I wish fans would stop saying the play-offs are a lottery.

Completely agree. Commentators are the worst for saying it.

It is not a lottery if over two games a team doesn’t make the final. It’s also not a lottery if over 90 or 120 minutes a team doesn’t win the final and gain promotion.
 
+1

Mostly said by those who are afraid of losing, as you said.

Akin to the sentiment that 'it's too soon for us to get promoted, we need another season in the Championship' IMO
 
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(y)
 
Peppery_John said:
They really aren't. If we're good enough we'll be in The Premier League. If not, it's a good excuse to console yourself with if the team balls it up.
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Finally someone said it! It’s been grinding my gears on here for weeks.

Nobody seems to say the Champions League is a lottery when you get to the SF stage, or the World Cup, or the FA Cup. A lottery implies each team has equal odds and the winner will be determined by random chance, which is just not the case. The best teams have the best chances, which is why the WC Final was France v Argentina and not Morocco v Netherlands and the FA Cup Final is a Manchester derby and not Brighton v Sheff Utd.
 
I understand what you are saying.

Yet they are very much like any knockout competition. The 'best' team doesn't necessarily win them.

I mean if that was the case the team finishing 3rd would / should always win them. The 3rd 'best' team in the league.

Take Monday as an example. Say we drew the first leg against Luton and crashed out on a none pen 2-1. Does that make them better than us? Nope an awful decision has done us.
 
I agree that it isn't exactly like a lottery as some teams (us this year) have a greater chance than others as they have better players and manager.

However, if we look at Huddersfield last year, they were done by some atrocious sub standard (but par for the champo unfortunately) refereeing. Huddersfield lost because of bad decisions so this is where the lottery terminology comes in.
 
Effectively a cup competition and the best team doesn't always win.

Real Madrid definitely weren't the best side in Europe last year, but they're the champions.

Huddersfield were robbed by awful refereeing in the play-off final last season.
 
Peppery_John said:
They really aren't. If we're good enough we'll be in The Premier League. If not, it's a good excuse to console yourself with if the team balls it up.
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The championship is a competitive league. You can lose to the bottom side quite easily so it’s not out the question you get beat by a side who finished within 2 or 3 positions for you.

Knockout football has always required a bit of luck
 
WilliamMunny said:
Finally someone said it! It’s been grinding my gears on here for weeks.

Nobody seems to say the Champions League is a lottery when you get to the SF stage, or the World Cup, or the FA Cup. A lottery implies each team has equal odds and the winner will be determined by random chance, which is just not the case. The best teams have the best chances, which is why the WC Final was France v Argentina and not Morocco v Netherlands and the FA Cup Final is a Manchester derby and not Brighton v Sheff Utd.
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I disagree , many people say you require Luck, and many have said the best team doesn’t always win the champions league

Tottenham getting to the final, Real Madrid winning under zidane 3 times come to mind

I mean this year the best team in Italy has been surpassed by 2 teams below them in the champions league.
 
Michael Carrick has no belief in "luck" or superstitions.
He also has little truck for "history" either.
Its what happens on the day.
Whomsoever scores more than the other wins.
[Even if they fall-over in the box with no contact with the goalie].
(y)
 
I agree, it isn’t a lottery or even a lucky dip, it is a short knockout competition where each team uses its skills and resources to beat the opposition to win a prize. It is more like poker if anything, you play your cards dealt to outwit and overcome your opponent, then if you win, you move on to brag.
 
History tells any football fan, that not always the best team on the day wins a final.
As a 10yr old in 1973, I remember watching dirty mighty Leeds Utd batter a then div 2 team Sunderland in the FA cup final, yet they lost 1-0 thanks to some unbelievable saves from goalkeeper Montgomery.
Netherlands should have won the world cup final in 74 and 78, losing to both West germany & Argentina, Netherlands were arguably the greatest team never to win a World cup, yet they did choke in both finals.
There's been loads of upsets in finals over the years, and in some instances the best team on the day, doesn't always win the match.
 
I think others have it covered. They're not exactly a lottery, but football is one of the more unpredictable sports given how low scoring it is (unless you're us racking up cricket scores every week of course 😉).

That's why a league is the best measure of how good a team really is.

It's why there are so many giant killings and why its not exactly a rarity for teams at the bottom to get results against teams at the top. Just ask Arsenal. Incredibly last time we were in the prem Man City failed to beat us.

It's also why cups are a lot of fun and to an extent a bit of a leveller. Anything can happen in a one off match.

You don't need luck to win the play-offs. But you probably need to avoid too much bad luck to do it.

I think that's why they're referred to as a lottery. It's not a perfect description of them. The best team will probably win them more often than not. But it's far from guaranteed. I don't really have a problem with them being described as such.
 
Peppery_John said:
That'll be why the bookies aren't taking any chances then and installed Middlesbrough as strong 7/4 favourites.
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Couldn't give a toss about what the bookies think a one off game can go either way and could be decided by a bad decision by the referee with a red card, missing an offside or handball or giving a soft penalty. So many things could go wrong. Its a cliche but a fitting one.
 
The Northern League and Northern Premier League East (our non league areas) have all gone to penalties so far.

Lottery?

In the Northern League the highest placed teams have both gone out.
 
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