Wigan or Madrid

[ThorntonSpur]

We have two big games coming up for two very different reasons.

In one competiton we are flying in the other we are crawling.

It is a shame we are not flying in both but thats football.

I just wondered what people prioritised as the must win game of the two crucical away games if we are being realsitic.

For me a win at Wigan is more important i would have in fact taken two clean sheets at blackppol and wolves over clean sheets against milan.

for me we have gone further than I ever expected in the CL and if memory is correct even if we win it and come 5th we will not be in it next season as i belive UEFA changed the rules after Liverpool.

so for me qualification for next season is the priority and a 2-0 win at wigan is my priority. we have done well in the Cl this season and we need to make sure we can perform in it next season.

this will also ensure that we mainatain progress in attracting world class players to the club.

dont get me wrong would love to hammer them both and hope we do BUT as mentioned in being realistic and if we had to win one or the other I would like to see us start picking up points in the league

 

[dimiSpur]

No way. Earlier in the CL season I would have agreed, but in a glamour tie like Real Madrid away, a match that will go down in history as a "Glory Glory" night, you cannot compare it to a League match, however important it may be, away to bloody Wigan!

We wanted to get into the Champions League, we are. We're fans we have to enjoy it. No good worrying about the financial side of things neext season! We are currently in the QF of the greatest cup competition in Club football. If we can pull that off, it will go down in history. A win against Wigan will just mean 3 points.

COYS!

 

[Ledders Army]

Win the Champs league & we'll be in it next year even if we don't finish top 4. Team that finished 4th would miss out I think.

I'd take score draw in Madrid & win at Wigan if we can't have 2 wins.

 

[ThorntonSpur]

Win the Champs league & we'll be in it next year even if we don't finish top 4. Team that finished 4th would miss out I think.

I'd take score draw in Madrid & win at Wigan if we can't have 2 wins.

I hope that is true but i thought they changed the rule after liverpool won it and failed to qualify they were embarrassed into including them but then i thought they changed it.

 

[ThorntonSpur]

No way. Earlier in the CL season I would have agreed, but in a glamour tie like Real Madrid away, a match that will go down in history as a "Glory Glory" night, you cannot compare it to a League match, however important it may be, away to bloody Wigan!

We wanted to get into the Champions League, we are. We're fans we have to enjoy it. No good worrying about the financial side of things neext season! We are currently in the QF of the greatest cup competition in Club football. If we can pull that off, it will go down in history. A win against Wigan will just mean 3 points.

COYS!

looks like we will have to disagree my friend. wouldnt you settle for RM 4 Spurs 3 wigan 0 spurs 2 ??:grin:

only three points yes but for me more important i would much rather win the league than win the CL. If I'm totally honest Im old school and only Champions should be in the champions league which is after all, all about the financial side which you did allude to in you post in a negative connotation. But rules are rules and we have to abide by what europe says in aspects of life now.(insightful political comment :roll

re greatest cup competion didnt we get Ko by Fulham in that :grin:

 

[dimiSpur]

looks like we will have to disagree my friend. wouldnt you settle for RM 4 Spurs 3 wigan 0 spurs 2 ??:grin:

only three points yes but for me more important i would much rather win the league than win the CL. If I'm totally honest Im old school and only Champions should be in the champions league which is after all, all about the financial side which you did allude to in you post in a negative connotation. But rules are rules and we have to abide by what europe says in aspects of life now.(insightful political comment :roll

re greatest cup competion didnt we get Ko by Fulham in that :grin:

Yea but you didn't ask me that did ya??

Win the League? And you think 3 points against Wigan will push us closer to winning the League? :beer:

To say you'd rather beat Wigan that Real Madrid is a stupid comment IMO. No matter how you paint it I won't agree 3 points vs Wigan is more important than winning in Madrid.

 

[ThorntonSpur]

Yea but you didn't ask me that did ya??

Win the League? And you think 3 points against Wigan will push us closer to winning the League? :beer:

To say you'd rather beat Wigan that Real Madrid is a stupid comment IMO. No matter how you paint it I won't agree 3 points vs Wigan is more important than winning in Madrid.

not win the league but qualify for next seasons competition. defeat at wigan and we can probably forget next seasons CL competiton

 

[Real_madyidd]

not win the league but qualify for next seasons competition. defeat at wigan and we can probably forget next seasons CL competiton

But why bother qualifying just to then prioritise the league?

For me it's all about destroying Madrid.

 

[dimiSpur]

not win the league but qualify for next seasons competition. defeat at wigan and we can probably forget next seasons CL competiton

I was answering what you said that's all. You had said 3 points against Wigan because you want to win the League.

Winning at Real doesn't mean we're going to lose at Wigan anyway. It's more a case of "If you could guarantee victory against one of them, who would it be?". And even if I was told lose at Wigan win in Madrid I'd take it.

We're talking about the biggest Club in the world, on their patch, and our first ever time out in the CL. Come on mate! FFS! What's the point of qualifying for the CL in the first place if you're not going to be in with a chance of winning it?

 

[Gilzeanking]

Having seen Barca vs Arse...I'm inclined to think the OP is being sensible .
No , not win the League but get in the CL next year . We've been in the CL in our heads for almost a year now ...

....Its gonna be an almighty cold shower when we ain't and Europa is the best we can hope for .

 

[ThorntonSpur]

But why bother qualifying just to then prioritise the league?

For me it's all about destroying Madrid.

surely all clubs prioritise the league. when managers are interviewed they tend to prioritise the league.

Surely in our position it is about for the next two seasons qualifying for the CL to guarantee the financial rewards and attract the likes of aguero or benzema or van der vaart.

a club has to prioritise the league

BUT us fans do not have to that is the difference. as a fan we want success and want to be able to crow over other clubs fans and umm the more i write and think the more i realise im losing the arguementmg: :rofl: FFS its about now you win guys :bowdown:

 

[Spurger King]

Having seen Barca vs Arse...I'm inclined to think the OP is being sensible .
No , not win the League but get in the CL next year . We've been in the CL in our heads for almost a year now ...

....Its gonna be an almighty cold shower when we ain't and Europa is the best we can hope for .

The way I see it, if we are to assume (for hypothetical reasons) that we are choosing between the chance of beating Wigan, or the chance to beat Madrid, it then comes down to a choice between opportunites for short-term or long term glory.

There is no reason to suggets that a 'weaker' team would not rise to the challenge and beat Wigan. Equally we all know that fielding our strongest team agains Madrid would guarantee a good result.

Harry will go for glory against Madrid. I have no doubts whatsoever about this. It's such a difficult balancing act because if at the end of the season we are left with a few great memories and a season in the Europa League to look forward to (whilst our rivals strengthen even more through their Champions league status), it's going to be a massive come down.

For that reason, as unpopular as this opinion is likely to be, I'd be fielding our strongest possible team for the remaining league matches in order to achieve great things for the club over a longer period. I'm thinking of the bigger picture.

We know that the candles that burn brightest also burn for the shortest amount of time, and I for one don't want to be left with the burnt out remnants of a candle that lit up the champions league for one season before fading back into obscurity. I know I'm being a bit dramatic about it, but that's how I feel.

 

[ThorntonSpur]

Having seen Barca vs Arse...I'm inclined to think the OP is being sensible .
No , not win the League but get in the CL next year . We've been in the CL in our heads for almost a year now ...

....Its gonna be an almighty cold shower when we ain't and Europa is the best we can hope for .

:clap::clap:

still thinks this does have a key bearing though and why im still thinking wigan and three points is more valuable. we can lose in madrid and still qualify but lose in wigan and i think top four is beyond us.

 

[Lassesand]

I hope that is true but i thought they changed the rule after liverpool won it and failed to qualify they were embarrassed into including them but then i thought they changed it.

From UEFA Champions League regulations:

2.03 The UEFA Champions League titleholder is guaranteed a place in the group
stage even if it does not qualify for the competition through its domestic
championship.

a) If the titleholder comes from an association entitled to four places in the
UEFA Champions League and qualifies for the UEFA Europa League
through its domestic competitions, the lowest-ranked club of the​

association’s UEFA Champions League representatives is automatically

transferred to the UEFA Europa League (into the latest possible round
where there is a vacancy). In this case, the number of places to which the
titleholder's national association is entitled in the UEFA Champions
League and the UEFA Europa League does not change.

b) If the titleholder comes from an association entitled to four places in the
UEFA Champions League and does not qualify for the UEFA Champions
League or UEFA Europa League through its domestic competitions, the
lowest-ranked club of the association’s UEFA Champions League
representatives is automatically transferred to the UEFA Europa League
(into the latest possible round where there is a vacancy). In this case, the
national association of the titleholder is entitled to one additional place in
the UEFA Europa League.

c) If the titleholder comes from an association entitled to fewer than four
places in the UEFA Champions League and qualifies for the UEFA
Europa League through its domestic competitions, it is entitled to play in
the UEFA Champions League in addition to the association’s other UEFA
Champions League representative(s). In this case, the combined number
of places to which the titleholder's national association is entitled in the
UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League does not change.

d) If the titleholder comes from an association entitled to fewer than four
places in the UEFA Champions League and does not qualify for the
UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League through its domestic
competitions, it is entitled to play in the UEFA Champions League in
addition to the association’s other UEFA Champions League
representative(s). In this case, the national association of the titleholder is​

entitled to one additional place in the UEFA Champions League.

 

[ThorntonSpur]

From UEFA Champions League regulations:

2.03 The UEFA Champions League titleholder is guaranteed a place in the group
stage even if it does not qualify for the competition through its domestic
championship.​

a) If the titleholder comes from an association entitled to four places in the
UEFA Champions League and qualifies for the UEFA Europa League
through its domestic competitions, the lowest-ranked club of the​

association’s UEFA Champions League representatives is automatically

transferred to the UEFA Europa League (into the latest possible round
where there is a vacancy). In this case, the number of places to which the
titleholder's national association is entitled in the UEFA Champions
League and the UEFA Europa League does not change.​

b) If the titleholder comes from an association entitled to four places in the
UEFA Champions League and does not qualify for the UEFA Champions
League or UEFA Europa League through its domestic competitions, the
lowest-ranked club of the association’s UEFA Champions League
representatives is automatically transferred to the UEFA Europa League
(into the latest possible round where there is a vacancy). In this case, the
national association of the titleholder is entitled to one additional place in
the UEFA Europa League.​

c) If the titleholder comes from an association entitled to fewer than four
places in the UEFA Champions League and qualifies for the UEFA
Europa League through its domestic competitions, it is entitled to play in
the UEFA Champions League in addition to the association’s other UEFA
Champions League representative(s). In this case, the combined number
of places to which the titleholder's national association is entitled in the
UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League does not change.​

d) If the titleholder comes from an association entitled to fewer than four
places in the UEFA Champions League and does not qualify for the
UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League through its domestic
competitions, it is entitled to play in the UEFA Champions League in
addition to the association’s other UEFA Champions League
representative(s). In this case, the national association of the titleholder is​

entitled to one additional place in the UEFA Champions League.

:up:
cheers

 

[Hot-Spur]

For me Wigan is the must win game. Basically if we don't the chance to finish 4th again will be gone, unless of course City lose the rest of their games which as pants as they are shouldn't happen. I have loved this CL adventure of ours and am desperate to see us back their next season.

 

[stormfly]

I just want us to win every game from now on. Anything less would be a disappointment.

 

[Mr Pink]

The OP is right, the League games and our requirement to finish in the top 4 are more important. If we managed to beat Madrid, Barcelona would be next. Yes it would be epic to get to the semis at the first time of asking but to be in it again keeps our progression and development as a Club ticking along very nicely.

Do you want one crack it?...or a crack it on a regular basis?

I know what option I'm going for.

It would be a travesty to surrender our fourth spot to that God awful boring Man City.

 

[Leachie]

I want to be in the Champion's League every season. Not just one brilliant gung-ho season.

So I hope the players are 100% focused on the Wigan match. We need to win it.

 

[Khilari]

RM every time.
But this is where having a strong squad comes into play. HR's got to motivate those not playing regularly.
Unfortunately, our injury list is lengthy and loans have depleted an otherwise strong squad.

v Wigan
Gomes
Hutton-Bassong-Dawson-BAE
Pienaar-Modric-JJ-Krancjar
Pav-Defoe

?

v RM
Gomes
Corluka-Gallas-Dawson-BAE
Lennon-Sandro-Modric-Bale
VdV
Crouch/Defoe/Pav

?