John McGinn

[chrisw1]

I agree with the general principle, but the last thing that should be cut is domestic competitions and games, particularly when they have just added 2 games to the CL.  The clubs could have fought that and they did not, they lapped it up.

When Leicester and Brighton are moaning about too many games then it may be time to look at the domestic calendar.  But if it's just the privileged few in the CL, well, manage your multi billion-pound squads better.  Don't vote for increasing the cash cow European games.  Don't go on world tours.  And if it means you can't hoover up every single domestic trophy, then great.

I think both things can be right at the same time, there's too much football and at the same time, stop fucking whingeing and manage your squad,.

Yep, exactly.

Whatever happens the richest clubs come out best as is already the case, but reduced games makes it more viable to go with a smaller squad and reduces the benefit of having 25 full international players as your squad.

Taking the European teams out of the league cup and leaving the Europa League as the prize improves that tournament immensely.

Making the 2nd tier smaller again reduces the impact of the relegated teams having bigger squads.

Couple it all with club trained players being required in league match day squads and you're well on the way to a more balanced system that is less dominated by huge spending.

I don't think it does, it makes it a tin pot competition albeit with a decent prize.

Leave the Euro clubs in and let them rotate their players if they see fit. 

[paul_e]

So you're happy for it to be a pot that gets passed around a handful of clubs who couldn't give a fuck about it until they get the semi-final?

[chrisw1]

So you're happy for it to be a pot that gets passed around a handful of clubs who couldn't give a fuck about it until they get the semi-final?

I don't like the chosen few winning all competitions, but pandering to them isn't the answer.  If they are forced to manage their squads then clearly there's more chance of other clubs occasionally getting their nose in the trough.

I certainly don't think an auto-windscreens trophy for the shit 14 is the answer.

[paul_e]

So you're happy for it to be a pot that gets passed around a handful of clubs who couldn't give a fuck about it until they get the semi-final?

I don't like the chosen few winning all competitions, but pandering to them isn't the answer.  If they are forced to manage their squads then clearly there's more chance of other clubs occasionally getting their nose in the trough.

I certainly don't think an auto-windscreens trophy for the shit 14 is the answer.

There really isn't we have 20-30years of evidence that despite having to manage more games the same handful of teams win most of the trophies. In fact by giving a bye to teams in Europe they're already being pandered to by the current format.

Again reducing the amount of games in the domestic game would be done with the intention of improving the chances of the "shit 14" by ensuring european football is better spread, cup finals are better spread and 'moving to win trophies' is less of a motivation for players. It's all shuffling deckchairs whilst the huge financial disparities exist but it isn't pandering to teams who have used the status quo to create those disparities.

The major negative is that it means less games for fans to go to and less gate receipts, which hurts smaller clubs more but the latter at least would be better handled by fairer distribution of money anyway.

[chrisw1]

Fair enough Paul, I can see you're trying to come up with sensible solutions.

I guess I'm just a bit angry that these clubs are getting richer and if they have their way will further devalue our domestic competitions so they can maximise their Euro trough.  Personally, I'm not for it.  I want the rest of football to push back and not let 6 clubs dictate.  If they are getting pushback on gametime from their players then I think that's a good thing.  I want their squads to be stretched and stressed.  I want them to pick up injuries or their players to go on strike.  I want the playing field levelled just a tiny bit so the rest can pick up a few crumbs.

And yes, if it impacts us too so be it.  We've go two decent players in most positions so we can play a changed team in the League & FA cup and manage minutes in league games.  Let's just get on with it, not take away Accrington's big pay day.

[LeeB]

The only really sensible solution to these 'problems' in football is to take the European competitions back to how they were as straight knockout ties.

Take away the almost locked in secondary income of the so called super clubs and they can't maintain such big squads, and then cant go and take another clubs shiny player on a whim, domestic leagues become stonger, etc.

Of couse it will never happen but it would go a long way to correcting things.

[chrisw1]

The only really sensible solution to these 'problems' in football is to take the European competitions back to how they were as straight knockout ties.

Take away the almost locked in secondary income of the so called super clubs and they can't maintain such big squads, and then cant go and take another clubs shiny player on a whim, domestic leagues become stonger, etc.

Of couse it will never happen but it would go a long way to correcting things.

100% Lee. 

But now that horse has bolted the very least that should have happened was resisting the expansion of the CL & Club WC

[paul_e]

Fair enough Paul, I can see you're trying to come up with sensible solutions.

I guess I'm just a bit angry that these clubs are getting richer and if they have their way will further devalue our domestic competitions so they can maximise their Euro trough.  Personally, I'm not for it.  I want the rest of football to push back and not let 6 clubs dictate.  If they are getting pushback on gametime from their players then I think that's a good thing.  I want their squads to be stretched and stressed.  I want them to pick up injuries or their players to go on strike.  I want the playing field levelled just a tiny bit so the rest can pick up a few crumbs.

And yes, if it impacts us too so be it.  We've go two decent players in most positions so we can play a changed team in the League & FA cup and manage minutes in league games.  Let's just get on with it, not take away Accrington's big pay day.

Honestly I want to take away the NEED for big paydays more thna anything and the culture in the game right now is the same one that has made the entire sport push itself to brink.

[Dave]

The only really sensible solution to these 'problems' in football is to take the European competitions back to how they were as straight knockout ties.

Take away the almost locked in secondary income of the so called super clubs and they can't maintain such big squads, and then cant go and take another clubs shiny player on a whim, domestic leagues become stonger, etc.

Of couse it will never happen but it would go a long way to correcting things.

100% Lee. 

But now that horse has bolted the very least that should have happened was resisting the expansion of the CL & Club WC

I get the nostalgia, but this would make things far worse. There would no point in European competition anymore.

It would just be Man Ciy, PSG, Bayern and Real Madrid hammering Slovan Bratislava or APOEL Nicosia, while the world shrugs at which of Ludogorets or Midtjylland gets to be hammered by them in the next round. And then two matches between the same four big teams in April and May. Who is bothering to watch any of it? I can guarantee that those four teams will be every bit as capable of maintaining a big squad under this system as they are now.

I'm fully on board with "too much money in the game" but the solution isn't to make things so uninteresting that nobody wants to watch it anymore and the money leaves altogether.

[OCD]

For me, I would look to take the international breaks out of the in-season calendar and develop a format for them in the summers of the odd numbered years.

[PeterWithesShin]

Where's the money coming from to make up the shortfall in games for the clubs not in Europe. If, as Paul suggests, it became a 16 team top flight with even more revenue sharing then besides gate money, corporate, sponsorship, TV etc would all be lower as they aren't going to offer the same packages for less coverage. Which means PL prize money drops. And players sure aren't going to accept less money.

It's never going to happen as the PL clubs will never vote for it. The Sky 6 aren't going to vote for less money, neither are us or Newcastle. And the rest aren't going to vote for it to be even harder to be in and stay in the PL. And that's before their reduced income needs sorting.

[Drummond]

Where's the money coming from to make up the shortfall in games for the clubs not in Europe. If, as Paul suggests, it became a 16 team top flight with even more revenue sharing then besides gate money, corporate, sponsorship, TV etc would all be lower as they aren't going to offer the same packages for less coverage. Which means PL prize money drops. And players sure aren't going to accept less money.

It's never going to happen as the PL clubs will never vote for it. The Sky 6 aren't going to vote for less money, neither are us or Newcastle. And the rest aren't going to vote for it to be even harder to be in and stay in the PL. And that's before their reduced income needs sorting.

Less games overall, but with the potential to show the same number but a larger percentage on TV.

i.e. fewer games on Saturday at 3pm

[PeterWithesShin]

Which would mean even more different kick off times, i'm not sure the best way to ensure Rodri isn't tired is to fuck fans over even more than they already are. For me it's a case of until players stop wanting 100k-500k a week then nothing is changing. The clubs can't afford for it to change to their detriment.

[paul_e]

and a more competitive and higher quality 2nd division to take up some of the slack as well.

I know it's all unlikely but I think after a few years of things settling it would work. I do agree it would create problems though, but that's kinda the idea, to shake things up a bit and try to tip the cart.

[Louzie0]

I hope he’s OK; it wouldn’t be ideal to lose SJM at any stage of the season, but especially not this early!🤞