Fixtures for the Coming Season

[Weebull]

To be fair though, why bother with that?

Well I think it would spread some money around a little better to be honest.

The trouble is, basing CL places on league positions leads to the staleness of the top 4 brigade that we've had for years now (until this season). Top top teams come fourth, they scoop all the money from CL TV rights, and use it to set about securing their CL spot for next season, where the cycle repeats.

The element of randomness inherent in one-leg knockout tournaments like the FA Cup would make it much more open and exciting, and hopefully spread the cash around the league a bit more. Over the last ten years, the likes of Southampton, Everton, Portsmouth and even Millwall could have had a bit of the money that usually just flows straight into Arsenal/Man Utd/Chelsea/Liverpool's pockets.

And it would only be one place, hardly like we're devaluing a competition that gives us four spots anyway.

 

[Greenlizard0]

That is true, I do like the idea that money is spread around more.

But while it appears more open than a league format it'd end up being like an unobtainable carrot for all those lesser clubs, a bit like now really.

We'd have the hypothetical situation where the Man UTD/Chelsea/Arsenal/Pool sides would take it serious from the start; they'd never accidentally be knocked out in the early rounds after say, fielding weakened teams. By the time you get a winner it'd never be anybody else BUT them. Freak occurrences like e.g. Pompey winning would almost certainly never happen.

Or the winner of the FA Cup would then be determined by the fate of the then, top 3. Say 3 of those sides are set and end up with huge lead over fourth. They then ditch the FA Cup to stay there. It's now a real scramble (looking at last season) for Liverpool, Spurs, Man City, Villa and possibly Everton. Again, the winners would rarely change, you can bet on that as there's a hell of a lot of money at stake. Eventually it'd become just as stale. At least with this format, you do get teams like Pompey, or Saints etc. who may get a chance in the UEFA Cup.

 

[Weebull]

But the big teams usually DO always win the FA Cup, even now they "don't care" as much. So really, it wouldn't always be an FA Cup finalist that would get that extra CL spot, it would often just be reverted back to fourth place in the league, which would simply leave it as it is already, not really changing anything. Just every now and then, a surprise team would get through (they still did back in the day, and lets no forget Portsmouth beat a strong Man Utd side on the way there, and knockout tournaments will ALWAYS produce shocks.

I think if it were to be implemented, my preferred method would involve a possible third-place play-off in the cup, were it required (both finalists were top 3 sides, say, and both losing semi-finalists weren't). This would give even better scope for a "smaller" Premiership team to make the CL (because as you say, it's conceivable teams may suddenly try harder, limiting the chances of making it to the final), without completely opening it up to any old team who lucked a couple of results to get through.

 

[syke]

Guess it's to do with fixtures. Fulham won't be in the Reserves League for this season;

FFC can confirm that the Club’s Development Squad will not compete in the Barclays Premier Reserve League for the 2010/11 campaign.

Next season FFC will deliver a programme for the Club's 18-21 year-old players, including competitive football, loans to other clubs and occassional tournaments. All Development Squad friendly fixtures will be played behind closed doors next season.

Whilst the Development Squad has performed admirably in the Barclays Premier Reserve League in recent years, the Club feels that a tailored Club campaign, arranged around First Team fixtures, will not only benefit Development Squad players, but will also allow Roy Hodgson greater flexibility with regard to the Premier League's new squad rules.

Bizarre, but will probably work.

 

[Visionary]

Perfect opening game for Newcastle. When we beat Man Utd it will show that we can beat anyone and then I can see us challenging for Europe at the very least.

 

[Admiral Huddy]

In all seriousness, it's good to see Newcastle bounce straight back because it could have been so different. Good luck next season (except against Spurs of course).