UEFA CL/EL/ECL & Carabao Cup Football Thread ** spoilers ** [1st - 3rd October 2024]
- Thread starter explicit4u
- Start date
Caporegime
Arsenal are a set piece team. Change my mind.
Lots of unhappy Toon fans on Reddit despite the scoreline at half time.
I didn’t think the first half was that bad - we’ve got all the possession and we’re just struggling to make space and break them down. Wimbledon are defending well and it’s not easy when 21 players are all in the final third for most of the game.
I’m not sure what everyone is complaining about.
I didn’t think the first half was that bad - we’ve got all the possession and we’re just struggling to make space and break them down. Wimbledon are defending well and it’s not easy when 21 players are all in the final third for most of the game.
I’m not sure what everyone is complaining about.
PSG are crap but their fans are immense, incredible noise at the emirates.
Caporegime
PSG would be dangerous if they had some sort of pacy wide player who could put the ball in the back of the net. Alas.
Soldato
They used to do that brackets thing years ago when showing the final scores for your pools coupon if it was an unusual score. It may, or may not, have to do with the confusion that reigned when East Fife won 5-4 away to Fofar Athletic
Soldato
I didn't watch it but from reports seemed like a pretty easy routine win. Lost of changes to the side, no goals conceded and a run out for some squad players with a bit of Saudi sportswashing chucked in by way of a small donation towards them getting rid of that links golf course and replacing it with a football pitch. Can't see what's to moan about other than the ticket prices but if the fans want success in the coming years they are going to have to get used to paying for it. Presumably those posting on reddit weren't doing it from SJP anyway!
I was behind the goal quite close to the PSG fans last night. They were really good, as well as almost none stop chanting they were pretty synchronised in all their actions too. Football wise we seemed to let them have the ball quite a lot but they were completely toothless in the final 3rd. I think if we'd have really gone at them we could easily have a had a few more. Very comfortable routine win.
Soldato
Has anyone else lost interest in the Champions League this season with the new format?
Caporegime
Nah, I'll still watch the juicy games as usual.
Soldato
Yeah, surely you watch football for the games which are put in front of you, not some table position?
Is a total joke of a format now, i think we've had more games with a 4goal plus winning margin in the opening round and a half than you get with an entire group stage.
Side note, I didnt even realise man city were playing last night until i checked the results
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I'm unsure what the new format has to do with one sided games? With the old format you still had pot 1 (or 2) teams playing pot 4 teams. We're not seeing higher quality sides playing lower quality sides - the same sides are still playing each other.
Regarding jeopardy I think it's far too early to make a judgement. It's early in the League so there won't be the same jeopardy as there was in the early games of a 4 sided group - it's no different to the PL, there's not the same jeopardy to games now as there will be in April and May. The jeopardy will come towards the end of the League, where the old format typically became boring with most of the groups all but settled after 3-4 games. With there only being 8 automatic qualification spots for the next round, all but a few sides will most likely still be playing for something going into the last game or two. You'll have sides potentially as high as 3rd or 4th with a couple of games to go and then potentially finishing outside the top 8 and equally you'll have sides in 14th that could end up in 6th. You also have the play-off round for sides finishing 9th to 24th (and 9th play 24th, 10th play 23rd etc) so all but a couple of sides cut adrift will have the chance of making the play-offs and even those in mid table will want/need to finish as high as possible to get a better draw in the play-off.
Regarding jeopardy I think it's far too early to make a judgement. It's early in the League so there won't be the same jeopardy as there was in the early games of a 4 sided group - it's no different to the PL, there's not the same jeopardy to games now as there will be in April and May. The jeopardy will come towards the end of the League, where the old format typically became boring with most of the groups all but settled after 3-4 games. With there only being 8 automatic qualification spots for the next round, all but a few sides will most likely still be playing for something going into the last game or two. You'll have sides potentially as high as 3rd or 4th with a couple of games to go and then potentially finishing outside the top 8 and equally you'll have sides in 14th that could end up in 6th. You also have the play-off round for sides finishing 9th to 24th (and 9th play 24th, 10th play 23rd etc) so all but a couple of sides cut adrift will have the chance of making the play-offs and even those in mid table will want/need to finish as high as possible to get a better draw in the play-off.
Soldato
I think the issue is we are 2 games in and it is too early to know what is needed to qualify. In the old format, 2 games in and teams knew if they had a mountain to climb or not. It just feels like it is too early to care about results.
There's definitely a situation where nobody knows what they need and I don't think that's particularly a bad thing. It should encourage sides to be a bit more brave and go for a win but equally as I said above, the end of the League format should be far more exciting for it with potentially all be the top and bottom 2 or 3 sides with a chance of qualifying (at least for the play-offs). With the old format you might get the odd group that's still up in the air with a game or 2 to go but generally there was very little to play for in the final couple of rounds.