Watching 18 football matches at the same time last night, I'm still trying to process what my eyes saw. This format is an odd experiment, where so many teams playing four games each means a lot of changes in the table. If you have an ounce of logic and patience, you can predict how this will play out.
The evening started with Paris Saint-Germain winning a penalty after their own player, Bradley Barcola, handed it to Lewis Miley on his fingertips – a handball law that makes me want to take to the streets. Amidst all the drama, an exciting moment emerged: Anatoliy Trubin scoring an incredible goal for Benfica against Real Madrid.
In a world where football is about big moments and meaning, this 'content machine' experience feels overwhelming. I found myself watching everything and nothing – it's not that it wasn't entertaining but that there was too much happening to consider on any level other than superficial. You can't truly appreciate the games without getting bogged down in the intricacies.
It is fair to say the jeopardy at the end remains high, as the more teams playing, the greater the permutations become. Players are being flogged into the ground, and it feels counterintuitive that fans would be celebrating because they don't have to play more matches.
Nicky Bandini made two crucial points – from a Premier League perspective, there is less jeopardy than for smaller clubs, but this event might just become an annual bun-fight free-for-all. As for me, I'd prefer my football in a different world – one where the games are easier to follow and enjoy without all the distractions.
Watching Cambridge United's 1-0 win over Shrewsbury earlier that night felt like a different game altogether – more attritional, boring, but easier to comprehend. Perhaps this 'content machine' isn't for everyone; I'll stick to watching my football in smaller batches.
The evening started with Paris Saint-Germain winning a penalty after their own player, Bradley Barcola, handed it to Lewis Miley on his fingertips – a handball law that makes me want to take to the streets. Amidst all the drama, an exciting moment emerged: Anatoliy Trubin scoring an incredible goal for Benfica against Real Madrid.
In a world where football is about big moments and meaning, this 'content machine' experience feels overwhelming. I found myself watching everything and nothing – it's not that it wasn't entertaining but that there was too much happening to consider on any level other than superficial. You can't truly appreciate the games without getting bogged down in the intricacies.
It is fair to say the jeopardy at the end remains high, as the more teams playing, the greater the permutations become. Players are being flogged into the ground, and it feels counterintuitive that fans would be celebrating because they don't have to play more matches.
Nicky Bandini made two crucial points – from a Premier League perspective, there is less jeopardy than for smaller clubs, but this event might just become an annual bun-fight free-for-all. As for me, I'd prefer my football in a different world – one where the games are easier to follow and enjoy without all the distractions.
Watching Cambridge United's 1-0 win over Shrewsbury earlier that night felt like a different game altogether – more attritional, boring, but easier to comprehend. Perhaps this 'content machine' isn't for everyone; I'll stick to watching my football in smaller batches.