Half a fooking season....

[TFC]

Interesting read here about the new Europa league;

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-1176718/IAN-RIDLEY-Revamped-UEFA-Cup-league-utter-lunacy.html?ITO=1490" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/articl ... l?ITO=1490</a>

Champions League is where we need to be. Might not be such a bad thing to lose out on 7th, and go balls to the wall for top 4 next season (I dont think that is a ridiculous notion....but maybe its the beer talking ;)

We would need some squad to compete for a chumps league place and in the waffa, as well as trying to do well in the other fooking cups? We could be looking at a 100 game season when we win 'em all....

;P

 

[josh06]

I agree no Europe next season could make us stronger. As since we got dumped out we seemed to have upped our game.

But, on the down side there will be players out there who want European football, and im sure it would be hard enough to convince them to come to play in the Europa league.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

The problem with the UEFA Cup is that it's worth less than a decent FA Cup run, even to the winners. You get more for just qualifying for the Champions League than you do for winning the UEFA Cup. Just getting to the CL Group stage will get a team around £8m, even if they finish bottom of the group.

Previously, up to and including this season, UEFA Cup TV rights are negotiated individually, which is why we appeared on all sorts of different channels this season.

The Europa League is supposed to be better financially as the TV revenues will be negotiated centrally.

 

[berkowizard]

"It is easy to see why they would prefer not to be involved next season if they could afford to be honest, rather than having to keep revenue-chasing club officials and thrill-seeking fans happy. "
I'm not sure about that bit of the piece. As Prestwich Blue says, it's definitely not lucrative. In fact, i reckon it's cost us more to get the team out there over this campaign, than any revenue received from gate receipts/tv rights etc. BUT playing in Europe, even in a micky mouse competition, is definitely an attraction for some of the players we'll want to be attracting, i reckon.

 

[felixbg]

i just want to go to as many games as possible and europa league would be brilliant ... loved this seasons tour of europe, i'd take a good european run ahead of a high league finish anyday, and we should have the squad capable of competing !!!

 

[GStar]

i just want to go to as many games as possible and europa league would be brilliant ... loved this seasons tour of europe, i'd take a good european run ahead of a high league finish anyday, and we should have the squad capable of competing !!!

I wouldn't i'd much rather have a higher league position, attract more players and keep the cirlce of improvement in motion, fuck a season or two of "touring europe" thats the end goal anyway, i can wait a couple more years at least.

The paradox being we need european football to attract the bigger name players, without it we might struggle in the summer if we go after a really big name.

 

[bizzbo]

who cares about the cost and lack of financial returns? we can afford to run a squad big enough to compete on both fronts. it's prestigous, the fans have a great time (if they keep the ticket price down), and it's invaluable experience for our younger players, and a good way to prepare a team for the rigours of the chimps league. gimme gimme gimme.

 

[simonk]

The problem with the UEFA Cup is that it's worth less than a decent FA Cup run, even to the winners. You get more for just qualifying for the Champions League than you do for winning the UEFA Cup. Just getting to the CL Group stage will get a team around £8m, even if they finish bottom of the group.

Previously, up to and including this season, UEFA Cup TV rights are negotiated individually, which is why we appeared on all sorts of different channels this season.

The Europa League is supposed to be better financially as the TV revenues will be negotiated centrally.

I dont think making money is our priority at the mo. We need to be playing in Europe to give us some clout to attract high calibre players. I dont think Who?se does that on his own

 

[leewill31]

i just want to go to as many games as possible and europa league would be brilliant ... loved this seasons tour of europe, i'd take a good european run ahead of a high league finish anyday, and we should have the squad capable of competing !!!

I wouldn't i'd much rather have a higher league position, attract more players and keep the cirlce of improvement in motion, fuck a season or two of "touring europe" thats the end goal anyway, i can wait a couple more years at least.

The paradox being we need european football to attract the bigger name players, without it we might struggle in the summer if we go after a really big name.

i would prefer we have both!

 

[Cheltblue]

FFS, what do we do when we eventually get a top 4 finish, start saying that the run in the champions league prevented us from finishing top of the premier league the season after??? What do some of you want???

If we cant sustain a good run in the Europa, we sure as hell aint gonna last long in the CL, and not being in either next season is definitely gonna restrict the quality of player that we sign in the summer.

We need to be in whatever our abilities dictate, not give up one in hope of another, that worked perfectly for Villa!!!