Slovan Bratislava (A) | CL | Post Match Thread

cyan said:
Thought I would try and figure out if Slovan Bratislava are one of the teams to have benefited from the expanded format. As it is their first time in the Group/league stage - you might think that it is. But, they have been steadily improving - from 1st Qalifying Round to to 3rd QR in previous years and in this years Play Off they played Midtjylland who were seeded above them, qualified as Danish champions - therefore finishing above Copenhagen who have regularly played in CL Group stages. That suggests that not only have Bratislava been improving but they worked their way to this stage on merit.

In the previous years the teams qualifying through the Champions path were Galatasaray, Copenhagen, Antwerp, Young Boys. - of which Antwerp finished 4th in group, Galatasaray and Young Boys 3rd and Copenhagen 2nd. Which might suggest that teams coming through that route deserve to be there. Of those only Young Boys have qualified this season.

This year the qualifiers are Young Boys, Dynamo Zagreb, Slovan Bratislava, Red Star Belgrade, Sparta Prague - of which, so far, only Sparta Prague have any points. Which suggests that these remain the teams who will fail to go any further in the competition. Yet, it can also be a chance for them to shine and improve - I'm sure Sparta Prague fans are enjoying it so far and wondering just how far they can go.

It's hard to know for sure - but I suspect Slovan Bratislava were playing well enough at the Qualifying Stage that they could have qualified in the previous format - but then they would have faced the same fate in a Group stage and found themselves the whipping boys. In this format they get to chances to play teams ranked similarly to themselves and four opportunities to see them play former European Champions. I suspect they will enjoy it whilst they can and then win their own league again to give themselves a chance a of improving for next year,
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Good post. There's been a lot of moaning about the new format because of a poor opponent that would've been in it anyway.
 
laserblue said:
The media pointed out that Vladimir Weiss was is City's academy and the 2008 Youth Cup winning team but I heard no mention of Robbie Mak, who came on as sub, being the academy at the same time and also playing in the Youth Cup winning team.
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Don't know where the stream was from which I watched, but they mentioned Mak being at our Academy a couple of times
 
This new format is worse for team who are going for the league because the most important games will be the last 2/3
 
cyan said:
Thought I would try and figure out if Slovan Bratislava are one of the teams to have benefited from the expanded format. As it is their first time in the Group/league stage - you might think that it is. But, they have been steadily improving - from 1st Qalifying Round to to 3rd QR in previous years and in this years Play Off they played Midtjylland who were seeded above them, qualified as Danish champions - therefore finishing above Copenhagen who have regularly played in CL Group stages. That suggests that not only have Bratislava been improving but they worked their way to this stage on merit.

In the previous years the teams qualifying through the Champions path were Galatasaray, Copenhagen, Antwerp, Young Boys. - of which Antwerp finished 4th in group, Galatasaray and Young Boys 3rd and Copenhagen 2nd. Which might suggest that teams coming through that route deserve to be there. Of those only Young Boys have qualified this season.

This year the qualifiers are Young Boys, Dynamo Zagreb, Slovan Bratislava, Red Star Belgrade, Sparta Prague - of which, so far, only Sparta Prague have any points. Which suggests that these remain the teams who will fail to go any further in the competition. Yet, it can also be a chance for them to shine and improve - I'm sure Sparta Prague fans are enjoying it so far and wondering just how far they can go.

It's hard to know for sure - but I suspect Slovan Bratislava were playing well enough at the Qualifying Stage that they could have qualified in the previous format - but then they would have faced the same fate in a Group stage and found themselves the whipping boys. In this format they get to chances to play teams ranked similarly to themselves and four opportunities to see them play former European Champions. I suspect they will enjoy it whilst they can and then win their own league again to give themselves a chance a of improving for next year,
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Burton Albion got to the semifinal of the EFL Cup on merit, doesn’t make them any good.

It just shows that really the CL could have done with being slimmed down, not expanded. If Bratislava would have been there anyway, how bad are the teams who wouldn’t have been?

The G14 really did ruin continental football when they took money away from every nation East of Germany/Italy and awarded more and more places to Eng, Spa, Ita, Ger… it skewed the quality and it’ll never even out again.
 
bobbyowenquiff said:
The format is shite. UEFA have turned the CL into a club version of the meaningless Nations League. The old system was far from perfect but this new group system is a farce. McCoist and Fletcher told us at the start of the match they liked the new format then spent the rest of their commentary mocking Slovan and bemoaning the mismatch.
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They'll try and hype things up towards the end of the league phase, but there's nothing at stake here at all and they'll realise that and it will be pretty tiring for all concerned. It's fine that you get some big games here and there, but generally you're getting loads of easy wins and come the end there might be a bit of drama around finishing 8th or having to go into the playoff, but the best teams will win their playoff anyway and then the competition will start properly in the knockouts.

We could field a league cup team, full of kids for the majority of this league phase and make the playoffs. Another two games, but if we've rested the first team it's not a big issue. Bring the key men back in to win the playoff and go from there.
 
supercity88 said:
They'll try and hype things up towards the end of the league phase, but there's nothing at stake here at all and they'll realise that and it will be pretty tiring for all concerned. It's fine that you get some big games here and there, but generally you're getting loads of easy wins and come the end there might be a bit of drama around finishing 8th or having to go into the playoff, but the best teams will win their playoff anyway and then the competition will start properly in the knockouts.

We could field a league cup team, full of kids for the majority of this league phase and make the playoffs. Another two games, but if we've rested the first team it's not a big issue. Bring the key men back in to win the playoff and go from there.
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The CL is great when the knock-out phases start. There is no risk for the big teams in the group stages. Most games are tedious dross with a few exceptions.
 
bobbyowenquiff said:
The CL is great when the knock-out phases start. There is no risk for the big teams in the group stages. Most games are tedious dross with a few exceptions.
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Well, a “big” team called Manchester United failed to make it through from the group stage (big? downright massive) last year, so glitches do happen occasionally.
 
B\connellblue said:
If last nights game confirmed anything other than this new format is a complete nonsense it's just how poor some of our players are at finding the net. That side wasnt even championship standard. Training session really.
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As opposed to the old format that Slovan Bratislava would've qualified for as well?

They won their league and got through 3 qualifying rounds. Why are they not worthy of a place in the league stage?
 
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