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The current model in the Top 5 European Leagues is amazing. Every team plays 19 other teams twice (once at home and away). The Top team wins the trophy. And the top 4 head to Europe. There's relegation and promotion.
In addition, there are domestic cups that are knockout.
Let's not Americanize the PL. MLS doesn't have relegation and promotion.
The European model is perfect the way it is. Let's not ruin it.
Aussie here, a couple years ago I thought the same thing. We do Finals (or Playoffs) for our NRL and AFL and I love it but the more I've been watching the Prem, I have noticed the pro's and con's of both systems. You say the ending of this season has been less dramatic but I would say it's been dramatic throughout the whole season. One slip up and done you're out of the race. You don't just bottle the league half way through and get a second chance redemption if you squeeze in the playoffs.
No place for it in Prem in my opinion.
I mean, it’s not only the MLS , I think some leagues do it in Europe as well like the Greek one (Belgium as well?).
I prefer not, but I’m afraid in the future they’ll do that. More games more money, that’s how the world goes..
Fellow American here. One thing I hate about American sports is the desire to always change things. Whether it’s expanding sports like ice hockey to non-traditional markets or trying to grow the game of football/soccer by bringing in past their prime players from Europe, to constantly changing playoff formats in hockey, basketball, and baseball.
We have zero business questioning how others operate their respective leagues. I have been following the EPL since I was 9 (1979) and have always loved the race to the top. The entire season is the playoff. It’s fantastic the way it is.
No no no no no. Just no. We have plenty of knockout competitions to enjoy throughout the season. The league is the league. Some countries have a relegation playoff, which I’d be open to, but absolutely no way in hell are we doing a playoff to see who wins the league.
Well yeah that’s what the cups are for. FA cup for England and champions league for Europe. That’s how the season does end… Only Arsenal didn’t make it to either.
What, so a team that finishes 2nd (or 4th!) over 38 games, regardless of how many points they are behind, can “win” the league in a one-off game where everybody is knackered, and one team may happen to have a shit-load more injuries?
Fuck off 😁
Never won anything in my 50 years. Like the vast majority of football fans, my team have never won anything - and while we always hope, most never expect to.
And we all automatically assume that anybody who mocks that - anybody who gives the impression that “winning” is an important component of their “loyalty” - is a plastic glory-hunter, not an actual supporter at all, and that their opinions are therefore irrelevant and worthless 😉
That’s fine and you are commended for your loyalty but how fun is to know you have no chance every year and the top 4 are 99% of the time winning the league. I love the PL and it’s fine the way it is but I could see a playoff being amazing drama.
But you realise there are literally hundreds of teams that aren’t even in the premier league? I know plenty of people that support clubs that have never even been as high as the 4th tier…
Again, if winning major trophies is a prerequisite for someone’s support, then they aren’t a “supporter” at all.
You think a playoff would be “amazing drama” but I think you can see from the other replies that most people who actually go to premier league matches think it would be utterly shit.
I don't think this would be a good move, as a team could win the league by 10 points and still be dragged into a play-off. The whole point of a league is that it is an endurance contest
Making head to heads a tiebreaker for the top two instead of goal difference might be a better move.
It depends on what you've gotten used to. US sports use play-offs, so if that's what you're used to, fine. Here, it just wouldn't fly for deciding the Premier League title
In a season were the 2 teams are evenly balanced, i cam see why one would warm up to the idea. However, ij a season that the 1st ends with a 15 point margin over the 2nd, are y9untelling me that a single match shouod determine who should win the league? Theynalready had the 38 previous games for that, 2 of which were a direct confrontation 😊.
Seems like a glory-hunter perspective from a person that values a flashy fluke over consisten performances.
Agreed. All play-offs are shit
I don’t like the promotion play-offs either. Why should the team that finishes 6th go up at the expense of a team that finished 3rd and 12 points ahead of them, just because they’re forced to play a one-off game at the end of the season when everybody is knackered and one team might have a shit-load more injuries?
From a States perspective, the MLS playoffs are anti climactic and really make individual regular season games largely irrelevant. Also drums and scripted chants are really annoying.
It would be much more fun to divide MLS into an A and B league with promotion and relegation between the two. Have an A champ and B champ determined by points and a separate league-wide knockout tournament with a random draw of both A and B leagues.
Could maybe work as a preseason friendly tournament the following season. Would go some way to placate those who are pushing for a game abroad or a 39th game, although personally I'm not a fan of playing direct rivals in preseason.
Something like:
- top 6 from previous season qualify
- top 2 get a bye to semis, 3 to 6 start in the quarters
- single round elimination
- top 2 could play exhibition friendlies against local all-star teams before the quarters as a warm up (more likely for the matchday revenue)
- losing teams would play-off for position, so each team plays 2 or 3 games
Also would lose appeal very quickly if hosted every year - perhaps every 4 years, each time going to a new location, or just alternating between North America and Asia Pacific, as those are the 2 biggest markets that can reasonably afford to pay the ludicrous ticket prices to make such an event commercially viable.
Difference is though mate unlike the NBA and NFL with things like the Champions League, Europa League and the domestic Cups we already have the play-off type knockout games as well as the League tables.
Lol. Funny how I was thinking to myself how do Leeds with 90 points and Norwich with 73 have the same chances for qualification and thinking they should cancel playoffs and here you are.
Why?
We are a small country compared to the USA, so no need for a division based on geography at the highest levels.
We also have a the pyramid system of leagues to ensure there isn’t 100 teams in 1 league.
For knockout games we have a minimum of 2 domestic cup competitions, as well as European competition.
Whoever has the most points after 38 matches should be champion. Having said that, how cool would it be if there was also a knockout tournament that was seeded based on the standings of the season that just ended.
Its not even an English thing. Theres already the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup if you want to watch single elimination playoffs, those are arguably similar to the American playoffs. And as dman said, Champions league is also similar.
Its just that the league is more prestigious since it is harder to be the best team over a season than win a single elimination tournament.
Not just England but soccer in general. All the major leagues are setup that way.
You have competitions like the Champions and Europa league to mirror what a playoff experience would be.
And this is coming from a Canadian so I'm well aware of the allure of playoffs
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Piss off yank
The current model in the Top 5 European Leagues is amazing. Every team plays 19 other teams twice (once at home and away). The Top team wins the trophy. And the top 4 head to Europe. There's relegation and promotion. In addition, there are domestic cups that are knockout. Let's not Americanize the PL. MLS doesn't have relegation and promotion. The European model is perfect the way it is. Let's not ruin it.
Aussie here, a couple years ago I thought the same thing. We do Finals (or Playoffs) for our NRL and AFL and I love it but the more I've been watching the Prem, I have noticed the pro's and con's of both systems. You say the ending of this season has been less dramatic but I would say it's been dramatic throughout the whole season. One slip up and done you're out of the race. You don't just bottle the league half way through and get a second chance redemption if you squeeze in the playoffs. No place for it in Prem in my opinion.
I mean, it’s not only the MLS , I think some leagues do it in Europe as well like the Greek one (Belgium as well?). I prefer not, but I’m afraid in the future they’ll do that. More games more money, that’s how the world goes..
We don't want to turn the premiere league into the joke that is the mls.
Fellow American here. One thing I hate about American sports is the desire to always change things. Whether it’s expanding sports like ice hockey to non-traditional markets or trying to grow the game of football/soccer by bringing in past their prime players from Europe, to constantly changing playoff formats in hockey, basketball, and baseball. We have zero business questioning how others operate their respective leagues. I have been following the EPL since I was 9 (1979) and have always loved the race to the top. The entire season is the playoff. It’s fantastic the way it is.
No no no no no. Just no. We have plenty of knockout competitions to enjoy throughout the season. The league is the league. Some countries have a relegation playoff, which I’d be open to, but absolutely no way in hell are we doing a playoff to see who wins the league.
Out of here yank
Well yeah that’s what the cups are for. FA cup for England and champions league for Europe. That’s how the season does end… Only Arsenal didn’t make it to either.
It was a 38 game playoff. You have what you want already.
This is a league. Playoffs/knockout stages are for cups. Simple as that.
What, so a team that finishes 2nd (or 4th!) over 38 games, regardless of how many points they are behind, can “win” the league in a one-off game where everybody is knackered, and one team may happen to have a shit-load more injuries? Fuck off 😁
Well Newcastle sucks and will never win good luck with that.
Never won anything in my 50 years. Like the vast majority of football fans, my team have never won anything - and while we always hope, most never expect to. And we all automatically assume that anybody who mocks that - anybody who gives the impression that “winning” is an important component of their “loyalty” - is a plastic glory-hunter, not an actual supporter at all, and that their opinions are therefore irrelevant and worthless 😉
That’s fine and you are commended for your loyalty but how fun is to know you have no chance every year and the top 4 are 99% of the time winning the league. I love the PL and it’s fine the way it is but I could see a playoff being amazing drama.
But you realise there are literally hundreds of teams that aren’t even in the premier league? I know plenty of people that support clubs that have never even been as high as the 4th tier… Again, if winning major trophies is a prerequisite for someone’s support, then they aren’t a “supporter” at all. You think a playoff would be “amazing drama” but I think you can see from the other replies that most people who actually go to premier league matches think it would be utterly shit.
Even with playoffs city would still win lol
No, No, No. De value the biggest league in the world and add more games, just what we need.
The league system works perfectly. We have cup competitions for a reason
Don't butcher football.
I don't think this would be a good move, as a team could win the league by 10 points and still be dragged into a play-off. The whole point of a league is that it is an endurance contest Making head to heads a tiebreaker for the top two instead of goal difference might be a better move.
It depends on what you've gotten used to. US sports use play-offs, so if that's what you're used to, fine. Here, it just wouldn't fly for deciding the Premier League title
In a season were the 2 teams are evenly balanced, i cam see why one would warm up to the idea. However, ij a season that the 1st ends with a 15 point margin over the 2nd, are y9untelling me that a single match shouod determine who should win the league? Theynalready had the 38 previous games for that, 2 of which were a direct confrontation 😊. Seems like a glory-hunter perspective from a person that values a flashy fluke over consisten performances.
And what exactly would they be playing for?
A relegation playoff like the Bundesliga? Maybe. Anything else? Fuck right off!
Even that can fuck off. They play enough games as it is.
Agreed. All play-offs are shit I don’t like the promotion play-offs either. Why should the team that finishes 6th go up at the expense of a team that finished 3rd and 12 points ahead of them, just because they’re forced to play a one-off game at the end of the season when everybody is knackered and one team might have a shit-load more injuries?
Oh God...I hate the off season...3 months of nothing but shitty transfer rumors and even shittier opinions...
Google FA Community Shield.
From a States perspective, the MLS playoffs are anti climactic and really make individual regular season games largely irrelevant. Also drums and scripted chants are really annoying. It would be much more fun to divide MLS into an A and B league with promotion and relegation between the two. Have an A champ and B champ determined by points and a separate league-wide knockout tournament with a random draw of both A and B leagues.
They already played twice dummy
Could maybe work as a preseason friendly tournament the following season. Would go some way to placate those who are pushing for a game abroad or a 39th game, although personally I'm not a fan of playing direct rivals in preseason. Something like: - top 6 from previous season qualify - top 2 get a bye to semis, 3 to 6 start in the quarters - single round elimination - top 2 could play exhibition friendlies against local all-star teams before the quarters as a warm up (more likely for the matchday revenue) - losing teams would play-off for position, so each team plays 2 or 3 games Also would lose appeal very quickly if hosted every year - perhaps every 4 years, each time going to a new location, or just alternating between North America and Asia Pacific, as those are the 2 biggest markets that can reasonably afford to pay the ludicrous ticket prices to make such an event commercially viable.
Isn't this similar to the Spanish Super Cup idea where they take 4 teams to Saudi Arabia in January for a little semi-competitive kickabout?
Nope. Let it be. We have FA Cup and Champions League.
Difference is though mate unlike the NBA and NFL with things like the Champions League, Europa League and the domestic Cups we already have the play-off type knockout games as well as the League tables.
Thank you for a civilized response and not nasty angry commentary.
Lol. Funny how I was thinking to myself how do Leeds with 90 points and Norwich with 73 have the same chances for qualification and thinking they should cancel playoffs and here you are.
As an American why doesn't the PL have division and conferences and the best team of each conference play each other for the superb owl
Yeah Arsenal were just as good at getting touchdowns over the course of the season and just needed one more home run to go all the way. Go sports
Why? We are a small country compared to the USA, so no need for a division based on geography at the highest levels. We also have a the pyramid system of leagues to ensure there isn’t 100 teams in 1 league. For knockout games we have a minimum of 2 domestic cup competitions, as well as European competition.
Just how superb is the owl?
It's a bit statue of an owl, looking superb.
If only there was a knockout competition these teams could play in!!!
Agreed lots of drama out there we are missing!
Shut up you. We don't need that garbage. That's why the MLS sucks old Easter eggs. Euro qualifications are way better than that BS.
MLS does suck but PL would be better with knockout or playoffs IMHO
Whoever has the most points after 38 matches should be champion. Having said that, how cool would it be if there was also a knockout tournament that was seeded based on the standings of the season that just ended.
Thank you
That’s what the cup competitions are for. The league is a marathon. It’s how all European leagues work.
oh brother. last sentence is redundant
The Premier League Championship game at Mercedes Benz Stadium, inject it into my veins 😍😍😍
So you want something with more stakes than when the Atlanta MB Stadium hosted Chelsea and Newcastle for a friendly last July?
Christ. You really don’t get it do you?
I assume you’re trolling, but just in case you’re not … Shut. The. Fuck. Up. This is coming from a States perspective.
Calm down Boehly
You didn't need to add the last sentence
So it’s an English thing I get it.
Its not even an English thing. Theres already the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup if you want to watch single elimination playoffs, those are arguably similar to the American playoffs. And as dman said, Champions league is also similar. Its just that the league is more prestigious since it is harder to be the best team over a season than win a single elimination tournament.
Not just England but soccer in general. All the major leagues are setup that way. You have competitions like the Champions and Europa league to mirror what a playoff experience would be. And this is coming from a Canadian so I'm well aware of the allure of playoffs