Europa League - Good or Bad?

[Tubey]

@BoysInBlue - I know all that, but West Ham are 10 points ahead of us with a few games to play, in a league table where the points show it looks extremely difficult to "swing" a league place around in a short space of time.

40/60 is a fair assessment - West Ham are favourites.

 

[BoysInBlue]

@BoysInBlue - I know all that, but West Ham are 10 points ahead of us with a few games to play, in a league table where the points show it looks extremely difficult to "swing" a league place around in a short space of time.

40/60 is a fair assessment - West Ham are favourites.

Totally disagree, for all the reasons I listed in my last post. Especially given we play them next week.

If it was so unlikely, nobody would be talking about it or writing articles about it.

Just look at some of the scoring:

Crowd behaviour: A maximum of 5 points can be deducted for:


- Persistent foul and abusive language
- Persistent abuse of the officials’ decisions
- Aggressive and threatening conduct towards opposing fans

That's just the scoring of the fans, 5 points at stake. An early goal, a few decisions go against them, etc.

10 points is so easy to overturn.

The latest table will be out on Tuesday so we'll know more then.

 

[RFUS]

Totally disagree, for all the reasons I listed in my last post. Especially given we play them next week.

If it was so unlikely, nobody would be talking about it or writing articles about it.

We'd be wise to spend the game drawing fouls and complimenting the ref.

 

[deipnosophist]

I think Everton needs to get its Premier League house in order as a priority, because lets face it, it's in a shambles. The Europa hinders the spring clean

 

[The Equaliser]

Totally disagree, for all the reasons I listed in my last post. Especially given we play them next week.

If it was so unlikely, nobody would be talking about it or writing articles about it.

Mmmmm...might be an idea to entice them into receiving a few cards then...

 

[BoysInBlue]

We'd be wise to spend the game drawing fouls and complimenting the ref.

We would! If we play this smart against West Ham, we can easily do this.

They'll want to win their final home game, and if we frustrate them, the likes of Noble and Nolan will resort to type.

 

[Aqui1a]

How could we qualify for europe?

 

[Tubey]

Totally disagree, for all the reasons I listed in my last post. Especially given we play them next week.

If it was so unlikely, nobody would be talking about it or writing articles about it.

Just look at some of the scoring:



That's just the scoring of the fans, 5 points at stake. An early goal, a few decisions go against them, etc.

10 points is so easy to overturn.

The latest table will be out on Tuesday so we'll know more then.

So you disagree that West Ham are the favourites for it, despite being 10 points ahead in a league where 30 points is the gap between 1st and 10th, out of 1000+ points?

If you say so! You do realise we're more likely to be overtaken by Burnley than surpass West Ham right?

 

[Woolly Blue]

Serious question:

What is the point of the Europa League?

Just wait for a minute and ask yourself that. Why does the Europa League exist? We've got the Champions League, why do we need second-tier European competition?

Good question.

But the Fairs Cup and the Cup Winners Cup weren't as highly regarded as the old European Cup. I grant you that the Europa League is seen as much more of a country cousin than the Cup Winners Cup was, but there have always been second string competitions.

That doesn't really answer your question I know, but if you start to throw away anything seen as second string then where do you stop ? Do we need a League One and Two ? What about the FA and League cups ?

 

[atrottel]

Don't think we'll get in anyway. But, if we do...

Play the squad players plus deserving youth in the earlier rounds. We're always complaining that they never get a chance. Here it is - it's another opportunity for them to show what they are made of in addition to the usual going out of the League and FA Cups in early rounds plus the later loans for the better academy prospects.

If we get through to the equivalent of the group stages, take it as seriously as last year. As people have said, it's extra money, extra experience, extra co-efficient score and, to be perfectly frank, if the squad/manager can't get us into Europa League places or close, then it's a judgement on them.

Finishing in the bottom half of the table - with or without Europe - is unacceptable outside a one season blip.

 

[PhilM]

I wish they would restructure the whole thing and slim it down massively. Then there wouldn't even be a debate on whether it is a hindrance or not.

Indeed. The old UEFA Cup and Cup Winners Cup weren't seen as a hindrance by most, but since their amalgamation it's become a joke.

 

[blue_aussie05]

The Uefa Cup and ECWC weren't seen as a hindrance because there were far fewer games.

When we won the ECWC in 1985, we only played 9 games. This season we played 10 EL games without even making the quarters!

We'd have needed 15 games to make the final, which is 6 more than we needed in 1985.

I feel a straight knockout is better; but the groups provides the opportunity for more money and gate receipts etc.

That's why Uefa have made it that way. Football is all about money these days, nothing else.

 

[blue_aussie05]

I have always felt there's far too many games for little financial reward, in comparison to the Champions League cash-cow!

At least the financial benefit of progressing in the CL is worthwhile, whereas I always thought the money gained by progressing in the EL was almost insignificant by comparison.

I've been told the EL money is better these days than it was before, but I'm not sure exactly what you get for winning it and how this compares to winning the CL?

The one big benefit now is that the EL winners get to play in the CL. At least that's a good carrot to dangle in front of people.

 

[Rupert's Tower]

Didn't Spam abuse the refs/linesmen repeatedly for decisions against Villa, Nolan etc fummed at a disallowed goal and pen not given

 

[Jimboefc97]

Bit on the fence really.

Its obvious the Europa does effect our league form but at the end of the day our aim is a trophy or champions league football.
If we can go all the way (unlikely i know) then it can be seen as killing two birds with one stone, also the early qualifying games could be used as a bit of pre season for us.
However the negatives can be we just have a replica of this season and are left even deeper in the sh1t than we are this summer. Vicous circle