- May 26, 2004
- 4,785
- 2,123
As the team travel to Italy for a Uefa Cup game against Udinese, I am sure the majority, if not all, of us would prefer the team did not have this distraction and had an uninterrupted week to prepare for the Bolton match, a must win game.
With that lot down the road three days after, then Liverpool on the following Saturday, the games will continue to come thick and fast, and are not getting any easier.
Luka has already come out said the different style of continental football may suit us; I believe it could hurt us. We need to be playing like a premiership team, high pace, high impact, and our slow movement of the ball and lack of tempo anywhere on the pitch is one of the many problems we are suffering. This type of football is much more likely to succeed in Europe, but that might mean we will continue to fail with it in the league. 8 games have already gone, we cannot afford another 8 with a return of only two points, but if anything we will have less opportunity to do so.
No doubt the continual chopping and changing of the team because of Corluka and Pavlyuchenko being cup tied has been a problem, one that might cost Comolli his job. Add in the fact that it means Ledley has been chosen for the cup games and rested for league games, it means that we are never really prepared for the league games.
But, right now, we need the Uefa Cup. Firstly, it’s a distraction. The league situation is so dire that it will dominate headlines, but the chance to escape the media, the pressure, it could relax the players and allow them room to recapture their form. It also gives us a chance to refine tactics and formations, giving players another opportunity to build connections and understandings. If we do get knocked out, with the quality of our team and relative lack of others, it could be utterly demoralising.
Most importantly, however, we need to be in the Uefa Cup in January if we are going to attract anyone of real quality, players that are not merely a 6 month stop gap to help us escape relegation. Without European football, even in the short term, we are not an attractive club for someone to play for right now. We are rooted to the bottom of the league, the credibility of the manager is fast eroding, and we are not going to pay someone silly money to join us.
Right now we need to concentrate the majority of our resources on the league, but the importance of a continued Uefa cup campaign cannot be dismissed.
With that lot down the road three days after, then Liverpool on the following Saturday, the games will continue to come thick and fast, and are not getting any easier.
Luka has already come out said the different style of continental football may suit us; I believe it could hurt us. We need to be playing like a premiership team, high pace, high impact, and our slow movement of the ball and lack of tempo anywhere on the pitch is one of the many problems we are suffering. This type of football is much more likely to succeed in Europe, but that might mean we will continue to fail with it in the league. 8 games have already gone, we cannot afford another 8 with a return of only two points, but if anything we will have less opportunity to do so.
No doubt the continual chopping and changing of the team because of Corluka and Pavlyuchenko being cup tied has been a problem, one that might cost Comolli his job. Add in the fact that it means Ledley has been chosen for the cup games and rested for league games, it means that we are never really prepared for the league games.
But, right now, we need the Uefa Cup. Firstly, it’s a distraction. The league situation is so dire that it will dominate headlines, but the chance to escape the media, the pressure, it could relax the players and allow them room to recapture their form. It also gives us a chance to refine tactics and formations, giving players another opportunity to build connections and understandings. If we do get knocked out, with the quality of our team and relative lack of others, it could be utterly demoralising.
Most importantly, however, we need to be in the Uefa Cup in January if we are going to attract anyone of real quality, players that are not merely a 6 month stop gap to help us escape relegation. Without European football, even in the short term, we are not an attractive club for someone to play for right now. We are rooted to the bottom of the league, the credibility of the manager is fast eroding, and we are not going to pay someone silly money to join us.
Right now we need to concentrate the majority of our resources on the league, but the importance of a continued Uefa cup campaign cannot be dismissed.