Europa

[talkshowhost86]

The squad can be built up with or with out CL though.
We should be looking to get a squad that is capable of playing 2 games a week and then when we get CL adding the extra quality.

Totally agree that it can be built up with or without CL, but getting CL makes that easier going forwards whereas getting EL doesn't really have any impact.

And whilst I'd love us to get a squad that is capable of playing 2 games a week (and competing in those games), I don't think we have the finances to do that properly (again to a level where we can compete) based on being in the EL.

I think ultimately I can't see past the fact that winning the Europa League means very little and gains us very little in terms of the development of the club.

If we're going to focus on a cup competition I'd much rather see us focus on the FA Cup to be honest. It's at least as well respected and doesn't take 452 games to win.

Don't get me wrong, if Levy splashes the cash this Summer and we have a considerably stronger squad next season then yes I'd love us to win the Europa League. But if our squad strength is similar to this season then we can't compete on both fronts and it's a no-brainer as to which one we should focus on.

 

[E17yid]

rotation is a necessity but not in goal

big Brad is proper dodgy these days and will only get worse

He he, true that

 

[Pete Spur]

Totally agree that it can be built up with or without CL, but getting CL makes that easier going forwards whereas getting EL doesn't really have any impact.

And whilst I'd love us to get a squad that is capable of playing 2 games a week (and competing in those games), I don't think we have the finances to do that properly (again to a level where we can compete) based on being in the EL.

I think ultimately I can't see past the fact that winning the Europa League means very little and gains us very little in terms of the development of the club.

If we're going to focus on a cup competition I'd much rather see us focus on the FA Cup to be honest. It's at least as well respected and doesn't take 452 games to win.

Don't get me wrong, if Levy splashes the cash this Summer and we have a considerably stronger squad next season then yes I'd love us to win the Europa League. But if our squad strength is similar to this season then we can't compete on both fronts and it's a no-brainer as to which one we should focus on.

Shit it would mean a fuckload to me

if we try to win all 4 comps we might win one but if we throw 2 then try to win just one we'll likely bottle it

 

[talkshowhost86]

Shit it would mean a fuckload to me

if we try to win all 4 comps we might win one but if we throw 2 then try to win just one we'll likely bottle it

Don't get me wrong it would be a great feeling on the day, in the same way that winning the Carling Cup was.

But, rightly or wrongly, nobody in Europe really sits up and takes notice of teams winning the EL anymore. It's a shame but it's also the reality of the situation and if our aim is to move into the top group of European teams then we need to prioritise accordingly.

Again I just don't think we have the squad to properly compete in both, and until we do, our focus should always be on the league.

 

[DEFchenkOE]

Shit it would mean a fuckload to me

if we try to win all 4 comps we might win one but if we throw 2 then try to win just one we'll likely bottle it

So you really don't believe that those extra games in the EL and 2 extra times had no effect on any of our league results??

 

[Pete Spur]

Don't get me wrong it would be a great feeling on the day, in the same way that winning the Carling Cup was.

But, rightly or wrongly, nobody in Europe really sits up and takes notice of teams winning the EL anymore. It's a shame but it's also the reality of the situation and if our aim is to move into the top group of European teams then we need to prioritise accordingly.

Again I just don't think we have the squad to properly compete in both, and until we do, our focus should always be on the league.

I think it's just in England were they really don't value it much, but on the continent AVB said they still value it quite highly I believe in an interview.

 

[Pete Spur]

So you really don't believe that those extra games in the EL and 2 extra times had no effect on any of our league results??

Not to the point were I'd blame it for missing out no. Like I said you could build a convincing argument around various reasons. We were in the Europa all season and pulled well away from the scum at one point. I think complacency set in with afew players plus Sandros injury was huge it allowed the likes of Hudd and Livermore to be a constant in our line up. Then there was Ades form if he'd of played to his potential all season we probably could've won the Europa and finished 3rd. Personally I still look back at our CC win and get far more joy out of that memory than when we finshed 4th in the league. I think winning Europa would be even bigger than that. To me it's not one or the other I feel with afew tweaks over the summer we could do both.

 

[talkshowhost86]

I think it's just in England were they really don't value it much, but on the continent AVB said they still value it quite highly I believe in an interview.

Even if it was more highly valued, would you prefer to win the Europa League or get into the Champions League by finishing in the top 4?

Until we have the squad to compete properly in both competitions, that's the decision we need to make.

 

[sloth]

I really rate the EL, I just don't rate all the nonsense matches earlier in the competition, nor do I think CL teams should come into it. I'd also like the winners to get automatic CL qualification, but not at the expense of the national league qualifiers. But basically it's the second most prestigious thing we can win next year, and the one we have the best chance of winning.

 

[talkshowhost86]

I really rate the EL, I just don't rate all the nonsense matches earlier in the competition, nor do I think CL teams should come into it. I'd also like the winners to get automatic CL qualification, but not at the expense of the national league qualifiers. But basically it's the second most prestigious thing we can win next year, and the one we have the best chance of winning.

The nonsense matches would be fine if they didn't add in the Champions League teams afterwards. And totally agree on CL qualification...I don't understand why that isn't very easy for UEFA to do?

 

[TEESSIDE1]

Mix and match in the Group stages. No complete reserve teams though.

Great idea, 1) slight problem though ... we loan out all of our 1st team back up players, reserves and young talent lol.

if we keep the youngsters at the club and play some of them in the Europa, it will better experience for them than playing in league 1 or 2. Then when we get knocked out, they can go out on loan .

 

[Pete Spur]

Even if it was more highly valued, would you prefer to win the Europa League or get into the Champions League by finishing in the top 4?

Until we have the squad to compete properly in both competitions, that's the decision we need to make.

I think we did this season since we finished with 72 points, we were just extremely unlucky this season like last. It's shit getting shafted but I like winning as many matches as possible and winning trophies not throwing a tournament we could win that's what the scum do not us.

 

[Yid-ol]

The nonsense matches would be fine if they didn't add in the Champions League teams afterwards. And totally agree on CL qualification...I don't understand why that isn't very easy for UEFA to do?

I agree with the cl drop outs shouldnt come in to it, but dont think winners should get cl, top so many in leagues should get in to cl only imo.

 

[Scott Spur]

Totally agree that it can be built up with or without CL, but getting CL makes that easier going forwards whereas getting EL doesn't really have any impact.

And whilst I'd love us to get a squad that is capable of playing 2 games a week (and competing in those games), I don't think we have the finances to do that properly (again to a level where we can compete) based on being in the EL.

I think ultimately I can't see past the fact that winning the Europa League means very little and gains us very little in terms of the development of the club.

If we're going to focus on a cup competition I'd much rather see us focus on the FA Cup to be honest. It's at least as well respected and doesn't take 452 games to win.

Don't get me wrong, if Levy splashes the cash this Summer and we have a considerably stronger squad next season then yes I'd love us to win the Europa League. But if our squad strength is similar to this season then we can't compete on both fronts and it's a no-brainer as to which one we should focus on.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^ THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Trouble is TSH, there are too many Spurs fans who can't see past their noses and want to have their cake and eat it too! This crap about 'if we can't compete in EL, how are we going to compete in CL' is utter nonsense......we don't get £20-30M to spend before a CL campaign to strengthen the squad, let alone attract the top players!

I feel like banging my head against a brick wall about our EL campaign this season.............GUESS WHAT? ITCOST US 4TH, JUST AS SOME OF US SAID IT WOULD..............and the worst bit is we are in that third rate, mickey mouse, zit on the backside of European football competition AGAIN!!!

 

[Ironskullll]

Surely without the experience of the EL, players will be less likely to do well in the CL? Less well prepared, less experienced, likewise the coaching staff?

 

[sloth]

I agree with the cl drop outs shouldnt come in to it, but dont think winners should get cl, top so many in leagues should get in to cl only imo.

Seems to me that the Champions of Europe's second competition better fit the concept of a 'Champions' League qualifier than someone who comes fourth in England, the quality of such a team would be far higher than 80% of the teams who currently qualify for the CL, the Maltese League winners, the Luxembourg league winners and so on...

 

[Scott Spur]

Surely without the experience of the EL, players will be less likely to do well in the CL? Less well prepared, less experienced, likewise the coaching staff?

........and how much experience would you say we need in the EL? We already had a great CL campaign a couple of seasons ago

EL = less money, less top players, less prestige, less chance of keeping our top players..........

 

[DEFchenkOE]

pulled well away from the scum at one point.

The thing is I don't think we ever pulled well away from them, it was always going to be close even after we beat them there was 10 games left and I think they had a game in hand on us even though the gap was 7 points. That's only 3 games and things could swing around. In the end it came down to fine margins and they didn't have any Europa while we were celebrating scraping through after et against the worst inter team in about 6 years.

Honestly I used to have the same view as you whenit came to tthe uefa cup at first and even the el for a while. But the more I've thought about it and what the club needs I've realised that out of the 4 trophies we're in for we should prioritise the El last.

This is just my opinion, I think the El is a poor comp now in terms of prestige and finance. None of the first team players want to play in it so my view is play the guys that are not starting mixed with u21s.

 

[Babylon22]

This cup is a farce and we should treat it like one.

 

[Ironskullll]

Not as much as the CL, for sure, obviously, just suggesting that the travel, the two legged ties, the encountering of new/different systems, the need to play midweek games, do bring certain advantages and experiences to the playing and coaching staff, and make a CL campaign an easier proposition if preceded by a EL campaign, but having said that, yes the extra fixtures take their toll, and we've seen the extent to which that can be the case through the whole of the last 50 years.