*Official* English Football Season 2009-2010

[Ausage]

TBH, if a teams so mediocre that their season is so dead by March, then so what. If the fans dont go to the matches and they lose revenue because there is nothing to play for , then that'll encourage them to make a bit more effort next year wont it (think its a bit of a myth tbh, fans will still go if the team are giving all and at least trying to play well, its when the players let the season peter out, then it impacts the attendance) Win or bust IMO, no point being meh about a year

The only factor in your position in the EPL is "a bit more effort"? That's not true and you know it. Fact is for half the clubs in the EPL having a successful season means having the last month of the season free of stressful relegation battles.

I know there's a first past the post culture in England, but as someone who's local leagues all culminate with playoffs/finals, having the last month of the regular season filled with important and interesting fixtures is good for the overall excitement level of the competition. That said, in reality it's largely that way for positions 1-10 now anyway.

 

[Uppercut]

Been doing that since the "Champions" League admitted teams who weren't champions tho, arguably.

Well, you could say that. It does make the use of the term "champions" somewhat farcical. I think there were more benefits to that than there are to this though.

I'd like to see the four best teams from each country represent that country in Europe, and I think that's more often the team finishing fourth than the team finishing 4th-7th and winning a playoff.

 

[Ausage]

Thats true, though usually the winners/runners up in each tend to have qualification sorted through league, or be in the 5-7th position in the league anyway (not always I know, remembering Millwall having a bash at Europe one year thanks to being runners up in the cup to us)

I thought the runner up in the Cups defered to 6th/7th place in the league re qualification.

 

[Craig]

I thought the runner up in the Cups defered to 6th/7th place in the league re qualification.

Well, the top 4 get into the Champions League, if any of the top four play each other in the FA Cup and/or Carling Cup Final, then that spot goes to the 6th and 7th placed teams. Of course if Manchester United play Blackburn in the Carling Cup final, and United win, then Blackburn get that Europa Cup spot. Same for the FA Cup.

 

[GIMH]

Really am amused by the outcry over this

 

[Jarquis]

Real Madrid to make world record £85 million bid for Manchester United striker 'Own Goal' | newsarse.com

 

[Uppercut]

Haha heard so many of those lately. F365's headline was "Bad news: Vidic Out. Good news: Own Goal set to start."

 

[The Sean]

Great letter from a Villa fan bemoaning O'Neill selling him to United for peanuts last summer too.

 

[cpr]

The only factor in your position in the EPL is "a bit more effort"? That's not true and you know it. Fact is for half the clubs in the EPL having a successful season means having the last month of the season free of stressful relegation battles..

Misunderstood me there. My point is league position isnt all that relevant, Alot of the idea behind play offs is to generate 'excitement' to keep attendances from dipping towards the back end of a season. My argument is if a team is trying to entertain its fans rather than just plodding through 'dead rubber' matches, then attendances dont drop. Even if the team wins, loses, draws, spends the whole of the year in 12th with no prizes on the horizon, if the players are giving it their all, fans will still want to watch and will attend regardless.

The problem is with players failing to motivate themselves, giving half arsed performances because they know there is no penalty, thus fans decide they cant be bothered spending £30 on a ticket knowing that the team dont really care for the game. A player who needs the motivation of a play off place to put a shift in past easter isn't really the kind i'd want in my team.

 

[Matteh]

Do clubs actually get different amounts of prize money based on their position or is that a Championship Manager thing?

 

[GIMH]

No they actually do in the Prem

 

[BoyBrumby]

Difference isn't that massive tho; if a team is featured on telly an extra couple of times it's possible they'll end up with more money than the team above them.

If memory serves, the last time we won the title (you can ask your dads about it...) Man U actually ended up with a bigger slice of the tv revenue pie despite finishing third that year.

 

[GIMH]

Yeah, United were on way too much that year, especially given their team was bland. Seem to remember United-Southampton being chosen over the Merseyside derby to general dismay. Wound up a decent game as I recall it mind you and I don't care for the derby.

 

[Agent TBY]

Wasn't that the season where United and Southampton wore clashing kits, and Fergie blamed the poor performance on that?

 

[Matteh]

Wasn't that 1996ish where Man Utd's crap grey kit blended in with the crowd creating a 6-3 (iirc) loss.

 

[cpr]

Nah that was long before, in the days of Cantona. IIRC it was the 95/96 season, next season we went to Southampton wearing blue and white and shipped 6.....

 

[cpr]

Wasn't that 1996ish where Man Utd's crap grey kit blended in with the crowd creating a 6-3 (iirc) loss.

3-1 Loss that one, 3-0 at HT, switched to Blue/White for 2nd half. 6-3 was next season (see above )

 

[Agent TBY]

Haha way off, then.

Getting old..

 

[cpr]

Listening to the match on the Radio, dont think i've celebrated a goal I've not seen as much before. Huge result if we hold onto this.

 

[The Sean]

Made it ****ing difficult for ourselves in those last ten minutes, but that's a great win.