How to have fewer games...

[Milk..]

Rather than continue on Spurs thread created a new thread.

So several managers have complained about the number of games. How it causes injuries. How it hurts English teams in Europe. How it hurts.the English national team.

I had an idea several years ago that could reduce number of games without lowering number of competitions.


First, you split the Premier League into two sprints. The first sprint everyone plays everyone else once.

Last year's 1st place would play
2nd at home once, 3rd away once, 4th at home once, 5th away once.... Etc.

Last year's 2nd place would play
3rd at home once 4th away once, 5th at home once, etc...

(I'm Sure you notice the pattern there even mix for all teams of good and bad teams home and away)

19 rounds later you have a table where everyone has played everyone else once..

At this point you split the table into two to start the second sprint.

Premier League A (top ten) and Premier League B (bottom ten).

Only points from games against other teams in your sub league carry forward and then you play the reverse fixtures for the teams in your sub-league (9 more games for a total of 28 league games in the season instead of 38. So about 25% less games over the season. England could have a winter break like everyone else!


Not only does it reduce games... It gives those in the lower mid table something to aim for. Nowadays that mid section not good enough to fight for Europe but not bad enough to worry about relegation. Now they get to fight for B-league champions.

Naturally, would only relegated teams from Premier League B.

 

[moreinjuredthanowen]

Nah.

We won't every get "less games"

We will just get more expensive games.

16 team prem will not happen unless forced. That would be 8 less games right off the bat. 30 game weeks.

18 teams is 4 less and thst would open up the calender.

Cl is now more games plus a round of 32. The 6 games have grown to 8? Random games 4 home and 4 away and only the top 8 get to last 16. They won't revere thst.

The efl Cup is pointless but is an ego trip for oil clubs. Thst won't go and the efl sharks want their annual slush fund paid for out of the semi finals and final (no club makes money in this)

The fa cup is dropping replays to get set slots for the rounds. This will get pushed to midweek.

Fifa are bringing in a world club saudi tournament. More games.

Unless the league cup is deleted the calender is going to full up.


Macallister had two injuries this season but managed 2377 prem minutes and 3265 overall

Rodri is in 3877 mins. He complained of fatigue and was rested recently.

Bernard silage is on 3357

Both played community shield and the fifa world club so take off 200mins min from each.

In other words they all all getting flogged. Even city with the amount of games have found it tough despite rotating players. They played super cup, world club and community shield on top of what we have.

If city can't rotate enough to keep fresh then nobody can.

 

[The IncREDibles]

I just think the media should be doing more to help rather than just following their paymasters' agenda and laughing off any criticism.

Every time klopp or VVD have brought up the subject, pundits just laugh it off and tell them to get on with it - those pundits have won at most 1 CL title in their career, often in sides that probably were good enough to win more.

Then you get the same pundits moaning about the quality of matches and liverpool "not being a 90 minute team" well of course we're not. We're trying to manage playing two games a week as best we can, and basically try to avoid what happened in April.

 

[Milk..]

16 team prem will not happen unless forced. That would be 8 less games right off the bat. 30 game weeks..

It's true you could just drop number of teams to 16 to have same effect but then we would be playing the same teams over and over again each season with even less variation.

(Speaking selfishly... We'd probably never have a merseyside derby again).

By doing the two-sprint format... We keep the variety of teams the same and bring extra excitement into the middle of the season with teams fighting to get into the top half for the second sprint.

Really benefits the mid table teams for interest a lot as they get the excitement of trying to make it into top 10.


Second half every team is in a fight... Not just lost in mid table.

The top ten will be fighting for Europe. Bottom ten will be fighting to be b league champs or relegation fight. Everyone will be involved in "A" fight of some sort. The season will stay interesting all season long for everybody... Not just those at the top or those fighting relegation as it is now.

 

[InBiscanWeTrust]

Rather than continue on Spurs thread created a new thread.

So several managers have complained about the number of games. How it causes injuries. How it hurts English teams in Europe. How it hurts.the English national team.

I had an idea several years ago that could reduce number of games without lowering number of competitions.


First, you split the Premier League into two sprints. The first sprint everyone plays everyone else once.

Last year's 1st place would play
2nd at home once, 3rd away once, 4th at home once, 5th away once.... Etc.

Last year's 2nd place would play
3rd at home once 4th away once, 5th at home once, etc...

(I'm Sure you notice the pattern there even mix for all teams of good and bad teams home and away)

19 rounds later you have a table where everyone has played everyone else once..

At this point you split the table into two to start the second sprint.

Premier League A (top ten) and Premier League B (bottom ten).

Only points from games against other teams in your sub league carry forward and then you play the reverse fixtures for the teams in your sub-league (9 more games for a total of 28 league games in the season instead of 38. So about 25% less games over the season. England could have a winter break like everyone else!


Not only does it reduce games... It gives those in the lower mid table something to aim for. Nowadays that mid section not good enough to fight for Europe but not bad enough to worry about relegation. Now they get to fight for B-league champions.

Naturally, would only relegated teams from Premier League B.

So you want us to copy scotland essentially?

 

[Milk..]

So you want us to copy scotland essentially?

I thought Scotland just had really small divisions and played each other four times. This would be keeping the premier League at twenty teams. Same number of teams, same number of competitions.


Edit: after googling how SPL works... Yes, similar kind of idea. Only would never play other teams more than twice.

 

[saintanton]

So you want us to copy scotland essentially?

What - two average teams and a bunch of no-marks?

 

[saintanton]

Nah.

We won't every get "less games"

We will just get more expensive games.

16 team prem will not happen unless forced. That would be 8 less games right off the bat. 30 game weeks.

18 teams is 4 less and thst would open up the calender.

Cl is now more games plus a round of 32. The 6 games have grown to 8? Random games 4 home and 4 away and only the top 8 get to last 16. They won't revere thst.

The efl Cup is pointless but is an ego trip for oil clubs. Thst won't go and the efl sharks want their annual slush fund paid for out of the semi finals and final (no club makes money in this)

The fa cup is dropping replays to get set slots for the rounds. This will get pushed to midweek.

Fifa are bringing in a world club saudi tournament. More games.

Unless the league cup is deleted the calender is going to full up.


Macallister had two injuries this season but managed 2377 prem minutes and 3265 overall

Rodri is in 3877 mins. He complained of fatigue and was rested recently.

Bernard silage is on 3357

Both played community shield and the fifa world club so take off 200mins min from each.

In other words they all all getting flogged. Even city with the amount of games have found it tough despite rotating players. They played super cup, world club and community shield on top of what we have.

If city can't rotate enough to keep fresh then nobody can.

Ditching the EFL is an elitist move imo. Just don't allow those in Europe to play in it.

 

[Zanjinho]

Rather than continue on Spurs thread created a new thread.

So several managers have complained about the number of games. How it causes injuries. How it hurts English teams in Europe. How it hurts.the English national team.

I had an idea several years ago that could reduce number of games without lowering number of competitions.


First, you split the Premier League into two sprints. The first sprint everyone plays everyone else once.

Last year's 1st place would play
2nd at home once, 3rd away once, 4th at home once, 5th away once.... Etc.

Last year's 2nd place would play
3rd at home once 4th away once, 5th at home once, etc...

(I'm Sure you notice the pattern there even mix for all teams of good and bad teams home and away)

19 rounds later you have a table where everyone has played everyone else once..

At this point you split the table into two to start the second sprint.

Premier League A (top ten) and Premier League B (bottom ten).

Only points from games against other teams in your sub league carry forward and then you play the reverse fixtures for the teams in your sub-league (9 more games for a total of 28 league games in the season instead of 38. So about 25% less games over the season. England could have a winter break like everyone else!


Not only does it reduce games... It gives those in the lower mid table something to aim for. Nowadays that mid section not good enough to fight for Europe but not bad enough to worry about relegation. Now they get to fight for B-league champions.

Naturally, would only relegated teams from Premier League B.

This is similar to the shambolic Scottish setup. No thanks

 

[Zanjinho]

People talk about reducing games clubs have to play but often forget the key ingredient that actually makes football what it is; the fans!

Do fans want less games? Or a more appropriate question, do fans want to see less league games?

The latter question is loaded; get rid of internationals breaks!!!!!

 

[moreinjuredthanowen]

It's true you could just drop number of teams to 16 to have same effect but then we would be playing the same teams over and over again each season with even less variation.

(Speaking selfishly... We'd probably never have a merseyside derby again).

By doing the two-sprint format... We keep the variety of teams the same and bring extra excitement into the middle of the season with teams fighting to get into the top half for the second sprint.

Really benefits the mid table teams for interest a lot as they get the excitement of trying to make it into top 10.


Second half every team is in a fight... Not just lost in mid table.

The top ten will be fighting for Europe. Bottom ten will be fighting to be b league champs or relegation fight. Everyone will be involved in "A" fight of some sort. The season will stay interesting all season long for everybody... Not just those at the top or those fighting relegation as it is now.

Have and have not.

Have

City
Newcastle
Chelsea

(All handed to them by owners)

Utd
Arsenal
Liverpool
Spurs

(All over 500mil revenues grown in genuine way)

I'm at 7 already

Villa (overspending with rich owners)

West sham (handed a 61k stadium un fairly and exploiting it)

Now I'm at 9.

So what excitement will Brighton, Fulham, Everton and wolves have fighting for 1 pace or maybe 2 if someone cracks?

Palace never try to get out of bottom half.

The bottom 10 are only really looking down at the 3 unfortunates going down

The rarely look up and splitting tje table to have an elite 20 will just end up exactly the same teams all the time.

 

[moreinjuredthanowen]

Ditching the EFL is an elitist move imo. Just don't allow those in Europe to play in it.

Yeah I'd agree with that totally.

The prize money is negligible and its only attraction is gate receipts but the efl want to take thst and the TV money from them to be their slush fund.

I would have one caveat. Take the europa place away as it doesn't merit one. If people value the cup it doesn't need one.

Especially if clubs in Europe are then excluded from winning that European slot

 

[Zanjinho]

Ditching the EFL is an elitist move imo. Just don't allow those in Europe to play in it.

It would help but wouldn't make as massive difference. European sides only play up to shout four games in it anyway and they're played in a less compacted part of the season too.

 

[saintanton]

It would help but wouldn't make as massive difference. European sides only play up to shout four games in it anyway and they're played in a less compacted part of the season too.

I was responding to the suggestion of scrapping the EFL. Either solution would have the same effect on the clubs in Europe, but scrapping it is unfair to everyone else, imo.

 

[moreinjuredthanowen]

It would help but wouldn't make as massive difference. European sides only play up to shout four games in it anyway and they're played in a less compacted part of the season too.

But the new competition format are going to compress that period now.

The league cup will suffer. Just wait and see.

 

[Zanjinho]

But the new competition format are going to compress that period now.

The league cup will suffer. Just wait and see.

New competition format? This the ridiculous European league of 32 but only play 8 thingy?

 

[moreinjuredthanowen]

New competition format? This the ridiculous European league of 32 but only play 8 thingy?

Yes. Only 8 sides will got to the qf

That's 2 more midweek gone so that impacts available time pre christmas and there will now be last 32 ties for a lot more clubs.

Only 8 across Europe will be in the top 8. You'd assume at least two English sides will be in there maybe 3.

I'd assume now with this format you'd have to be truly woeful to not make the top 24 sides.

 

[Zanjinho]

Yes. Only 8 sides will got to the qf

That's 2 more midweek gone so that impacts available time pre christmas and there will now be last 32 ties for a lot more clubs.

Only 8 across Europe will be in the top 8. You'd assume at least two English sides will be in there maybe 3.

I'd assume now with this format you'd have to be truly woeful to not make the top 24 sides.

From what I read, it's a league of 32 but each team only plays eight games (****ing ridiculous format). That's only two more than this season's group stage

 

[moreinjuredthanowen]

From what I read, it's a league of 32 but each team only plays eight games (****ing ridiculous format). That's only two more than this season's group stage

Yes it'll be just 8 random games. We could get real, bayern and juv away (obviously wont) but not get to play them at home.

You have to either go for top 8 by going hard at all 8 games or just give up and go for top 24 and get by then paly the round of 32.

Look at the fixture list we has this season around the europa and find 2 open midweek is the point.

 

[Zanjinho]

Yes it'll be just 8 random games. We could get real, bayern and juv away (obviously wont) but not get to play them at home.

You have to either go for top 8 by going hard at all 8 games or just give up and go for top 24 and get by then paly the round of 32.

Look at the fixture list we has this season around the europa and find 2 open midweek is the point.

Ah yes, if you finish 9-24 you have to play a two legged playoff to make QF; making it ten games rather than eight. With you now