...::[The Footy Desk]::... (Part 2)

[Jason]

Thoughts on the new CL/EL league format for the first round?

 

As with a lot of people I was skeptical, felt like UEFA changing it for financial reasons,get the big teams to play each other more, more games, etc. But I have to say I thought this years league was pretty good. I think partly some teams, notable City, having a poor performance added a lot of spice to it but it does make for a chaotic last day, and looking at the table every point genuinely matters. The top 8 is actually worth going for as well.

[Cordohen]

 

 The stars were defenitively aligned for us tonight

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, Jason said:

Thoughts on the new CL/EL league format for the first round?

 

As with a lot of people I was skeptical, felt like UEFA changing it for financial reasons,get the big teams to play each other more, more games, etc. But I have to say I thought this years league was pretty good. I think partly some teams, notable City, having a poor performance added a lot of spice to it but it does make for a chaotic last day, and looking at the table every point genuinely matters. The top 8 is actually worth going for as well.

It's really cool to see all teams, even smaller ones, to unexpectedly put more grit with this format. Traditionally we could bet which team would likely pass from day one, and our predictions could be confirmed as early as matchweek four. I remember when Man City was always accused of getting easy groups, and when Real Madrid, Inter, and Shakhtar were drawed in the same group twice in a row.

 

My only concern is that there are 2-4 additional games now in an already bloated schedule. Like us. We could've gone straight to top eight, but the same old red card blunder kicked us to the playoff. Now we must play that extra round. That problem can easily be circumnavigated by expanding the squad size though. Feel like Chelsea's 40-players rooster will be a norm in near future (we basically already have it if we counted Milan Futuro as part of main team).

[Jason]

Yea I think it potentially massively helps the smaller teams, with how the top 4 or 5 leagues are now it was a massive shock if a small team got through, now there's actually spots for them to play for and make every point matter.

 

The extra games are the primary issue, but yea I do agree I think squad sizes will probably increase in the coming years because UEFA/FIFA don't give a sh*t so it'll be left to the clubs to find solutions, which will be to increase the squad size and basically beg UEFA and the leagues to increase how many players they can register, which they'll probably allow cause it means they get to keep the amount of games.

[TheSantader25]

It seems a bit weird. Small teams get some chance but at the same time i feel like it's almost impossible for any big team not to qualify. Either way it wasn't as bad as i thought it would be and i think the greatest thing about it is that teams don't drop into europa league.

[wqx]

This new format was probably an answer to Florentino Perez' ideas of a "Super League" with only the big name clubs in it. What I liked so far is that due to having just one standings  board clubs are kind of "contextualized" with other clubs even though they don't play against each other in direct duels. This last day definitly has the potential to be very chaotic and make following it more interesting compared to the old format.

[Jason]

Yea in the old format we could have groups that were done by the final game, if not before, but in the new format there's still important games on the last day. I do agree it's probably relatively easier for a big team to secure qualification into the next round, but while the more games aspect is problematic, it does make top 8 worth going for, which is much harder to get into.

[smokeless6]

18 hours ago, Jason said:

Thoughts on the new CL/EL league format for the first round?

 

I think I prefer it, and not just because Liverpool topped the table.

 

In the old format you played a home and away, three opponents, in the group stage. Now the number of opponents is doubled. You see more teams, and that's good for the fans. There's some added jeopardy too perhaps, in how the home/away falls. Playing a top side on your own ground can be an advantage right? But draw them away and it flips. I like this, rather than the 'balanced and fair' format we had before.

 

It also has partly reduced the relative security of the top teams, who were nearly always given four games against weak teams in their group to ensure progression. That has been stripped away. There were always giant killing before, but now it feels like more teams have a chance at reaching the knockouts, and top sides are more vulnerable. One group would always be labeled the group of death, but that just meant you only had one minnow to beat up twice and guarantee six points.

[smokeless6]

City and Madrid have drawn each other for the playoff. Jeopardy indeed, as one of those will be out before the knockouts

 

Looking at the final group stage standings -- if indeed it is still called that -- there are no surprises in teams already eliminated. But all of Madrid, City, Juventus, Bayern and PSG still must earn their way in.  The last three should sail through given their draws, but there's a lot of pressure on them to win.  That Madrid-City affair is a spicy one.

[smokeless6]

Harry Maguire helpfully demonstrates to the crowd how far offside he was for the winner

 

 

[Jason]

It's an absolute shocker from the liner. It's a freekick and the full United attack is offside with daylight between them. Horrendous mistake from a professional linesmen.

 

I'll gladly take it.

[smokeless6]

Yes, any side would. But still

 

[Jason]

City vs Madrid was as entertaining as I hoped. Neither of them can defend lol.

 

Sounds like Mbappe's finding his form over there as well, when him, Vini Jr and Bellingham click it's an insane trio of players.

[LongHairedFreakyGuy]

After last season, I really don't want to jinx it, since we lost out in the last few games, but I feel like we're such a strong team this season, and minus the odd f*ck ups here and there (wouldn't be Leeds United if not), but I genuinely feel we're on the path to promotion this season. 

 

In saying that, this really worries me:

 

[TonyRyodan]

Im sad with what is happening with Argentina's national league, such decisions always ends up getting the overall level of the teams in such a poor condition

 

The major teams had always unfair privileges, and I guess will be this way for a long time.

[Guest]

Theo Hernandez must be sold this summer, and be frozen out by Conceicao. No more tolerance. How many red cards we have amassed this season already?

 

A team that couldnt beat Dinamo Zagreb like us deserve to be knocked out anyway.

[Guest]

I seriously fear Sergio Conceicao's fate now. Good coach but 60% of our players just aren't up to his standard. Our board have backed him in winter transfer, but it's obvious that a clearout is only possible in the summer. Hope Zlatan and co. are patient enough for him 

[TheSantader25]

Damn. Every time man united have had a bad situation there was always some hope in the end. But i feel like the whole club really seem hopeless now. Like i literally don't know when they ever gonna get out of this. The owners have f*cked every infrastructure within the club beyond repair.

[Eutyphro]

I'm waiting for when they are going to sack Amorim.

Also funny to see Antony playing well at Betis.

[Jason]

INEOS' plan is clearly to burn the house down and rebuild anew. If he gets it wrong he'll be hounded out very quickly, next season has be a lot better.

 

It is obvious there's something very wrong with the culture of the club, confidence is rock bottom, off the pitch is a mess which never helps either.

[Eutyphro]

I'm not sure United can wait until mid season to sack the coach again, then set up a new coach for failure by starting without a preseason again. What a total disaster of a season.

 

But Amorim is making them play some absolutely awful football and I don't see this moving in a good direction anytime in the near future.

[Guest]

I'd literally sell every single player at this point lol, no exception, and get like 600m to start over from zero 

 

For real though, I sadly think it's truly over for United. Back then I said it's impossible for them to be relegated, but now I'd say it's highly likely. They will either fall into permanent mediocrity like Saint Ettiene or Hamburger SV; or reborn like Juve after Calciopoli. No in between.

 

Not too surprised with Antony. La Liga's climate fits better to his playstyle IMO.

[smokeless6]

I agree, that La Liga suits him better, but I'm still surprised to see him hit the ground running, seamlessly slotting in and having a big impact. They've moved up a bunch of spots since his arrival.

 

As for United.... well, don't care to kick them when they're down. But you think about all the money spent and how it feels like none of them are good enough.

 

Good week for Liverpool. Massive win over City, which of course doesn't feel quite the same given current form, but this is one circled when the schedule was announced and to navigate it so smoothly is vital to their title aspirations. Long way to go yet. Toon's up next. Another big test against a team in good form, full of confidence.

Edited February 26 by smokeless6

[Guest]

I'm sick of another Man City's slip-then-win moment, so go there and get as much points as possible until Man City mathematically can't catch you up.

[Jason]

We will see players leave and do better and it should be no surprise cause while some will go to leagues they're better suited to (or drop down a level), United is a club going through a very difficult period. Off the pitch it's a mess and on the pitch it's rock bottom, no confidence and under massive pressure in every game all while trying to get to grips with a new system which the squad is not well equipped to play in.

 

I said it before I think when it was starting to get wobbly under Amorim that it'll probably get worse before it gets better and it's proven correct. We need a clear out, some players are simply not good enough, some have lost interest in it and some are just not suited to what we want to do at United, even before Amorim. It's likely why the penny pinching going on by INEOS is so severe, they are desperate to have as much money as possible to spend on transfers this summer. We have hired a new director of recruitment who has a rep for spotting young talent so that could be a good thing, but Ashworth was meant to be a big part of that and well we all saw how that went.

[LongHairedFreakyGuy]

Can't believe they had to take that Roberts/Mateta clash to VAR to make a decision on it. I don't think it was done maliciously, but Roberts has clearly made a really poor decision in the moment and it's resulted in a horrific challenge. Millwall fans with the usual classiness too... 

[Jason]

Michael Oliver being England's best referee is and always has been one of the greatest Premier League myths that's been platformed by our media.

 

He's long been the most controversial and yes part of that is he gets the big games but it's largely because every fans team dislikes him because he get big decisions wrong time and time again.

[TheSantader25]

I agree. Caused madrid to win CL in 2018 due to a wrong penalty against Juve.

[TonyRyodan]

Still have nightmares about him, he refereed Brazil vs Croatia in 2022 wc

Edited March 5 by TonyRyodan

[smokeless6]

The fixture list occasionally has me supporting United, and yesterday was one of those days. Good result and now maybe we can dare to dream. Still a long way to go.

 

Darwin with a goal, and he scored because he had no time to think about it.