Premier League ponders play-offs for Champions League

[have_it]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8516372.stm

Would this be better for us than the current system? Would we have more of a chance of getting into the Champions League through play-offs?

 

[Booney]

My gut instinct is that this has to be good. The more seasons that go by with the same 4 getting into the CL, the harder it becomes to break in. This has to go some way to breaking the strangle-hold.

On the other hand, if we were to ever make it, I'd feel that this was a bit of a backdoor route in. Plus these play-off type games have a nasty habit of going to penalties....

 

[StartingPrice]

Just come on to make this thread meeself (is it Spurs or General Football:shrug.

Anyway. Like with the play-offs, it is good if you don't finish in what was traditionally the last CL/automatic promotion place. It is bad if you do.

Also, for the sake of symmetry, would this mean that the final relegation place from the Prem. would also be decided this way - not that that need ever worry us, eh:wink:

 

[robin09]

I like it.

Obviously it opens up the chances of being in the CL.

Though whether a team that finished 6th or 7th in its domestic league should be allowed to play in a 'Champions League', is another matter.

 

[Booney]

Just come out in a cold sweat at the though of West Ham or Fulham making it into the CL before us. They're often found lurking around 7th place.

 

[danielneeds]

In Holland where they do this the matches are incredibly exciting and dramatic, much like the championship play-offs. Sky would love it.

Obiviously would be good for us too.

 

[Star_of_Davids]

if they bing this in it's one way to guarantee we finish 4th - and then screw up in the play offs!

 

[ravo]

We'd def. lose on pens

 

[YidGraham]

Think this sounds like a good idea. Might be a little tricky fitting in the fixtures if the clubs reach FA or UEFA/CL finals.

"Any changes would need the agreement of 14 of the 20 clubs. But the League says there are many options and nothing has been decided."

I would of thought this idea would be met with the approval of everyone not part of Sky 4. Would create an incredible end of season climax.

 

[mattyspurs]

It's already in General Football chaps and chapess'

 

[Jaispurs]

I think the Europa League places and 4th spot should all play off against each other rather than take it down to 7th position.
This will automatically bring back the favour of the FA and Carling Cups with a real prize at the end of it.
So my idea would be 4th and 5th place in the league plus FA Cup Winners and Carling Cup winners. If the winners of either Cup finish in the top 5 then the teams playing 6th and 7th (who would qualify for Europa League anyway) join the play offs.

This way all teams win something and qualify for Europe. It would be far more interesting that 4th - 7th and breathe life back into our cup competitions.

Thoughts ?

 

[guiltyparty]

I think the Europa League places and 4th spot should all play off against each other rather than take it down to 7th position.
This will automatically bring back the favour of the FA and Carling Cups with a real prize at the end of it.
So my idea would be 4th and 5th place in the league plus FA Cup Winners and Carling Cup winners. If the winners of either Cup finish in the top 5 then the teams playing 6th and 7th (who would qualify for Europa League anyway) join the play offs.

This way all teams win something and qualify for Europe. It would be far more interesting that 4th - 7th and breathe life back into our cup competitions.

Thoughts ?

:clap: great idea

 

[faymantaray]

This would be SO exciting!

Saying that, knowing our luck, the year they'd introduce it we'll finally finish 4th then lose in the playoff semis..

 

[van_Pommel]

Obviously for the top 4, this is an awful idea. Given that probably 60% of the population support a top 4 team the idea will get a lot of opposition.

However, even with my unbiased hat on, I think this is an excellent idea. It would add more excitement and entertainment to a competition that is already one of the most watched in the world. The 4 clubs have such a strong hold on the highest level of football in this country, and nobody can argue that this in mainly down to the revenue from the Champions league and the quality of players that they can attract due to playing in the Champions League. We are a great example of a club that has suffered from this. I think most of us would agree that if we still had Berbatov and Carrick we would be mounting a far more serious challenge on 4th place than we are currently. Both of those players left to play Champions League football.

 

[Adam456]

From a Premier League view anything that opens up the CL Qualification process would be a good thing. This would certainly open it up.

From a Spurs point of view the timing is interesting. They say it wouldn't come in for at least 3 years (because of the current TV deal). This season and possibly next may be best chances of finishing top 4 with Liverpool weak and Man City still learning. However, Man City will eventually assemble a squad so good that they'll be challenging for the title rather than 4th and Liverpool will probably get some new investment and bounce back. Villa may also be as strong as us by then

Although we should then be in the new stadium and will slowly start to reap the rewards in a larger transfer and wages budget I think the ability to get into a play-off by finishing 5th or 6th might be very, very appealing

 

[Adam456]

I also like Jaispurs' idea about the playoff between all the cup winners and 4th, 5th whatever but would we find clubs complaining about the number of (suddenly important) games. Meaning that the teams with the biggest squads are at an advantage once more ? So the same clubs win all of the trophies and one lucky team finishing outside of the top 4 might get a CL place if they win the play-off ?

Interesting though

 

[sherbornespurs]

Not a fan of ANY playoffs.

It's bad enough that clubs other than the actual league champions get to qualify for the Champions League, making the competition a complete misnomer in the process, without turning the Premier League into a cup competition for the final few matches.

Imagine finishing 4th, perhaps 12 points clear of the team in 7th, then losing out to that club in a one-off winner takes all lottery of a final?

Once again, this is more to do with generating revenue for the Premier League and its greedy member clubs via play-off matches at Wembley, relayed around the world to a global audience via pay TV.

Of course, it will be sold to the fans on the basis that it will open up the Champions League to a greater number of clubs, generating huge excitement in the process. In fact all it will do is spread mediocrity in a 'never mind the quality' sort of way, and any excitement (or is that 'fan experience'?) will have been artificially manufactured

Just like the '39th' game, this is just another ruse to increase the revenue stream of the 'product' and to enable Scudamore to appease the Premiership clubs' constant demand for more cash - and guess who's cash they're after?

We don't need the 39th game, we dont need this and we certainly don't need artificially manufactured excitement.

 

[StartingPrice]

I thnk we should just keep playing, indefinitely, until we qualify for the CL or the players collapse from fatigue - whichever comes sooner:grin:

 

[Shanks]

Should only be kept for the premier league clubs.

Would be silly, seeing thea Div1 team in the CL playoff, because of a lucky cup run.

 

[sherbornespurs]

I thnk we should just keep playing, indeefinitely, until we quaolify for the CL or the players collapse from fatigue - whichever somes sooner:grin:

...or until one set of players collapses through food poisoning.