6th is Europe then?

[Neiler]

How boss would a game be in the Amsterdam arena - it's on!

 

[bicycleheader]

You mean the team that only has 1 striker?, and when we lost him to injury we couldn’t score 1 goal against our rivals Chelsea & Spurs despite dominating???....or the team that lost a couple of defenders to injury and were hammered by Liverpool?.....
And where’s this major recruitment coming from?, is Bill gonna magically find £40m in his back garden shed?....
Look I think with a bit of luck, this team can finish 4th this season still, and certainly next season…..but we have a small squad, and when we lose key players like Lukaku we struggle….more games, means more injuries and tired players in the last third of the season when trophies are decided…that’s what the Europa league would bring.
And our squad won’t be much stronger next season…..our first 3 big signings in the summer will need to be keeping current players, Lukaku, Barry & Deulofeu….if we sign Lukaku & Barry permanent, that our transfer budget gone…

Well the ifs and maybes of the summer transfer window is a whole other argument. I did say "hopefully". What we can and can't do next season obviously depends greatly on that.

I enjoyed the Fiorentina comeback tie better than any game since the Cup win, even if we went out on penalties, and I and a huuuge amount of the fanbase want nights like that again. We haven't been in Europe at all in a few season so we shouldn't be turning our noses up at the EL.

Especially as we would be taking on Europe and doing more than grinding out narrow victories and holding on for draws.

As has been mentioned many times in this argument also, our league position when we made the quarters of the Uefa was not affected.

 

[Brennan]

You mean the team that only has 1 striker?, and when we lost him to injury we couldn’t score 1 goal against our rivals Chelsea & Spurs despite dominating???....or the team that lost a couple of defenders to injury and were hammered by Liverpool?.....
And where’s this major recruitment coming from?, is Bill gonna magically find £40m in his back garden shed?....
Look I think with a bit of luck, this team can finish 4th this season still, and certainly next season…..but we have a small squad, and when we lose key players like Lukaku we struggle….more games, means more injuries and tired players in the last third of the season when trophies are decided…that’s what the Europa league would bring.
And our squad won’t be much stronger next season…..our first 3 big signings in the summer will need to be keeping current players, Lukaku, Barry & Deulofeu….if we sign Lukaku & Barry permanent, that our transfer budget gone…

2005-06 - 4 games in Europe - 50 points
2007-08 - 10 games in Europe - 65 points
2008-09 - 2 games in Europe - 63 points
2009-10 - 8 games in Europe - 61 points

No real evidence of that at all. Our best season in the league in recent memory came when we also had the most European fixtures.

 

[ijjysmith]

2005-06 - 4 games in Europe - 50 points
2007-08 - 10 games in Europe - 65 points
2008-09 - 2 games in Europe - 63 points
2009-10 - 8 games in Europe - 61 points

No real evidence of that at all. Our best season in the league in recent memory came when we also had the most European fixtures.

Anichebe was so effing good in that euro run.

FFS.

FFS

 

[kenada_blue]

Anichebe was so effing good in that euro run.

FFS.

FFS

He was slotting like a boss when he came on with 10 mins to go.


I'm all for it. Yeah, the games pile up. But we've got good depth, youngsters coming through, and our footy suits European football.

Also Champos League spot if you win it.

The only real whinge you hear is the fact its not the Champions League and there's what, 3 extra games?

 

[sw blue]

Release the younglings... and Hibbo to captain them. Europa league squad sorted!

 

[Rook]

Anichebe was so effing good in that euro run.

FFS.

FFS

I seem to remember him somehow getting a hold of every ball that was bouncing around in the box that year.

I think the hesitancy is that up to the 2nd leg of Fiorentina we were playing the best footie I've ever saw as an Everton fan (since 2003) and after the loss we were trapped in 5th, kind of went through the motions to finish out the season and looked tired.

If Fulham can make the final, the round of 8 in the FA cup, plus finish mid-table then we can at least finish top 6 with a deep UEFA run.

 

[TyphooToffee]

At the start of the season I would have taken top 10. Seeing as how the team has settled into Bob's way and the way the first half of the season went, I'd expect europe even if that is the Skoda of European competition.

Ditto

 

[TyphooToffee]

If all the teams above us are suddenly disbanded/absorbed into another dimension, we win the league.

Can't really see all of them being disbanded. COYAD!

 

[WA Toffee]

I just want us to win every game. Is it really any more difficult than that?

 

[Christiffa25]

Considering this current squad wasn't built for Europe it really isn't far off being of the depth to cope, add to that our promising youngsters and a few additions in the summer, personally think it's essential we have it next season even if it's EL.

The winners getting a CL spot is not to be sniffed at either.

If the ultimate aim is to eventually get CL footy, which given the competition I think is highly unlikely bar the odd season, Europa league is good prep.

 

[Furey1878]

I like the way people think we'll do a Swansea or a Newcastle if we were in the Europa...

Your missing out the small fact of us being a fairly better team than both of those clubs.

 

[Toffeelover]

I like the way people think we'll do a Swansea or a Newcastle if we were in the Europa...

Your missing out the small fact of us being a fairly better team than both of those clubs.

Surely depends on our summer signings and loans?

 

[meagher94]

We'll definitely get Europa at least this season.

United won't finish above us - we'll smash them at Goodison.

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

I don't think it would be as bad as others seem to think so in relation to our league position

We'd be in Europe, the goal for any serious side in the club game