Once Again...

Dublin Spur

The Champions league was shown up for the fraud it really is again last night.

Slavia Prague played in it this year, and looked no better than Fulham or Derby (AT HOME!!). Bazitkas were in it this season too and we trounced them in their place last season.

The CL is a joke, we're much better than 70% of the teams in it yet we get relegated to UFEA because of geography. Will there ever be a day when the best clubs play in the same competition redgardless of how many are from the same country ??

11th richest and still nvere to play CL football. As much as I hate the CL w@nkery have to say it really hurts not to be able to go to the Nou Camp / San Siero etc. espically when rubbish clubs get to play their simply because they won the albanian / Swiss etc.. league

Such a load of bollox.

whiskeyman

Same could be said about the World Cup tbh...

Dublin Spur

whiskeyman wrote: »

Same could be said about the World Cup tbh...

Yes, but at least the WC has been pretty much the same format over the years.

In my opinion, there was nothing wrong with the old champions cup, uefa cup and cup winners cup. Can anyone tell me what was wrong with these competitions ??

Now there's the champions league with only 20% of the teams are actually champions themselves. The UEFA cup has become a bit of a joke (unless you win it) and the CWC was scrapped without any explaination. The whole thing skinks.

What's happened in the last 10/15 years in European football is nothing more than a money/greed driven pethetic w@nkery bu UEFA. It's not a fans game anymore.

RichMc70

I completely agree with you about the CL. They have fcuked up what was once a great competition and turned it into a bastardised euro super league, but as you said:-

"What's happened in the last 10/15 years in European football is nothing more than a money/greed driven pethetic w@nkery bu UEFA. It's not a fans game anymore."

The same can be said of the EPL. Look out how they pander to needs/wishes of the big four teams. How they carefully plan the fixtures for those clubs and in particular for Sky Tv.

Now theyre looking for a money spinning 39th game abroad each season. Nobody wants it other than the pricks who sit on the EPL board and a few greedy club chairman.

Dublin Spur

RichMc70 wrote: »

I completely agree with you about the CL. They have fcuked up what was once a great competition and turned it into a bastardised euro super league, but as you said:-

"What's happened in the last 10/15 years in European football is nothing more than a money/greed driven pethetic w@nkery bu UEFA. It's not a fans game anymore."

The same can be said of the EPL. Look out how they pander to needs/wishes of the big four teams. How they carefully plan the fixtures for those clubs and in particular for Sky Tv.

Now theyre looking for a money spinning 39th game abroad each season. Nobody wants it other than the pricks who sit on the EPL board and a few greedy club chairman.

Yes the EPL is the same too, but at least we get to play the best teams in it.
I'm becoming more and more disillusioned with modern football.
I will always love Spurs but the game pretty much stinks at the moment.
Not the game I grew up loving.

We didn't win leagues in the 80's but we still got to play Real Madrids and Barcelonas on the UEFA / CWC competitions. I fcuking hate it today.

Lawless_Samurai

Not to go off the OP but I missed the game last night and was just wondering if anyone can give me the run down on how it went. Did we play well, what were the goals like etc.....



Cheers

RichMc70

Lawless_Samurai wrote: »

Not to go off the OP but I missed the game last night and was just wondering if anyone can give me the run down on how it went. Did we play well, what were the goals like etc.....

Berbatov 4mins, Keane 30mins, Strihavka (Prague) 70mins.
For 70 minutes we were cruising comfortably and should have been 4 or 5 up by that stage (needed more clinical finishing). Then on 70 mins a deep cross was fluffed by Cerny under no pressure and he drops it to their striker who only had a tap in. After that Prague showed more spirit and pressed more. They hit the woodwork in the dying minutes too, but in saying that we should have be going home for 2nd leg with at least 3 or 4 goal advantage though.

Lawless_Samurai

Cool cheers Rich

trek climber

Two questions -
when is the second leg due to be played and
who do the winners meet in the next round

Cheers..

Shiminay

I've long been of the opinion that they should permanently take the "top 4" or whoever out of their domestic leagues and make a permanent European Super League. I have absolutely no idea how this might work logisticly, but I can see it happening in the next 20 years.

RichMc70

Kharn wrote: »

I've long been of the opinion that they should permanently take the "top 4" or whoever out of their domestic leagues and make a permanent European Super League. I have absolutely no idea how this might work logisticly, but I can see it happening in the next 20 years.

I would strongly be against that opinion.

Put top four into a European Super League and the EPL becomes meaningless other than clubs with great history and tradition suddenly becoming feeders to the privileged.

The Football Mafia (previously known as G14) were toying with the idea for over 10 years. Their idea was to have 16-18 league of the biggest clubs in europe with no relegation system ensuring that the money-go-round kept turning for them and them only. Another idea based on pure greed.

therecklessone

Slightly confusing message Shane.

If you've a problem with the money side of things that's fine, but then to slate sides who've won their national leagues for being sh1t and not deserving their place is a bit rich.

It appears that you'd drop your objections as long as we get to sit at the top table, if thats the case then I'm disappointed mate.

I think the Euro competitions should be reformed, with no more than 3 teams from any one league and I'd bring back the Cup-Winners Cup along with a more streamlined UEFA Cup. Drop the Intertoto and Fair Play entries from the UC, and if you drop out of the CL from the group stages that should be your lot.

Dublin Spur

therecklessone wrote: »

Slightly confusing message Shane.

If you've a problem with the money side of things that's fine, but then to slate sides who've won their national leagues for being sh1t and not deserving their place is a bit rich.

It appears that you'd drop your objections as long as we get to sit at the top table, if thats the case then I'm disappointed mate.

I think the Euro competitions should be reformed, with no more than 3 teams from any one league and I'd bring back the Cup-Winners Cup along with a more streamlined UEFA Cup. Drop the Intertoto and Fair Play entries from the UC, and if you drop out of the CL from the group stages that should be your lot.

I think you're missing my point.

It seems the only thing holding Spurs back is geography. In my opinion we would beat about 70% of the clubs in the CL consistantly and would probabally beat a few of the big guns on any given night. Also the fact that we made a mockery of Slavia Prague and Basitkis (all away) 3 tims in the past 18-months proves how weak the majority of CL teams actually are.

The CL is marketed by UEFA as the cream of Euorpe when the majority are no better then a Fulham or a Wigan. It's a sham. If the CL is supposed to be a competition involving the best teams in Europe than it should be exactly that. What's the point of 70% of the teams being cannon fodder ??

If the CL is about quality why then should the Albainian league champions qualify ?? If it's just about having a lovely nice European festival of football than fine, but how can UEFA call it their top competition when most of the teams in it are rubbish and can't even half fill their staduims. Yet we remain on the outside. It's a joke.

I'm annoyed that we don't get to play in the San Siero or the Nou Camp when we're batter than most of the treams in the competition. Our game last Thurs highlighted this once again. Thats all.

I can't understand any Spurs fan simply accepting that we're just not good enough to be in it when it's very obvious to me that we'd hammer most of the 07/08 entries.

Very unfair, why should we miss out when we're good enough ??

Iago

Dublin Spur wrote: »

Very unfair, why should we miss out when we're good enough ??

Not a Spurs fan, but I really don't see what's unfair about it. There are 3 countries in Europe where the top 4 teams qualify for the Champions League, England is one of them. If you can't finish in the top four of your league then how can you say you deserve to be in it?

Personally I'd prefer if they changed the format to one of two things

1. Only winners qualify for champions league as it used to be
2. First two rounds are knockout rounds with groups only being decided at the end of those rounds.

This will never happen because of the money involved.

I'd also agree with the earlier poster that teams knocked out of the Champions league shouldn't entered into the latter stages of the UEFA cup, it's a farce.

No-one can argue that the Champions League rewards the teams that are most consistent over the course of a season in whatever league they are in. Considering that Spurs have been beaten by Sunderland & Birmingham and only drawn with Fulham & Bolton this season, I think it's a bit rich to be slagging Slavia Prague because they're no better than "Fulham or Wigan"

Manic087

trek climber wrote: »

Two questions -
when is the second leg due to be played and
who do the winners meet in the next round

Cheers..

Second leg is this Thurs (21st Feb) and we'll prob be meeting PSV...games are played 6th and prob 13th March but not sure whether we'd be at home first or second.

RichMc70

We cant complain about not playing the likes of AC, Barcelona etc etc because at the end of the day we havent done well enough in our own domestic league. Yes we probably could beat two thirds of the teams involved in the competition but we only have ourselves to blame for not being strong enough domestically.

I think the one thing we can all agree on is that the CL format was never about COMPETITION just purely MONEY !!!

The use of the word Champions in the competition title is a mockery. I would have to agree with other posts in that it should be reformed back to the old format. Only domestic league champions (+ current holder) can qualify and then the first two rounds a 2 leg knockout involving all teams and then team progress to a mini-league. The four winners of each mini-league would then play a 2 leg semi-final to reach the one-off final.

Bring back the Cup Winners Cup, again with only one entry from each domestic league.

I think the same/similar CL format could apply to the UEFA Cup, which would become a much stronger & prestigious competition. And none of this bollocks about teams dropping out of the CL and into the UEFA Cup.

Dublin Spur

Iago wrote: »

Not a Spurs fan, but I really don't see what's unfair about it. There are 3 countries in Europe where the top 4 teams qualify for the Champions League, England is one of them. If you can't finish in the top four of your league then how can you say you deserve to be in it?

Personally I'd prefer if they changed the format to one of two things

1. Only winners qualify for champions league as it used to be
2. First two rounds are knockout rounds with groups only being decided at the end of those rounds.

This will never happen because of the money involved.

I'd also agree with the earlier poster that teams knocked out of the Champions league shouldn't entered into the latter stages of the UEFA cup, it's a farce.

No-one can argue that the Champions League rewards the teams that are most consistent over the course of a season in whatever league they are in. Considering that Spurs have been beaten by Sunderland & Birmingham and only drawn with Fulham & Bolton this season, I think it's a bit rich to be slagging Slavia Prague because they're no better than "Fulham or Wigan"

Yes we've had an average season with lots of ups and downs.
Hopfully we have left that rubbish behind us now.

But then again look at Liverpool, beaten by Barnsley, home draws with Birmingham and Wigan loosing to Reading etc.. Are they good enough to be in the CL ??

My point is that the CL is completely flawed and it does not represent a competion involving only the best club sides in Europe. Some of them are but most of them are not. About 20% are quality football teams.

It's a false, overhyped sham that's desinged to keep the "big boys" apart and pump so much cash their way the gulf between the CL clubs and the non-CL clubs just gets wider.

As a Spurs fan I'm bitter about that, and yeah I am biased towards Spurs but thats what most fans are like. It hard to sit on the fence and have a balanced view when your pizzed off and angry about something that (sadly) is very important to the sucess of your club. But for geographacial reasons we are not allowed to compete in.

dantes74

just 2 quick points
1. we'll soon be qualifying for the champions league ourselves
so not to long b4 you get to go to the san siro, nau camp et. al
2. i do agree with you that spurs are probably better than 70% of european
teams, but we need to start proving that by winning things. the uefa cup
would be a good way to show our credentials

John W

How about we do what NFL teams do in the states - we move the franchise! :rolleyes:So we need a new ground right, well Albanian land is cheap - I am sure if we build a 100 thousand seater in Albania they will let us in the Albanian league :eek:- We will then win it - get into Champions League - Beat all the rubbish and eventually get drawn against one of the top four in England, and loose.............like we have all our domestic games against top 4 opposition.
Yes the current format is a joke at the beginning of the rounds, but eventually in the latter stages it is the best, the cream of Europe - and if we want in, and we want to win it, we need to improve, we need to be better against some of the best in Europe, and that means beating top 4 teams in our domestic games for a start - and I don't mean the odd draw, we need to be up there competing with them on a regular basis, then we can say we deserve to be in the CL. Yes the format is flawed, but it is what it is, and like I said eventually all the rubbish gets found out - you don't see an Albanian side or even a danish or Swedish team going far do you!:p

therecklessone

Dublin Spur wrote: »

I think you're missing my point.

I'm not really mate.

If you've a problem with what money has done to football you can't really start slating sides who've qualified for the CL by virtue of winning their league.

We won't finish in a Euro spot in the league this year, so how do we deserve to play the likes of Milan or Real?

Looked decidedly average against Slavia last night (and remember, their last game before playing us was in November)

Dublin Spur

therecklessone wrote: »

I'm not really mate.

If you've a problem with what money has done to football you can't really start slating sides who've qualified for the CL by virtue of winning their league.

We won't finish in a Euro spot in the league this year, so how do we deserve to play the likes of Milan or Real?

Looked decidedly average against Slavia last night (and remember, their last game before playing us was in November)

Yes, I hate the amount of money in the game but I am forced to accept that being in the CL (and getting the money that comes with it) is the way forward in todays game. But I don't have to like it, I think it stinks to be honest.

My main point is that in my view we are good enough to be in the CL based on the fact that we have a better suqad the most teams in the CL and we are a bigger club than most teams in the CL. The only problem as I see it is that there are 4 bigger clubs from England than us and they get into CL every year. The whole CL system is designed to keep the gap between the CL sides and the rest as wide as possible. The 4 in England get the big money and the big-time players which causes the gap between them and us to widen every year. Thankfuly that inept fool Benitez has dropped the ball and given Villa and Everton a chance to spoil the party this season. I really hope one of them get 4th and teach those delussional scousers a lesson.

I think we're good enough to be in the CL. Not to win it, but we would definately give a good account of yourselve. Okay, last night was a bad day at the office, and our league position is false due to the Jol fiasco in the early part of the season. We're just gonna have to write this season off (in the league). Everyone knows that the big picture is a lot brighter and I would expect us to be back up there again challenging 4th/5th next season.

If the CL was just about the best clubs in Europe, English and Spanish clubs would make up about 70% of it. I'm bitter that we are good enough to play in it but never get the chance because we the 5th biggest club in England, and the 11 richest in the world. Just seems wrong to me.

In my view the CL should invlove the biggest and best clubs in europe. What's the point in it if it doesn't ?? If it did then we would be in it. But it doesn't. As I see it there's a handful of top sides and a tonne of garbage making up the numbers. It's not what UEFA claim it to be. If this is the best that UEFA can come up with than they are jokers.

See you on Saturday for more on this

dantes74

either everton or aston villa could be about to prove you wrong
there dublin spur on the whole money buys passage to the cl
and it looks like big spending liverpool may not qualify for the cl
the season after being in the final again