[Football] Big clubs playing their B team in Europe

[Guinness Boy]

A 4-1 win for Chelsea away, playing mostly reserves and with our ex 14 year old wonder kid on the bench,

Spurs making nine changes including a debut for Mikey Moore.

Don’t remember us doing that last season, or being able to. Did we qualify a season or two too early?

 

[HangletonGull]

A 4-1 win for Chelsea away, playing mostly reserves and with our ex 14 year old wonder kid on the bench,

Spurs making nine changes including a debut for Mikey Moore.

Don’t remember us doing that last season, or being able to. Did we qualify a season or two too early?

To be fair this year it’s a shambles, this massive league thing is a disgrace

 

[Guinness Boy]

To be fair this year it’s a shambles, this massive league thing is a disgrace

Yeah, to be fair a couple more games minimum.

 

[Munkfish]

To be fair this year it’s a shambles, this massive league thing is a disgrace

I don’t think it is. I was of the same opinion but the group stages always lead to a few dead rubber games. This should have a fair few teams fighting to the end for qualification. I personally think it will make things more exciting. The champions league is as pretty much pointless previously until the knockouts.

 

[brighton_tom]

Spurs resting their star players, so ready for sundays thrashing of crystal palace.

 

[BevBHA]

Don’t think it’s relevant to our European campaign. The European clubs pretty much always seem to play their best team in Europe as it’s the be all and end all no matter which of the 3 competitions they’re in.

For Spurs and Chelsea, the Europa league and conference leagues aren’t seen as big of deal as they are to us as anything less than Champions League they probably view as sub par, hence the rotated teams it’s most likely more important to focus on a strong league position, thus hopefully Champions League qualification, than it is focusing on these ‘second rate’ competitions

 

[Motogull]

Spurs resting their star players, so ready for sundays thrashing by crystal palace.

Typo corrected for you. Sunday is a much bigger game for them up against a real European giant club.

 

[Skuller]

Arsenal seem to be resting Trossard by getting him to referee the Fenerbace Man U game

 

[amexer]

Yeah, to be fair a couple more games minimum.

Number of games in Europe is a joke. Thats why I never take interest until last 16

 

[Shaktarman]

To be fair this year it’s a shambles, this massive league thing is a disgrace

I was looking at the ‘table’ thing earlier - there’s pretty much guaranteed to be a large number of teams qualifying / missing out due to goal difference which is absolutely silly. Pointless change and just greed - there’s already too many games too.

 

[A1X]

Spurs resting their star players, so ready for sundays thrashing of crystal palace.

Palace are going to struggle to rest players when they’re competing in Europe next season, which will hamper their title push

 

[Perry Milkins]

Spurs resting their star players, so ready for sundays thrashing of crystal palace.

You mean severe test at European qualifiers elect...

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

I don’t think it is. I was of the same opinion but the group stages always lead to a few dead rubber games. This should have a fair few teams fighting to the end for qualification. I personally think it will make things more exciting. The champions league is as pretty much pointless previously until the knockouts.

It will mean the opposite.

More games means less chance of jeopardy as well as the majority of teams going through to the next round.

 

[Triggaaar]

Did we qualify a season or two too early?

No

 

[dsr-burnley]

36 teams are playing 144 games to eliminate 12 of them. It's bound to be boring. And teams will only need (per simulations) 9 points to qualify, from 8 games, so the richest clubs could play the reserves for all 8 games and still qualify with something to spare.

 

[Wozza]

We'd deffo be mixing it up this season, with our bigger squad. Didn't have that luxury last season.

 

[GT49er]

We'd deffo be mixing it up this season, with our bigger squad. Didn't have that luxury last season.

.........................and we've been doing the same for the League Cup for years anyway!

 

[schmunk]

It might be "Chelsea Reserves", but their starting 11 cost around £500M.

 

[HangletonGull]

I don’t think it is. I was of the same opinion but the group stages always lead to a few dead rubber games. This should have a fair few teams fighting to the end for qualification. I personally think it will make things more exciting. The champions league is as pretty much pointless previously until the knockouts.

Ok

 

[Jim in the West]

36 teams are playing 144 games to eliminate 12 of them. It's bound to be boring. And teams will only need (per simulations) 9 points to qualify, from 8 games, so the richest clubs could play the reserves for all 8 games and still qualify with something to spare.

I look at the ridiculous league table, then I think back to our amazing experiences last season - in a league of FOUR teams. Every match counted. The new format is dire. It may get exciting in a month or so, but there will be even more meaningless matches between teams who have both already qualified, so don’t hold your breath.