In Extremis.

[HICKO]

Nantes last night survived to stay in Ligue 1
(My late mother in law was Nantaise) they had to beat Angers, bottom of the league and hope that Auxerre were beaten.
After 94 minutes Auxerre lost 1-3 and Nantes hung on to a 1-0 win.in 16 th position.
So what I hear you say, well this season four teams were relegated meaning next season there will be 18 teams in the French league.
Bonus……… PSG GT beat at home.
UTW

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

Great news

 

[TheRetroChief]

Ok.........what am i missing?

 

[HICKO]

Ok.........what am i missing?

Relegation from Ligue one was on a knife edge and the league has been reduced from 20 to 18.

 

[Ercall Wolves]

Sorry I’m still non the wiser

 

[Big Saft Kid]

Sorry I’m still non the wiser

Nor me. Why can't people explain things?

 

[Kashmire Hawker]

Hope yesterday’s madness in Belgium makes sense!

 

[Boss Hogg]

Do they only have one point for a win in Belgium?

Edit: 40 games played and only 47 points. Confused!

 

[HICKO]

Sorry I’m still non the wiser

I’ll try again.
I’m duel nationalality and live in France.
My wife’s relations are from Nantes.
The last matches in Ligue 1 we’re very tense in the relegation spots and depended on a single goal being scored( it wasn’t) therefore meaning Nantes remained in Ligue 1 » in extremis » similarly to how Everton survived.
I was excited by it and thought I’d show my enthusiasm. At the same time, just as a matter of football interest, I mentioned the reduction of teams in Ligue 1 next season..
I’m sorry if I have left you befuddled, perhaps I should improve my writing skills.
UTW

 

[Kashmire Hawker]

Do they only have one point for a win in Belgium?

Edit: 40 games played and only 47 points. Confused!

They after a number of games split the league into a Championship Group and European Play-Off Group and half the points numbers.

 

[Boss Hogg]

They after a number of games split the league into a Championship Group and European Play-Off Group and half the points numbers.

Seems bizarre. Why halve the points?

 

[manchesterwolf17]

PSG were bloody lucky. Only won it by a point to Lens in the end. And their game against Lens last month was ruined early on by a red card.

 

[so-called fan]

Seems bizarre. Why halve the points?

I'm guessing it's to keep it competitive. It's less likely for the end tourney to be a foregone conclusion this way. I agree that it seems bizarre though.

 

[moseleyite]

Seems bizarre. Why halve the points?

I'm guessing it's to keep it competitive. It's less likely for the end tourney to be a foregone conclusion this way. I agree that it seems bizarre though.

I think it also means that the points gained purely against your nearest opponents in the bit of the season after the split are effectively weighted more heavily than the rest of your points. So effectively 1.5 points for a win in the first part and 3 in the second so you have to earn the title against your nearest rivals rather than building a huge lead by battering the bottom half and holding it.

That’s my guess anyway.

 

[CelebrityWolf]

Prem should absolutely be reduced to 18

 

[lostwolf]

Prem should absolutely be reduced to 18

My vote's for 19 so we get to play with ourselves once a season.

But seriously, 20's fine for the PL.

 

[ombyman]

My vote's for 19 so we get to play with ourselves once a season.

But seriously, 20's fine for the PL.

Would be a guaranteed 3 points lost when we lose to ourselves

 

[Jack Russell]

Prem should absolutely be reduced to 18

No it shouldn't!

 

[Japan Wulf]

Prem should absolutely be reduced to 18

Leave it at 20. It works fine. Sure, the teams at the top have more matches to play but they have the finances to employ bigger squads. I never heard a top-four side complaining that they finished in the top four. As for the also-rans, 20 teams makes it a bit more inclusive than 18 and gives a couple of Championship teams that little more to play for as well. And that has a knock-on effect down the leagues.

I could add that if some people in high places had their way, the PL would be reduced to six, but they'd keep it interesting by having a lot of extra games against Barca, Real, Juventus and a few others. Invitation only, of course.

 

[Werewolf of Wombourne]

Prem should absolutely be reduced to 18

Why? so Uefa could introduce more Champions League games or the sky 6 could play more friendlies in the US or Asia?

 

[Contrarian]

Prem should absolutely be reduced to 18

Before they do that, the Championship has needed serious pruning for years. The thing I'd dread about being back in the Championship as much as anything, is that 46 match marathon slog. Too many games and I don't think any major league, possible any other league in the world, has that many matches.

Similarly League 1 and League 2. Should be cut to 22 teams maximum. Nowhere else in the world crams as many professional teams into it's leagues - and then half those teams are always complaining they are about to go bust due to the demands of being in a professional league! While they are at it, should make the lower levels regional, too. Ridiculous that 5th level teams have to travel the length of the country for a match hardly 1000 are intersted in. Sometimes clubs indulgences have to be reigned in for their own good!

Can imagine them cutting the Prem to 18 and increasing the Championship to about 50 teams. Just to keep fans of Barnsley, Rotherham and Crewe happy.

 

[CelebrityWolf]

Why? so Uefa could introduce more Champions League games or the sky 6 could play more friendlies in the US or Asia?

Why? Because for a club like ours the league is basically an irrelevance in terms of winning things and cup games are our only real chance of a trophy. We keep throwing cup games because we have too many league games to focus on and a Euro run adds a ridiculous amount of extra games. 34 league games would mean clubs of our stature actually taking cups seriously.

 

[Perton Wolf]

Before they do that, the Championship has needed serious pruning for years. The thing I'd dread about being back in the Championship as much as anything, is that 46 match marathon slog. Too many games and I don't think any major league, possible any other league in the world, has that many matches.

Similarly League 1 and League 2. Should be cut to 22 teams maximum. Nowhere else in the world crams as many professional teams into it's leagues - and then half those teams are always complaining they are about to go bust due to the demands of being in a professional league! While they are at it, should make the lower levels regional, too. Ridiculous that 5th level teams have to travel the length of the country for a match hardly 1000 are intersted in. Sometimes clubs indulgences have to be reigned in for their own good!

Can imagine them cutting the Prem to 18 and increasing the Championship to about 50 teams. Just to keep fans of Barnsley, Rotherham and Crewe happy.

Bad ideas, most EFL chairmans say they need more games if anything in order to keep money coming into the club through ticket sales, which makes up a much larger percentage of their revenue compared to teams in the Prem. Unfortunately, that's a very PL centric view you've taken there.

 

[oldgoldheart]

Why? Because for a club like ours the league is basically an irrelevance in terms of winning things and cup games are our only real chance of a trophy. We keep throwing cup games because we have too many league games to focus on and a Euro run adds a ridiculous amount of extra games. 34 league games would mean clubs of our stature actually taking cups seriously.

Our stature? You mean clubs that would need to finish 15th to survive? All it does is make our relegation more likely

 

[Contrarian]

Bad ideas, most EFL chairmans say they need more games if anything in order to keep money coming into the club through ticket sales, which makes up a much larger percentage of their revenue compared to teams in the Prem. Unfortunately, that's a very PL centric view you've taken there.

I get the point. But how do other countries manage it, as the English league appears to be the only league in Europe that runs this way?

And if they need ticket sales, wouldn't more local derbies get bigger crowds than having to travel 200+ miles on a miserable winter mideweek night?

Internationally too, all those nations that have regularly beaten England for decades, all have around 20 team leagues, often less. With regional divisions typically starting at the third level.

 

[whitnash wolf ex.dewsbury]

I get the point. But how do other countries manage it, as the English league appears to be the only league in Europe that runs this way?

And if they need ticket sales, wouldn't more local derbies get bigger crowds than having to travel 200+ miles on a miserable winter mideweek night?

Internationally too, all those nations that have regularly beaten England for decades, all have around 20 team leagues, often less. With regional divisions typically starting at the third level.

Regional football was stopped here because the clubs got fed up with playing the same clubs each season

 

[Contrarian]

Regional football was stopped here because the clubs got fed up with playing the same clubs each season

We'll soon be getting fed up playing Man City twice a season and yearn for days out in Blackpool and Middlesbrough. Though not Sandwell.

 

[whitnash wolf ex.dewsbury]

We'll soon be getting fed up playing Man City twice a season and yearn for days out in Blackpool and Middlesbrough. Though not Sandwell.

Wolves won Div.3N and so have won every league they have been in(If we call the prem The top div.)

 

[Dubwolf71]

My vote's for 19 so we get to play with ourselves once a season.

But seriously, 20's fine for the PL.

Probably more exciting than watching Wolves last season.

 

[lostwolf]

Before they do that, the Championship has needed serious pruning for years. The thing I'd dread about being back in the Championship as much as anything, is that 46 match marathon slog. Too many games and I don't think any major league, possible any other league in the world, has that many matches.

Similarly League 1 and League 2. Should be cut to 22 teams maximum. Nowhere else in the world crams as many professional teams into it's leagues - and then half those teams are always complaining they are about to go bust due to the demands of being in a professional league! While they are at it, should make the lower levels regional, too. Ridiculous that 5th level teams have to travel the length of the country for a match hardly 1000 are intersted in. Sometimes clubs indulgences have to be reigned in for their own good!

Can imagine them cutting the Prem to 18 and increasing the Championship to about 50 teams. Just to keep fans of Barnsley, Rotherham and Crewe happy.

So loads of teams drop to non-league? How does that help anyone? One of the brilliant things about English football is the pyramid, but you're proposing we make that pyramid steeper?!

Fans of Barnsley, Rotherham and Crewe are just as much fans as us (us, with our own dodgy CCP and investment ****er links) or those funded by petrodollars. The whole thing stinks but let's not make it more exclusive please.

 

[so-called fan]

We'll soon be getting fed up playing Man City twice a season and yearn for days out in Blackpool and Middlesbrough. Though not Sandwell.

Blackpool are tier three now, despite the efforts of Mick and Clipboard. Might be a while before we get to play again.

 

[Contrarian]

So loads of teams drop to non-league? How does that help anyone? One of the brilliant things about English football is the pyramid, but you're proposing we make that pyramid steeper?!

Fans of Barnsley, Rotherham and Crewe are just as much fans as us (us, with our own dodgy CCP and investment ****er links) or those funded by petrodollars. The whole thing stinks but let's not make it more exclusive please.

The question I'd ask is "What is different about the English league that it has more teams per division than anywhere else? Also, why don't we use regional leagues until 6th level?" .

I don't know the answer. But you are saying that a system that works everywhere else, is unworkable here and I'm curious as to why. Every nation has it's Barnsley/Rotherham/Crewe equivalents ands they don't seem to be demanding our system. Is it a quaint notion of having those familiar old names read out in the Classified Football results ? "Barrow 0 Stevenage 1". Coujld we really not live without it? 20 team divisions would push 12 teams into non-league. Teams who have spent much of their history non-league and much of it struggling to survive. Because hardly anybody cares that much about them.

 

[tonto]

Before they do that, the Championship has needed serious pruning for years. The thing I'd dread about being back in the Championship as much as anything, is that 46 match marathon slog. Too many games and I don't think any major league, possible any other league in the world, has that many matches.

Similarly League 1 and League 2. Should be cut to 22 teams maximum. Nowhere else in the world crams as many professional teams into it's leagues - and then half those teams are always complaining they are about to go bust due to the demands of being in a professional league! While they are at it, should make the lower levels regional, too. Ridiculous that 5th level teams have to travel the length of the country for a match hardly 1000 are intersted in. Sometimes clubs indulgences have to be reigned in for their own good!

Can imagine them cutting the Prem to 18 and increasing the Championship to about 50 teams. Just to keep fans of Barnsley, Rotherham and Crewe happy.

Yes 20 teams in five divisions four up four down or even six more fluid even up the league

 

[Contrarian]

Yes 20 teams in five divisions four up four down or even six more fluid even up the league

Yes, I don't see what's wrong with that? Of course a few teams at the bottom will complain, but playing fewer matches will allow more recovery time and overall perhaps improve quality at the expense of quantity. If bigger is better, then we need to expand the Premier League to 30 clubs. Think of the money!!!

 

[tonto]

Yes, I don't see what's wrong with that? Of course a few teams at the bottom will complain, but playing fewer matches will allow more recovery time and overall perhaps improve quality at the expense of quantity. If bigger is better, then we need to expant the Premier League to 30 clubs. Think of the money!!!

Maybe if the gap between each league was narrower then some clubs would not be tempted to break the bank with wages and overpay ordinary players