2023/24 - The Race For..................

fishhhandaricecake · Feb 19, 2024

Would love 4th place but tbh if it goes to the wire between us Villa and Man.U and we end up 6th having played the great football this season and having had all the many many issues we’ve had to deal with is not be overly disappointed.

Minimum 6th place and back into meaningful European competition would be a good platform for next season, 4/5th & a CL spot would be us being ahead of the curve of where we thought we’d be 1st season under Ange all things considered.

fishhhandaricecake · Feb 19, 2024

13VanDerBale13 said:
Maybe EL wouldn’t be such a bad thing, as long as we take it serious …

I’ve started to think exactly this.
Is this squad actually ready for CL football week in week out yet, EL could be a good platform for us to build on and would mean we could rotate the squad a fair bit whereas with the CL you have to play your best XI pretty much every match.

Misfit · Feb 19, 2024

fishhhandaricecake said:
I’ve started to think exactly this.
Is this squad actually ready for CL football week in week out yet, EL could be a good platform for us to build on and would mean we could rotate the squad a fair bit whereas with the CL you have to play your best XI pretty much every match.

I'd love us to really go and try to win the EL. I don't dismiss it as some second rate comp as some modern football fans seem to do. Sure it's not the CL but it it's a great trophy we've won twice ourselves in its previous format and still proudly display.

I've never witnessed us winning a European trophy. I wouldn't sniff at doing so.

And we have to win some sort of trophy first to get over the hump again and break the seal.

Styopa · Feb 19, 2024

Misfit said:
I'd love us to really go and try to win the EL. I don't dismiss it as some second rate comp as some modern football fans seem to do. Sure it's not the CL but it it's a great trophy we've won twice ourselves in its previous format and still proudly display.

I've never witnessed us winning a European trophy. I wouldn't sniff at doing so.

And we have to win some sort of trophy first to get over the hump again and break the seal.

It would be fantastic, but we just hardly ever, ever turn up for it. It feels like it’s been about fifteen years since we had a proper go at it -when Jol was still here. Even when we had cup specialist Mourinho, we went out in dire circumstances. So I find it really difficult to get excited about it now.

Tucker · Feb 19, 2024

If we want to keep pace with the big clubs we need to be in the champions league. Especially next season where the money, and number of games increases significantly.

Failing to qualify when both United and Chelsea are having poor seasons is not a positive by any stretch of the imagination. It’s churlish to think they’ll be as bad next season.

Styopa · Feb 19, 2024

Tucker said:
If we want to keep pace with the big clubs we need to be in the champions league. Especially next season where the money, and number of games increases significantly.

Failing to qualify when both United and Chelsea are having poor seasons is not a positive by any stretch of the imagination. It’s churlish to think they’ll be as bad next season.

Maybe they won’t be as bad, but since Fergie left Man U finish outside of the top four as often as they finish in it, and Chelsea have a lot of work to do If they want to compete for the top four next season. Especially since they’ll likely be hampered by FFP.

We should also be better next season. I would be really disappointed and surprised if we don’t push on.

Agree though that Champions League should still be our aim this season. We still have a great chance, I don’t think we need to start talking as if we’re destined for Europa just yet.

Mr Pink · Feb 19, 2024

With our current league position, and the quality/depth of the squad we have Id be disappointed if we dont finish fourth to be honest.

Archibald&Crooks · Feb 19, 2024

Mr Pink said:
With our current league position, and the quality/depth of the squad we have Id be disappointed if we dont finish fourth to be honest.

haha Pinky.................Given the list of about twenty issues you've highlighted as being a 'problem' over the past few days you post this?

Mr Pink · Feb 19, 2024

Archibald&Crooks said:
haha Pinky.................Given the list of about twenty issues you've highlighted as being a 'problem' over the past few days you post this?

I Have lol.

Yes problems that I expect us to overcome!

Goobers · Feb 19, 2024

Mr Pink said:
With our current league position, and the quality/depth of the squad we have Id be disappointed if we dont finish fourth to be honest.

I didn't think Europe was possible to be fair so to be where we are and well in the hunt is a very pleasant surprise. I still think 4th will be a little beyond us but I am expecting us to have a good end to the season nonetheless.

aliyid · Feb 19, 2024

So with Chelsea playing the Lge cup final next weekend we have ourselves a 2 week break (god help us all in here).

Hopefully Ange can get them out on the training pitch and drill them on the philosophy again like it's the start of his reign. We've lost that creative spark over the last month so hopefully we can get it back again and come out swinging

Mr Pink · Feb 20, 2024

Honestly think if Bentancur or Bissouma can get going we'd be a sure thing for finishing fourth.

Westmorlandspur · Feb 20, 2024

Mr Pink said:
Honestly think if Bentancur or Bissouma can get going we'd be a sure thing for finishing fourth.

Thought Bissouma did ok on Saturday apart from losing the ball near their area and then failing to look over his shoulder to see Gomes.
That game at Villa is going to be some game. We cannot lose it.

bubble07 · Feb 20, 2024

Getting 4th would just accelerate the rebuild. But if we finish 6th and enter europa think we will do well in it

easley91 · Feb 20, 2024

Us and Villa (and possibly United depending on if they have actually found their feet or not) will trade positions multiple times between now and May. I wouldn't worry until April at the earliest.

aliyid · Feb 20, 2024

A couple of weeks ago I was confidently believing we'd make it to 3rd ahead of Arsenal but the last few games (for us and for them) have slapped me back to reality a little. I still think we'll do enough to grab 4th but it's going to be a close fought battle

Tucker · Feb 20, 2024

bubble07 said:
Getting 4th would just accelerate the rebuild. But if we finish 6th and enter europa think we will do well in it

We all know from experience that this won’t be the case though. It’ll be another season away from the big money, which like it or not will affect the players we can sign. Neto for example isn’t going to choose us over a CL club.

Then the reality of the europa league is that we will play a rotated team, the disruption to the team will mean they can’t hit any kind of playing rhythm and so perform poorly. The constant chopping and changing and Sunday - Thursday fixtures hurts our league form too.

With a heavily rotated team, we exit the Europa league with an lacklustre performance against a team we should beat easily in the second knock out round.

We then focus on the league form and maybe scrape fourth or fifth. Happens every single time, because the club’s priority is not the Europa league, it’s the champions league.

Westmorlandspur · Feb 20, 2024

Tucker said:
We all know from experience that this won’t be the case though. It’ll be another season away from the big money, which like it or not will affect the players we can sign. Neto for example isn’t going to choose us over a CL club.

Then the reality of the europa league is that we will play a rotated team, the disruption to the team will mean they can’t hit any kind of playing rhythm and so perform poorly. The constant chopping and changing and Sunday - Thursday fixtures hurts our league form too.

With a heavily rotated team, we exit the Europa league with an lacklustre performance against a team we should beat easily in the second knock out round.

We then focus on the league form and maybe scrape fourth or fifth. Happens every single time, because the club’s priority is not the Europa league, it’s the champions league.

So win the Europa Lge and get in that way. Winning it will be easier next season as there is no drop down from the champ lge.

Trix · Feb 20, 2024

Westmorlandspur said:
So win the Europa Lge and get in that way. Winning it will be easier next season as there is no drop down from the champ lge.

Or we just get in the CL this year, get the much needed extra revenue and more ability to attract the players we want. We are in a strong position right now compared to others because of how we have managed FFP, that won't last long as the other clubs are adjusting their positions to align as well.

This window of opportunity won't be open for long, and we have to take advantage of our position whilst we can.

bubble07 · Feb 20, 2024

Tucker said:
We all know from experience that this won’t be the case though. It’ll be another season away from the big money, which like it or not will affect the players we can sign. Neto for example isn’t going to choose us over a CL club.

Then the reality of the europa league is that we will play a rotated team, the disruption to the team will mean they can’t hit any kind of playing rhythm and so perform poorly. The constant chopping and changing and Sunday - Thursday fixtures hurts our league form too.

With a heavily rotated team, we exit the Europa league with an lacklustre performance against a team we should beat easily in the second knock out round.

We then focus on the league form and maybe scrape fourth or fifth. Happens every single time, because the club’s priority is not the Europa league, it’s the champions league.

Well maybe we don't chop and change in the euorpa league and actually take it seriously ?

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