New CL Format Thoughts | After GW2 (pg13) | GW3 (pg33)

[Kinkys Left Foot]

We wouldn't normally be playing a tier 1 side this early in the season (competition). Were still rusty and have players with barely any playing minutes under their belt. Bayern got lucky playing Zagreb instead of playing us, Arsenal, Inter, Liverpool, PSG, Madrid or Barca. Its now the order in which you play teams early on in the season that is likely to affect the final Group Stage 1 rankings.

Im convinced if we'd have played Inter in January when were on blob we'd be beating them 9 out of 10 times. Gundo scores both those chances and Foden scores his big chance and it ends 3 - 1 (Giving Inter some props I think Mikhatarian scores as well)

 

[LangleyBlue1970]

Couldn’t give fuck about the format. Where we finish in it come the end of the season is what matters.

 

[bluetonium]

Not even bothered looking at the table. Find it hard to get excited about the champions league as it is, this feels exactly what it is - money grabbing with more matches.

I'll reserve judgement until later on the year, but with that stupid international break after 3 games and now this, it's harder to get into any kind of rhythm or motivated state for club football for the fans, let alone the players.

 

[Cellarite]

Yep you can finish and get a more favourable draw! If we were just now making top four you'd love it! Because if it was the old system Villa would have hard a very hard draw Celtic wouldn't have got out of the group again! It now favours the new comers and the average sides!o

Great post.

Erm...what the fuck are you on about?

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

Not even bothered looking at the table. Find it hard to get excited about the champions league as it is, this feels exactly what it is - money grabbing with more matches.

I'll reserve judgement until later on the year, but with that stupid international break after 3 games and now this, it's harder to get into any kind of rhythm or motivated state for club football for the fans, let alone the players.

I am stuck at home and have watched most of the games. The new format is terrible so far and I think it will get worse. There will be loads of dead rubbers and very weak opponents.

 

[Gazza]

Once too many unglamorous teams start to qualify for the round of 16 and some for the last 8 at the expense of their cash-cows, UEFA will drop the format like a stone.

 

[East Level 2]

But us having Inter, PSG and Juve, the latter 2 away, doesn’t feel hugely fair, esp when you look at the fixtures a team like Celtic have ended up with …

Luck of the draw, unless you believe the draw was rigged.

 

[East Level 2]

Once too many unglamorous teams start to qualify for the round of 16 and some for the last 8 at the expense of their cash-cows, UEFA will drop the format like a stone.

Not sure that will happen after 8 games and play-offs. An upset is more likely in the play-offs though.

 

[Stelea]

Not great in terms of players workload.
At least 4 tough games now compared to maybe 1 or 2 previous. Also 2 more games with a potential for 2 more if not in top 8. I think we have got a tough situation with having both PSG and Juve away which makes it far from nailed on that we will sail into the top 8

 

[Gundoggin]

It is effectively a super league which has some teams in it that would struggle in the equivalent of the European Vauxhall Conference League so a long winded boring drab competition with lots of uncompetitive matches . Extortionate ticketing prices and more games aswell , only positive for me is more potential attractive away days for those who like travelling abroad.