Match Day Thread General matchday thread.

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See I actually think there's a decent argument for an 18 team league tbh. So much dross in the bottom half of the division who wouldn't be missed.

Would definitely prefer that to scrapping the league cup.

It’s more that it gets the ball rolling for more. All these little things- no replays, seeding (it’s not actually seeding but whatevs), U21 teams in the Pizza Cup. None of them on their own really matter but they’re just chipping away.

It’ll be the Charity Shield in Miami next or something.
 
Come on be realistic, having a trophy without any sides that qualified for Europe the previous season would massively affect the prestige of the competition (as it is, most sides play weakened teams anyway)

I don’t like the new format of keeping teams apart because they’re in Europe but the only other viable solution is to scrap it completely and I don’t think most clubs want that.
I don't disagree - the prestige of the competition would be less. It's what I said at the start of that quote :/
 
Interested in how you felt about it last season BTW?

But, what I'm saying is the novelty would wear off. Not necessarily immediately, but over a few years.

Yeah, the first few years without the top six the finals would be great, but as it becomes apparent it's a diluted cup competition, the interest would subside.

Even by the fans of clubs reaching the final, because the comp would be just that little bit meh eventually.
Same as I would any other season... and whether we were a European side or not. Realistically, we had 2 less guaranteed games last year so it was less of an issue - the extra games have caused this - I just don't agree with the seeding / weighted advantage of home draw.

I also said that the European sides shouldn't be excluded (only argued the merits of the squibness of the final were they to be so).

I think you'll find that if this seeded nonsense continues, the "lustre" of this particular competition will wane... but as a route to Europe, this cup would still be relevant, IMO.

A cup final will never be "meh", IMO. Unless you get bored of getting to them. There's a fair chance that with the strength at the top half of the PL nowadays, winning this competition could become a priority more often than not for many traditional "European" clubs.

Dunno what the answer is, but giving the 6 "seeded" sides a 50/50 chance at a home tie and keeping them apart isn't it.
 
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Dunno what the answer is, but giving the 6 "seeded" sides a 50/50 chance at a home tie and keeping them apart isn't it.

Yeah, that bit is bollocks but I don't really see the issue with them entering in round three if it means the competition is kept valid and alive.

If that hadn't happened, they'd have no doubt pulled out entirely. And then so would the TV, sponsors, supporters etc. and it would have just died a death.
 
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Don't all clubs have a 50-50 chance of a home draw lol?
I worded that badly... But if each of the 6 get decided to just be either home or away in a pool of only those 6 ahead of the main draw - the odds would be different than the rest of the 26 teams at the point of the draw.
 
I sort of looked at the seeding differently, if the six top sides are kept from playing one another (because of European fixtures) then it gives the lesser clubs better chance of a money spinning draw. I hate it in the FA Cup when all the top sides get drawn against one another in the third and fourth rounds, while little ole Gillingham will either be out or travelling to Eastleigh. As for the 50/50 bit it's the same for every club, there was no advantage gained in how that was drawn, unless we are going to start playing on mathematical odds lol.
 
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Yeah, that bit is bollocks but I don't really see the issue with them entering in round three if it means the competition is kept valid and alive.

If that hadn't happened, they'd have no doubt pulled out entirely. And then so would the TV, sponsors, supporters etc. and it would have just died a death.

Doubt they’d have pulled out but would just play a weakened team as most clubs do anyway in the first round at least. It’s a 92 team tournament so you can’t all start at the same point anyway.
 
I sort of looked at the seeding differently, if the six top sides are kept from playing one another (because of European fixtures) then it gives the lesser clubs chance of a money spinning draw. I hate it in the FA Cup when all the top sides get drawn against one another in the third and fourth rounds, while little ole Gillingham will either be out or travelling to Eastleigh. As for the 50/50 bit it's the same for every club, there was no advantage gained in how that was drawn, unless we are going to start playing on mathematical odds lol.

I want to win. If we beat Barrow rather than Liverpool then great. Bit of a buzz playing/beating a big club of course but really just want to win and I’m not arsed if the big team brings their top players. I’m not there to admire Salah or Bruno Fernandes.
 
I want to win. If we beat Barrow rather than Liverpool then great. Bit of a buzz playing/beating a big club of course but really just want to win and I’m not arsed if the big team brings their top players. I’m not there to admire Salah or Bruno Fernandes.

Yeah but when you are a Gillingham fan there are never any thoughts of winning, that's why we are in L2. <laugh>
 
Hoping that the Brighton game has got in the heads of some Man Utd players, always difficult going there and I'm sure they will raise their game against us. Can't say I'm looking forward to it though.
 
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Yeah but when you are a Gillingham fan there are never any thoughts of winning, that's why we are in L2. <laugh>

Have some pride man. You’re the biggest club in Kent. You gave the world…. Tony Cascarino maybe? Andy Hessenthaler? The potential is massive if you believe.
 
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Have some pride man. You’re the biggest club in Kent. You gave the world…. Tony Cascarino maybe? Andy Hessenthaler? The potential is massive if you believe.

and Steve Bruce, top drawer until he went to Newcastle and became a pie seller. <whistle>

Although I think one of the best players I ever saw was little known by anyone, Peter Feely. One for the Chelsea fans that one, he's even got a wiki page.