The Race for 4th

[-Afri-Coy-]

We're one win from Europe after yesterday's results (even if we lose at Villa they will lose at Anfield the week after and we have a better goal difference than Villa). 60 points is always the marker and will be again. I expect that win to be at home to Brentford.

What I'm not sure about is how many points we will need to be in the EL rather than ECL as it's difficult to predict what Brighton will get - but I don't think 1 win will be enough for us so we will need to win one of our two away games (at least).

Best outcome would be to win all 3 of our final games and leave the rest to the football God’s

 

[dontcallme]

I think it's tricky to concentrate on the cups. Last season West Ham were performing consistently and finished 7th.

This season they've flirted with relegation at times and are currently 15th. If they fall short and get knocked out in the semi finals of the ECL, will they look back favourably on this season?

I loved the peak Poch years, watching us compete consistently. I really looked forward to every game.

 

[RosieFTL]

Best outcome would be to win all 3 of our final games and leave the rest to the football God’s

Indeed.

 

[Shanks]

I'd have no issue with us being in the Europa or Conference as long as it gives some of the young players a chance to play. I think we should look to rotate 3/4 players each time for the league games. Not have a 1st eleven and a Europa eleven. That way the fringe players get a chance to be with most of the first 11

I differ slightly, breed the youngster in when the first team is settled.

whilst I really couldn’t care less about the conference league comp, play kids or whoever in that, if we are in the EL, play to win the thing, we’ve seen over the years how badly we do when we go weakened and all I want to see is us win something!!!

 

[1882andallthat]

Try and win anything that isn’t a pre-season trophy in my opinion, and build from there.

I couldn’t be arsed what other fans say about the trophies we win as long as we’re winning them I’ll be happy.

I'm not saying don't try to win it. What I'm saying is that anything less than winning it should be a minimum because if Leicester and now West Ham can pretty much get to the semi finals of this competition with relative ease and in West Ham's case with a number of reserves it doesn't say much for the standard of the competitition in it.

Anything less than matching them in this competition will and should be looked on as a failure. So if we're in it we must go all out to win it, because like golf that should be a minimum par achievement.

At the movement the standard of this competition this season is clearly a lot lower than the CL and EL. If I was to draw comparisons with the comparisons of the old European Cup Winners Cup and Uefa Cup there was little to choose between them, they were both prestigious.

The ECL is clearly a way down in 3rd of the 3 European competitions in its current format. That's not to say we should abandon winning it if we're in it, but if we're being honest, based on the level of opponents, out of the PL, FA Cup or League Cup this one would amd quite rightly should be seen as a lesser achievement.

 

[1882andallthat]

Can't see us catching Liverpool or Man Utd and I can't see us staving off Brighton. They have 3 games in hand over us and they're only 2 points behind, but it may as well be one point because they have such a superior goal difference on us that's worth an extra point on its own. So now it's looking highly likely to be 7th or 8th. Our win yesterday and Brentford's defeat has pretty much ruled out 9th as being a realistic possibility.

 

[Duffman]

Can't see us catching Liverpool or Man Utd and I can't see us staving off Brighton. They have 3 games in hand over us and they're only 2 points behind, but it may as well be one point because they have such a superior goal difference on us that's worth an extra point on its own. So now it's looking highly likely to be 7th or 8th. Our win yesterday and Brentford's defeat has pretty much ruled out 9th as being a realistic possibility.

Brighton's games still include: City, Arsenal, Newcastle and Villa.

They'll be dropping points, it's just whether we can pick up enough our end.

 

[Ginola+Tonic]

Id actually love to win the conference league

 

[Silky Skills]

We have to blood the youth if we qualify

 

[Beefyboy]

I think it's tricky to concentrate on the cups. Last season West Ham were performing consistently and finished 7th.

This season they've flirted with relegation at times and are currently 15th. If they fall short and get knocked out in the semi finals of the ECL, will they look back favourably on this season?

I loved the peak Poch years, watching us compete consistently. I really looked forward to every game.

It's a balance i guess. The season West ham finished 7th they were in the semis of the europa I think?

The good thing with the europa/conference at least is you really can rotate a lot for the group stages and then see they lay of the land in March when the knockouts start.

This season is also the antithesis. We bombed out the Fa cup to focus on Wolves away and 4th place....we lost that game and are miles off 4th. I don't necessarily mean write off the league just more move the focus a but and see the cups as an opportunity, not something that gets in the way.

 

[mil1lion]

It's crazy that Brighton are the only team on 32 games played. Their goal difference shows though they deserve to finish above us.

 

[spursfan77]

We really fucked it up so badly. It was there for the taking this season, it really was and we just let it go. So frustrating. Had we binned Conte during the World Cup when he refused to sign that contract I bet we’d have been better off.

Tells me also that with a decent manager who plays to the squad and players’s strengths that we will be right up there again.

 

[spursfan77]

Id actually love to win the conference league

I’d love to win anything. Really need to get the trophy monkey off our backs.

 

[jay2040]

I never thought I’d be happy at not getting any European football but we really do need a complete reset with as few distractions as possible. What a state we are in

How is it a distraction if its a football competition!
We are not that great to say a cup is beneath us. Winning a competition or trophy may lead to other success and we have enough players to field a team.
In addition not having European football does not mean we will definitely do better in the league.
Maybe take a season out from the other two cups and the prem so we are completely focused!

 

[jay2040]

Whilst having to bring son and Kane on to rescue the game thereby tiring them out unnecessarily! It’s like people haven’t watched any of our European games in these competitions!

Not having the extra games is a good thing. People complain we never take the cup competitions seriously enough. If playing No Europe increases the chance of winning a domestic cup then I’m all for that. Plus look at teams this season like newcastle and Brighton who it has helped with it being so long. Next year the league is going to be as competitive as it has ever been and we are going to need that preparation time to be as good as we can be.

Brighton and Newcastle have had success due to the players and manager all being aligned. We had a shitshow of a season due to the upheaval. Fuck all to do with European competition

 

[dontcallme]

How is it a distraction if its a football competition!
We are not that great to say a cup is beneath us. Winning a competition or trophy may lead to other success and we have enough players to field a team.
In addition not having European football does not mean we will definitely do better in the league.
Maybe take a season out from the other two cups and the prem so we are completely focused!

Leicester won the league when they had no European football and went out both domestic trophies in the 1st round.

Putting full focus on the league for a season while we rebuild the squad isn't the worst idea in the world and certainly has nothing to do with competitions being beneath us.

 

[chas vs dave]

Id actually love to win the conference league anything

Fixed for you

 

[jay2040]

Leicester won the league when they had no European football and went out both domestic trophies in the 1st round.

Putting full focus on the league for a season while we rebuild the squad isn't the worst idea in the world and certainly has nothing to do with competitions being beneath us.

That was a fucking freak season with all others playing shit. So many factors that led to their success,including our implosion!. I get what you are saying buddy though so many other factors to consider.

 

[dontcallme]

That was a fucking freak season with all others playing shit. So many factors that led to their success,including our implosion!. I get what you are saying buddy though so many other factors to consider.

I'm certainly not saying we'd win the league or anything if we did focus purely on the league, but when your squad is really weak it's not the worst thing to do.

But I maintain we can only really do that if we could sell numerous fringe/unwanted players which I think we'll fail to do.

 

[DannyNZ]

That was a fucking freak season with all others playing shit. So many factors that led to their success,including our implosion!. I get what you are saying buddy though so many other factors to consider.

Peak Kante, Vardy and Schmichel, were big contributors as well.