The interesting news that broke out at the start of the week...the idea of a play-off to decide the fourth Champions League place in the Premier League.

In order for it to be instated, the idea must receive at least a 14-6 vote in favour of it happening.

I think it'd make the Premier League even more world-class, it'd give an extra motive to the slightly smaller clubs...but sadly I don't think it's going to get that 14-6 vote as the Big Four for one wouldn't like the idea, and that's 4 of the 6 'safe' votes against it already!

But the big reason to let it happen...just take a look at the Premier League table and see for yourself...Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham AND Aston Villa all hanging around that coveted fourth place...all four in their own ways deserving of Champions League football; Liverpool have won it 5 times and have consistently finished in the top 4 to qualify, Manchester City's squad alone merits a mention and deep down we would all love to see how well they do in the competition, Tottenham because of how close they've been on a number of occasions to finishing in the top 4 and have always been viewed as the club most likely to break into the Big Four, and Aston Villa for similar reasons with their brilliant levels of consistency in the Premier League.

If approved, the play-offs would involve the teams who finish in fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh in the Premier League with the winner granted a place in the Champions League along with the three teams who finish in the top three of the league.

Would you want to see it happen? Or are you a fan of the whole "It's the CHAMPIONS League for a reason" theory, and therefore the Big Four should keep qualifying albeit one of the aforementioned pipping them to fourth?

I'm all for it.

Personally, as only a Yahoo Eurosports Fantasy Football manager myself, I wouldn't have much to worry about - I've got nothing in common with the top four: my name isn't Fergie, I'm not Italian, I don't make a sow's ear of the managing job by falling to a 2nd-division team in the 3rd round of the FA Cup after being hammered by PORTSMOUTH in December, nor am I a VERY tall Frenchman who looks like he's just been dug up after 10 years in a grave, making even more of a sow's ear of the managing job by fielding a man in goal who can't even stay awake, let alone face the right way.

(In that order - I'll leave you to guess which one is which?)

Anyway. Onto the serious stuff now. Yes, I think it's a good idea myself. Personally I think the league needs spicing up - it's the only division in the country without such a process, without a competition to decide the last place in a higher league. (Even though in its essence, the Champions league is only money - it's far outweighed by the FA Cup, which is real - in my opinion).

I'm not sure what Rafa was saying blends in well. But then, what I've said above is my opnion and what he stated is his, and apparently it'll only have to be a 14-6 majority to pass the whole thing through. I personally reckon it would be a good thing for other clubs to have a punt at the last place, instead of having to strive for fourth in the league for it - fair enough the Champions league is for the Champions....but fourth placed clubs aren't champions anyway. They're fourth. It's already not the Champions league - if it were, only the top team in each country's top flight would be eligible, which is not the case only because of how it would affect the coffers .

So, on the basis that it's not the Champions league already, I'm saying if the fourth placed club is eligible, because they are fourth and not first there isn't much of a difference between them, and the four behind them in the league.

Yes.

The play-offs have been a huge success in the lower divisions, plenty of extra excitement and tension right up until the end of the season. There's absolutely no reason why they couldn't do the same for the Premier League.

Unfortunately the idea has been snubbed due to "lack of interest" - ah well!