New Europa League Format

[gooch]

From what I can gather, its basically the same as the champs league format for teams that are second rate and cant qualify for the champs league. Groups of four, home and away games each, then the knockout stages.

But surely this will be a good thing? By having more games to play, it encourages teams such as everton, villa, fulham, ourselves, city etc to improve their squads and teams so they can actually compete in it. After all, whats the point of qualifying for it to sack it off half way through when league games become more important. The top 4 manage to contest the league and the champs league every season, so why shouldnt a lesser team be able to challenge for 4th/5th/6th as well as the Europa cup.

So will it improve the quality of the lesser clubs, enabling them to catch up the top 4? Or is it just a second rate competition that no-one really cares about?

 

[Legend10]

Personally I think they should scrap this competition all together.

It seems until the quarters or beyond nobody takes it seriously, the only way I can see any point in it is to make it a straight 2 leg knockout competition right from the off and completely forget the groups.

 

[mil1lion]

I miss the Cup Winners Cup

 

[Legend10]

When we won the UEFA cup in 84 it was the hardest European competition to win.

 

[gooch]

Personally I think they should scrap this competition all together.

It seems until the quarters or beyond nobody takes it seriously, the only way I can see any point in it is to make it a straight 2 leg knockout competition right from the off and completely forget the groups.

only problem with the knockouts, though i agree it would make it more interesting, is the money-generating factor, which wouldnt be as much as group stages

personally i think clubs could use it as a stepping stone to the bigger prizes of champions league otherwise why bother with it?

 

[donny1013]

The growth of the CL has killed this competition. Good luck to Everton, Villa and Fulham with their wafer thin squads having to cope with the rigours of the EPL, CC, FA Cup and the Europa. I think Andy Johnson got a bad injury last night playing against the mighty Amkar Perm, so Fulham will be missing him now in the EPL, where it really counts

 

[gooch]

The growth of the CL has killed this competition. Good luck to Everton, Villa and Fulham with their wafer thin squads having to cope with the rigours of the EPL, CC, FA Cup and the Europa. I think Andy Johnson got a bad injury last night playing against the mighty Amkar Perm, so Fulham will be missing him now in the EPL, where it really counts

which is my point exactly. they need to improve their squads to be able to compete, thus driving them onwards and upwards in terms of quality

its pretty bad i think that the same four teams from england qualify for the champs league year after year

 

[SpurSince57]

I miss the Cup Winners Cup

The only trouble was that it became the Cup Losers' Cup.

 

[fieryjack]

I miss the European Cup. A proper competition.

 

[thfc1989]

Uefa are a joke. How can they make it that champions league rejects are allowed to drop into this competition, but not grant the winner a champions league spot. If there is to be a link it has to be both ways. Also by granting the winner a guaranteed champions league spot, teams would care so much more about the Europa league. To me it just seems common sense.

 

[werty]

Uefa are a joke. How can they make it that champions league rejects are allowed to drop into this competition, but not grant the winner a champions league spot. If there is to be a link it has to be both ways. Also by granting the winner a guaranteed champions league spot, teams would care so much more about the Europa league. To me it just seems common sense.

I agree. If the winners were allowed entry into the Champions League more teams would take it serious. They should also increase the money the teams get. That's the only way to improve it

 

[hashmander]

there is no financial incentive with the uefa cup/europa league that could influence a team to improve their squad depth and talent significantly.