Jamie is signing off to prepare for the Manchester City v CSKA Moscow match tonight. Here’s the latest news from Old Trafford, which he filed this morning.
And here are some of our other features on the site today:
• Was Brendan Rodgers right to rest Liverpool players against Real Madrid?
• Strange tale of Chuck Blazer presents historic opportunity to expose Fifa
• Rodgers’ Liverpool lineup was more Capital One than Champions League
Thanks for reading and commenting
Dylanwolf asks:
Given that the Premier League has commercial ambitions to be a global TV marketing company, trading on the popularity of its football matches to attract viewing figures, then what is the point of national football leagues in countries around the world? Doesn’t the very existence of the Premier League and the Champions League undermine the very bedrock of the sport of football as the people’s game?
Mark Norman asks:
What do you think about having less teams from the bigger leagues in the Champions League and allowing more from the smaller leagues? Remember when Steaua Bucharest and Red Star Belgrade won European competitions around 20 years ago? They had a majority home-grown side, but now most of the best players from countries like Poland, Serbia, Romania etc go to teams in the bigger leagues. The reason being because they have all the money from the Champions League. My proposition would fix this problem
Guardian staff
Alex Henshaw asks:
Given that the Europa League winners get a spot in the Champions League next season, how do you think this will play on the minds of the less successful sides in the CL group stage, or those bigger teams which have started poorly in their domestic leagues?
Guardian staff Yeah, now this is a very good idea and something I'd like to see for the FA Cup, with regard to the winners being given a CL berth for the following season.
It must also make Man United doubly cheesed off they finished seventh and so missed out on Europa League football
Ayushman Choudhury asks:
What next for Arsenal?
Guardian staff Looks like they will qualify second and face a difficult last-16 round where it could all end... The one caveat is called Alexis Sanchez who looks a player: if he stays fit...
vandergraph asks:
Do you think the proposed midweek friendlies against footballing non-entities we have heard rumours of will ever eventuate for clubs that haven’t qualified for European competition ? Is it any replacement for playing in the Champions League, or is it just a money spinner for football clubs that would sell their soul to the right noodle company if the price was right ?
Guardian staff I think this could happen. Manchester United continue to explore the possibility and, if you think about it, if any club has no European competition at all in a season, so has many clear weeks before and after Christmas, then why not?
ternunstoned asks:
With Arsene Wenger saying he is “obsessed” with winning the Champions League, what of his progress. To me, Arsenal look farther away than ever, certainly miles off the team that made the final. Will Arsenal ever do it under Wenger, do you think?
Guardian staff One of the big mysteries of recent football is: what has happened to Wenger the manager who led Arsenal to an unbeaten league season...?
If anything Arsenal seem to regress each year so the short answer is no, I just can't see it under him.
A way of looking at this - and any other football conundrum -is: how would a club fare if Mourinho was the manager?
In my humble opinion Arsenal would be serious - and I mean serious - title challengers each season and would be semi-finalists, at least, 2 or 3 out of every four years....
BillyMacFarlane asks:
Do you think the lack of English players playing in the Champions League (only one in the starting line-up for Liverpool, probably the same for Manchester City tonight and two for Chelsea) is a problem for the national team?
Guardian staff Yeah, big problem. Only by playing against the best can any footballer improve. It is the hoariest of chestnuts though no less valid because so...
People criticise the group stages for being predictable but sometimes that isn’t the case and games really explode in to life. Are you expecting there to be fireworks anywhere tonight?
Guardian staff Would not be surprised if City-CSKA turns out to be a barnburner...
DennisFranz asks:
Hi Jamie, do you think Brendan Rodgers is devaluing the competition by fielding a weakened side, and essentially accepting defeat (albeit a narrow one, rather than a heavy one) in order to prioritise other fixtures? Why spend five years trying to qualify and then give up when you get there?
Guardian staff Not really, though what is bemusing is the season-long chase for European football then, as is more the case in the Europa League, when actually in the competition the prioritising of the PL...
Scattitude asks:
Given their performance against Real Madrid last night, and Liverpool’s average start to the Premier League season, is it worth giving “the second team” a crack at Chelsea on Saturday?
Guardian staff Nice question. It may have been a one-off last night, that is something that will concern/exercise Brendan Rodgers.
I'm not sure Sterling, Henderson and Gerrard will all be dropped but if LFC - or any club - are going to lose to Real Madrid at their home with a second XI then that was the way to do it as what was gained was serious encouragement for the future and vindication for BR.
It was a very interesting gamble and refreshing...
DennisFranz asks:
Jamie, I’m interested in your thoughts on City’s two-for-one ticket offer tonight. Filling their stadium has always been difficult for them, so this is an admirable attempt to do so, but would it make more sense to simply make tickets more affordable for working class fans? The German model is one we all look to with envy, and given that gate receipts are a minor contribution to the club’s overall income, is it something City should take the lead on? Perhaps other clubs who struggle to sell out could follow their lead?
Guardian staff I have said before that ticket prices are far too high - with all the TV money, and no sign this is on the wane, there is no excuse.
It strikes me as something that may be achievable in concert: if all the clubs agree to lower prices then this could happen
LiquidRay asks:
After watching Liverpool struggle it’s almost as though English teams are playing catchup with Europe.
Guardian staff Yeah, only Chelsea with their players and their manager seem equipped.
I'm yet to be convinced by Pellegrini he has what it takes in the CL
Jamie in online to answer your questions
RaylanCrowder asks:
Jamie, do you think the creativity of players like Roman Eremenko will pose a threat to Pellegrini’s side or will Slutsky’s instruction be “Kick it to Musa”? And your prediction of this game?
Guardian staff Nothing wrong with allowing Musa to get on the ball - certainly not judging from first game in Moscow and also how he played for Nigeria against Argentina - so Pablo Zabaleta - in World Cup when he scored twice in a 3-2 defeat...
Prediction is tricky: City should win this but on the other hand... I'll go 2-1 to City
Jamie will be online from 1pm GMT to answer your questions
In the meantime here are some reports from last night’s games:
Real Madrid 1-0 Liverpool
Basel 4-0 Ludogorets
Arsenal 3-3 Anderlecht
Borussia Dortmund 4-1 Galatasaray
And here are tonight’s fixtures:
Bayern Munich v Roma
Manchester City v CSKA Moscow
Ajax v Barcelona
Paris Saint-Germain v Apoel Nicosia
Maribor v Chelsea
Sporting v Schalke
Athletic Bilbao v Porto
Shakhtar Donetsk v BATE Borisov
Drop your questions into the comments section below
Yeah, its a point or view that is held in football.
One logical extrapolation is that in the end there may be a World football version of the Champions League...