PreMatch | Everton vs Liverpool | PL Matchday 15 | Weds 12 February 19:30h | The last Derby at Goodison

Haha @cynicaloldgit

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Iā€™m glad this got postponed, it would have gave them even more excuses to kick and injure our players, hopefully when itā€™s rescheduled for we have more players available.

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Thread should be closed until further notice. :rofl:

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I donā€™t mind the format too much, but could do without the extra round. Besides the extra money and the extra load on the players, it seems to be working as a get out of jail card, as good teams can coast, without too much jeopardy, so long as they finish in the top 24.

Iā€™d rather lose the playoff round, determine who the top 16 are, then have a simple knockout bracket to the final, with clear seedings: 1v16, 2v15, 3v14, etc.

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Probably bored with no Liverpool game today.

So Iā€™m taking aim at UEFA, and their half-assed job at finishing seedings off for their prize tournament :joy:

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The problem with only the top 16 advancing is that by reducing the number of qualifying teams by 8, and having a single tier of success you make a LOT more of the group stage games relatively meaningless. I dont like the number of extra games, but I think the format is keeping an unusually number of games meaningful right into the last round of fixtures.

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Fair point.

Hey, will all you northerners please take your winter weather back? Thank you, the south.

Itā€™s actually East V West.

Then again it wasnā€™t great over here in London.

I had a busy weekend (woke up early to catch this game before starting a hectic Saturday) - is there a new date set yet?

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Not yet. There will be dates available in February if we win (donā€™t lose?) tomorrow. We also have League and FA Cups dates that are possible. I wouldnā€™t expect a definite date until next month.

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Yeah, I think if we can secure a top 8 CL, that midweek of the CL playoffs is a likely spot for it.

New Years Day is a possibility as well

Not yet.

I think I outlined some possibilities in the Liverpool fixture post.

I canā€™t see it being News Year Day now and I donā€™t think the Police would want it that day. Could be the Thursday the 2nd but I think they will probably need a month. Itā€™s likely to be one of the Thursdays* if we secure the CL top 8 or league cup weeks if we go out to Soton.

*I say Thursdays as I think CL generally block unless you have a silly kick off time like 6pm unless itā€™s later rounds.

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Hopefully All is Quiet

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I see it happening just before St. Valentineā€™s Day. Still a couple of variables to work out before then. I would be very surprised if the police went for New Yearā€™s Day, after a busy night before, presumably with the whole thing stretched thin.

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Interesting Iā€™ve just read 3-4 articles and not one of them suggests that new years date. Only This is Anfield.

UEFAhave to give dispensation to allow for a game to clash with CL so thatā€™s why itā€™s likely Thursday.

Cannot see the 1st myself.

Yeah thatā€™s my thought also we are also about 3 weeks away.

Wouldnā€™t be surprised if we qualified tomorrow it gets announced soon after.

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Aside from anything else, I donā€™t think the PL TV dates have been announced yet. That will impact on when it can be slotted in.

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To be honest they can be moved around on a weekend.

The Police will be out in force NYEā€¦
Unlikely they will sanction match patrol at Woodison this late

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