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CL bloating and extra games is likely going to further screw the leagues from which the perennial alsorans qualify from further too as they’re getting even more bunce to appear and stay ahead of the domestic competition. Celtic, Slovan, Croatia Zagreb, Red Star etc.

If the Europa has the play-off round losers from the CL drop into it and had the current Conference League entrants from the top 5 leagues from the outset - would make it a stronger competition again. Everything is just spread too thinly now for me. You've got a massive bloated CL where most of the clubs will be present but never come close to winning it - teams that would have previously had a good shot of winning the EL. Then you've got everybody else left over strewn across two other massive competitions.

Know what you mean. I’ve always been and probably always will be that that the CL like major international tournaments has so much riding on it and interest in it that the latter rounds they’re inherently watchable and entertaining near regardless of what happens unless it’s some bozo team getting through and then getting pieced. Quality these days is absolutely off the charts too. Have to say the massive league thing and to a lesser extent the pointless playoff round has hugely turned me off it this season though. Can’t be arsed with all that shit.

Yeah basically I think the Europa league needs more quality dropped into it - but conversely the Conf League needs the the top 3 or top 5 leagues taken out of it to be more true to its intentions.

Aye, it's more a defence of the CL really. The Europa is entertaining because of the drama but like you say the quality isn't there to the same extent and that's a big part of the entertainment for me. The CL doesn't always have both, but it quite often does in the latter stages I reckon. It's part of the reason I dislike Real Madrid so much, because they're always sniffing about and the matches they're not getting beaten in are nearly all absolutely honkin'

As well as being our best RB is he our best captain of the last 30 years or so? I cant remember anyone playing like he does. He's always with someone. Talking them through something.

Brentford 2v2 Brighton Palace 0v1 Bournemouth Everton 1v3 Man City West Ham 2v1 Southampton Villa 2v1 Newcastle Fulham 3v1 Chelsea Ipswich 0v2 Arsenal Man United 2v3 Wolves Leicester 0v4 Liverpool Spurs 1v1 Forest Man City 4v1 Villa Arsenal 3v1 Palace

Player of the Season for me.

Doesn't need an extension if he's already got another year. I've thought he should go off into the sun on a high tbh but he's playing so well at the moment that I'm leaning towards wanting him to stay. Particularly if there is only pittance of a fee and saved wages on the table. We'd probably need to sign another fullback if he went and it'd be easier if we could kick the can down the road on that.

Europa League is near always drama central in the knockouts mind. Quality isn’t what is was but such is life. Can say exactly the same about the second tier of English football to a lesser but still comparable degree.

We gave Ritchie and Dummet extensions and they were both done as far as playing goes. I think this run in the team will convince the club to stick rather than twist

A bit of both really, Jacob.

I think there's a certain generation and older that remember how good, competitive and important the UEFA Cup was before the Champions League was expanded, and now kind of balk at the idea of the Europa League being something to laud. It hasn't felt the same since about 1998 and its importance and overall quality has never recovered. The Champions League is still often brilliant and hoys up the highest quality and most dramatic football going. It's lulled recently because imo Real Madrid's somehow-still-win-despite-being-awful routine, combined with them being a hateful club has absolutely stunk out the competition, as well as being post-Messi/prime Barca, but it's not in a fixed state of being inherently boring like, that's frankly just bollocks.

If he's available at a reasonable price this summer I see absolutely no reason we wouldn't go back in for him again. We've proven to go back in for targets we've missed out on before. Not worth the money we were linked with last summer but I think he'd add something different to our defensive line and no doubt Howe could take him up to another level. I'm not holding the armband incident against him either. Really don't think the lad has any malice in him personally.

Let's get the Fins involved.

Yes, I just got to watch the Lazio-B/G spectacle. Perhaps one of the most exciting games I’ve watched as a neutral. On a personal level, I’d rather B/G didn’t get to the final - I especially hope they don’t win it. Them advancing to the Semis now mean the Norwegian UEFA coefficient will be gigh enough got one of our teams going straight into the CL group stage without having to play a qualifying round first. If B/G win it, my hometown will forever be doomed to live in Bodø’s shade - so, fuck that! Go Spurs/Frogmen/Bilbao! The fact I enjoy the EL/EC more has nothing to do with Bodø/Glimt. The implication itself would be comparable to someone asking a NUFC fan “surely, you must hope Boro win the final - making the whole of North Eastern England proud??”

Lush lasses is over there, joey.

No, it didn't at all. It was implicit that I watch enough football to have a comprehensive view of what's entertaining or what's not "absolute torture". You might not realise it but ultimately entertainment comes down to preference. For me, when it comes to football, quality factors in quite substantially when it comes to preference, which is why I've enjoyed watching the likes of PSG/Barca vs Peruvian 3rd tier (who can't qualify for EL btw). The initial point was that lower PL teams still have too much financial clout than other European nations so they'll continue to dominate the EL, which still stands. I also fine PSG/Barca much more entertaining than Man Utd/Spurs so +1 CL for me

Aye, it's in all the shady bits. Feels like a hiding to nothing trying to deal with it.

In the case of Conference League it's actually the exact opposite and they are giving relatively big money to clubs and countries who got nothing before.

Sunlight.

That's a very muted walk back to the training room after such a result. That must be someone's decision.

To my shame I've never defeated moss. I scarified two years ago but it's all back again now.

Are you going to answer my lawn question or what?