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I thought they were trying to give the champions of non-major leagues a chance when they forced the lowest qualifiers from the major leagues to player each other to qualify for the group stage. This seems to go against that unless they reduce the number of spots the best leagues get in the CL+EL.
That's how it goes in national team management. You get dealt a set of players and a precious few meaningful games. You're the toast of the country if things work out but have to be satisfied with a high pay/work coefficient if things don't.
I really don't care if the Europa League goes away, but I don't need an expanded Champions League. I don't really get the point. Nobody pays attention to the rounds to qualify for the group stage. So if that's the proposal, OK, I guess.But if they're thinking of more groups, I think that will really hurt the competition. Groups of death will be a thing of the past.
They are calling the current version a 32 team CL, which defines the group stage, so I think when they talk about a 64 team CL, they intend to double the size of the group stage which would suck. It would be a ton of non competitive games.
And a yellow for a dive.Bale is busy today. Goal, assist and an own goal
Agger hit him in the foot at stretch. That was a bad decision.And a yellow for a dive.Bale is busy today. Goal, assist and an own goal
I think the bigger loss will be on the skinny end of the tournament. The Europa League from the quarterfinals on have some very intriguing matchups, without the sameness of the usual Champions League giants. The economics of the game make it prohibitively hard for all but a small number of teams to aspire to the Champions League. The Europa Leagues is more democratic and the list of recent winners bears that out.But then again, I still miss the Cup Winners Cup and the Intertoto Cup.
And what a glorious own goal it was.'NewlyRetired said:Bale is busy today. Goal, assist and an own goal
They've been as surprisingly awful this year as they were surprisingly good last year. They seemed to go in the tank right when Pardew got the long contract extension. It's kind of weird that a Cisse and Ba have no idea how to play together. You think they'd have figured it out for the national team.
It's hard to put any of that on Ba. He has played well with Ben Arfa and Cabaye this year while Cisse has yet to even show up. When was the last time someone has blown as hot and cold as Cisse in back-to-back years on the same team? It's pretty amazing. It's not like he is coming back from injury or fighting through anything.Edit: Well, Ba to Cisse for the goal apparently. Somehow I doubt this is the spark, but NUFC fans can hope.
I'm torn on Europa League. I keep thinking it should be good for mid-size teams that I follow. But when I've seen Newcastle, and Villa, much less Man U and Man City, they just don't seem to value the competition much. Which is understandable considering the fixture congestion and short turnaround to the next league game. So I never know how to take a Zenit or a Porto or an Atletico Madrid win. I enjoyed Fulham's run a few years back.But I never get tired of the giants playing one another. I'd salivate over a permanent Champions League that broke off from the feeder leagues.'Eephus said:
Even last year, though it just seemed like Ba would score or Cisse would score. Now, I get that Ba moves to a left sided player when Cisse plays. I do the same on my FB Manager team. But Cisse frustrates me. When he's on, he's a world class poacher. But when the goals don't come, I don't think he adds much.Ben Arfa is also a frustrating guy. Incredible when he's on. Otherworldly. But he can disappear from a game in an instant. I am a big Cabaye fan.
Pardew has been a great manager for them. The amount of talent he has assembled for the price is second-to-none. They just can't handle the injuries to key players. I don't watch Newcastle a ton, but Tottenham have the same problem. They can handle a few injuries, but once they tread into 4+ or even just a couple of key midfidlers they drop off a ton. I don't think it has anything to do with Pardew's contract.
This is meI'm pretty sure if they dissolve it, you're going to hear the same #####ing and moaning from smaller countries, that are going to get omitted, while the EPL, La Liga, Serie A get 6 clubs in CL play now, and teams from Denmark, Belgium, Ukraine, etc... get bumped with maybe one team. That's the reason Europa league exists now, and they'll need to figure out a way to get around this again, maybe a round robin tourney to get into CL play? I don't know exactly.
Anyway, the stands (lower level in particular) where nearly empty and he asked me why the hell am I watching the game if the fans aren't even interested in showing up. I think he had a point. And this was the match right after the Spurs fans were brutally attacked in Rome.
Don't stop until Roman uses two managers in the same game.P.S. Still available. P.P.S. I'll also fill-in for Suarez at CF for Liverpool if someone can grease the wheels for my work permit. I'll be the one who stretches out the jersey so that it looks like a Standard Chartered billboard.
I hear Roberto DiMatteo is available
As much as I too like the giant vs. giant CL games, a Super League would drain a lot of money/rivalry/tradition out of the domestic leagues. And I don't think a lot of foreign fans (e.g. us) who are getting into the sport would even bother with the domestic leagues. They'd just pick a CL team, and ignore England, or Spain, or Germany.And as a follower of a team that's in the CL a lot, I like having both league play and a months-long knockout tournament.
I'm not denying Pardew has not been very good. And yes, they have done a good job assembling a team at a bargain price.However, he was just given an 8 year contract extension I believe - which would have him there for 10 years total, right? How many managers in the EPL have served 10 years with the same team? SAF, Wenger, Moyes maybe? Think that's it off the top of my head. Newcastle, even though they are just a few years removed from the championship, are still a pretty big money club. They have a decent history and their supporters will want to reach those levels again. I doubt they would be happy with a decade of 8th - 15th place finishes (something a team like Everton which is not a big money club, does not have the luxury of aspiring for constant top 5 finishes). And while Wenger hasn't really filled the silverware chest, he has kept Arsenal near the top of the league for a decade now plus. Tough to stick around for a long time these days as a manager in the epl.I think Newcastle's thinking is they will get the kind of players Pardew wants in place and see how it goes - so I think the January transfer window, as well as the offseason will be interesting for Newcastle.
Maybe they can substitute managers at the hour mark. The sub can warmup on the touchline a few minutes before by making bizarre hand signals and incredulous gestures.
Suarez also took a clear hack in the box today with no call, but I digress.Led the league last year in yellows for simulation. Biggest diver in the league, but Suarez is evil.'Texas Football said:And a yellow for a dive.'NewlyRetired said:Bale is busy today. Goal, assist and an own goal
You want a better Champions League? You need to fix the broken TV rights systems in the domestic leagues so that there is more competition at the upper levels. EPL does a good job with this, but it's the only one.
NUFC's reputation as a big budget club dates back to the days of John Hall's ownership. St. James Park is still big so their attendance numbers look good, but they're still dealing with debt from the previous owners and revenues are well below the top clubs. The North East isn't the strongest region economically, which hurts their prospects. Mike Ashley isn't the most popular owner around but he has put some of his money into the club. Pardew probably won't have a lot of money to play with in January unless he sells.
I don't think Suarez is evil. And I certainly believe Bale is a diver. I'm sure Bale's reputation will probably start costing him deserved penalties soon, if it hasn't already.Also, Suarez does look more like Anne Hathaway.Led the league last year in yellows for simulation. Biggest diver in the league, but Suarez is evil.'Texas Football said:And a yellow for a dive.'NewlyRetired said:Bale is busy today. Goal, assist and an own goal
And the departing manager can go straight to the tunnel without giving himself a handshake.Also, the fourth officials board could light up with up with what the manager is wearing. "Weird 1990s tracksuit is coming in for black Hugo Boss suit."
If Arsenal is involved, I want to see Wenger take off a gigantic subs bib to reveal his full-length Michelin Man parka
If Fergie comes in, instead of passing the captain's armband, they'll pass a big pack of gum.
Nice strike, but the last person with that much time...uh...I dunno. Seemed like it was going to be good when I started.
Wild-### shot in the dark...DonovanTwellmanCobiZach ThorntonETA: two right... should have gotten one of the others, but would never have guessed the fourth. I forgot that the two best players that year were on the same team and split the vote -- allowing the third best player to win.
I think Donovan and Twellman is right. I want to say Jason Kreis. I'm not sure 100% sure that Lassiter was born in the US, and it strikes me as likely that he would have split the vote with Ethceverry or whoever was the CM in DC that year (it all runs together). I know that Shalrie Joseph could have played for the US. Was he born here?Wild-### shot in the dark...DonovanTwellmanCobiZach ThorntonETA: two right... should have gotten one of the others, but would never have guessed the fourth. I forgot that the two best players that year were on the same team and split the vote -- allowing the third best player to win.
Shalrie was not born in the US, nor was he ever a league MVP. He was born in Grenada and was capped by them while he was still in college.Roy Lassiter was born in the US though.
Kreis is the guy I thought of, but figured Moreno or Etcheverry had to have won it that year. Meola I just whiffed on, though I'm not sure I'd have picked him anyway.
I had thought of LD, Meola, Armas and Twellman. Didn't think of Kreis- and in retrospect, not sure why I thought of Armas.
