• Thanks to each and every one of you for being part of the Golf Monthly community! We hope you have a joyous holiday season!

The Footie Thread

  • Thread starter Deleted member 15344
  • Start date

PJ87

Journeyman Pro
Joined
Apr 1, 2016
Messages
22,629
Location
Havering
Visit site
They were named after the biblical character 😂

But these comps do allow those small teams like Noah , Man Utd , Spurs , Chelsea to get good experience and exposure 😁

Yet spurs deemed the conference beneath them. If they had taken year 1 seriously they would most likely have a trophy rather than cobwebs
 

Neilds

Assistant Pro
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
Messages
4,729
Location
Wiltshire
Visit site
Just read an article on the BBC website questioning if Chelsea are too good a team to be in the Conference League. Maybe the real question should be if a team ranked 311 in the UEFA standings should be in a 'major' UEFA competition? I'm all for giving smaller clubs a chance, like in the FA Cup , but this scenario is a bit ridiculous and sums up what is wrong with the expansion of the European competitions.
 

PaulMdj

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 6, 2024
Messages
2,242
Visit site
Just read an article on the BBC website questioning if Chelsea are too good a team to be in the Conference League. Maybe the real question should be if a team ranked 311 in the UEFA standings should be in a 'major' UEFA competition? I'm all for giving smaller clubs a chance, like in the FA Cup , but this scenario is a bit ridiculous and sums up what is wrong with the expansion of the European competitions.
Chelsea are in the Conference League due to last season’s form though. Just as smaller UEFA Countries should be given the right to send their best teams to the tournaments.
 

Arthur Wedge

Well-known member
Joined
May 8, 2024
Messages
4,266
Location
Leighton Buzzard
Visit site
Just read an article on the BBC website questioning if Chelsea are too good a team to be in the Conference League. Maybe the real question should be if a team ranked 311 in the UEFA standings should be in a 'major' UEFA competition? I'm all for giving smaller clubs a chance, like in the FA Cup , but this scenario is a bit ridiculous and sums up what is wrong with the expansion of the European competitions.

Chelsea are in the competition due to how they performed last season

And that’s the same with the team they faced
 

Neilds

Assistant Pro
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
Messages
4,729
Location
Wiltshire
Visit site
Chelsea are in the competition due to how they performed last season

And that’s the same with the team they faced
I understand this, my point is really about whether either should be in a 'major' European competition that has got very bloated and is ruining national competitions and wrecking players
 

Arthur Wedge

Well-known member
Joined
May 8, 2024
Messages
4,266
Location
Leighton Buzzard
Visit site
I understand this, my point is really about whether either should be in a 'major' European competition that has got very bloated and is ruining national competitions and wrecking players

What people want to define as “major” or not I guess will be down to them

It’s a trophy that you may have to beat some good teams to win

I’m not sure about players being wrecked or national comps being ruined
 

Swango1980

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 22, 2019
Messages
13,021
Location
Lincolnshire
Visit site
In regards to Chelsea being in the Conference League, I think we all know that if teams qualified for competitions purely based on ability across Europe, Chelsea would not be in conference league. Chelsea will be a better side than many sides in the Europa League, and to be honest, the Champions League as well. I'm pretty sure Chelsea are better than Crvena, Young Boys, Sturm Graz, etc, teams that are in Champions League.

Realistically, if the top 6 or 7 English clubs qualified for Europe, purely on ability they will probably mainly be in the Champions League, perhaps some in Europa League. Whereas the Champions of some weak leagues in Europe would not get into Champions League or Europa League.

But, that is the way it is I suppose. So if 6/7 teams qualify for Europe in the major leagues, at least one of them will have to be in Conference League. And they'll face teams we've never heard of from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Latvia, Moldova, N Ireland etc. Pointless game for the English side really, but probably the dream for the team we've never heard of. In that sense, it is probably positive. FC Noah got battered, but it may still be the day many of those players never forget for positive reasons. They may have even done well financially out of it.
 

Neilds

Assistant Pro
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
Messages
4,729
Location
Wiltshire
Visit site
What people want to define as “major” or not I guess will be down to them

It’s a trophy that you may have to beat some good teams to win

I’m not sure about players being wrecked or national comps being ruined
So you haven't seen the growing injury lists, FA Cup having no replays, 2nd teams playing in the League Cup, etc?
 

Arthur Wedge

Well-known member
Joined
May 8, 2024
Messages
4,266
Location
Leighton Buzzard
Visit site
So you haven't seen the growing injury lists, FA Cup having no replays, 2nd teams playing in the League Cup, etc?

Teams have been having injuries for years , 20 years ago clubs were playing “fringe” players in the cup

It’s not anything new tbh since the change of European Cup back in the 90’s

It’s amazing how injuries that teams have been having for years are now all of sudden critical - those teams spend fortunes buying a lot of players to cover injuries

If anything the biggest issue is FIFA and the increase in national stuff
 
Top