How is it unfair if each team gets 4 home games and 4 away games?Why play home or away? Don't see the fairness in that.
Yes, we're boycotting it.Boro won't be joining any time soon
Our UEFA cup group stages was 5 teams playing 4 matches, 2 home and 2 away. Plenty of other sports, especially the american ones, where they don't play every team evenly. It's a cup competition, not a league even though it will have a league format appearance. There is no winner of the league it's based on a ranking to determine which teams progress to the next round. You can get lucky/unlucky with the draw, as you can in any cup format.Because you won't be playing the same team home and away.
I think it gives weaker teams a better chance of getting through to the knockout stage.In general, the format should ensure the stronger teams get through and the weaker teams don't. It's far less likely a weak team will get a run of results good enough over 8 games but it can happen in a 4 team league. It also protects the big teams because the chances of 3 strong teams in a 4 team league is quite high but they can all still qualify in this format
I’m sure that’s what the Leicester fans said before promotion, there is always a chance.Boro won't be joining any time soon
But only the top 8 go through automatically. The next 16 go to a playoff which means that a weaker team has to qualify for the playoffs and beat another higher ranked team to get through.I think it gives weaker teams a better chance of getting through to the knockout stage.
If you think of every team either being a seed 1, 2, 3 or 4.
Currently a seed 4 team needs to find 8 or 9 points from:
2 matches v seed 1 team
2 matches v seed 2 team
2 matches v seed 3 team
0 matches v seed 4 team
In the new format 9 points will still probably get you through but they will have the following matches to get them:
2 matches v seed 1 team
2 matches v seed 2 team
2 matches v seed 3 team
2 matches v seed 4 team
They now have 2 matches against a seed 4 teams which should give them a better chance of picking up results.
On the contrary, seed 1 teams now have to face two matches against other seed 1 teams in the group stage. This theoretically gives them a more difficult set of fixtures to get their points from.
I don't think it's any easier for the big teams to get through. It's already set up for the number 1 seeded teams to get through. They have to have a disaster not to.But only the top 8 go through automatically. The next 16 go to a playoff which means that a weaker team has to qualify for the playoffs and beat another higher ranked team to get through.
The number of weaker teams are expanding, not stronger ones, which means more weak teams for the big teams to beat. In the 4 team group a weak team can get through because one good team under-performs. If a good team under-performs in the 36 team format the next best team just takes their place instead.
The only reason they make any sort of change to the format is to make it easier for the big clubs to make money. They wouldn't make a change if there was any chance it would disadvantage the big clubs in any way.