Would you want your team in Europa?

TheDoc

Not sure why Europa league has come this bogey competition for English clubs, and why fans and media accept the rubbish excuse of "Playing on Thursday then the weekend it tough". If you don't have aspirations of playing at the top, then go hang around mid table for the next decade. How some teams feel their goal is to go straight into the CL, bypassing Europa league, is bemusing.

Europa league is a great platform for a team to lay foundations for further European adventures. Plenty of teams have done well there, to go on to then have greater success in the CL, and some players have come alive in the Europa league to then go onto bigger and greater things.

It's a cop out for English managers to get their excuses in early. As someone said above if you can't deal with domestic commitments and Europa league, can your ambition for anything other then being mid table languishers.

Ganymede Glow

I'd have it that any club who qualifies for Europe does not qualify to play in the League cup. Not that simple I know with owners and sponsors but I think it would greatly help those in Europe and also with the big boys not taking part it's a chance for the so called smaller clubs to put some silver in the cabinet.

Win/win I think if everyone could agree it to. Playing in four competitions is simply too much

Mr.H

noodler wrote: »

I thought this had been addressed.

But in the CL, half the time your games will be on a Tuesday so you get a longer break. Also, there is generally greater travel associated with EL away games.

To be fair in every single CL group there is at least one long distance fixture.

In the EL this season I think apart from 2 or 3 horrible groups (Spurs group for example) most of the fixtures where comparable with the CL in terms of distance travelled.

With most clubs having their own private jets I cant see why this is an excuse anyway. Its hardly sitting on a bus for 12 hours to get to the stadium before kick off.

The longest flight time they would have would be to 4 hours 57 mins from Newcastle to Baku in Azerbijan. Now fair enough 5 hours is a pain in the hole but have you ever driven from Newcastle to Southampton ?? It takes over 6 hours. Its quicker to fly to Azerbijan!!

I don't take the travel distance as an excuse its ridiculous.

Kenny Dalglish was in Dubai on a yacht the night before Liverpool - United and he was offered the job and to the match on time.

On transfer deadline day the players have no problem jetting around Europe in a couple of hours to get deals and medicals done.

Too many excuses given to not take a competition seriously. I'm sure Villa fans would love if O'Niell took the Europa seriously a few years back

Shanotheslayer

Nuts102 wrote: »

The Everton one is puzzling.

They are too good to get relegated and not good enough to get into the top 4. If fans don't want Europe whats the aim an 8th place finish each season.

You qualify for the Europa league but then want to rest players to concentrate on the league to try get into Europe the following season.

Everton have a far greater chance of winning the Europa league than breaking the top 4.

Madness how any Everton fan could want to rest players in Europe.

I don't think any Everton fan said any of that ?

Mickeroo

The lack of the word "the" in the thread title keeps making me think it's referring to the moon Europa which orbits Jupiter. My answer would be a resounding no were that the case as I don't think Mertesacker and co would have the knowledge or know how to make the most of an expedition there however were they not to make the top 4 then yes I would like them to be in the Europa league. In a way the Europa league is not unlike its ice covered namesake in that people, experts and laypersons alike, often wonder whether there is life there, I'd like to think with the prize of a champions league spot up for grabs the odds have increased.

TheCitizen

Nuts102 wrote: »

The Everton one is puzzling.

They are too good to get relegated and not good enough to get into the top 4. If fans don't want Europe whats the aim an 8th place finish each season.

You qualify for the Europa league but then want to rest players to concentrate on the league to try get into Europe the following season.

Everton have a far greater chance of winning the Europa league than breaking the top 4.

Madness how any Everton fan could want to rest players in Europe.

You could say the same about Spurs - little or no chance of top 4 either. Spurs won the UEFA Cup in the 80's, it was a big triumph for them back then. Winning the EL would/should also be a huge triumph for them now, because they'll never win the CL or hardly ever even get to play in it. EL is Spurs optimum level.

Everton simply weren't good enough to win the EL this season, they did put their best sides out, but weren't good enough and got dumped out by Dynamo Kiev.

Shanotheslayer

TheCitizen wrote: »

Everton simply weren't good enough to win the EL this season, they did put their best sides out, but weren't good enough and got dumped out by Dynamo Kiev.

Yup, agree 100% Everton needed a 0-0 draw to qualify, so we decided to concede 5 :pac:

2ndcoming

Sephiroth_dude wrote: »

Yes but I think it should be a 64 team knock out competition that takes place after christmas,scrap the group stage part of it.

I like this idea but I don't see the benefit in backloading 11 possible games onto the back end of your season, particularly ifit's the CL you're aspiring to.

A two-legged round of 64 and round of 32 in Oct and November, leaving 6 games to be played between Feb and April and the showpiece in May at the end.

doncarlos

Sephiroth_dude wrote: »

Yes but I think it should be a 64 team knock out competition that takes place after christmas,scrap the group stage part of it.

And what about the teams from countries that play Summer football? Screw them over to suit the 5th/6th best teams in the Premier league?