Lowering expectations - again

[Original202]

Found this via news now,

http://www.thisisscunthorpe.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=55890&command=displayContent&sourceNode=55889&contentPK=9879707

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HOULLIER'S ANTI-FRENCH!

 

 

12:30 - 08 May 2004

 

Gerard Houllier wishes it was English clubs in the finals of both European competitions rather than Monaco and Marseille from his homeland.

 

The Liverpool boss took time off this week from preparing his side for the crucial Barclaycard Premiership game at Birmingham this evening to watch Chelsea and Newcastle ousted from the Champions League and UEFA Cup respectively. Houllier would really have liked to see the English clubs triumph, for pragmatic reasons.

 

"I do not mind what the French might think, but I work in England and want English teams to get to finals because it helps protect the fourth place qualification into the Champions League if English sides do well," he said.

 

Liverpool are currently battling for fourth spot.

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Out of interest, what would it take for the fourth place being taken away and given to another country?

 

e.g If Monaco win the champions league and marseille the uefa cup, will they get an extra place? Or do they have four already?

[dave u]

Torby will probably know the answer to this one, but it's something about a country's record over five years I think. If Marseille and Monaco both win though, I would have thought that France would get a fourth spot (I think they only have three at the moment?)

 

If we lose the fourth CL spot, then things better improve fast because if there's no CL, there's no Steven Gerrard and we would be royally fucvked without him.

[Liverpoolway]

I know the answer, but since I'm not Torby I won't tell! :P

 

The answer lies here:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/uefa/index.html

 

A well respected site, and Bert knows his stuff!

 

Ok, I'm not that irritated over the fact that Dave overlooked my "supreme knowledge" :) so I'll give you the answer:

 

It's all about how many points each team from one nation (the average) take from one season in the european cup. England are second in the ranking, behind Spain, and while France have strengthened their position Germany and Italy have weakened theirs - all relative to England. So far the english have accumulated 11.250 points, the french 13.500 points, the german 4.714 points, and the italians 8,875 points. Spain have strengthened their position as leaders.

 

England can't get any more points now, so the french will get a step or two closer over the two finals. However this will be insignificant, as they will have to have at least two more years of this quality before they can overtake England.

 

For the 05/06 season I think France have an excellent chance of having four teams in the CL, but as I said: it will be at the expence of Germany.

[Liverpoolway]

I forgot to add that Dave is right about the five year perspective... The points for each year are accumulated!

[Liverpoolway]

And while I'm at it: Why can I only use the "quick reply"? I can't get "reply" or "edit" to work :-(

[dave u]

I was going to mention you along with torby to be honest mate, and the only reason I didn't was pure laziness. I couldn't be arsed typing it.

 

Shame on me.

 

Full marks for the thoroughness of your reply, not to mention promptness.

 

Who needs Torby! ;-)

[Hermes]

HOULLIER'S ANTI-FRENCH!

 

Now there's a revelation, did you expect her to be English, Mexican or maybe Dutch?

[Rushian]

I'll also add that any change in the country rankings as a result of this season's European games effect the number of European places in the 2005-06 season not the 2004-005 one.

 

And Bert's site is the dogs bollocks, basically I think UEFA look at his site and then just copy what he has!

[Nunavut Patrick]

I posted about that site a couple of days ago, it has everythimg you could possibly want, need to know, or were afraid to ask. Spent about two hours on it trying to figure out who we might end up with in QR3. That Bert must work for the EC, it is very thourough bureaucratically speaking. And it's current.

[Nunavut Patrick]

... as well, wasn't Platini making noises about the CL becoming a true champion league again?