Fair Play & Intertoto days

[HotTotty]

Remember the days when we used to get really excited about the chance of steeling into the UEFA cup?

Frantically working out weather us or Fulham would win the fair play league, there was even talk of going easy in final games not to pick up bookings!

I went to a beamback at the Lane - put on especially because we had the chance of pipping Middlesborough on the final day.

Then there'd be the post season waiting for the club to announce our participation in the Intertoto cup.

Funny how times have changed.

The big problem is the current format is just so unappealing.
UEFA should make the Europa cup a straight forward knock out competition, 1 leg only, home and away ties pulled out of a hat, the FA cup of Europe.
If it was knock out it would be fun and I would be up for it!

 

[class of 62]

if the appeal of the europa cup was the winners gaining a place in the following years ecl clubs would be falling over to be in it, simple as that imho.

 

[Legacy]

if the appeal of the europa cup was the winners gaining a place in the following years ecl clubs would be falling over to be in it, simple as that imho.

Then you'd have clubs like Spurs, Liverpool, Everton etc prioritizing the Europa League over the Premier League, as it'd require less wins to win the EL than it would to claim a top four spot.

The Europa League needs to return to a simple knockout competition. Teams that finish 4th and 5th, plus the cup winners. Standard two legged ties, without the Champion's League failures being able to drop into it at a later date.

Take some of the prize money from the Champion's League and give the Europa League winners an extra £7m or so jackpot on top of whatever piddly ass winfall they get at the moment.

Winning the Europa League should give enough of a bonus that it'll enable the winning team the funds to compete financially for a Champion's League place the following season.

 

[nightgoat]

Then you'd have clubs like Spurs, Liverpool, Everton etc prioritizing the Europa League over the Premier League, as it'd require less wins to win the EL than it would to claim a top four spot.

The Europa League needs to return to a simple knockout competition. Teams that finish 4th and 5th, plus the cup winners. Standard two legged ties, without the Champion's League failures being able to drop into it at a later date.

Take some of the prize money from the Champion's League and give the Europa League winners an extra £7m or so jackpot on top of whatever piddly ass winfall they get at the moment.

Winning the Europa League should give enough of a bonus that it'll enable the winning team the funds to compete financially for a Champion's League place the following season.

Spot on... I think the winners of the Europa League at present will only get around €6-7m, whereas you could rack that up just from winning all the group games in the Champions League...

I think as long as eight teams per year are given a place as a second chance because they weren't good enough for the Champions League the competition will never be taken entirely seriously...

 

[StartingPrice]

I remember the days when our season would routinely be over before Christmas...so my gnashing of teeth ain't as loud as some on here.

 

[3Dnata]

if the appeal of the europa cup was the winners gaining a place in the following years ecl clubs would be falling over to be in it, simple as that imho.

I strongly agree with this.
I also went to our home games at Brighton and Crystal palace when we were in the Inter Toto but we put put out very weak sides.
We ould easily get into the situation again if we're not up for the Europa of having a generation(in playing terms) of players who won't play in Europe for our club.

 

[Azrael]

Funny how times have changed.

It isn't funny at all. It's called progression. When we were hoping for the intertoto cup we had spent years finishing in mid-table obscurity.

In the past few years we have finished 4th once, 5th three times (assuming that's where we are at the close of the season), won a trophy and had a massive CL campaign.

With that progression is it "funnY" or hard to understand that fans might have a different perspective now?

 

[Azrael]

if the appeal of the europa cup was the winners gaining a place in the following years ecl clubs would be falling over to be in it, simple as that imho.

Agreed, and really that's what the prize should be.

 

[stevenurse]

I wouldnt agree that the prize should be a cl spot but a knockout competition would make it a lot more interesting, the endless games played make the tournament a joke.

 

[jimbo]

It isn't funny at all. It's called progression. When we were hoping for the intertoto cup we had spent years finishing in mid-table obscurity.

In the past few years we have finished 4th once, 5th three times (assuming that's where we are at the close of the season), won a trophy and had a massive CL campaign.

With that progression is it "funnY" or hard to understand that fans might have a different perspective now?

I understand what you mean but I don't think we should throw the Europa League out of the pram just because we've had a poor end to the season and aren't we should be.

 

[TheGreenLily]

I think the UEFA is a great comp, it is just that they allow the fallout from CL to drop in half way through which diminishes it and a greater cash incentive as well would help promote and bridge the game between teams constantly in the CL and those that are not.

 

[peter_the_yid]

I think the UEFA is a great comp, it is just that they allow the fallout from CL to drop in half way through which diminishes it and a greater cash incentive as well would help promote and bridge the game between teams constantly in the CL and those that are not.

I agree, its a worth while contest. It isnt like were going to playing the Spanish version of Bradford or anything. I have no issues with us being in it.

 

[nightgoat]

Yeah, but look at the teams we could potentially face in the qualifying round...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011–12_UEFA_Europa_League#First_qualifying_round

 

[C0YS]

Yeah, but look at the teams we could potentially face in the qualifying round...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011–12_UEFA_Europa_League#First_qualifying_round

Pretty decent teams tbf, would be really fun playing St Patrick's or something. It would be like a pre-season friendly with a bit of an edge!

 

[nightgoat]

Yeah, I've always wanted to see ÍF Fuglafjørður come to the Lane...

 

[gibbospurs]

We will not get in anyway! we will lose to liverpool... and i would guess i speak for around 90% of fans who support us, a win at pool is hard at the best of times. they are romping it at the moment, and i personally think we will get done quite easily. hopefully king will play. i feel the last 2 months of being a spurs fan has taken away any joy of what we had at the end of last season and champions league this year..? feeling like this is crap and i reckon there must be a feeling of this in the dressing room however the staff try to big the game up! There are no guttsy mouthy players out there to shout and scream at themselves and others when things go wrong. 3-1 pool. hope im wrong. but i kind of dont really care anymore. 2nd or 3rd is where we should be harry. you and your players fault. personally i would like a change in management but who? i dont know the answer and its not my job too either.. COYS...

 

[Azrael]

We will not get in anyway! we will lose to liverpool... and i would guess i speak for around 90% of fans who support us, a win at pool is hard at the best of times. they are romping it at the moment, and i personally think we will get done quite easily. hopefully king will play. i feel the last 2 months of being a spurs fan has taken away any joy of what we had at the end of last season and champions league this year..? feeling like this is crap and i reckon there must be a feeling of this in the dressing room however the staff try to big the game up! There are no guttsy mouthy players out there to shout and scream at themselves and others when things go wrong. 3-1 pool. hope im wrong. but i kind of dont really care anymore. 2nd or 3rd is where we should be harry. you and your players fault. personally i would like a change in management but who? i dont know the answer and its not my job too either.. COYS...

You are an insult to Spurs fandom.

 

[gibbospurs]

You are an insult to Spurs fandom.

Bollox you spanner! try high lighting the next part of the sentence.

 

[Azrael]

Sorry, silly me. It was almost as if I read the sentence as if you don't care what our remaining results are goning to be.

 

[nightgoat]

We will not get in anyway! we will lose to liverpool...

We could still get in via the Fair Play route... We could get drawn against the runner-up of the Campionato Sammarinese di Calcio, the national league of San Marino... Yes, just think, the second best team from the joint-worst footballing nation in the entire world coming to White Hart Lane...

We'd probably make it a category B game, too...