Playoff for the fourth CL spot? (1 Viewer)

[washingcattle]

They'll think better of it when they realise the likelyhood of a third Merseyside derby per year.

 

[Hector Grey]

what if you somehow came 4th, but also managed to reach the champs league and fa cup finals...where are you going to find the time for 3 more matches? and wc and euro years? it's an insane idea. maybe the next thing will be the play off taking place in dubai. there's too much games as is. if the prem dropped 2 teams and became a 18 team league, maybe. also, i don't think teams like spurs and city, who spend a fucking fortune, need a helping hand into the champions league.

 

[Janer]

I think it's a good idea although Liverpool fans mightn't think so...and I swear I haven't read the above poster's reply yet...seriously.

 

[Froog]

brilliant idea, more variety in the CL, fuck the big four.

 

[Hector Grey]

it's nonsense. big 4? there'll be no incentive for city or spurs to do any better than 6th in future. or what if city spend another 60 million, come fourth and get knocked out by fulham or someone. it's daft

 

[Serpico]

I'm with Punk Rock on this one. Great idea. Who gives a fuck how they fit the match into their timetables? It just makes for more games that actually matter. While they're at it they can drop the group stages of the CL and make that all knockout, and then make the bottom 8 teams in the Prem fight it out in battle royale style matches where a player gets sent off from each side every 10 minutes and the first team to 10 goals wins to decide relegation. Super Extra Bonus Competition Football Bonanza Party!!! (I am deadly serious about all of the above).

 

[St. Fechin]

Ridiculous idea. They should get rid of the lower league playoffs while they're (not) at it. Whoever "they" are.

 

[Cormcolash]

I'm with Punk Rock on this one. Great idea. Who gives a fuck how they fit the match into their timetables? It just makes for more games that actually matter. While they're at it they can drop the group stages of the CL and make that all knockout, and then make the bottom 8 teams in the Prem fight it out in battle royale style matches where a player gets sent off from each side every 10 minutes and the first team to 10 goals wins to decide relegation. Super Extra Bonus Competition Football Bonanza Party!!! (I am deadly serious about all of the above).

Now this is the kind of idea I can get behind

 

[Hector Grey]

Now this is the kind of idea I can get behind

that's a ringing endorsement

 

[IFF]

I think it's a good idea although Liverpool fans mightn't think so...and I swear I haven't read the above poster's reply yet...seriously.

indeed, 16 clubs at the metting agreed and 4 objected

needless to say the 4 objectors were chelsea, man united, arsenal and liverpool

 

[washingcattle]

As Everton are the only club to have cracked the big four in ages I'm split on it. We lost our last match 7-0 to Arsenal after we'd qualified and couldn't have handled a playoff. On the other hand now that Spurs, City and Villa are actually decent sides it makes the whole thing more interesting. It'll be fun watching Liverpool change their tune when they don't qualify for the next few years and we all get a go at the big money.

Actually now that I think about it anything that throws a spanner at the red shite is fine by me.

 

[Hector Grey]

i think you're taking this season out o context. the top four have been pretty poor this year, and in a state of transisiton. your assumotion that liverpool are the 4th team is based on here and now. and even though liverpool are utter shit this year, they still beat everton home and away, so if it did come down to a playoff, do you think you could handle the ignomy of being beaten by liverpool a 4th time in the season, thus denying you a place at europe tops table? a place that was everton's back in 05 but which they clearly didn't fancy.

anyway, it's all moot. if the 4th team is any of man u, liverpool, arse or chelsea, they'll still win the playoff, and if they don't whoever gets in will just spend themselves to death like leeds did back in the day. this is just a money spinner, so of course the chairmen are into it. even david moyes came out and said it was silly. it won't increase competitiveness at all, in fact it will change nothing in the structure of the league. why bother striving to improve and break into the top four when 7th will do? or liverpool now, knowing that if they muddle along as is and keep their powder dry for a play off, how would the team that did their best to come fourth feel when they're knocked out?

this idea will not make the prem a more equal place. not at all. how fucking wrecked were everton in last years fa cup final? how many players would any team have left after all the internationals have left to a world cup or euro championship. it might work if the league was reduced to 18 teams. how many of the chairmen do you think would be up for that?

unless the play off is done in august. instead of the charity shield. in wembley. ha ha.

seriously. this is the 39th game in a different suit.

 

[ratmonkey]

Not to mention that whatever team qualifies via these playoffs will end up in the pre-qualifiers. Late finish to one season followed by early start to the next isn't the most ideal scenario for anyone.

 

[Hector Grey]

also, against another seeded team cos of the restructured qualifying. valencia or roma or someone like that.

 

[washingcattle]

That's total nonsense we beat liverpool in the cup last year and beat chelsea and united this season and have twice been within seconds of beating arsenal this and last season. Villa have beaten United City have beaten Chelsea etc. I think the supposed gap that you and Ronnie Whelan believe exists between the top four and the chasing pack of four is a lot smaller than you think. I would hate not getting to europe because we lost to Liverpool in a playoff but so what, that's football.

One problem with it could be that teams will get to a position where they'll probably qualify for the playoffs reach 65 points for example then just stop playing til the playoff. That would be shit especially for teams in the relegation zone.

 

[Hector Grey]

liverpool have been outside of the top 4 about ten times in fifty years. the gap is real. don't kid yourself that if it came down to it fergie would put out a team with gary neville in it.

 

[washingcattle]

That doesn't prove a gap it just proves that Liverpool are consistantly one of the best teams in England. The current big four only proves that finance plays a greater role in football success than it used to.

 

[Beanstalk]

There is already a playoff for 4th place...its spread across 38 games, which is a lot fairer.

They should scrap the 3rd place playoff for promotion to the prem too...the most consistent team should always get rewarded.

 

[Vinnie]

While we're at it lets make Christmas last for 6 months - everybody loves christmas so nobody could possibly have any objection to this idea unless you're some sort of joy-poisoner with a pathological hatred for children.

 

[washingcattle]

As a joy-poisoner with a pathalogical hatred for children I object to Christmas.