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Europa League 2013/14

DEFchenkOE

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2006
10,527
8,052
Not expecting anything from Newcastle, so 99% chance we're gonna be in this.

My question is what to do once we are? Personally, after this season i'm thinking that we should play a mix of first team players who aren't regulars in the first 11, and some players from the under 21s.

Let's face it, who really cares about the EL? No money in it, players don't want to play in it, most fans don't want to go watch it, devalued by Uefa putting the CL dropouts in it, 2 of which are in the final tomorrow.

I was all for us giving our all in the old format of the Uefa Cup but this tournament is now rubbish. I know it's avb's baby from his Porto days but the tournament is just irrelevant.

I see no point in us busting a gut in this competition unless there is zero chance of us getting a top 4 finish. Just look at the difference in prize money this season:

EL

  • First qualifying round: €100,000
  • Second qualifying round: €100,000
  • Third qualifying round: €100,000
  • Play-off round: €100,000
  • Base fee for group stage: €1,300,000
  • Group match victory: €200,000
  • Group match draw: €100,000
  • Group winners: €400,000
  • Group runners-up: €200,000
  • Round of 32: €200,000
  • Round of 16: €350,000
  • Quarter-finals: €450,000
  • Semi-finals: €1,000,000
  • Losing finalist: €2,500,000
  • Winners: €5,000,000
CL
  • Playoffs: €2,100,000
  • Base fee for group stage: €8,600,000
  • Group match victory: €1,000,000
  • Group match draw: €500,000
  • Round of 16: €3,500,000
  • Quarter-finals: €3,900,000
  • Semi-finals: €4,900,000
  • Losing finalist: €6,500,000
  • Winning the Final: €10,500,000

There is no balance, I don't like how coming 4th is everything these days but when you look at the finance on offer then take into account everything else it's clear to me now that there is little benefit to playing strong teams throughout.
 

Gbspurs

Gatekeeper for debates, King of the plonkers
Jan 27, 2011
26,946
61,825
I want to win something. How shit is it watching Swansea, Wigan and probably Chelsea winning trophies this year and is being no where near and still not finishing top 4. We need to win things before we have an arsenal like stat. I want an FA cup or Europa at least.
 

SteveH

BSoDL candidate for SW London
Jul 21, 2003
8,642
9,313
I want to win something. How shit is it watching Swansea, Wigan and probably Chelsea winning trophies this year and is being no where near and still not finishing top 4. We need to win things before we have an arsenal like stat. I want an FA cup or Europa at least.

Sorry I doubt Wigan would agree now. Arsenal like stats will do me ta.

Wenger is spot on with his philosophy towards the champions league. It called living in current football world, not the one in the 80's.
 

parklane1

Well-Known Member
May 4, 2012
4,390
4,053
We take the piss out of the Arse for winning nothing, it seems some supporters want us to do the same.:(
 

felmani26

SC Supporter
Jan 1, 2008
24,362
43,015
I want to win something. How shit is it watching Swansea, Wigan and probably Chelsea winning trophies this year and is being no where near and still not finishing top 4. We need to win things before we have an arsenal like stat. I want an FA cup or Europa at least.

It wasn't long ago we were merely labelled a cup side which is ironic now seeing as we haven't won anything more than a couple of League Cups in over 20 years!

I want a damn trophy next year!
 

Gbspurs

Gatekeeper for debates, King of the plonkers
Jan 27, 2011
26,946
61,825
Sorry I doubt Wigan would agree now. Arsenal like stats will do me ta.

Wenger is spot on with his philosophy towards the champions league. It called living in current football world, not the one in the 80's.

We aren't Wigan though are we. We are one of the top 5 teams in the country. I believe that with that we should bring some success. We finished 4th before but I don't remember it opening the gates to footballing heaven. Arsenal have done it every year for the last 14 seasons but they are still running the risk of finishing out of the top 4 with a team 10x worse than the one than they had a decade ago.
 

Syn_13

Fly On, Little Wing
Jul 17, 2008
14,851
20,659
I don't see why we can't compete on both fronts. I want to win something next year and I don't see why it's so hard for a team to not be able to do that and do achieve their goals in the league at the same time.

If we are going to try and compete for EL title next year we have to strengthen our squad depth, without a doubt. Having a couple of extra players of good quality would've helped this year.

If anything, what fucks me off about the competition is how the CL failures from the group stage get a free pass into it, like Chelsea have had this year. It makes a mockery of the competition. Yes, it's a second rate competition for those not good enough for CL but you shouldn't automatically get a free pass into it if you've failed elsewhere.
 

DEFchenkOE

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2006
10,527
8,052
How shit is it watching probably Chelsea winning trophies this year .

It was shit watching chelsea winning trophies last year, I couldn't care less if they win the EL tomorrow. Would prefer them to lose obviously as I would with any game they play but won't be losing any sleep should they win.

Whether we like it or not the CL rules modern day football, this year was an exception but most years it's the cl teams that win the domestic cups anyway.
 

stormfly

Well-Known Member
Dec 6, 2006
4,584
11,990
I don't care about the money I just want the glory! I want us to win every cup we are in even if we only make £1 out of it. The media/sky may try to convince me that the top 4 is the holy grail but winning a trophy is on another level for me personally. The main reason I want to finish in the top 4 is just for bragging rights over our London neighbours but winning a cup is something special.
 

Gbspurs

Gatekeeper for debates, King of the plonkers
Jan 27, 2011
26,946
61,825
It was shit watching chelsea winning trophies last year, I couldn't care less if they win the EL tomorrow. Would prefer them to lose obviously as I would with any game they play but won't be losing any sleep should they win.

Whether we like it or not the CL rules modern day football, this year was an exception but most years it's the cl teams that win the domestic cups anyway.

I do understand CL football is important for growth but I think it's importance is overstated by many. Like I said arsenal have had it for years and have seen their squad slowly deteriorate. Liverpool won the thing and were in it consistently but they still lost their best players and missed out.

we have built a squad without CL money and it's competing just fine with the sugar daddy clubs.

I would love is to get CL, but for the glory of watching us play europes finest, not the money.
 

SteveH

BSoDL candidate for SW London
Jul 21, 2003
8,642
9,313
We aren't Wigan though are we. We are one of the top 5 teams in the country. I believe that with that we should bring some success. We finished 4th before but I don't remember it opening the gates to footballing heaven. Arsenal have done it every year for the last 14 seasons but they are still running the risk of finishing out of the top 4 with a team 10x worse than the one than they had a decade ago.

Wigan was an example of is the lack of true tangible value of FA and League cups in today's football. The cups are good fun but little if we are being honest.

The key to football heaven are as follows 1992 - 2013 and foreseeable future.

Win the League
Win the Champions League

Top 3/4

EL and The cups
(I'm not including promotions to PL - arguable more important than cups.)
 

MattyP

Advises to have a beer & sleep with prostitutes
May 14, 2007
14,041
2,980
If we are in the Europa, I hope we get some good away trips like Budapest.
 

only1waddle

Well-Known Member
Jun 18, 2012
8,150
12,294
We balance the squad, stick 2 fingers up to the Goons and go win some silverware next season.. (y)
 

SteveH

BSoDL candidate for SW London
Jul 21, 2003
8,642
9,313
I don't see why we can't compete on both fronts. I want to win something next year and I don't see why it's so hard for a team to not be able to do that and do achieve their goals in the league at the same time.

If we are going to try and compete for EL title next year we have to strengthen our squad depth, without a doubt. Having a couple of extra players of good quality would've helped this year.

If anything, what fucks me off about the competition is how the CL failures from the group stage get a free pass into it, like Chelsea have had this year. It makes a mockery of the competition. Yes, it's a second rate competition for those not good enough for CL but you shouldn't automatically get a free pass into it if you've failed elsewhere.

Because our squad is not good enough depth wise = finishing fifth (and a repeat of this season)
 

SteveH

BSoDL candidate for SW London
Jul 21, 2003
8,642
9,313
We balance the squad, stick 2 fingers up to the Goons and go win some silverware next season.. (y)

And they will be laughing at us all the way to the bank = getting top 4 again (and repeat this season ad nauseum) - wakeup and smell the coffee. EL is a wast of time.
 

ryantegan

Block 33 Season Ticket holder :)
Jun 28, 2009
6,014
17,841
For fucks sake....we're good enough to win the league if we just get it right in the summer irrespective of wether we finish 4th or not.

We have AVB who has proven over the past 12 months that he is tactically superb. He is bright and intelligent. And by fuck, he is desperately passionate.

We have key Lloris. Arguably one of the worlds finest keepers. We have vertonghen, a PFA player of his position in his first season. We have Kyle walker, England's most exciting full back. Then there is the returning younes kaboul. Again, arguably one of the top 5 CB in the country.

Aaron Lennon, and Scott Parker will be consistently strong. Dembele, holtby and siggy will all improve again after a patchy 12 months.

Sandro will be back. And he is easily the best enforcer in the business.

If we can bring in a few attackers, and integrate them with the impressive youngsters we have who are currently winning nearly every game at under 21 level, then why not?

Townsend, rose, Carroll, ceballos, Pritchard....

Fuck 4th, we will accept that as merely a consolation. But our eyes should be firmly on the title. We are good enough




EDIT: I forgot Gareth bale


:)
 

beats1

Well-Known Member
Feb 22, 2010
30,006
29,551
If we play a full strength team in the group stage Id be pissed as we have a fucking strong youth players now even more so than before
 

beats1

Well-Known Member
Feb 22, 2010
30,006
29,551
For fucks sake....we're good enough to win the league if we just get it right in the summer irrespective of wether we finish 4th or not.
I totally agree if we make 3 signings of the right calibre regardless of the CL or not, we have Title challenging squad with of course Bale continuing his current form
 

SteveH

BSoDL candidate for SW London
Jul 21, 2003
8,642
9,313
For fucks sake....we're good enough to win the league if we just get it right in the summer irrespective of wether we finish 4th or not.

I love optimism but..........win the league? I just cant see it for a couple of season yet.

Next year could be interesting though, so why not!

Lets do a Dortmund.
 
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