Liverpool FC Forum

[Owzat]

It's a stupid idea, one reason not mentioned (that I could see in a scan read) is that the fourth spot is not a right that can't be taken away. We get it at the moment, but we start throwing two bit teams at the competition and we could quickly lose it. But to sum up it's flaws (putting it politely) :

- it's a LEAGUE, merit goes out the window when you start throwing in play-offs.
- the argument "it works" in the lower leagues is bullshine, of course it works in the sense that how can you not end up with a side promoted, but it hardly makes any difference to the quality and just end up with undeserving sides getting promoted and not being up to scratch - if you can't finish third in the Championship then why should you get a stab at the Premiership!?!? (and are you good enough)
- too many games on an already jampacked season
- is it any better a suggestion than two Premierships, old infirm in the Premiership or giving CL places to cup winners?!?!? Of course not, I just hope the clubs that would benefit by having more chance of playing in the CL, don't vote for it.

And what people say about the cup losing it's true value, becoming a meaningless name and competition and so on is absolutely true. Rename it the "Champions, Runners-up, Third and lower" League

I've a 'better' idea, play 38 games, the top sixteen play off for the title and Champions League places, the bottom eight play off for relegation. The twist is with only 20 teams in the top flight that a side could win the league, qualify for Europe and get relegated in the same season! But the point is that all that hard work over 38 games would mean nothing as everything would then be decided by a play-off, the person who came up with the play-off concept should be taken to Dubai and killed

[xxTorresxx]

Ridiculous idea. The 8th club in the league will clearly not be good enough to play against the likes of Barcelona and R.Madrid.

[Owzat]

Ridiculous idea. The 8th club in the league will clearly not be good enough to play against the likes of Barcelona and R.Madrid.

But sides with no chance of finishing fourth would jump at any chance, not realising that they could jeopardise the spot itself.

I've a better idea, give the places to Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Man Utd like most seasons previous and feck the rest. Without those four we'd have lost the four slots long ago as villa, bitters, spudz etc would maybe get past the qualifier from time to time but then lose in the groups and end up where they belong more often than not.

Does anyone believe any side outside the big four is ready (yet) for CL football?!? Bear in mind that the big four boss the cup competitions with the odd winner and finalist outside that clique - pompey the first FA Cup winner outside the big four since the bitters in 1995 - of the last 22 only three haven't been won by one of Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal or Man Utd. If the wannabes can't best those teams in a one-off tie knockout cup competition then what hope in two legs against the cream of Europe?

[Fauxy]

The only team outside the big four of the prem i can see even competing in the champions league is Man City because they have got some very very good quilaity in their side.

Tottenham, Villa etc would just get salughtered

[Owzat]

The only team outside the big four of the prem i can see even competing in the champions league is Man City because they have got some very very good quilaity in their side.

Tottenham, Villa etc would just get salughtered

spudz could make the step up maybe, if only they could go out and buy CBs and keep them fit. Not so convinced citeh have bought quality, they've bought a lot of good Premiership players, but couldn't even outclass the Super High Intensity Throw football outfit that is Stoke City at home - we stuffed them 4-0 at our's.

Watching villa on TV the other day I feel they look more like a MON Leicester City than a CL outfit. If Young is worth £30m then I must be worth at least £3m. And how on earth did they end up with Emule Donkey and Carew?!? It's a side cobbled together, seems to stifle what flair the side has and I feel MON may be exposing his limitations as a manager - the old "taken a team as far as he can" kind of thing.

I don't know what our current points ranking looks like, the co-efficient or whatever you call it, but it should be ok for now. But the fourth team could well be carried if a one-off Sunderland, brum, Bolton etc get in and go out in one swift motion.

[xxTorresxx]

Spurs and City could cope, they both have big squads but Villa have probably 13 decent players and the rest are pretty average like Salifou and Sidwell, that's where we've struggled over the years.

[Rush Job]

have a half way point in the prem, after this point the top half of the table only play the team in that half for the rest of the year to fight out for the top spot, the bottom half fight it out not to go down.
there is some good points in that one, we could play man u 4 times in the prem in a year.

See what happens when people get banned?  They spend the time out on the streets getting addicted to crack.  That's the only explaination I can figure for this idea.   

Cocaine is a serotonin-norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor, very unlikely its use would change the way you think about football.
Would have made more sence if you went for a tryptamine.

Anyhoo 

[LittleHobo]

could make a farce of latter games of the season

if a team is easily in the top 8 but no chance of finishing 3rd they could just play the kids, rest the big names for the play offs

[Sabre]

Im sorry but it should be the top 4 or the top 3 teams that finish in them positions over the course of the season, absolute joke of an idea to have the team in 4th playing a team that finishes 8th over 2 legs an the winner goes into the champions league, Whats the point of trying to finish in the top four then, you might as well give up and just go for a top eight finish . You have to get there on merit and finishing 8th overall the course of the season dosnt apply in my book,

I think that that mini-cup of the 4th against the 8th, would be shít. All the season to be decided in 3 games?

If anything, they could consider to give a CL place to the FA cup winner.

[tubby]

Or the winner of the Europe league. Either of those would inject more purpose as right now both comps are not what they used to be, the fa cup more so.

[lakes10]

the thing is the there has been talk of a Prem shake up for a few years now and it seems that something is going to change in 3 years time.

going on some other forums over the last few weeks there has been a lot of talk about the Brian Barwick idea, it seems its not a new idea but something he said a few years ago and still stands buy, i can not see who spliting the prem after 18 games into two pots would help the smaller clubs, the giving of the 4th spot is being used to make money in the tv deals.

the only way i could see it would would be something like this.

after the first 18 games the prem is split into 3 pots, the top pot play to win the prem and the top 3 spots for the CL, each will meet each other 3 more time with one of them games being outside the UK.

the next pot will play off for the EL but the top 2 teams in that pot at the end will going into the play offs with the bottom 2 teams from the top pot for the 4th CL spot.

the bottom lot just play to stay in the prem, as i said this will not help the smaller teams and in my view will kill off the Prem.

[tubby]

Sounds like a load of to be honest mate. What need is there for a shake up? It is already the best league in the world, always a strong performer in Europe and rakes in more than ever in TV money.

[lakes10]

Sounds like a load of to be honest mate. What need is there for a shake up? It is already the best league in the world, always a strong performer in Europe and rakes in more than ever in TV money.

thats just it mate, there is no need for a shake up again its all down to greed.
I think idea of all the top teams playing each other 4 times makes the money men runb there hands, but for true football fans it stinks.

[heimdall]

The only team outside the big four of the prem i can see even competing in the champions league is Man City because they have got some very very good quilaity in their side.

Tottenham, Villa etc would just get salughtered

Slaughtered like we were this season 

Just kidding I can understand your point.

[neil]

I think theres something being overlooked here, the 4th spot is not the Premier leagues by right but a bonus invite due to coefficient success of Premier teams recent history, to wit as a result of Liverpool, man u, chelsea and everton...erm sorry arsenal constantly reaching the latter stages(all have a least 1 recent final under their belt) we keep 4 entrants whilst say Germany lose one and now only have 3. So what happens when one season wonders start taking up a champions league place after finishing in the top 7, Ipswich, West ham, Charlton etc, I'll tell you what happens- within 2 seasons Germany will be back upto 4 places and the likes of Everton will be crying about why the 3rd league place isnt up for grabs in a play off. rrrraaaaannnnttt over.