Premier League change.......

[Legend10]

I would like to see......


The problem with the English Premier league is not only that the title is monopolised but also that the CL places are as well.

It's good that Everton, Villa and City are having a real go this season and I hope 1 of them makes it above Liverpool (although I still doubt it).

The top 4 clubs just get stronger and stronger and 1 of the biggest contributing factors is the CL money and particularly from the TV side. To make the Premiership more interesting we need to see other teams given a slice of this cake.

I would like to see the following....

The top 2 qualify automatically for the CL

The FA Cup winners qualify for the CL

3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th enter play offs for the 4th qualifying place.

If the Premier League winners or runners up win the FA Cup then the losing finalists qualify for the CL

If a team finishing between 3rd & 6th win the FA Cup then the team finishing 7th are awarded a play off place.

In the play offs.......

3rd v 6th
4th v 5th

play in 1 off match with the 2 winning teams meeting in a CL decider at the home ground of the highest ranked team.

The 3 losing teams are then awarded a UEFA cup place along with the CC winners, if the winners of the CC have qualified for Europe then the losing finalists get a place and if they have qualified then it goes to the 8th placed team.

Sounds complicated but it's actually very simple,

thoughts.....

 

[Marty]

No

I'm opposed to any form of play-off system that isn't the way they do it in Norway, third bottom of the Premier League vs. Third in the First Division.

If a team finishes third it has deserved it, and should be rewarded accordingly. I oppose the idea of 6th place being given a second shot at promotion, but that's the way it is today.

Likewise with the CL places. A play-off system there could even backfire. Say Everton finished 4th and Liverpool 5th. Everton would be in the CL with today's system. But Liverpool get a second shot to beat Everton in the play-offs and qualify for the CL anyway.

So ... just no.

And your plan also backfires as England only have 3 direct UEFA Cup spots. So either the CC winner or the play-off loser would lose out altogether.

 

[Legend10]

No

I'm opposed to any form of play-off system that isn't the way they do it in Norway, third bottom of the Premier League vs. Third in the First Division.

If a team finishes third it has deserved it, and should be rewarded accordingly. I oppose the idea of 6th place being given a second shot at promotion, but that's the way it is today.

Likewise with the CL places. A play-off system there could even backfire. Say Everton finished 4th and Liverpool 5th. Everton would be in the CL with today's system. But Liverpool get a second shot to beat Everton in the play-offs and qualify for the CL anyway.

So ... just no.

And your plan also backfires as England only have 3 direct UEFA Cup spots. So either the CC winner or the play-off loser would lose out altogether.

I think under the new system we are in line to get 4 UEFA spots?

 

[Marty]

Really? That's news to me. This season it's definitely just the three direct places, plus one or two adding Intertoto and Fair Play (very unlikely).

 

[worcestersauce]

How about only the champions enter the champions league? that would solve the problem and reinstate the Champions League as a meaningful competition of champions playing champions.
They could even call it the European Champions cup.

If this idea is so revolutionary as to be utterly rediculous and would never work then I like your idea of the play offs just to shake up the cosy club. After all nobody could claim that the representatives from a play off system would do any worse than our fab 4, its not like they set the competition alight every years is it? I mean to say any side can fail to win the CL so why insist on the top four doing it.
Here's an idea; if you qualify for the Champions league every year for five years and still don't win it shouldn't you be banned for two years at least, because other teams may be more successful.

 

[LSUY]

Have to agree with above. I would love to see just champions within the Champions League. It is so stupid to see Liverpool win the Champions League and finish 5th in the Premier League.

The champions from each country so go into the Champions League. 2nd, 3rd and 4th go into the UEFA Cup. FA Cup and League Cup winners go into the Cup Winners Cup. That is the way it should be.

As much as I would like to see Spurs win the UEFA Cup, the trophy is almost worthless. I remember when the big clubs of Europe like Barcelona, Juventus, Bayern Munich, etc., actually tried to win the UEFA Cup and when they did where proud to do so.

 

[rez9000]

I like your idea Legend. Failing that, we should institute the 'only Champions in the Champions League' idea.

 

[hashmander]

so milwall and southampton would have been in the champions league if this rule was in effect earlier this decade?

 

[worcestersauce]

so milwall and southampton would have been in the champions league if this rule was in effect earlier this decade?

Wouldn't have done any worse that arsenal!

 

[PeterboroughYids]

i think the 'big 4' already have too much power for the league to be able to change. the only reason scudamore is proposing these 39th GAM£ is because he knows the big 4 are looking at forming a world super league.. what i dont understand is why dont they just let them clear off...

 

[worcestersauce]

i think the 'big 4' already have too much power for the league to be able to change. the only reason scudamore is proposing these 39th GAM£ is because he knows the big 4 are looking at forming a world super league.. what i dont understand is why dont they just let them clear off...

With no return clause neither.

 

[Legend10]

i think the 'big 4' already have too much power for the league to be able to change. the only reason scudamore is proposing these 39th GAM£ is because he knows the big 4 are looking at forming a world super league.. what i dont understand is why dont they just let them clear off...

I'm not sure that a world or european super league is his main concern.

i think that he is more concerned that the big boys are going to start negotiating their own tv deals.

 

[Bill_Oddie]

Great suggestion. Very revolutionary, but fair-ish (as much as anything in football is fair), and workable. Plus more excitement to the business end of the season.

I would dispute the FA Cup losing finalists getting a CL spot, but that is easily fixed.

Otherwise, it is certainly worthy of discussion.

 

[Cicada]

i'd like Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal to all fuck off to some 'european' league', which fails within 2 seasons and they have to rejoin the english league at conference level...

then there might finally be some competition for some fucking trophies

 

[chinaman]

I would like to go back to the ancient format of only the league champions go to the Champions League.

 

[Real_madyidd]

Cup Winners Cup, would be awesome!

 

[SpurSince57]

The only problem was, it gradually became the Cup Losers' Cup.

Less our league that needs changing, more the format of the European competitions. I agree with Chinaman; get the CL back to champions only, dispense with the group stages and make it an unseeded knock-out.

Or, have one monster all-in competition, again set up as an unseeded knock-out.

 

[Real_madyidd]

I think the league champions should play in a league, and cup champions play in a cup. Simple really.

 

[DogsOfWar]

I don't really see the issue being a question of how good the top four are but a question of how incompetent those teams below them are.

All it takes is a Chairman who operates a decent business plan and a decent manager.

What have the most improved sides of the last year or two got in common?
City- SGE, Villa- O'Niell, Us- Jol/Ramos (I haven't counted Moyes as he's been at Everton for a while).

They have all appointed decent managers who have then gone and bought decent players, it isn't rocket science. Once you start running a football club as a business you concentrate on getting the best men in at the top and the rest follows.

I don't believe in the politics of envy and therefore a need to handicap the elite, I believe in rising to their level through endeavour (Chelsea obviously an exception to this rule).

 

[worcestersauce]

I don't really see the issue being a question of how good the top four are but a question of how incompetent those teams below them are.

All it takes is a Chairman who operates a decent business plan and a decent manager.

What have the most improved sides of the last year or two got in common?
City- SGE, Villa- O'Niell, Us- Jol/Ramos (I haven't counted Moyes as he's been at Everton for a while).

They have all appointed decent managers who have then gone and bought decent players, it isn't rocket science. Once you start running a football club as a business you concentrate on getting the best men in at the top and the rest follows.

I don't believe in the politics of envy and therefore a need to handicap the elite, I believe in rising to their level through endeavour (Chelsea obviously an exception to this rule).

I wouldn't disagree with you but it would fairer to rise to their level through endeavour on a level playing field.
If they are better than everyone else then surely they don't need the advantage of an extra £30m every year.
In fact there is an arguement for saying that the only fair way to beat this uneven bias is by doing it the way chelsea did and nullifying the massive distortion in income.

I personally believe that Villa, Everton & Man City will still be around the same position in 3 years time.

We of course, will be Champions by then!!