Hazbro

Or a winter break.

Not what I said (especially when ours was the best result of any of the English clubs) but pop off.

Kinda captured my thoughts in a lengthier thread here:

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Doubt that’s gonna happen since the status quo benefits the clubs on the continent. They get more games to sell the rights to and get to use the appeal of the PL clubs to global TV audiences to get more money while their clubs enjoy both the financial and sporting rewards.

I genuinely believe we need to make the league smaller. Not sure there’s a will to do that though so not convinced we’ll see meaningful changes.

I think it’s worth pointing out what we lose by, say, removing European teams from the League Cup. That’s a place where a lot of those teams develop younger players.

That’s not to say changes can’t be made; scrap ET in the FA Cup, make the league cup semi a one-off game at a neutral ground etc.

Not convinced those would make any significant difference. We’re missing a winter break, we need to carve out a 2 week window and that’s not happening without more significant changes than just scrapping ET or making the LC semis one-legged. I do like both those changes though.

You’re spot on about not having to win the league cup.

I think it’s worth pointing out that Real may play the same number of league games, but their league isn’t as intense imho.

And at this point they’ve played 27 league games (bc of a winter break) where City have already played 29

Cut back the number of PL teams to 18.

Sure, looking at the cups is absolutely valid, but we’ve played 30 league games. Bayern have played 25. PSG too. Barcelona and Real have both played 27.

Cut the number of league games and we can have our winter break and cut back on our most intense games.

Was our game at Mansfield, where we barely tried, that taxing on our players?

Or is it the Christmas games in the league and the inability to rest in league games that’s fatiguing us?

We play more league games than in Ligue 1 or the Bundesliga. Our league is more intense than La Liga or Serie A.

We keep saying the PL is more intense than other leagues in Europe, we have less chance to rotate in the league, we need a winter break etc…

Yet we keep fixating on the cups as the solution when reducing the number of league games (not cup games where teams play in 2nd gear) would be better.

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The answer is making the PL smaller.

It’s the intensity of PL games that’s killing the teams, not the cups where they mostly play in second gear until the semis.

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We’d still be playing more games.

We’ve played 5 more league games than either PSG or Bayern.

Too many people looking at the cups when that’s not the answer.

Look at us v Bayern, we’ve played 8 games more; FIVE of those are league games. So removing *all* cup games would *still* leave us at a disadvantage.

The Bundesliga and Ligue 1 are both 18 team leagues. The PL should be too.

I think he’s possibly also been pacing himself a little after the injury knowing there’s a World Cup coming that he’s desperate to play in. Suspect we’ll see him back to normal next season and am down to lean into Noni more, either on the left or the right, as a starter.

Gala have a formidable home record, hadn’t lost a CL knockout tie at home since 1973. But at 1-0 I think Liverpool make it through at home. We were poor but that late penalty means we go into the second leg in the ascendancy. And Newcastle probably performed the best of the English sides.

Yeah, but overcoming 3 goals against sides like Real, PSG and Atletico is tough even at home. That was the key for all 3; to keep the first legs tight but they all eschewed pragmatism to play pretty football.

Newcastle are away 2nd leg, but actually probably performed the best in their tie tbh.

Huge long shot. Not as big a long shot as Spurs, but still a long shot.

I’m dreading that Everton game tbh. I think it might be the hardest of the 3 this week, no lie.

I am *more* annoyed by that result in Madrid than I am about ours tbh. Want them through to face Bayern.

But if they go out at least we remain the only team capable of the quad…

lol. I do actually feel kinda bad for Kinsky tbh.

He’s gotta be starting from now on imho. Especially with Dowman back as an option if we want to take Saka off to rest him.

This week from Saturday to Sunday next week could be season defining.

Gotta beat Everton. Doesn’t have to be pretty but get it done so we can go into the international break at least 7 ahead.

Then get through midweek. Don’t care how. Just get through.

Then we gotta win the cup final.

Perfect assessment.

But we gotta be better at home next week.

It’s one of those where it’s maybe a little soft (and certainly looked it at full speed; less so with the replay) but once it’s given it’s not being overturned. But as you say, had it not been given doubt VAR would’ve given it either.