Liverpool FC Forum

by **stmichael** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 12:19 pm

The group stages are nothing but a money spinner. Even before a ball is kicked, inthe majority of cases you can predict the two teams that will qualify from all the groups.

Don't get me wrong, there were some good games last year and the Arsenal quarter final was one of the best games I've been to in a long time but overall it was fairly predictable - English teams dominating and Real going out in the first knock-out round, Roma bottling it etc...

Having said that, the CL is strong every year though as the best teams are always the ones that qualify in the first place, and there are always those sorts of 'tiers' of times. It's nice to see Juventus and Bayern back in it though, just for the prestiege they bring. For me, I'll be shocked if anyone other than us, Chelsea, the scummy mancs, Inter (they could step up a notch under Mourinho) or Real win it. Even at that, Real have to be the outside bet due to their absymal record over the past few years.

by **taff** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 12:22 pm

Arsenal, Barcelona, Juve, bayern are all capable of winning.

Shame Dawson isnt about he could give us the odds as bookies tend to be accurate, we could see what they think

by **Judge** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 12:23 pm

apparantly the champions league wasnt as hard in 2005!!

by **Bam** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 12:27 pm

Its easier to win than the league (IMO thats a FACT !)

by **Sabre** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 12:29 pm

The group stages are nothing but a money spinner. Even before a ball is kicked, inthe majority of cases you can predict the two teams that will qualify from all the groups.

True. But even if you can tell that in a group with PSV you'll get through before them, the fact of playing them on wednesdays is dearly paid. The deeper squad you have, the less you pay it.

This point I try to mention, is more obvious in Spain than in England. In England, always the same teams make it to the CHampions League, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester, and Chelsea, each of which have squads that range from deep to very deep. In that sense, Liverpool has been growing these years.

In Spain, besides Real Madrid and Barcelona, Valencia can make it, Villarreal can make it, Deportivo can make it, Betis can make it, even Real Sociedad and Celtacan make it in a glorious year.

Well, the teams with deep squads face both competitions well, but the teams like Betis, or Real Sociedad, might get through the group stages, but will pay dearly the competition ending up in the league the 17th position!! In fact, Celta was relegated with the same squad that made it to the champions the previous year. Such is the impact.

No matter how comfortably you win, that extra midweek games have a price in the league if you haven't a deep quality squad.

by **stmichael** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 12:33 pm

Sabre wrote:This point I try to mention, is more obvious in Spain than in England. In England, always the same teams make it to the CHampions League, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester, and Chelsea, each of which have squads that range from deep to very deep. In that sense, Liverpool has been growing this years.

In Spain, besides Real Madrid and Barcelona, Valencia can make it, Villarreal can make it, Deportivo can make it, Betis can make it, even Real Sociedad and Celtacan make it in a glorious year.

Well, the teams with deep squads face both competitions well, but the teams like Betis, or Real Sociedad, might get through the group stages, but will pay dearly the competition ending up in the league the 17th position!! In fact, Celta was relegated with the same squad that made it to the champions the previous year. Such is the impact.

No matter how comfortably you win, that extra midweek games have a price in the league if you haven't a deep quality squad.

Which is why I've never brought into this myth that the Premiership is the best league in the world. The most exciting maybe, but not the best. That's another myth stirred up by those bigwigs at Sky.

There's a lot more quality across the board in Spain in my opinion. The big four here are so strong but outside that there's so much dross it's unbelievable. Teams such as Spurs, Villa, Man City and the likes would struggle to make the top half in La Liga.

by **Owzat** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 12:34 pm

Someone in the office posed a question - who is the only team to reach the final who has never won their domestic league? I could only think of Bayer Leverkeusen as a candidate, and that apparently is the answer. Any cup competition is going to be easier to win than a league of 30+ games simply because of the structure. And anyone can win a one-off game

by **stmichael** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 1:10 pm

Although the CL has it's flaws, is it just me or does the UEFA Cup look stronger than in recent years this season, even before the inclusion of the CL teams?

by **Owzat** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 1:24 pm

stmichael wrote:Although the CL has it's flaws, is it just me or does the UEFA Cup look stronger than in recent years this season, even before the inclusion of the CL teams?

Just you.

by **radun5** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 1:36 pm

stmichael wrote:Teams such as Spurs, Villa, Man City and the likes would struggle to make the top half in La Liga.

Teams like Spurs are struggling in the EPL as well :laugh:

On topic, I think that the Premiere League is harder to win because of the number of games you have to win. You need around 25 wins out of 38 matches, while in the CL you can scrape through the group stage with 2-3 wins (we have been doing it a few times), then win 2 or 3 more games, settle for draws in other 2-3 and you are in a final. Not to mention there is always the option of penalty shoot-outs, so you don't need to win each game. You only play 13 games, 15 if you play qualifying rounds. And out of 15 games, you will get around 4 really easy matches (which of course you can throw out like we did against Marseille last year)

by **JoeTerp** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 2:48 pm

Don't see how someone can say its harder to win the premiership than it is to win the CL. They both require different tasks. At the end of the day, only 1 team per year can win the CL, same with the premiership. I would say they are equally difficult, in fact a competition with more "chance" at play might be more difficult because any one bad night in the knockout stages and you could be out. All it takes is one loss or a failed penalty shoot out and your done, go home, wait for next year. In the premiership, whoever wins will more than likely lose a game at some point in the season to a team in the bottom half, and in the end it wouldn't have counted for anything.

by **Bam** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 3:22 pm

Don't see how someone can say its harder to win the premiership than it is to win the CL

Its harder to win the league than it is the CL.

by **Judge** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 3:46 pm

Bam wrote:Its easier to win than the league (IMO thats a FACT !)

does that mean your opinion is fact

by **Ben1988** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 4:11 pm

Bam wrote:
Don't see how someone can say its harder to win the premiership than it is to win the CL

Its harder to win the league than it is the CL.

you're not gonna make any friends on here speaking like that.... these golden oldie members don't like to be messed with and think they are superior members, no, superior LFC fans, no no, sorry, superior people. lol

:rasp

by **Bam** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 4:19 pm

Ben1988 wrote:
Bam wrote:
Don't see how someone can say its harder to win the premiership than it is to win the CL

Its harder to win the league than it is the CL.

you're not gonna make any friends on here speaking like that.... these golden oldie members don't like to be messed with and think they are superior members, no, superior LFC fans, no no, sorry, superior people. lol

No Joe is alright mate, afterall he's been a hardcore supporter of LFC for what .... Six months now.

Seriously though Joe is a credit to the yanks, he knows his football and more about the ressies than I do.

BTW Judge Judy, I dont know what my statement means, make of it what you will sweety.

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