Premier League 2020/21 Thread

[HighPeakFox]

16 minutes ago, FOXSE said:

Lucky getting Saville in the fist knock out round.

Must be a joke about knocking Jimmy Saville out in the first round of a fist fight available here.

[AjcW]

35 minutes ago, FOXSE said:

Lucky getting Saville in the fist knock out round. A team that hadn't lost a knockout tie in 5 and a half years and had won three europa leagues back to back.....

Competitively speaking. I’m not taking away from how well we did, but the alternatives were....

 

 

We could have ended up like Arsenal  

[FoyleFox]

30 minutes ago, Aus Fox said:

Isn’t that the joys of football? 
I’m sure Barnsley, sitting in a play off position in the Championship are thinking are we ready for Man City, Leicester and Chelsea every week.

You want to challenge yourself against the best.

Put is in the position of Donetsk this season, we draw a group with Real Madrid, Inter and Moenchengladbach (or their equivalents depending on qualifying).

We’d go in, enjoy ourselves, no pressure and hopefully get a couple of results and maybe sneak through.

It wasn’t that long  ago we were paying Real Madrid to play a friendly against us and printing tshirts to remember the event.

It's not that long ago it was us asking the same question about being ready to face top PL teams, now although some may not like it or acknowledge that, the table says we are one. 

Not suggesting we're at a level to compete with those top European Champions League teams but continued experience in Europe will only develop us in the same way our continued experience and growth in the PL has. 

[Deeg67]

2 hours ago, AjcW said:

Competitively speaking. I’m not taking away from how well we did, but the alternatives were....

 

 

We could have ended up like Arsenal  

Yeah, it takes nothing away from a great achievement to acknowledge that Sevilla was the luckiest draw we could have gotten (and our group was the easiest too).  

[Gerard]

1 hour ago, Deeg67 said:

Yeah, it takes nothing away from a great achievement to acknowledge that Sevilla was the luckiest draw we could have gotten (and our group was the easiest too).  

 

Benfica looked to be the weakest and Leverkusen were no better than Sevilla.

 

We did well to avoid Bayern, Real Madrid and PSG who all surprisingly finished runners up in their groups.

 

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification		NAP	BEN	BES	DKV
1	Napoli	6	3	2	1	11	8	+3	11	Advance to knockout phase		—	4–2	2–3	0–0
2	Benfica	6	2	2	2	10	10	0	8			1–2	—	1–1	1–0
3	Beşiktaş	6	1	4	1	9	14	−5	7	Transfer to Europa League		1–1	3–3	—	1–1
4	Dynamo Kyiv	6	1	2	3	8	6	+2	5			1–2	0–2	6–0	—

 

 

Edited 29 April 2021 by Gerard

[KingsX]

15 hours ago, Aus Fox said:

Does anyone know how prize money works for the end of the season? I was trying to look at the difference in money received for finishing 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th.

I came across this, what I found interesting is that we made more from overseas tv money than Arsenal? Does that mean we were shown more? Or more popular? 
Arsenal made more on facilities fees? Who decides what gets more money? More games on tv? Better facilities?

What I take from this was we were, and still are the biggest club outside the super league six right now, and the gap between us and the lower end of the super league six is closing.

 

First I’ve seen this, and I’ve not researched it.  But this is what I think I know (?).

 

The equal share is the base split of TV revenue all 20 clubs get for being in the PL.  Facility fees are a fixed amount per match shown nationally on TV.  Merit payment, as always is computed on finish in the table (about ₤2M per slot).

 

Overseas TV income never used to be broken out from the “equal share”.  But as the only growing part of the pie, it is coveted by the big money six.  I think it was equally split through 2018/19; but increases from the 2019 baseline will be divvied out based on league position (vice equally) to enrich the bigger clubs.  By finishing ahead of Arsenal, we grabbed a piece of that increased share off of Kroenke Sports Enterprises' plate.  Not a big amount now, but in five or ten years' time it will dwarf the equal share.  Probably to be squabbled over as much as Champions League places are today.

 

Bottom line: Arse, despite being arse, were broadcast four (?) more times domestically than LCFC, so pulled ₤10M more from the facility fees pot.  But LCFC, by finishing three spots higher, made up that difference in merit payments and the new, enhanced split of overseas TV money (which henceforth is also a merit payment).

 

Hopefully I have all of this right ...

 

[Vardinio'sCat]

On 27/04/2021 at 18:21, filbertway said:

Fair play the lad, I wouldn't expect him to.

 

If he can do that and still perform in the Prem then there's no problem  If he was struggling I'd like to think Rodgers would do the right thing and pull him like he did at HT last week.

 

Honestly, I can barely focus in a 10am meeting without at least a coffee.

 

Just seen it doesn't finish till 12 May. At least he'll be back flying for the final

 

 

Think of it like Chariots of Fire, perhaps it's a bit old-fashioned for our sensibilities, but the resolve and control displayed is quite a contrast to some of our English starlets recent frolics. I do think it would be scary if half your team wanted to do it though.

 

No liquids must be super tough in really hot places like the Middle East. I'd crack at the first sound of a soft drink can being opened!

 

 

Edited 29 April 2021 by Vardinio'sCat

[fuchsntf]

1 hour ago, Vardinio'sCat said:

 

Think of it like Chariots of Fire, perhaps it's a bit old-fashioned for our sensibilities, but the resolve and control displayed is quite a contrast to some of our English starlets recent frolics. I do think it would be scary if half your team wanted to do it though.

 

No liquids must be super tough in really hot places like the Middle East. I'd crack at the first sound of a soft drink can being opened!

 

 

When hot..Drink chai/tea....sit down relax...

[Gazza M]

4 hours ago, Deeg67 said:

Yeah, it takes nothing away from a great achievement to acknowledge that Sevilla was the luckiest draw we could have gotten (and our group was the easiest too).  

We were the Champions of our country. We earnt the right that year to get that group that year. 

[weller54]

2 hours ago, Vardinio'sCat said:

 

Think of it like Chariots of Fire, perhaps it's a bit old-fashioned for our sensibilities, but the resolve and control displayed is quite a contrast to some of our English starlets recent frolics. I do think it would be scary if half your team wanted to do it though.

 

No liquids must be super tough in really hot places like the Middle East. I'd crack at the first sound of a soft drink can being opened!

 

 

Breaking strain of a KitKat 😂

[ozleicester]

On 28/04/2021 at 03:44, StanSP said:

It further goes to show, beyond anything else

That VAR is a joke

[Ric Flair]

6 hours ago, Deeg67 said:

Yeah, it takes nothing away from a great achievement to acknowledge that Sevilla was the luckiest draw we could have gotten (and our group was the easiest too).  

Let's be honest, CL football is just the safety net of a minimum of £40-50m for us to improve our squad and get Tielemans, Soyuncu, Barnes, Ndidi and Ricardo on new deals. 

 

If we go out in the groups or have to play Bayern in the last 16 it's hardly an embarrassment and looking at the teams who qualified from their groups this season it's hardly an impossible achievement for us to do so should we get there. We'll need less injuries and a few better quality additions.

[Aus Fox]

6 hours ago, Deeg67 said:

Yeah, it takes nothing away from a great achievement to acknowledge that Sevilla was the luckiest draw we could have gotten (and our group was the easiest too).  

It wasn’t the luckiest draw we could have got, we had earned it by first being Premier League winners, then being in a group with the Portuguese Champions, the Belgian Champions and the Danish champions, all of whom had way more European experience than us and we won that group winners. - You make your own luck!

Then we played

Seville - A side which very rarely get beaten over two legs! I think it was the first time they had been beaten over two legs in a couple of years and had one the Europa League the previous season.

Next year 🤞 it will undoubtedly be a lot tougher, but I think we can rise to the challenge.

[HighPeakFox]

I need reminding - let's say Juve qualify by the skin of their teeth. Can I presume that their seeding would be dictated by coefficient rather than by their domestic league placing?

 

I ask because a particular 'group of death' mooted by someone else would be rendered impossible if so. Whoever we get, I look forward to experiencing football abroad again.

[fuchsntf]

22 minutes ago, Aus Fox said:

It wasn’t the luckiest draw we could have got, we had earned it by first being Premier League winners, then being in a group with the Portuguese Champions, the Belgian Champions and the Danish champions, all of whom had way more European experience than us and we won that group winners. - You make your own luck!

Then we played

Seville - A side which very rarely get beaten over two legs! I think it was the first time they had been beaten over two legs in a couple of years and had one the Europa League the previous season.

Next year 🤞 it will undoubtedly be a lot tougher, but I think we can rise to the challenge.

Thats right..!! I want all Leicester aussi fans, to Comeback home & Punch every Leicester fan on the nose.....

for being miserable gits...

[Nalis]

12 minutes ago, HighPeakFox said:

I need reminding - let's say Juve qualify by the skin of their teeth. Can I presume that their seeding would be dictated by coefficient rather than by their domestic league placing?

 

I ask because a particular 'group of death' mooted by someone else would be rendered impossible if so. Whoever we get, I look forward to experiencing football abroad again.

Not sure if its changed for next season but in the past few seasons top seeds are the league winners of the 7 leagues with the best coefficient + champions league winners. The rest of the seeding system is done by club coefficient, so teams like Juventus / Liverpool (if they qualify) will be second seed regardless of whether they finish 2nd, 3rd or 4th in their leagues.

[Koke]

Of all the big teams I'd fancy us against inter. Inter, Ajax and Leipzig would be a decent group. We're 4th seeded so we will end up in a tough group regardless  but those teams I'd fancy us against. 

 

We haven't even qualified yet so we're tempting fate a bit aren't we 

Edited 29 April 2021 by Koke

[Fox in the North]

1 hour ago, Ric Flair said:

Let's be honest, CL football is just the safety net of a minimum of £40-50m for us to improve our squad and get Tielemans, Soyuncu, Barnes, Ndidi and Ricardo on new deals. 

 

If we go out in the groups or have to play Bayern in the last 16 it's hardly an embarrassment and looking at the teams who qualified from their groups this season it's hardly an impossible achievement for us to do so should we get there. We'll need less injuries and a few better quality additions.

After our previous adventure, I’d love it if we could get some one like Bayern in the group stages. Aside from Atletico, I felt the one big thing the adventure missed was a huge team. Even though we’d lose I’d just love it that we’d played them in a competitive match.

[HighPeakFox]

2 minutes ago, Fox in the North said:

After our previous adventure, I’d love it if we could get some one like Bayern in the group stages. Aside from Atletico, I felt the one big thing the adventure missed was a huge team. Even though we’d lose I’d just love it that we’d played them in a competitive match.

Me too - there are some here who don't really fancy that (and I sort of get why too) but I'd get a hell of a buzz watching us in the Nou Camp or wherever.

[Stadt]

Even in a tough group, finishing at least 3rd is imperative. We could drop into the Europa and very feasibly win it with a little bit of luck 

[Manini]

As that friendly against Madrid has been mentioned, can anyone else remember the whistle for half time going and Ronaldo took a pot shot from about 45 yards out and it whistled, straight as an arrow in to the top bin. Was about 14 at the time and it was the second best thing I’d ever seen at the Walkers after Big Lilian against Leeds. 
 

Edit: 3rd. Steve Howard, also against Leeds. The perfect header. 

Edited 29 April 2021 by Manini

[KrefelderFox666]

42 minutes ago, Nalis said:

Not sure if its changed for next season but in the past few seasons top seeds are the league winners of the 7 leagues with the best coefficient + champions league winners. The rest of the seeding system is done by club coefficient, so teams like Juventus / Liverpool (if they qualify) will be second seed regardless of whether they finish 2nd, 3rd or 4th in their leagues.

This is correct.

 

So we could face a group of:

 

Pot 1 - One of the league champions (but not Man City obv) - e.g. Bayern/Inter

Pot 2 - Anyone who is strong but did not finish as champions - e.g. Juve/PSG/Real/Barca

Pot 3 - Someone random (could be half decent) - e.g. Leipzig/Olympiakos

 

So a "worst" case we could have:

 

Atletico (or whoever wins in Spain)

PSG (if they finish 2nd or lower)

Leipzig

[filbertway]

1 hour ago, Aus Fox said:

It wasn’t the luckiest draw we could have got, we had earned it by first being Premier League winners, then being in a group with the Portuguese Champions, the Belgian Champions and the Danish champions, all of whom had way more European experience than us and we won that group winners. - You make your own luck!

Then we played

 

It wasn't far off the perfect draw.

 

Pot 2 we avoided Atletico, Dortmund, Sevilla, Napoli and Leverkusen (them or Porto would have been preferable)

Pot 3 we avoided Lyon, Sporting, PSV, Monchengladbach, Basel and Kiev (them or Brugge would have been preferable)

Pot 4 we avoided Celtic, Monaco, Besiktas. Would have preferred one of Warsaw, Zagreb, Ludogorets or Rostov to Copenhagen.

 

Pot 2 and 3 we got one of the joint best outcomes. Pot 4 we missed the toughest 3 teams. The Belgian and Danish champions would struggle to get out of the Championship and Porto would struggle to finish top half of the Prem.

 

 

[sheffield_fox]

Remember when Buffon said he wouldn't want to play us? 

 

Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself but if we're the 4th seeded team in a group then I think that will be the group to avoid in a lot of teams eyes. 

[CosbehFox]

You are talking a bit far ahead here for coefficients. 
 

As it stands you are likely to see Pot 4 contain a couple of German teams (which could change if Dortmund keep closing the gap), that messes around about with it all. Same applies if Lille qualify. That might make Pot 2 include a few serial European qualifiers from lesser leagues.