Current Europa League format - terrible.

All of the Lights

All of the Lights

Well-Known Member
I know after our horrific attempt at qualifying I have a cheek slagging it, but the standard of play in group stage is terrible and I don’t see the point in it.

Any decent team in it doesn’t seem to take it seriously until later stages in March/April time. Arsenal squad the last few games shows how much they want to be in it. Couple that with the teams playing against their reserves still sit in with no intention of going and trying to win. Best teams not interested in it, weaker ones boring as you can get.

Go back to a knock out tournament with fewer rounds and fewer games, it’s totally pointless way it is just now imo.

May harm us getting back in Europe, but not exactly a money spinner either.
 
To be fair Man Ure won it last year without really playing anyone decent. Their run in was a joke. Ajax were rubbish, Celta were pish but should have knocked them out, Rostov were did appointing after having beaten Bayern in the CL group.
 
Watched the AEK v Milan match.

Absolutely shite finished 0-0

Second time in the group as well. Over 3 hours of shite.

The only name I recognised in the Milan team was Montolivo.

Changed days.
 
TibbsyBear said:
Watched the AEK v Milan match.

Absolutely shite finished 0-0

Second time in the group as well. Over 3 hours of shite.

The only name I recognised in the Milan team was Montolivo.

Changed days.
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Did they rest players? They spunked over €200m in the summer, much of which seems to have been wasted judging on the couple of times I have seen them.
 
Preferred the 2 leg knock out system maself. It’s just a terrible compitition now.

Should go back to what it was not this pish.
Boring and half arsed by the big teams.
 
Superrangers said:
Did they rest players? They spunked over €200m in the summer, much of which seems to have been wasted judging on the couple of times I have seen them.
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Not sure mate.

I had a look at their squad online before kick off and literally only recognised one player.

I'd be surprised if they rested a lot though. The Europa League is the one cup they've never won.

I suppose if they care or not is a different matter.
 
BigBadShep said:
Preferred the 2 leg knock out system maself. It’s just a terrible compitition now.

Should go back to what it was not this pish.
Boring and half arsed by the big teams.
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Also gives smaller clubs or those from smaller countries a chance. Playing over 2 legs is more like to lead to an upset than a 6 match group.
 
The fact that the "big" countries get like 7 places each in the champions league (joking obv) Dilutes the europa even further imo.
If there were say 3 teams at most from each country you could be left with some potentially exciting ties in the europa league and I think the CL would improve because of it as well.
 
JohnWoods said:
The fact that the "big" countries get like 7 places each in the champions league (joking obv) Dilutes the europa even further imo.
If there were say 3 teams at most from each country you could be left with some potentially exciting ties in the europa league and I think the CL would improve because of it as well.
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The big leagues will never go for it sadly.
 
Unfortunately, as the big-moneyed elite clubs in Europe stretch further away from the chasing pack in the Champions League, the Europa cup remains an achievable target for the middle-to-good teams in Europe. There could be some fantastic ties after Christmas with the teams in it, now that all the dross is eliminated at earlier stages. Some real premium teams going to be in there, slogging it out, with all feeling they have an actual chance of a European trophy.

I'm looking forward to it!
 
Drummondo said:
Unfortunately, as the big-moneyed elite clubs in Europe stretch further away from the chasing pack in the Champions League, the Europa cup remains an achievable target for the middle-to-good teams in Europe. There could be some fantastic ties after Christmas with the teams in it, now that all the dross is eliminated at earlier stages. Some real premium teams going to be in there, slogging it out, with all feeling they have an actual chance of a European trophy.

I'm looking forward to it!
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Why then can teams not just progress through knockout games rather than 4 team groups?

Would still end up with better teams at end this year, without all waste of time games just now.
 
They should offer CL group stage places for EL semi-finalists from the previous season, not just for the eventual winners.

Would give sides in the EL a reason to play their strongest starting XI and treat the competition with respect.

Sick and tired of seeing run of the mill EPL sides (such as Everton) who haven't done anything domestically in years treat the EL like shit, when if they actually bothered they might even win it - they should certainly be contenders being an EPL side with all the riches that brings.
 
All of the Lights said:
Why then can teams not just progress through knockout games rather than 4 team groups?

Would still end up with better teams at end this year, without all waste of time games just now.
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No reason at all. I'm a big fan of the two-leg affairs. Truth be told - that is a more effective eliminator of dross than anything.
 
I love it. It’s usually quite interesting. Sometimes you get the intrigue of old European cup ties with total randomers and different styles of play.

Detest the CL as it’s always the same teams, so repetitive, with the richest winning (again). Find watching the CL is like being really into films but only watching Michael Bay movies.
 
Drummondo said:
It is. And when you think of the stinking games we had to endure on that journey.....christ....
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We entered the UEFA Cup at the k/o stage.

So what is it on here? The Group Stages are shite or the k/o stages are shite?

Or maybe it’s just the posters who constantly tell us that football is shite and on a football site would you believe.
 
Growler said:
I love it. It’s usually quite interesting. Sometimes you get the intrigue of old European cup ties with total randomers and different styles of play.

Detest the CL as it’s always the same teams, so repetitive, with the richest winning (again). Find watching the CL is like being really into films but only watching Michael Bay movies.
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The two richest clubs in the last 5/6 years Manchester City and Paris St Germain have never won the CL. In fact they haven’t even reached a final as yet.
 
ParagonofVirtue said:
We entered the UEFA Cup at the k/o stage.

So what is it on here? The Group Stages are shite or the k/o stages are shite?

Or maybe it’s just the posters who constantly tell us that football is shite and on a football site would you believe.
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No. No. I usually like the knockout stages. They are very exciting. That year was a war of attrition.
 
ParagonofVirtue said:
The two richest clubs in the last 5/6 years Manchester City and Paris St Germain have never won the CL. In fact they haven’t even reached a final as yet.
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It’s basically Bayern, Barca, Real + another (usually Atlético) if the draw works right. Every fucking year. They’ve all got a lot of money; maybe not the most, but they’re all up there. Nobody else has a chance. Wasn’t that long ago clubs like Porto and Monaco (before the money) ran close, not anymore.
 
I’d prefer a knockout tournament as or if they must have groups,
3 teams and no seedlings only 1 team qualifying
I’d reckon that would make less pointless games and more entertainment
 
There's far too many teams that enter the Europa League (was it 4 qualifying rounds we'd have needed to play just to get to the group stages?) and mimicking the Champions League format just reminds you that it's essentially a 2nd rate tournament for teams too shite to get to the Champions League.

You can tell by the attendances at games and the teams selected that at this stage of the competition nobody actually wants to be playing in it.

Cut down on the number of teams who enter and cut down on the number of teams who get into the tournament because they're too shit to compete in the Champions League and you'll go a long way to improving it.
 
What about making it a sort of losers bracket for the Champions League? Start the competition earlier, have less groups but with 2 more teams in each and for every team that gets knocked out of the last 16 of CL, they play a team that progressed through the Europa League. Then the next round the team that gets eliminated from the quarter finals plays whoever went through the Europa League and so on. It would add more excitement to the competition and would generate more money for clubs who don't reach the Champions League.

I'm not sure it's possible, but if it is, it would be pretty exciting.
 
All of the Lights said:
I know after our horrific attempt at qualifying I have a cheek slagging it, but the standard of play in group stage is terrible and I don’t see the point in it.

Any decent team in it doesn’t seem to take it seriously until later stages in March/April time. Arsenal squad the last few games shows how much they want to be in it. Couple that with the teams playing against their reserves still sit in with no intention of going and trying to win. Best teams not interested in it, weaker ones boring as you can get.

Go back to a knock out tournament with fewer rounds and fewer games, it’s totally pointless way it is just now imo.

May harm us getting back in Europe, but not exactly a money spinner either.
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Agreed although it was even worse in the previous five team group format. I also don't like the fact teams going into the latter stages have often just been horsed out of the Champions League. They are separate competitions so leave them that way! Not really surprised Gabi was quoted the other day as saying the Europa League is a piece of shit!
 
I don't think having the games the same week following the champions league helps. It's a bit like having a nice steak for your main course followed by an awful pudding. You might like the pudding more the following week when there's nothing else doing.
 
Rick_Sanchez said:
I remember that prick being smug af in the shootout vs Fiorentina when he scored! Karma bitch!
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That's the only reason I remembered him.

Seems to have been around forever now but had a look at his wiki page and apparently he was only 22 in that match.
 
JohnWoods said:
The fact that the "big" countries get like 7 places each in the champions league (joking obv) Dilutes the europa even further imo.
If there were say 3 teams at most from each country you could be left with some potentially exciting ties in the europa league and I think the CL would improve because of it as well.
Click to expand...

Agree completely , UEFA should look at helping smaller nations develop which would improve the competition
 
UEFA should reinstate the European Cup Winners' Cup and make it a straight knockout tournament with no seeded teams.
 
I actually liked it it when there were groups of 5 with only 4 matches home and away twice and just playing a team once then onto knockout.
 
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