Rodgers safe, DoF in and some transfer talk

The attitude in UK on the EL is very disrespectful IMO.

If we can't handle EL, then how will we handle CL?

If we want to win titles, then we end up qualifying for the CL, so we need to be conditioned to play European football every season.

It's not as if we can exclude european football in an attempt to win the title..

 

The team have apparently gone to Dubai on a team bonding session, including Sterling (happy to take a free holiday even though he will be gone in the summer).

Interesting that Rodgers has not gone, he has gone to London for a meeting?

 

Not really.

I'm old enough to remember when you were a big club though

The EL is an inhibitor to league performance, I'm not going to excuse our ****e showing this season on it, but it certainly didn't help.

I'm not saying it aint worth winning, but you need to play 19 additional games to do so.

4th is worth having the also ran slots are just meh.

Your season will start in July I think, that'll help I'm sure..............

 

So... in the context of a club thats well run...

a) it has not helped seville grow as a club over alst few years.. giving a platform for players to be shown off and attract big fees and so afford better squad and grow?

b) it did not help atletico so the exact same?

c) It has not helped clubs like porto, valencia, atletico, benfica, zenit, shaktar... and Liverpool to grow thier uefa coefficents and be ready for CL...

no it hasn't helped any of them so it must be terrible for the english clubs.

The truth is the competition has a stupid round of 32 after the groups and too many games and that hits english clubs right after full christmas fixture list and thats where the pinch is felt most

I find it perosnally short sighted by all english clubs that they don't push this comp.

 

We did push it, that was the problem, as we played our best available side every week in the damn thing.

It worked until Martinez had a mare and stuck that lead legged Paraguayan dope in the back 4 in Kiev

No-one could say we didn't give it a good go, but I think the effect it had on our domestic form was probably beyond it's worth.

I'd rather us play our strongest side in the Mickey Mouse and have a good go at winning that, as you only have to win 4 rounds to get to Wembley ffs. You have to play 16 games in the EL to get to the SF !

The co-efficient benefit only matters when you get to play in the 'real thing' i.e. the CL.

Whichever way you try and dress it up, the EL is a ****ing pig.

 

I heard it was a players only trip.

 

So only a few of the squad went then.

 

Completely agree with this Jimmy. Especially since the winners get a CL place now too.

Not only does competition get clubs conditioned to European football as you put it, but it also helps build reputation, the clubs coefficient rating and increases income revenue too; maybe not through winnings but increased sponsorship if regular competitors, maybe better short deals etc too since it's putting the clubs name on the map.

 

Yep, increases the visibility/exposure of the club and someone like Rodgers who is relatively unknown.

 

That's not actually true. The teams are divided according to the coefficient ratings in the knockout rounds of EL, the right CL teams are split on half and placed in the more appropriate pots; is seeding does matter.

 

you had a good go I applaud your go...but it didn't affect you from end of group up til the last 32 lasted

you beat wolfsburg in november then went on a ****e run form then all the way up to the end of january.... you can't tell me every game ther was affected by europa.

the reality is you didn't have the squad.....

that should be your building point. ok we learned we were short a couple of players and needed another striker. Lukaku was good buy but we needed to back him up and so now next year we need x and y.

thats how our clubs should develop not say.. oh that was too hard lets not do that again. If we all did that we'd be sitting in caves eating raw meat like people from Mansfield who then complain about stomach bugs

 

The round of 32 has the 12 group winners and 4 best CL 3rd placed entrants drawn against the 12 group runners up and the other CL dropputs.

The co-efficient doesn't matter a ****e if you win your group.

 

its mattered to city and arsenal i can tell you. 2nd seed arsenal or 1st seed arsenal = cruise through group. 3rd seed city... struggle all the time.

if you look at the coefficents chelsea are 1st seeds in 4th place i ntable. arsenal are 9th in table so will prob not be first seeds especially with new rules. utd will be second seeds as they are 10th

city are now in 17th place. there are... 16 seeds... but dortmund are out this emans city will be second seeds and will get out of thier group


the whole point of the seedings is to reward the biggest names with easier passages to knockout stages.

If tottenham ever get back in they will find it quite quite hard to replicate their amazing run to QF.. why? cost they got lucky that year running in to rafa and inter being pigs of a side and letting them off the hook. 4th seeds are hugely up against it in CL.

Contrast that to athletico... they got into CL finally and were ready after europa successes and they sued those ranking points to kick on. two good cmapaings in CL has now put them up to 5th seeds. atletico madrid shoudl be the club LFC and everton and Spurs all look at as the example of what to do,

PIty simeone is the main man who gives them heart and lfc have rodgers so have none.

 

It's like a kid who's parent buys him a burger from a street stall and he's stood looking in the window of Maccies D's at his mates eating their happy meals, as he's stood there with fat running down his arm from his greasy alternative.

That's the EL.

 

not in the europa... i am thinking big picture... if all you are concerned about is the immediate round of 32 draw or europa then sure it doesn't matter.

but big picutre getting coefficent points can turn you from 4th seed in CL if you get there into 3rd seed and hey win the thing and you get enough to go 2nd seeds if you do weel consistently

The issue is england has full christmas calender and europa piles on top right after. Thats what hurts teams.

 

He's involved in a court battle with his ex so maybe he's been told not to leave the country

 

true that brilliant analogy..

maybe the kid gorws up and becomes a millionaire as a result is all i'm saying.

 

Read the thread ffs

I said it was only of use when you got into the 'real thing' i.e. the CL, otherwise it's ****ing pointless

 

dear god... players only...

we can only hope the arabs arrest and behead the lot and we get billions in insurance.

players only ffs.

 

Yep, stand corrected