UEFA Champions League/Europa League 15/16/17 Feb *** Spoilers ***
- Thread starter Cosimo
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Right now I'd quite happily play all our kids in Europe, the league position is vastly more important than this cup to us at this point in time.
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It's a pity really, by all means using it like that is your right, but it's not like the FA Cup or League cup where byes are given and we all enter.
You qualify for the Europa League at the expense of another English side. I think there'd be more interest and support if you and City weren't in it. Like Fulham last year, or Middlesborough.
You qualify for the Europa League at the expense of another English side. I think there'd be more interest and support if you and City weren't in it. Like Fulham last year, or Middlesborough.
I'd quite happily not be in it, winning it doesn't get us back into Europe next season and an injury to say Reina would be devastating to any hopes of us qualifying for Europe next year, which imo must be the priority goal for the season now. If anything , not being in it would benefit our league position, so I'd happily give it up this season. If our league position was different I would think otherwise, but as it stands now my priorities lie elsewhere than this cup.
We aren't going to get fourth.
There is no reason not to be in it, we can confidently claim 5/6th under Kenny IF we continue like this.
Woeful game, but clearly when we were knocking it about the back for so long, we weren't really interested in winning.
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That was going to be my question, do you reckon you'll get fourth?
If not, you have Chelsea, Spurs and City in your way as things stand, then do you reckon you'll get fifth?
Brum or Arsenal get other the other place, and you're out of the FA Cup, so you'd have to win this year's competition in order to be in Europe next year. Look at the other sides, on paper there's really on City standing in your way.
If not, you have Chelsea, Spurs and City in your way as things stand, then do you reckon you'll get fifth?
Brum or Arsenal get other the other place, and you're out of the FA Cup, so you'd have to win this year's competition in order to be in Europe next year. Look at the other sides, on paper there's really on City standing in your way.
At this point I am not discounting 4th and I am not concluding on 5th. Imo both are attainable and both are possibly lost.
Winning the Europa league does not guarantee you will be in Europe next year, the league is still the only way to guarantee it.
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Oh winning it doesn't get you automatic entry? Thought after what happened in 2005 winners got a spot. 
Oh winning it doesn't get you automatic entry? Thought after what happened in 2005 winners got a spot.
Nope, winners "can" be given a position in the Europa league if they fail to qualify domestically, but only at the discretion of the association, so its not guaranteed. I prefer guarantees than maybes
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Ah, i.e. at the expense of another club.
Situation dependent, I think I clearly explained above that the league situation this year is different from normal seasons, thus my aims for this season are different from past and possible future seasons. Thus the way I treat the Europa league this season is different to past seasons and likely future seasons, I wouldnt be surprised if that was the same at every club in the league, regardless of who they are, if it came down to a choice of winning the Europa league and not qualifying for Europe the following season or losing the Europa league but qualifying for Europe for the next season
Of course the easiest remedy to that would just be to make it so that the Europa league winners are guaranteed entry into the Europa league next year. Gives additional incentive.
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Xavi
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Bit *****y alright but they hardly took it on the chin against Inter either though.
Catalans do have a bit of a point... Arsenal would have been fortunate with a draw had they just left it at Van Persie's strike. I know it's apparantly heresy to say that and I'm not trying to insinuate that I didn't enjoy L'Arse's great victory yesterday, but it doesn't change how the majority of the game played out.
Catalans do have a bit of a point... Arsenal would have been fortunate with a draw had they just left it at Van Persie's strike. I know it's apparantly heresy to say that and I'm not trying to insinuate that I didn't enjoy L'Arse's great victory yesterday, but it doesn't change how the majority of the game played out.
It's really sad that nearly half of the teams or more in the Europa League do not care for the competition. Let's take Liverpool as an example, everyone moans that they ain't in the Champions League yet they perform terribly in Europa which should be as half of the level. After all, it's a nice trophy to win right?
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Perhaps not - but Barca play the same way against everybody, a bit like us too and we don't moan every time we drop points. Sounds like sour grapes and rather annoying when they know they'll probably win the tie anyway. Perhaps they're getting such comments in early before the return tie.
It's also staggering that one of their players claims that the ref wasn't on their side, it's up to the refs to give decisions and it's not like they're a side that doesn't go down easily or anything.
I dunno, thought the chances were very even, I'm pretty sure Arsenal had more shots on and off target too. Barcelona were better in the first half, but they totally dropped off in the second. Whether that was bad substitutions or they can't live with the pace for a full game, I'm not sure.
Also, it's not like Arsenal fluked two goals, in the last 20 minutes they were pushing Barcelona hard and both goals were excellently worked