the "real Champions League" (5 Viewers)

[Martin]

Bryan, with all due respect, I'm sorry about your loss but I think that it also demonstrates why Scotland should not receive an automatic qualification spot in the competition. You compare them to Rosenborg and not that I'm a fan of Rosenborg (anyone will testify.. ), they have qualified 8 times in a row. And on occasion there has been strong opposition, like Panathinaikos. Yes, Norway's two spots is based solely on Rosenborg's merit, as is the case in Ukraine. But those leagues have team which perform in the CL, Celtic so far has not. Ditto for Rangers.

 

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[Roverbhoy]

Hi Alex.

I was really using Rosenborg as an example of the smaller leagues maybe only having one strong team to do all the hard work of raising the ranking of a whole country.
I think Rosenborg have a great record in Europe and as a Celtic fan (and Juve fan as well of course) all I have for them is envy and admiration...they have done brilliantly. Respect to Rosenborg.

As for Celtic...well we did only go out on the away goal rule to a team who are also champs of their league...so we were actually elliminated on legitimate grounds...by another champion...so I have no complaints here.

If the draw had been kinder we could have got an easier team...but it's all if's and but's now...good luck to Basle....we're in the eufa cup now and that's that....ohhh the shame of it....

 

[Martin]

Not that I'm crazy about Celtic but for your sake I would have wished them to qualify

 

[Roverbhoy]

I'll make an Alexbhoy out of you yet...but to keep the discussion going....Rosenborg have qualified eight times and still have to play a strong team like Bronby to get in again this year...if they qualified eighty times they still wouldn't get auto- entry.

I'm still convinced it's easier to make ranking points if you are in the group stages than knockout. The tactics in the Group stages are completely different and favour the bigger teams....normally win your home games and get one away draw. Knockout is more of a gamble.

Take Celtic last year....nine ranking points...on other occasions enough to go into the next round and if other results had went their way they would have....yet if the results were straight knockout they would have went out to all three other teams.......3-1 Porto, 2-1 Rosenborg, away goals Juve, and yet could have got through to earn more ranking points....how many times has this happened in the past to teams from the big leagues?

Knockout is the toss of a coin unless there is a real unbalance between the teams.

What do you think?

 

[Martin]

Not quite sure what you're asking over there. But it would make more sense to have all teams except the actual champions qualify for the tournament. On the other hand you want a lot of strong teams to make it interesting, so there's a fine line somewhere.

Rosenborg have qualified so many times that they kinda have "their own" spot in the 3rd round quals now, which means they avoid all the big boys. And they do qualify everytime and are knocked out in the first group stage everytime.

 

[Desmond]

but what about us?we are surely going to falter in away games as we have not won any in the CL in 6 years,so gimme a reason why we can start now if you think we can.a knockout competition is bad news.

 

[Slagathor]

A knock-out competition is likely to see more set-ups. I'm not sure why but it's easier for the little teams to tackle the big guns in a knock-out competition for some reason...

 

[Sivori]

Well, you can always surprise in a game or two, whilst in a league format you have to play well concistently and the element of surprise wears off.