planning their Trafalgar Square piss up...can see Arsenal shocking them.

As for Spurs, I think that lead from the 1st leg is absolutely vital for them. Can see them battling for a draw at Anfield, and progressing to the final.

A NLD in the cup final would be a sight to behold. Bit of a lose/lose for us whoever wins.

[onsideman]

Imagine how sick Van Nistelroy's record would look had he not beaten Lopetegui's West Ham. Christ we've been shit

[Fauxstralian]

We should have been 3 or 4 down at h/t
Brentford got their eye in this week 
10 points clear of us now

[Mad Ferret]

0-4

Makes our 0-1 defeat to Brentford look more respectable.

[Fauxstralian]

Leicester getting the 3-0 beating from Brentford that we should have got
Understand Leicester have now lost 6 home games in a row without scoring 
Beat them next Thursday & they are as good as done

[twoleftfeet]

That will shut the yid wankers ladyboy and ferret up 

oh I’m sure it won’t

[Browno22]

That will shut the yid wankers ladyboy and ferret up 

[twoleftfeet]

2 for Earthy, you fucking beauty

[Mad Ferret]

Earthy scores

So pleased for him.

He’s streets ahead of Potts in terms of development.

[twoleftfeet]

Earthy scores

[Sir Alf]

We need to recruit and / or develop our own Mnbeumo’s,  Norguerd and Wissa’s. Buy them relatively cheap and/or young and develop them. 

We cannot follow the Sullivan model any longer. Buying older, experienced players for too much and/or on high wages and getting rid of them incirimg huge losses.

If Potter or any manager for that fact is to be successful longer term, we have to go in the direction outlined and the one I think Macaulay and Potter currently have us heading in for recruitment. 

The risk or threat to it not working is threefold. Potter never seeing emough victories to survive in the short term,  fans and owner not having the patience for a slower evolution assuming Potter does get up and running in the games remaining this season or the start of next. The 3rd and biggest threat is Sullivan overriding or undermining Potter and Macaulay’s recruitment and continuing to being in players through his agent mates, players that are older, more expensive and unlikely to be sold for a profit.  

At this juncture, we just need a win asap.  

[ragingbull]

Next season we could look at mbeuono or that mo farah bloke up front for Brentford,plenty of pace.

[twoleftfeet]

Leicester are so bad, I reckon RVN will get the boot and Dyche in.

New manager bounce against us

[John Drake]

It's an horrendous revenue generating merry-go-round designed to maintain the status quo for the richest clubs. The money each club earns is not only determined by their performances in this years competition but also how they have fared in previous seasons. Thus, Man City earned more than Aston Villa in the group stage despite Villa's superior showing.

The only element of interest for me is the schadenfreude that accompanies the exit of the Premier League teams.  

[ironsofcanada]

Personally I think the new format is a big improvement, at least for neutral viewers. In the old format you pretty much knew exactly which 2 teams would go through in every group, apart from the single group of death that sometimes popped up (and really that was the ONLY time there was ever a risk of a big club going out). Also, there were a lot of dead rubbers and strategic playing for a draw in that setup. 

With this format there were always at least one high profile game each matchday and on the final matchday things could have swung either way for a lot of the clubs involved. Man City, PSG and Juventus were all close to not even making the playoffs, and two of them are now out. The big clubs are guaranteed a higher minimum amount of games but they're also more at risk of not making the final 16.

There are more clubs involved so there will always be an degree of things being watered down - blowouts etc. And of course that is down to money.

That said, the format itself provided me with a lot of interest (beyond my main one which happened to be following Canadians.)  

The idea that your postion by position placement in the table - not just your general grouping - affects who you play in the playoff/knockouts made sure there was some interest all the way through. For me at least.

I have enjoyed it. 

[Jean-Luc Paul Goddard]

Yup I think it's messy too. The old format was much better and more straightforward but there was more risk of a big club crashing out I guess (Although hey it's happened early this year anyway, so did it actually accomplish anything?) Yes they have 8 fixtures rather than 6 now so absolutely extra money for those poor cash strapped clubs and UEFA. 

Personally I think the new format is a big improvement, at least for neutral viewers. In the old format you pretty much knew exactly which 2 teams would go through in every group, apart from the single group of death that sometimes popped up (and really that was the ONLY time there was ever a risk of a big club going out). Also, there were a lot of dead rubbers and strategic playing for a draw in that setup. 

With this format there were always at least one high profile game each matchday and on the final matchday things could have swung either way for a lot of the clubs involved. Man City, PSG and Juventus were all close to not even making the playoffs, and two of them are now out. The big clubs are guaranteed a higher minimum amount of games but they're also more at risk of not making the final 16.

[El Scorchio]

Yea maybe, I'm no authority on this new set up and don't really have an opinion if it's better or not, seems to be a bit of a split in that regard, but for Man City to play Real Madrid just for a place in the last 16 just seem a bit strange to me, for the want of a better word.

It does, but I suppose you’d have expected both teams to have been comfortably in the top 8 and clear of having to do this. Bit of a freak occurrence that two teams such as this meet at this stage. It’s really a ‘second chance’ for the big teams that underperform in the silly group league stage and a last chance to weed out an upstart team that hasn’t been compliant enough and got themselves knocked out already by finishing at the bottom of the table as they should. The order must be restored.

This whole format change is meant to stop any big teams getting iced in a group of death so that can all happily avoid each other more easily than before. The one plus is that it does keep most of the teams interested until near the end of the league bit. If it wasn’t there then loads of teams would have nothing to play for for vast parts of it. FWIW I don’t think it’s better. It’s just there to protect the big clubs more. 

Tbh, I can't really agree or disagree with what you've said as I haven't really got my head around it to arrive at a considered opinion, but it seems a bit 'messy' to me. I think there are at least two extra games now (for each club) so I don't doubt the extra income was a factor too.

Yup I think it's messy too. The old format was much better and more straightforward but there was more risk of a big club crashing out I guess (Although hey it's happened early this year anyway, so did it actually accomplish anything?) Yes they have 8 fixtures rather than 6 now so absolutely extra money for those poor cash strapped clubs and UEFA. The below does't sound dodgy as fuck at all either with all it's reliance on UEFA's 'software'...

'Teams will be placed in four pots according to their seeding. Each team face two teams from each pot, one at home and one away.A team will be drawn out of a pot and then Uefa's software will decide their eight opponents - and whether they will be at home or away.It means more matches between the biggest teams. For example, Manchester City could face Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.The software stops teams playing rivals from their own country - and means each team can only play two clubs from any one country.Uefa says the computer system plans ahead so will ensure no teams further down the line get drawn against teams they cannot face.'

 

[Manuel]

Yea maybe, I'm no authority on this new set up and don't really have an opinion if it's better or not, seems to be a bit of a split in that regard, but for Man City to play Real Madrid just for a place in the last 16 just seem a bit strange to me, for the want of a better word.

It does, but I suppose you’d have expected both teams to have been comfortably in the top 8 and clear of having to do this. Bit of a freak occurrence that two teams such as this meet at this stage. It’s really a ‘second chance’ for the big teams that underperform in the silly group league stage and a last chance to weed out an upstart team that hasn’t been compliant enough and got themselves knocked out already by finishing at the bottom of the table as they should. The order must be restored.

This whole format change is meant to stop any big teams getting iced in a group of death so that can all happily avoid each other more easily than before. The one plus is that it does keep most of the teams interested until near the end of the league bit. If it wasn’t there then loads of teams would have nothing to play for for vast parts of it. FWIW I don’t think it’s better. It’s just there to protect the big clubs more. 

Tbh, I can't really agree or disagree with what you've said as I haven't really got my head around it to arrive at a considered opinion, but it seems a bit 'messy' to me. I think there are at least two extra games now (for each club) so I don't doubt the extra income was a factor too.

[El Scorchio]

Yea maybe, I'm no authority on this new set up and don't really have an opinion if it's better or not, seems to be a bit of a split in that regard, but for Man City to play Real Madrid just for a place in the last 16 just seem a bit strange to me, for the want of a better word.

It does, but I suppose you’d have expected both teams to have been comfortably in the top 8 and clear of having to do this. Bit of a freak occurrence that two teams such as this meet at this stage. It’s really a ‘second chance’ for the big teams that underperform in the silly group league stage and a last chance to weed out an upstart team that hasn’t been compliant enough and got themselves knocked out already by finishing at the bottom of the table as they should. The order must be restored.

This whole format change is meant to stop any big teams getting iced in a group of death so that can all happily avoid each other more easily than before. The one plus is that it does keep most of the teams interested until near the end of the league bit. If it wasn’t there then loads of teams would have nothing to play for for vast parts of it. FWIW I don’t think it’s better. It’s just there to protect the big clubs more. 

[Eerie Decent]

Nunez is straight trash.

Straight trash, bud.

You fucking wally.

[Manuel]

Yea maybe, I'm no authority on this new set up and don't really have an opinion if it's better or not, seems to be a bit of a split in that regard, but for Man City to play Real Madrid just for a place in the last 16 just seem a bit strange to me, for the want of a better word.

[Fauxstralian]

If you finish 9th to 24th after 8 games you deserve to play an extra round 
Having knockout games now before they get to the last 16 is a good thing
Still far too many teams in it. Should start with 24 teams not 36 & should play 6 teams on a random draw 

[Manuel]

Mbappe showing why he's the best player in the world. Amazing hattrick.

This extra knock out round is ridiculous, that was just to get into the last 16.

[RBshorty]

3-1 PSV in extra time 

double lol

Proof.(If any more was needed.) The Italian league is pot less. Don’t be too shocked if this new Champion League format gets binned in the next few years.

[goose]

3-1 PSV in extra time 

double lol

[Fauxstralian]

PSG going tits out v Brest
7-0 , 10-0 on agg