Two (potentially) really tough, home and away knockout European in January could genuinely have huge implications for domestic football.This was helpful thanks NOU.
I like it, it’s new and different.
Finish top 8 and you’re through.
Finish as low as 24th and you can still go through via a play off.
Think that gives clubs who would usually finish 3rd/4th in the old format a great chance of progressing.
Not sure if the bigger clubs will look at it and think let’s finish as high as possible (1st to 8th) or will they just do enough to finish 9-24th and take the chance on going through via the play off?
You could end up with a club finishing 24th going on to win the thing.
Possibly but we all know the owners and Pep will be going all out to win this again, it increases the tourist appeal of the club no end, reckon we'll be going all out to win world club cup next year an all and domestic competition's will take second place. Money talks.In theory. But it's also always been better in theory to finish top of the group and thay foesnt aleays workoutto be true either.
You're relying on practically the entire schedule going as predicted for it to actually be of any benefit. Theres more games that no manager wants this season so most teams will probably look to secure top 8 or 9-24 depending on their aims and then take it, concentrate on the league, play a weakened side in the last few games when they can and take whatever happens.
Between the last week of November and last week of December we've got spurs, Liverpool, united and villa amongst others. Lets say for arguments sake we've already secured a top 8 finish going into the last couple of games, i doubt we're going to be sticking out a full strength side in search of top spot that might not even give us any benefit in the last few games that are crammed inbetween that set of league fixtures.
This was actually one of UEFAs major driving points. Under the original Group Phase the average coefficient spreads were historically much wider (last season was 52 points, for example). This new format is geared to reducing the spread. As your numbers highlight, it's now down to around 19 points.**NERD ALERT**
Quite like the new format, 8 different teams to play, including a couple of new opponents. But I still don't like the draw - there's simply no advantage to be in Pot 1.
Anyway, statistically, we've got one of the harder draws. If you go by average coefficients of the teams drawn, we've got the worst draw of the British teams:
Celtic: 59.4
Aston Villa: 61.7
Arsenal: 63.4
Liverpool: 64.9
City 65.7
And overall, only 12 teams have a harder draw than us. On paper, even Girona has a marginally easier draw (64.6). Of the Pot 1 teams, Dortmund and Real Madrid have the easiest draw (<60 average coefficent) and PSG by far the hardest (74). Feyenoord has the toughest draw overall having the three toughest teams they could possibly draw (average 74.8) and Young Boys the easiest (55.8).
All interesting! Not disagreeing with the accuracy of any of that, but just from looking at the fixtures I didn't think ours look too bad and I thought Liverpool's looked tougher.
Need to avoid qualifiers as it's two extra games, definitely important to finish as high as possible so there will most likely plenty to play for Matchday 8 unless guaranteed 1st or 2nd place.A two legged qualifier sounds awfully similar to other knockout games… identical almost.
Personally prefer the randomness of a draw (if not rigged) rather than American style seeding all the way to the final. I guess we’ll see how it works.
However, if we’re 5th after 7 group games and guaranteed a top 8 spot. I can’t see us prioritising game 8 over the 2 league games sandwiched around it just to try and finish higher to potentially avoid another team.
Do keep up Frank :-)I predict more dead rubber than an old tire dump!! Given the fact that games will come fast and furious, once we have qualified the teams we put out should be managed/weakened if it’s in our best interests. It should be..
Sorry headmaster. Just got back from running errands and didn’t go through the 100 pages or so. Forgive me. I am a part timer anyway..Do keep up Frank :-)
It should be a free for all. Like any proper cup. Name in hat, off you go. Tough draw, tough shit. None of this convoluted, seeded , let’s keep best teams apart bollocks.It’s as close to a free for all we would get, I’m happy with that, just look at PSG they are fucked, now imagine that had been Madrid, imagine they don’t go through that will be piss funny in the future, of course as soon as that happens they will change again.