Prem pondering changing the CL 4th place to a play off format

[finnster01]

...Which means 4-7th will have a shot, just like Championship qual for the last promotion place.

Interesting. However, for it to pass 14 of the 20 clubs will have to say yes. You figure that the Big 4 will all turn their noses down to that and maybe City/Villa/Spuds as well. That could be a very close vote. Good for clubs like ours if this happened, although it would also mean a few more games and won't take effect until 3 years time.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/8516372.stm

[Jimpav]

Sounds a great idea.

The only teams that would vote against this would be the current top 4 - the ones who would be affected by missing out on the CL.

This would be the perfect way to de-rail the top four gravy train and share the wealth amongst the league.

[jarv]

This is only about one thing.....money. (more from supporters pockets).

It will do nothing for english football in the long run, probably drag more clubs into the debt frenzy. The premier league should look at things like, salary caps, limiting the amount of borrowing/debt, start operating on true business models etc etc.

please complete the following....the premier league to football is like the banks to the uk *******

[finnster01]

Yeah right. Try implementing a salary cap at a bank. That will be a first mate

[Lighthouse]

A no from me. If you finish 4th you deserve 4th. Not to have to play another load of games in a league that already complains of too much football. A player plays in the Prem, for the qualification of some International tournament, in European competitions,in cups and now we add on more games. No point.

Of Coarse money is the reason.

[finnster01]

Absolutely. It will make the next media deal even more attractive by some added late season drama so they can charge 1.5 billion pounds the next time...

[jarv]

Think about it in terms of the play off promotion to the premier league. Could be directly, setting records along the way (eg reading, Sunderland) or could be via play-offs (derby, charlton).
They now have to spend heavily to survive (ie borrow money).
Long term, look at the teams above, derby struggled big time to even stay in the championship since their promotion. reading look like div.3 already, etc etc.

Champions league....same scenario, need to spend to survive, strikes me like a roll of the dice. Also, look at the attendances in champions league (and the euro league thingy). Quite pathetic most of the time.

Who needs it?

[Teabag]

That's a lot of extra games to fit in AFTER the season has ended.

[FFCOutpostCommander]

That's a no for me too. After battling to earn 4TH throughout an already long season to have to defend that position against teams you've already topped seems quite pointless.

[os5889]

Meh, sounds a bit daft, once your mathematically 7th, whats the point, think of all the relegation clubs messed around and cup fnal squads on beaches

[FatFreddysCat]

Actually i think it's a great idea, i was anti the play offs, but it really makes the season a lot more exciting for a lot more clubs, and this will be great as well. Sorry Finny i have to disagree by saying Villa and spurs would be all over that, unlikely to finish 4th, but have a backdoor way into the promised land. Bring it on, great stuff, though i cant see it affecting us to much.

[finnster01]

Mr Fred have you forgot who finished 7th last season?

Wouldn't mind a trip to Barcelona or Madrid to watch Fulham

[FatFreddysCat]

Mr Fred have you forgot who finished 7th last season?

Wouldn't mind a trip to Barcelona or Madrid to watch Fulham

No not forgotten Finny, but Spurs and Citeh are much stronger now, and i'm not Blingo, so i cant see us getting 7th again.

[TonyGilroy]

Same principle as the promotion play offs and it would mean that every Prem club could realistically aspire to Champions League qualification.

The big 4 would have to accept not always qualifying and every so often a new club would have a rare opportunity to play in the biggest club competition.

The playing field would be levelled ever so slightly. Big games at the end of the season with serious money to be earned.

A good idea IMO.

[timmyg]

Well when the Big 4 remain so for another 10 straight years and people stop watching because the league becomes a complete bore then we all will have wished for this to have gone through.

[Logicalman]

What big 4?

It's either 3 or 7 now, as Liverpool have - once again - proved they are unfit to be classed as a top team. I mean, even the Arsenal are better than they are this season, and with the losses the poo have taken, at Fulham and even Pompey, can you seriously call them top 4? I believe Spurts or Villa, and even Citeh are more a reliable bet than Benny's boys are, these days.

[Chopper]

Sounds a great idea.

The only teams that would vote against this would be the current top 4 - the ones who would be affected by missing out on the CL.

This would be the perfect way to de-rail the top four gravy train and share the wealth amongst the league.

Seems a good idea on the surface but I wonder if it would actually just give the big four an escape route when they have a bad season. Liverpool would jump at the chance this season!

[clintclintdeuce]

This is good for the game in general I reckon, as well as could help decide Europa League places as well.

[SuffolkWhite]

If the 4th placed team to the 7th placed team got to the play off's, teams as far down as 10th could still have something to play for. And if the bottom 5 teams were to go down then the Premier league would have excitement till the end of the season?