Champions League Thread (the dawn of time - 2014)

[puddleduck]

Is there anything more predictable than Arsenal and Man U getting easy Champions league groups

Absolute stonker again for Man City. Not an easy game in that group at all.

 

[shravi]

Hmm, seems a little bit of a flawed process to have four domestic champions in one group. Don't think that's fair at all and having such good teams all in one group takes away from the competition because they would have had a decent chance at progressing in any other group.

 

[puddleduck]

That's because the system isn't designed to be fair, it's designed to protect the interests of the biggest clubs

 

[shravi]

That's because the system isn't designed to be fair, it's designed to protect the interests of the biggest clubs

Real Madrid is one of the biggest clubs . I would argue City as well but they have only just established themselves.

 

[puddleduck]

The system as a whole protects the interests of the richest and most successful clubs. As in the clubs that consistently get far in the competition (by definition the richest clubs) will normally get easier groups. Obviously ocassionally it screws over someone like Real, but the reality is it's actually Dortmund and Ajax that'll get screwed over.

In the long run, clubs that are attempting to breach the Champions League will invariably find themselves up against it from the off.

 

[War]

Yea its pretty strange that City has gotten the group of death two years in a row now, in what is essentially their first two years in the league.

However i wonder if their has ever been a champions league group, in which the domestic champions of four countries have been grouped together before?

 

[shravi]

The system as a whole protects the interests of the richest and most successful clubs. As in the clubs that consistently get far in the competition (by definition the richest clubs) will normally get easier groups. Obviously ocassionally it screws over someone like Real, but the reality is it's actually Dortmund and Ajax that'll get screwed over.

In the long run, clubs that are attempting to breach the Champions League will invariably find themselves up against it from the off.

Agreed. Barcelona and Manchester United in particular have gotten some pretty easy groups for a few years, IIRC.

My gripe with it is that in the groups with only one good team, a mediocre one will progress as well, and thus make the elimination rounds a bit of a farce. Ideally, you would want both Ajax and Dortmund in the round of 16 instead of APOEL or some equally uninspiring team.

 

[Epic]

I remember how pissed I was when we got grouped with Bayern last year and now that I think about it, I would take that group with Bayern and Napoli over this one any day.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

I wish they'd cut it down to a maximum two teams per country, 4 is an utter joke. it's rubbish that the champions from sweden, denmark, scotland, romania, belgium, switzerland, norway etc etc have to fight it out for 2 or 3 spots between them and the spanish 4th placed team gets in on the back of real madrid and barcelona's form.

will never happen obviously, too many teams rely on the CL cash cow.

 

[War]

Well i don't really think every single champion of every european domestic competition should automatically be in the champions league to be frank.

In a perfect world the best 32 team in europe, even if it means one country has 8 of those teams should be in the champions league.

Regardless of their decline in form/not getting the automatic qualifying place in their respective leagues teams like Liverpool, Spurs, Inter, Roma and Athletico Madrid for eg are still one of the best 32 teams in Europe.

 

[Epic]

I see what you're saying, but the whole premise of the competition is to pit up champions against champions to find one Champion of Champions.

 

[puddleduck]

War, do you not see the self perpetuating nature of that system though? The richest clubs continue to get richer and richer to the point where only massive investment from outside sources can ever level the playing field.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Is there anything more predictable than Arsenal and Man U getting easy Champions league groups

Absolute stonker again for Man City. Not an easy game in that group at all.

Have to admit that I had a little chuckle when I saw City's group, especially compared with ours. The only game that concerns me is Galatasaray away in that group. However - we have to really be on it, otherwise we'll have another disaster like last year.

 

[War]

War, do you not see the self perpetuating nature of that system though? The richest clubs continue to get richer and richer to the point where only massive investment from outside sources can ever level the playing field.

Yea i know, but i don't see it as much of an issue to be fair.

Looking at the some the signing City has made, i must say if they can get out their group, surely they will be one of the champions league favourites with their new 3-5-2 system


----------------------------Hart---------------------------------

-----------Richards--------Kompany-------Lescott---------------

Maicon------------Y Toure-------Garcia---------------------Clichy

---------------------------Silva/Nasri-----------------------------

---------------Aguero------------------Tevez-------------------------

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

if you only let 2 teams through it would level playing field as the rich teams from the big countries couldn't hoover up everyone and then the other countries champions would be stronger. it's not even a hypothetical situation, the champions league worked fine from 50s to the 90s when this is what did happen.

the thing that makes football crap now is that a good whack of the worlds best players spend the best years of their careers on the bench at real madrid or some billionaire backed english team. that can't be good for the game, taking so many quality footballers out the equation? hell, these big teams hang on to these players half the time just so no one else can get them.

and yes, but if city can't get out of their group then I'd say they're definitely not one of the favourites...