lol @ the EPL

lol @ no finals series. besides the ending of last season, every season is usually fairly boring once the top places are known. You could have epic finals series games every year, but you choose the system that's 'fair'. Please, professional sports is entirely for the spectator and should be as exciting as possible.

 

If you polled English football fans, I'd be surprised if you found very many at all in favour of a finals series to crown the champions.

I could be wrong, but I'd be surprised.

I don't suppose I'd be hugely against some sort of play-offs to determine the final CL spot, similar to the final promotion spot being decided that way in the lower leagues, but I don't think UEFA would be keen.

 

the lol @ makes it seem like a troll but I'm pretty sure the OP is serious about his criticism on the structure of the EPL and wishes said criticism to be acknowledged

 

I'd say leave it - would be interested in getting the opinions of footy fans who aren't English and are therefore more culturally tuned in to play-off series etc.

 

You wouldn't be wrong, they're all against it. Because they're used to the way it is and are too simple-minded for change.

 

I disagree that we should manipulate any competition in order to make it 'exciting'. I mean, yeah I love exciting finishes, but this isn't pro-wrestling. The champions should be the best team, simple as really.

And no play-off series would ever produce a finish as exciting as last year's title race. The most exciting league finishes are so much better than play-offs it isn't even funny. Of course, the play-offs are generally going to be more interesting than the dullest of league finishes (this season) but that's the price you pay. The champions should be worthy of the name.

And aside, it's not just a criticism of the Prem. Hardly any top flight football leagues are decided by finals series.

 

It's still semi-boring. Besides the relegation which is a good idea. Why they don't have a top 6 knockout stage at the end so we can see Man U v Man City every year in do or die matches. Or Arsenal, Chelsea, etc. Everybody loves those games when they're just regular season games even near the end where they don't impact the standings that much.

 

Yeah, this. Tittle race may be over, but there's still European qualification to fight for.

 

England have two domestic knockout cups anyway, though. Having the side who finish 6th getting an equal chance of winning the league as the side that finish 1st would render a lot of the league season pointless.

 

Exciting to Soccer fans would be the way the A-league finished with Western Sydney winning like 10 in a row to come from nowhere and take out the comp in the last 3 rounds. But if it ended just like that, I wouldn't have even watched most of the games I have watched and wouldn't care about the A-league in the slightest. Now I'm actually looking forward to the finals series.

 

Those cups are pointless, the teams don't even try. I don't even know why they have them, I'm guessing just for business reasons.

And how does that render alot of the season pointless? You suddenly make a lot of the regular season games more meaningful.

 

It's not just the English though.

I mean, aside from the A-League & MLS, how many others are there with that system?

People accept the play-off system for promotion now, but it'd be ridiculous if it went solely on play-offs and automatic promotion was removed.

 

Season would still run for 8 months, regular season just finishes earlier. That's not an issue.

 

Okay then, whether you're trolling or not you're obviously not worth talking to.

 

Teams most certainly do try in the FA Cup. Chelsea even didn't play a full strength side on the weekend because of their FA Cup game against United on Monday. I'll grant you the league cup is a bit pointless though, at least for the top teams.

Well, if the top 6 of the league all go into a knockout tournament to decide the winner, then what are the benefits of finishing 1st instead of 6th? Man United would have been secured of 6th months ago, and every league game would have been pointless for them from that point.