CL vs. UEFA Cup

PauloMN

Just wondering what the general feeling is on this: would you rather your team get to the UEFA Cup semis/final (not necessarily winning), or get to the last 16 of the CL?

Obviously the buzz of being in a European final is hard to beat, but progressing in the CL is also very important - financially and otherwise - for a team.

Obviously the worst scenario is coming 4th in the CL group and not getting any further European games, but which of the above would you prefer?

eirebhoy

I'd prefer QF's in the CL over the final of the UEFA cup as that'll be progress from last season. I'd definitely have UEFA cup final over the last 16 of the CL though.

KdjaCL

Umm getting to the 2nd qualifier of the UEFA cup would be ****ing awesome.


kdjac

PauloMN

KdjaCL wrote:

Umm getting to the 2nd qualifier of the UEFA cup would be ****ing awesome.


kdjac

I should have said Eircom league team supporters need not reply

therecklessone

The "more money and CL run means better players will come to my club" part of me says last 16 of CL.

The "CL means you play better sides, therefore more glory in winning through to knockout stages" part of me says last 16 of CL.

The "CL means more TV coverage, and I won't need ITV4 to see the games I can't make" part of me says last 16 of CL.

The "lets get pissed in random Euro cities for three days, meet loads of sound locals (or avoid stabbings, baton charges, being ripped off in strip clubs and general shenanigans) and try to fit in 90 minutes of football" part of me says UEFA Cup semis, because it guarantees you one more away trip...:D

KdjaCL

PauloMN wrote:

I should have said Eircom league team supporters need not reply

On an irish website



kdjac

KdjaCL

therecklessone wrote:

The "lets get pissed in random Euro cities for three days, meet loads of sound locals (or avoid stabbings, baton charges, being ripped off in strip clubs and general shenanigans) and try to fit in 90 minutes of football" part of me says UEFA Cup semis, because it guarantees you one more away trip...:D

I am dreading that, if the gods of football are with us and we magically make into the group stages (not gonna happen but still, if your not in you cant win), **** that i cant afford to go to all these places.

They should stop the CL losers getting in and make it worthwhile for the non CL teams to be in it ie more money for games.


kdjac

therecklessone

KdjaCL wrote:

I am dreading that, if the gods of football are with us and we magically make into the group stages (not gonna happen but still, if your not in you cant win), **** that i cant afford to go to all these places.

[1]In the beginning when God created the European tour, [2]the price of flights and accommodation, plus three nights beerage, was a pain in the hole. [3]Then God said, "Let there be visa"; and there was visa. [4]And God saw that the visa was good; and God separated the visa from the laser. [5]God called the visa Credit, and the laser he called Debit. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

I would just like to extend a word of thanks to Messrs Visa, MBNA and AIB, without whom I would not have slept on a couch in the lobby of my hotel in Leverkusen, been baton charged by Seville riot police, or spent an afternoon giving a standing ovation to the Super Bock delivery guy in Braga town square!

KdjaCL

I have €2500 saved for our 1st game, hoping its somewhere Ryanair fly to as im off on the day of the draw so can book before they cop on we there.

The hopeful plan:

Denmark Midgieland or Odense, fancy either tbh.
If we win its hopefullly Scotland and Dunfermline, Fancy them too.
After that its big game time and any one of the 4th to 6th teams in any top league in Europe, bring it on Reading.

Afaik as dreams and massive amounts of cash go thats the dream draw.

So it will be beaten 10-0 by some Lithuanian side in 1st game.


kdjac

WhiteWashMan

PauloMN wrote:

Just wondering what the general feeling is on this: would you rather your team get to the UEFA Cup semis/final (not necessarily winning), or get to the last 16 of the CL?

Obviously the buzz of being in a European final is hard to beat, but progressing in the CL is also very important - financially and otherwise - for a team.

Obviously the worst scenario is coming 4th in the CL group and not getting any further European games, but which of the above would you prefer?

unless youre a top 3/4 team in the country, then the uefa cup is a realistic target.
but, youd have to go with the last 16 in the CL, becuase that gives you a shot at the last 8
but i will take last 16 in CL next year at this stage of the season

PauloMN

KdjaCL wrote:

On an irish website :)kdjac

...where most threads are about British teams.

PHB

I would hate to see United ever play in the UEFA Cup again. I'd rather come last in the group stages than go into the cup (which happened to United a while ago)

That said, it would be a nice opportunity to give the youth players some European experience, so it might be good for the them.

On a side note, I fully think that a club shouldn't go into the CL too early. LIke, I think if a club got into the CL, without playing at least 2 years in the UEFA Cup before hand, not only will they have a bad coefficient, and likely to draw a decent team, and maybe lose, they won't be prepared for the whole thing, especially in terms of squad depth.

PauloMN

Some interesting replies. As a Celtic supporter, I sometimes wonder would it be better for the top two SPL teams to go straight into the UEFA Cup rather than the CL with the assumption that we could go much further in the competition as per the 2003 season.

Then again, Celtic getting to the last 16 of the CL gave me as much pleasure as probably getting to the final would for say the top 4 Premiership teams, plus it was worth a lot of cash to Celtic. It's hard to beat CL football, knowing that you're up against the cream of the crop of European football for the most part.

LegacyUser

KdjaCL wrote:

I have €2500 saved for our 1st game, hoping its somewhere Ryanair fly to as im off on the day of the draw so can book before they cop on we there.

For 2,500 euro you could get 6 weeks of accomodation in the Greek Islands making love by turquoise waters with the sun, sea and tropical fish and turtles nearby...

KdjaCL

cheesedude wrote:

For 2,500 euro you could get 6 weeks of accomodation in the Greek Islands making love by turquoise waters with the sun, sea and tropical fish and turtles nearby...

Is that an offer? And would i making love to you :eek:



kdjac

WhiteWashMan

cheesedude wrote:

For 2,500 euro you could get 6 weeks of accomodation in the Greek Islands making love by turquoise waters with the sun, sea and tropical fish and turtles nearby...

i notice there is no mention of who he would be making love to

he sleeps with the fishes?

you mean hes dead?

no, he sleeps with the fishes...