Europa League

billycopper · April 9, 2011

Artetafan said:
It wasn't Benfica who knocked us out though was it?

Did we play Benfica in a group and Sporting knocked us out?

billycopper · April 9, 2011

billycopper said:
Did we play Benfica in a group and Sporting knocked us out?

Benfica whipped us 5-0 when we had Coleman at left back, Hibbo centre back and Gosling right back.

Allezfan · April 9, 2011

billycopper said:
Did we play Benfica in a group and Sporting knocked us out?

Yep. And then Atletico beat Sporting and Benfica got knocked out by the RS.

I still think it's more that we were awful then that portuguese football had suddenly become the best in Europe.

neonleon · April 9, 2011

European football would take a miracle this year. Sorry to say.

billycopper · April 9, 2011

Artetafan said:
Yep. And then Atletico beat Sporting and Benfica got knocked out by the RS.

I still think it's more that we were awful then that portuguese football had suddenly become the best in Europe.

I think it's a bit of both. Cardozo, Salvio, Aimar, Coentrao and Saviola are quality players. They've also just lost David Luiz to Chelsea. They could be dark horses for the Champions League in the next couple of seasons if their team doesn't get picked apart.

Allezfan · April 9, 2011

billycopper said:
I think it's a bit of both. Cardozo, Salvio, Aimar, Coentrao and Saviola are quality players. They've also just lost David Luiz to Chelsea. They could be dark horses for the Champions League in the next couple of seasons if their team doesn't get picked apart.

The Benfica games bothered me less to be honest because it was such a poor team we had to put out.

The Sporting game, OTOH, came with the team who were thrashing Man U and Chelsea all over the show in the same month and we just choked. It was that more than anything that convinced me that, under this manager, we just don't have what it takes to play in Europe.

billycopper · April 9, 2011

Artetafan said:
The Benfica games bothered me less to be honest because it was such a poor team we had to put out.

The Sporting game, OTOH, came with the team who were thrashing Man U and Chelsea all over the show in the same month and we just choked. It was that more than anything that convinced me that, under this manager, we just don't have what it takes to play in Europe.

I think Europe takes some getting used to. It probably took Fergie about 5 years to figure it out. On our day we can match anyone. We need to be cuter tactically though. It doesn't take much to nullify our game plan and to cause us problems.

Tom Mc EFC · April 9, 2011

I thought it was 5th, the winners of the FA and the winners of the M.M cup that got Europe. If this is the case well we could still get it by finishing 6th??

ijjysmith · April 9, 2011

Artetafan said:
Who cares? We're awful in Europe anyway. If we do qualify we'll just get bummed by some nobodies from Belarus.

This. The Europa League is a crappy competition anyway.

chicoazul · April 9, 2011

Tom Mc EFC said:
I thought it was 5th, the winners of the FA and the winners of the M.M cup that got Europe. If this is the case well we could still get it by finishing 6th??

We can finish in Europe by finishing seventh mate.

heatmeiser · April 9, 2011

chicoazul said:
We can finish in Europe by finishing seventh mate.

Yep.

7th or 8th if Spurs win the European Masters Cup.

cadex · April 10, 2011

The problem with us in Europe is that we're not very good at holding possession of the ball which is half the battle when playing on the content. Add to that Moyes' lack of tactical nous and we are pretty much easy beats for any side with a bit of quality. Speaking of the spout between Moyes and Beckford, I would of loved to have seen our manager's expression when Anichebe lazily tried to shield the ball out (on the side line) before a Wolves player got around him and kept it in. It was good to see Vellios working hard off the ball.

little curly alan ball · April 10, 2011

Uscrulez2001 said:
Looking at the rules, we'd have to finish in 5th to get a spot? Is that correct?

1. Birmingham has the League Cup spot.
2. Stoke vs. Bolton guarantees a Europa spot to the FA Cup winner or runner up.
3. No idea about the Fair Play spot, too new to this to have much knowledge/understanding of what that even means.

Also, watching the game on TV, looked to me like Beckford was still running around pretty good 2nd half. Anyone know exactly what Moyes wanted him to do that he wasn't doing?