Arena "The Beautiful Game" - The Official JCC Football (Soccer) Thread.

You forgot the best one!

 

ESPN article on whether José should get the chop after Sevilla match
http://www.espnfc.com/club/manchest...cking-not-the-answer-despite-sevilla-shambles

Some valid points made

 

Was that written by a Liverpool fan?

 

Stevie Nichol is the Liverpool ESPN fan. And he'd never be so kind.

He thinks United should break the bank to get Kane & Pochettino.

 

I expected to go out of Europa yesterday. Peter Stöger, I think, is struggling to manage a club like Dortmund and isn't sure how to balance Domestic/European competition. Unless he does something over the next month that dramatically changes my mind, I would be disappointed if he's kept on for the next season.

That being said, the loss is not really on him. The pathetic display is on the players who suited up. Of the starting XI, it seems only actually came to play with a desire to see BVB advance, and Roman Bürki did his best to keep Dortmund in the tie. Without his heroic efforts, there would have been no need to come out of the tunnel after halftime, this tie would have been long decided. I liked what I saw from Isak as a substitute. But other than that, it was a dismal performance.

The task is a little more clear now, a lot more straightforward. Finish 2nd in the League, 3rd if you must. Automatic qualification to UCL is a must for a team with this talent. 4th - or, unthinkable, lower - is simply unacceptable.

 

Good news, Inty. From next season, the top four from the top four leagues automatically go into the groups, no more 3rd round qualification.

Obviously not good news for smaller leagues, as it edges it ever closer to being a closed shop, but good news for you and Dortmund, should they end up in fourth.

 

Really want Juve to beat Real. Would love to see Juve win it all, and Buffon lift that cup and retire.

I must have missed that. I don't like the change. I like the "smaller" leagues having more opportunities. I'd rather see an APOEL in group play than the fourth best Spanish side.

 

Agreed.
The Champions League should be for champions, not the 3 other losers.
Maybe 2nd place could get in, the rest should do Europa League.

Interesting CL draw.
I was hoping to see the English clubs pitted against the might of Barca or Bayern, but that will still likely happen to one of them in the semi final anyway.
Would be good if Juventus beat Madrid, get revenge for recent final defeats.

Bayern Vs Juventus final looks like the ideal.

 

Well, which is it?

And I see Mourinho is taking the defeat during the week well.

 

Nothing he said was wrong.

But no need for him to say it.

 

It is nice for him to confirm you're ****, and have been **** for a while.

One thing though. What does Manchester City have to do with his complete failure against a team that is constantly in transition, loses their best players all the time and have had about three managers since Mourinho took over at Manchester Untied? What does Manchester City have to do with that, or how Manchester Untied train, or set out to play such ****house tactics in a game they should have won?

 

Nothing.
José is frustrated because of the media scrutiny being United boss involves, regardless of recent success the team has had.
Given that Klopp & Pochettino get media passes, even though they've won nothing since taking over, because they play nice football, Mourinho getting **** on constantly despite having won 2 trophies last season & the league in 2015. He feels his criticism in comparison is unfair, which is true.
But he's in charge of a bigger club.
So he's attempting to justify himself based on his record, which is a good record.

Doesn't change the fact that United should be playing better & that he should be improving the CL finish rather than saying it's basically the same as United usually manage.
Yes, it is. So make it better.

 

Three last season.

 

denied the RB vs RB again. Maybe they can both advance and we can get the Conflict of Interest Cup in a later round.

 

He's a total narcissist.

And the pressure of the media is a terrible excuse, considering he managed Real Madrid, with higher scrutiny at a bigger club.

This was an exercise in deflection.

 

I have a new idea for the CL, which would create more prestige for it as an elite competition for winners as well as adding diversity of the clubs involved in it every year:

Winner of the league gets in, along with winner of main domestic cup.
2nd place league team + secondary domestic cup winner does Europa League which gives opportunity for CL entry if they win.

CL should be for winners, and cup winners deserve it ahead of teams who win nothing all season but just finished as the best losing sides in the league.
2nd best teams in league & cups should represent in the secondary European competition.

This would make the FA Cup more important, and more clubs would put effort in instead of just caring because they have nothing else to play for.
It also brings back the emphasis on what football should be about, trophies.
And it stops undeserving teams who have won nothing for years playing in elite competition ahead of real winners.

Also a great opportunity for lower level top league sides to get a CL opportunity, or even a lower league side.
Great for smaller clubs to get exposure & revenue, also makes a more interesting variety of teams competing every year.

If one team wins most or all of the trophies, there would have to be a play-off system to determine who else gets European football.
Whether that be 2nd Vs 3rd or whatever.

 

Not every country has a secondary cup competition, so do they just miss out?

I actually wish they'd bring back the Cup Winners Cup.

 

For money purposes, what you're asking for will never happen, Richie. Restricting the tournament so that less marketable teams are in will never happen.

MLS and Liga MX just announced they will be doing a "Campeones Cup" with the league winners. Again, for money purposes, I could see a mini-tournament being arranged for the top four leagues in Europe doing something similar. Though, you'd have to do something to add prestige or it will end up like the UEFA Supercup or Community Shield in terms of importance.

 

I know why it won't happen.

They need a lot of teams to stretch it out for a whole season & get viewers of big name clubs in.

But I don't see why a team like Spurs deserves to be part of an elite European club competition when they haven't won anything for a decade.
Just because they're one of the highest losers & have Harry Kane?

But they do get viewers in.

 

Now there's an idea. You get in based upon who plays for you.

 

I'm trying to figure out which two teams you mean? The two FCBs?