OhForAGreavsie

You make a good point that it is the attractiveness of the teams to the audience as a whole, rather than simply to the audience in any individual region, that counts most. Nevertheless, the individual television contracts from the leading European nations still rank at the top of the list and those broadcasters definitely do care about having domestic teams to show to their domestic audiences. Of the total €2.35 billion UEFA generate annually in broadcasting rights from around the world for their club competitions, 15% comes from just one company for broadcasting rights in just one country; BT in England. Other European broadcasters also contribute large slices of the TV pie. UEFA recognises the importance of these markets and these revenues. Be in no doubt that this recognition plays a part in their thinking.

Firstly, I had forgotten about the new arrangements so I appreciate the reminder. Thank you. Secondly, I had also forgotten about UEFA's new president. I watched an extended interview with him while he was still a candidate for the position. I found him very impressive and a refreshing change from Michael Platini, who I always felt was simply not bright enough for the job. Although UEFA, and especially FIFA, are well known for reinterpreting or changing their rules mid-tournament in order to get the outcomes they want, there do nevertheless have to be rules governing their competitions. The nomination of the four "leading" nations, the ones guaranteed four Champion's League clubs, is still coefficient based. This therefore suggests that maintaining the national coefficient remains important. The change means that the number of Champions League clubs per country will be reviewed every three years rather than annually as at present. If this change to a three year cycle remains in force then that makes it more important, not less, for England to avoid falling out of the top four.

To be fair, I think Alli makes the most of what he's got because what he's got is not all that much. Technically he is pretty ordinary, yet he manages to make important contributions.

Agreed. It would be great for England's coefficient, and therefore great for Chelsea, if Leicester can somehow take advantage of that luck and get through the tie.

Agree with you that the second leg is a must watch game, but a two goal margin is always better than a one goal margin, no matter what the actual score line.

Man City won it. No Google. Wish it had been us, just as it was the year before. With a bit of luck it will be us next year though.

Very pleased for Jose. Now forget the FA Cup. Concentrate on the Europa League and beating City instead.

Ah, that makes it clearer. Thank you.

I always thought that Shearer was top of the goals to games chart so I checked after I read your post. According to premierleague.com Shearer's rate is 59%.

Presumably that was the link you posted. I'll look out for the goal.

Ah number 2. OK. If we can attract a big offer for Diego and if we can get Belotti, I'd make that swap for sure. Swapping Diego for Dembele would be an upgrade in terms of technical quality, as would be the Belotti swap, but in terms of other attributes I think Belotti is closer to our striker than Dembele is. No argument that he's looking good at Celtic though.

Mousa (Belgian), Moussa 2 (French) or Ousmane (French)?

Link broken. Who did you have in mind?

How is Andreas doing?

That's an honest difference of opinion, which is fair enough. I've never said that Nemanja is a pub player, just one with some deficiencies in key attributes we need. I've always said that when circumstances are in his favour Nemanja can pick a pass as well as most professionals. His issues are exposed when the set up is not in his favour; when the ball is on his right foot, when his body shape isn't right, when he needs to manipulate the ball to make an angle, when he needs poise to buy time while his teammate makes the run. Those are the times, which is to say almost all of the time, when elite players get to demonstrate their quality, but Nemanja is not elite. I do not believe that Nemanja was crucial to the whole of the last title campaign. He was a key player for most of the first half, but was way off pace for most of the post-Christmas section. It's only opinion of course but, if you check the post game comments in the match day threads from that period, you will see some evidence which supports my point of view on this. I agree that Nemanja is unlikely to accept the role of squad player.

Lol! That's exactly it. Antonio sees the same match day action we do, plus a lot more that we don't. In the end however he still has to pick a side, and pick it from among the existing squad. We know the last thing he's going to do is talk publicly about how poor his squad is and how much he wishes he didn't have to select some of them. We know too that the side he picks is the one he considers is right. What we can't know is what he thinks, no matter how much each of us wants to imagine Antonio believes the same things we do. Even so, I'd be shocked if he didn't wish we'd been able to strengthen in January and if he isn't determined to do so in the summer.

I had done an earlier post, or perhaps posts, in which I had observed that N'Golo's passing was not outstanding and that, combined with the fear that we were stuck with Matic as one part of a then routine 3 man midfield, Kante was not at all what I felt we needed. As an expert in my posts you will know that I consistently argue that we need an excellent continuity player with energy in that role. The opportunity to turn defence into forward momentum does not occur every time a CM gets the ball. The ability to take those opportunities when they crop up, or at least to do so an above average number of times, is therefore an entry level requirement for a CM with a competitive Champions League team. I stressed again and again that just by improving our fluidity in possession, such a player would also automatically improve us defensively.* As I posted many times to say, Badelj was my favoured candidate back in the summer. The change of shape has changed my mind about whether Badelj remains suitable. I'd always pick him in a three, but would hesitate in a two. Repeating the potential names is not necessary to the point I was making. Which is, that Nemanja is not, in my opinion, the solution under any circumstances. I repeatedly stated this view last season and was challenged by someone, perhaps you - I can't remember, to name just one player from anywhere in the world who was better than Nemanja. My response was that I could name at least a dozen** just in the Premier League. I believed it then, and I believe it now. For me, Nemaja's limitations are a real handbrake on this team. *This is pretty much the same argument I used to explain why I was so pleased when Marcos began to be linked and why I felt that people were wrong to blame our defenders alone for our poor defence last season. **I may have said more than a dozen, can't remember. If I did it would still have been true.

Diagnosis precedes cure but in any case there are many posts of mine in which I mention options I would like. More selective twaddle.

Hopefully they don't. It's better for us if they go through. :-)

Which nevertheless predates your jibe by more than eight months.I assume you are not claiming that you have never changed your mind about a player? I certainly have. When Eden began to be linked I watched Lille a few times but caught him in one of his "low form" periods that we have since become accustomed to. I posted the opinion that he was clearly talented but that he wasn't producing anything very effective. Someone whose opinion I respect suggested that I should stick with it however. I did that and eventually saw a stunning display, after which I revised my view. My change of mind about N'Golo came the first time I saw him live but that is not the case with Nemanja. I didn't like him when he was linked, I didn't like him during his first spell, I was pleased with his contribution during the first few months after his return, but we have been watching him for two seasons now. There is no room to make new discoveries about Nemanja. He is what he is and his limitations are a problem. As I've said before, I'll be surprised and very disappointed if he is still starting for us after September 2nd.

Selective twaddle. You've ignored the post, following Leicester's visit to Stamford Bridge last season, in which I said that I had changed my mind. In any case, I'll gladly agree to a comparison of my player assessments versus yours.

Exactly. Secondly, Monaco's early elimination would make it at least slightly more likely that their top players will be prepared to leave, thereby improving our chances if we hope to sign any of them. Thirdly, more coefficient points for Manchester City can only help to protect England's four Champions League places. For clubs which hope to be regular participants in that competition, four places are better than three. For all those reasons I was surprised to read posts from people who were actively wanting City to lose last night.

This is no news of course. The implied threat to leave is always present during contract negotiations. If we can agree terms with Diego, then good. If not, let's try to find someone else and move on.

I totally disagree with this. I am not convinced that Nemanja makes a particularly strong defensive contribution, but whatever he offers in that regard is completely negated by his limitations when we are in possession. Whatever quality of player we add further up the pitch, we will always be held back by a CM who is unable to add positive momentum to our play owing to a combination of chronic one-footedness, lack of technical quality, poor body control and inability to carry the ball. Up to a dozen times every game Nemanja goes backwards when a better player would take us forward. This sometimes means lost opportunities, and sometimes costs goals. Clearly Antonio sees Nemanja as his best option currently. We urgently need to give the manager better ones.

Andreas has made it clear that he's only interested in coming back as a starter. He won't willingly accept the role of back up to anyone. If he is not assured a place in the first XI, or if he loses that place, he will certainly push for a move. Who wants an unhappy player in their squad?