Arsene backs Tottenham

[gunner_21]

http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/5573766

This is the funny part.............

"If Arsenal win the Champions League but do not finish in the Premiership's top four, they will be entered again at the expense of Tottenham, who will drop to the UEFA Cup.

Spurs officials are said to be considering legal redress should these circumstances unfold against them."

The fact that Spurs is even thinking about this makes me believe they're not too confident of holding off the Gunners.
:D

[pookspur]

perhaps i'm thick, but isn't the whole thing contingient upon spurs finishing above the arse?

one could say that the fact spurs are even thinking about this implies that they're afraid that arsenal will win the champions' league, but it in no way implies a fear of finishing beneath the arse.

[deeplennon]

perhaps i'm thick, but isn't the whole thing contingient upon spurs finishing above the arse?

one could say that the fact spurs are even thinking about this implies that they're afraid that arsenal will win the champions' league, but it in no way implies a fear of finishing beneath the arse.
ding ding.

[gunner_21]

one could say that the fact spurs are even thinking about this implies that they're afraid that arsenal will win the champions' league

Gotta get in somehow I guess.

[Dave_M]

one could say that the fact spurs are even thinking about this implies that they're afraid that arsenal will win the champions' league, but it in no way implies a fear of finishing beneath the arse.

Yeah I thought the exact same thing. I cant image what legal redress Spurs management thinks it has though. The rules are clear to all. Any arguing would just be a toys out the pram gesture

[pookspur]

Yeah I thought the exact same thing. I cant image what legal redress Spurs management thinks it has though. The rules are clear to all. Any arguing would just be a toys out the pram gesture

yes and no. i mean, the rules were just as clear last year - 'if the CL holders have finished outside the top 4, the FA must choose'. well, the english FA made it clear that they would choose everton, and so, despite perfectly clear rules, UEFA changed their minds.

now, if we are talking about legal actions, as spurs have (though i think they're just putting out feelers), i agree. there's no basis. but if the objective is to say (as did liverpool) "we know the rules, but they're doing us harshly", and to hope that UEFA will modify them to redress their (spurs') grievance, i don't think that's really out of line.

the problem is that such an 'injustice' done to the holders (i.e., liverpool last year) generates far more sympathy (or, put more simply, makes UEFA look sillier) than does the 'injustice' done to the 4th place finisher who misses out. frankly, i think UEFA was shocked the the FA (quite principledly) stood up for everton last year.

so i don't think spurs efforts to portray an injustice in our case is necessarily a 'toys out of the pram' gesture. though were the club to literally go through with legal procedings on the subject, i would have to agree.

hopefully, they'll just drop it, regardless. if you lot win the CL, we're out, simple as that. because UEFA aren't going to change their minds again.

[DoctorK]

Let's admit it: winning the CL and bumping Spurs out of the competition in the process would be unbelievably sweet. :D

[deeplennon]

Let's admit it: winning the CL and bumping Spurs out of the competition in the process would be unbelievably sweet. :D
I admit it to myself every morning.

[Liverpool_SC]

What are the chances of this happening to two of the biggest derby rivalries in the EPL in consecutive seasons (Champions League qualifying potentially determined by the result of the UCL final)? So strange. I suppose it speaks well for the depth of the EPL if our fourth placed teams can regularly run the rule in a competition for which most league's fourth or fifth place teams would struggle to qualify for the group stages.

If the rules were in place last year as they were this year, I have to really wonder what Everton would have done, seeing as it would have been the second time that a Liverpool team in the UCL final 'disqualified' an Everton team from entering the tournament after they had merited inclusion via league position.

It will be interesting to see how this run-in goes. Arsenal are going to be playing their hearts out in the second half of this match versus Man City. You really cannot put your eggs in the UCL final basket. Barca are just too good to leave it to that match to qualify next season.