Shine On

Every football fan whose team is not involved in the Champions League knows how utterly and mind numbingly dull most of the football tends to be in the group stages. Teams like Man Utd, Chelsea, even "total football" Arsenal play out boring home wins, and even more stultifying away draws.

This season, from stage left, we welcome 'Appy 'Arry's Tottenham Hotspur, who have obviously not read the script. Two games in and we've seen a pulsating 2-2 draw away at Werder Bremen and this week saw an incident packed if somewhat flattering 4-1 home win over FC Twente. Prior to that Spurs made their entrance in the qualifying round by coming back from 3-0 down to only lose 3-2 away at Young Boys, and this game set the template for the footy feasts to follow.

The annoying thing is that as Phill told me ITV are only showing one Spurs game in the group stages, preferring to stick with the same old same old Utd/Chelsea/Arsenal dull conglomerate. Even Liverpool in the junior version of Euro club competition are getting more terrestial TV coverage than the men from North London (or possibly East London after 2012 - can you imagine Spurs fans having to brave the East End for home games?!). If this had been Everton and not Spurs in this situation I would be accused of Bluenose sour grapes I'm sure, but you can't pin that on me this time! The Spurs game ITV are showing is the away game at cup holders Inter Milan, which even with Spurs involved is likely to be a cautious low scoring affair, especially given Inter's plank of a manager not wanting to tarnish The Special One's team's European reputation.

I can remember when the European Cup under the old knockout format used to be essential viewing. Wednesday's group game featuring Valencia v Man Utd was one of the most tedious 20 minutes (all I could stand before it got turned off) of TV football I've endured. ITV should have taken a risk on Spurs as they are always entertaining, and in this season's CL are the only UK team capable of keeping neutrals awake for more than 20 minutes!

Talking with Phill we reckon a far more interesting format would be a World Club Cup using a straight unseeded knockout format from the off, not that the vested interests of the European elite would have any truck with it. Just a thought.