Our ‘non champions’ path

To be fair if you’d have told me we needed to beat Malmo and Ludogorets to get into the group stages via a champions path, I’d be spending the champions league money already.
That was the real missed opportunity, well that and failing to win the league.

The Europa League final was something I didn’t think we had a chance of reaching, so I can accept missing out from not winning that.

Similarly the non champions path is very difficult and a long shot. Losing to PSV whilst disappointing, would be no disgrace.
 
It’s on the authorities for moving the break. Cheating, pure and simple.

You definitely have a point but we were throwing away silly points long before then.

It was blatant favouritism towards the tims, but it’s just in my nature to look at what we could have done better.

The fat man was banging on about moving the break within minutes of Sturgeon’s announcement.
 
To be fair if you’d have told me we needed to beat Malmo and Ludogorets to get into the group stages via a champions path, I’d be spending the champions league money already.

There’s an argument to say that’s exactly what should have happened prior to the ties being played but that’s another story…
 
it does stick in the craw that bodo gimp look like making the champions league while we aren't currently favourites to do so. they play on an astro pitch in an 8k seater stadium ffs.

They are a very decent team and a very well run club.

I’d like to see them get through. No skin off our noses.
 
They are a very decent team and a very well run club.

I’d like to see them get through. No skin off our noses.
A think Zagreb will put them out in Croatia but a good example of a team who buy low n sell for decent fees
 
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The other non champions path is to finish at least 4th in a big league that already pays out hundreds of millions to clubs in tv money
This is true mate barring a few teams who upset the odds the quarter finalists in this competition are generally the same year in year out it’s basically becoming a closed shop for the rich and wealthier teams
 
We’ve had 3 shots at qualifying for the CL for this season alone, something that will likely never happen again. So if we don’t make it then that’s on us I’m afraid.

It stings when you look at the so called ‘shite’ in the champions path but at the end of the day all these teams won their domestic leagues unlike ourselves.
 
You definitely have a point but we were throwing away silly points long before then.

It was blatant favouritism towards the tims, but it’s just in my nature to look at what we could have done better.

The fat man was banging on about moving the break within minutes of Sturgeon’s announcement.
We were six points ahead and in good form going into Xmas against a struggling Filth team and I am sure a shyte Aberdeen side.
Probably two wins that would have seen us 9 points ahead.
This may have had other ramifications for the Filth in the break, perhaps limiting their investment.
I am sure we would lose 5 points from these two rescheduled games?
My memory may be wrong someone on here will know?
 
If we don’t qualify, it’s on us really.

We could have won the league. We didn’t.

Then we had Seville. Now we have the qualifiers.

Malmo, blowing the league, Seville and PSV.

4 chances in 12 months and it's looking like 4 chances blown - unless there is a dramatic upturn in performance next week.
 
We were six points ahead and in good form going into Xmas against a struggling Filth team and I am sure a shyte Aberdeen side.
Probably two wins that would have seen us 9 points ahead.
This may have had other ramifications for the Filth in the break, perhaps limiting their investment.
I am sure we would lose 5 points from these two rescheduled games?
My memory may be wrong someone on here will know?
they drew with St Mirren I think just before Christmas to put us 6 ahead, then both of us won on Boxing Day

the sheep game would have been the 29th and then we had them on 2nd January if the schedule had gone as it was, sheep were struggling badly as they did most of the season and the scum were going to be without a lot of players for the match V us on the original day. Also the players they bought who played us in February wouldn't have been able to play the original match but we'll just forget that one
 
they drew with St Mirren I think just before Christmas to put us 6 ahead, then both of us won on Boxing Day

the sheep game would have been the 29th and then we had them on 2nd January if the schedule had gone as it was, sheep were struggling badly as they did most of the season and the scum were going to be without a lot of players for the match V us on the original day. Also the players they bought who played us in February wouldn't have been able to play the original match but we'll just forget that one
Yes and it was rescheduled for Wednesday night under the lights which is always a different gravy in these games.
We were totally done over and cheated.
 
It’s on the authorities for moving the break. Cheating, pure and simple.
We’ve on our 4th chance of reaching the group stages in 12 months. We could’ve beaten Ross County and Motherwell and won the league we never. Blaming the break being moved makes us sound like victims.
 
they drew with St Mirren I think just before Christmas to put us 6 ahead, then both of us won on Boxing Day

the sheep game would have been the 29th and then we had them on 2nd January if the schedule had gone as it was, sheep were struggling badly as they did most of the season and the scum were going to be without a lot of players for the match V us on the original day. Also the players they bought who played us in February wouldn't have been able to play the original match but we'll just forget that one
Some refuse to accept that this changed the league

Aribo was flying

They were dead on their feet were struggling massively with injuries we would have battered them at that point sheep as well

Going into winter break potentially 9 to 12 points clear would have ended them for the season they would have burned piggery to the ground.

It allowed the change of ref at the sheep game to clancy we were never winning that game with him and brown in reffing the game

Yes we had a brain fart at Ross County

yes Motherwell 2 up at home should have done better - somee honking decisions in that game to especially one of their goals and at least one of our 2 disallowed goals

At same time they were getting every decision under the sun going their way.
 
Even worse was when the SFA made us float crosses into the box for 70 mins against Celtic at home. I'll never forgive them.
Yep.

In the end - all.other things being equal - if we'd won that match we'd have won the league.

Unbelievable. We threw it away.
And it sticks in my craw that we allowed that fat Aussie mess to succeed.
 
Some refuse to accept that this changed the league

Aribo was flying

They were dead on their feet were struggling massively with injuries we would have battered them at that point sheep as well

Going into winter break potentially 9 to 12 points clear would have ended them for the season they would have burned piggery to the ground.

It allowed the change of ref at the sheep game to clancy we were never winning that game with him and brown in reffing the game

Yes we had a brain fart at Ross County

yes Motherwell 2 up at home should have done better - somee honking decisions in that game to especially one of their goals and at least one of our 2 disallowed goals

At same time they were getting every decision under the sun going their way.
Some refuse to see.

This weekend could see goals from us disallowed (if they get that far) with Connor on the line. Meanwhile the tims have their pet ref.
 
We will beat PSV. Faith brother.
It will be tough. But if at the end of last season you had offered me the chance to qualify for CL group stages and all we had to do was beat PSV in a one off game at their gaff, I would have said "who are you and why are you offering me CL group stage qualification deals?“
 
If we don’t qualify, it’s on us really.

We could have won the league. We didn’t.

Then we had Seville. Now we have the qualifiers.
Correct. We had two chances, failed on both and now we have 4 games to go through. If we don't make it then it's not up because of the SPFL moving fixtures around.
 
It’s really not. Unless they’re at fault for McGregors multiple brain farts leading to dropped points?
I’d say a mixture of both .
Them getting countless favourable refereeing decisions and as the poster said the break getting moved to accommodate them along with us chucking points in the bin time after time meant we lost a title
 
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The easiest path was to beat Hearts, Motherwell and Ross County or win a one off game v Eintracht Frankfurt on a neutral pitch. We always like to do things the hard way.
 
Surprising that UEFA haven't made the non-champions path easier to be honest. They don't care about the smaller teams and probably don't want the Moldovan champions sullying their elitist competition.

I only care for the group stages for the money, I much prefer the teams that go into the Europa League.
 
Teams that have won the so called lesser leagues kind of reward to scrap it out in qualifiers to play in a group with the 4th best team in Italy or 3rd best in England that’s what uefa call the champions league lol
This is my (main) issue with the competition. They really need to change the name. Or maybe just have it as the top team in each league as it should be and expand the Europa League for the rest.
 
I watched the draw the other week and felt that we'd comfortably beat every team in the Champions path.

This just makes last years loss to Malmo even worse.
 
Surprising that UEFA haven't made the non-champions path easier to be honest. They don't care about the smaller teams and probably don't want the Moldovan champions sullying their elitist competition.

I only care for the group stages for the money, I much prefer the teams that go into the Europa League.
They have no reason to change it. Uefa are only interested in the top four leagues alongside psg and not making the clubs finishing fourth have to play a qualifying round cemented that. I'm not one of these champions league should be for champions people, the champions league is a brand but uefa can't act like it's fair for half the group stage to be made up of teams from four leagues that don't have to play any qualifiers when ten teams from the leagues ranked ranked 5th to 15th have to fight for two spots in the competition and 42 domestic champions are fighting for another four places.


Previously when they still had to play qualifiers if the 4th place teams couldn't win one qualifying round with their financial advantage they didn't deserve to be in the competition. It also hurts the clubs from the smaller leagues that are in the group stage as if any of those clubs were eliminated it opened up the possibility of a weaker group or two being there to be drawn into. Now since the change there's been three groups drawn that didn't have at least two clubs from England, Spain, Italy or Germany in it and the only drama at the group stage level typically comes if three clubs from those leagues are drawn together.
 
They have no reason to change it. Uefa are only interested in the top four leagues alongside psg and not making the clubs finishing fourth have to play a qualifying round cemented that. I'm not one of these champions league should be for champions people, the champions league is a brand but uefa can't act like it's fair for half the group stage to be made up of teams from four leagues that don't have to play any qualifiers when ten teams from the leagues ranked ranked 5th to 15th have to fight for two spots in the competition and 42 domestic champions are fighting for another four places.


Previously when they still had to play qualifiers if the 4th place teams couldn't win one qualifying round with their financial advantage they didn't deserve to be in the competition. It also hurts the clubs from the smaller leagues that are in the group stage as if any of those clubs were eliminated it opened up the possibility of a weaker group or two being there to be drawn into. Now since the change there's been three groups drawn that didn't have at least two clubs from England, Spain, Italy or Germany in it and the only drama at the group stage level typically comes if three clubs from those leagues are drawn together.
I don't disagree with any of that, bud.

In the bar outside entrace A at Seville last year my pal was chatting to a Frankfurt fan who started chanting "mafia, mafia" when UEFA were brought up. They are toxic,
 
We were six points ahead and in good form going into Xmas against a struggling Filth team and I am sure a shyte Aberdeen side.
Probably two wins that would have seen us 9 points ahead.
This may have had other ramifications for the Filth in the break, perhaps limiting their investment.
I am sure we would lose 5 points from these two rescheduled games?
My memory may be wrong someone on here will know?
Rangers 1 Motherwell 1
Ross County 3 Rangers 3
Rangers 2 Motherwell 2

Is why we lost the league.
 
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