Final League Position

[Essex Blue]

You said they've lost games after European matches, but that doesn't prove anything. In total they've won 5, lost 4 and drawn 1 after European matches.

They're still 5th and probably will be 4th after this weekend. Not exactly a bad season or one ruined by Europe.

Something that is interesting though:

Everton:

2005/06 - 50 points - Knocked out of Europe early
2006/07 - 58 points - No Europe
2007/08 - 65 points - 10 Euro games
2008/09 - 63 points - 2 Euro games
2009/10 - 61 points - 8 Euro games
2010/11 - 54 points - No Europe
2011/12 - 56 points - No Europe

Absolutely no evidence that Europe hinders league performance overall.

Where is the evidence that playing in Europe doesn't hinder league performance?

If you think referring to previous seasons, where different squads perform against differentiated opposing squads in a league that contains 3 different teams proves your point, then there is no hope for you, as it proves nothing of the sort.

Holding a different viewpoint as to whether you think the rewards of playing in the Europa League are worthy of the risks that are involved in playing up to 12 extra games is one thing, but denying that the risk exists is nothing but stupidity, or the actions of a sad troll.

So do you acknowledge that playing an extra 10-12 games will put our best players at a greater risk of getting injured?

Whilst it is impossible to make comparisons to variables that don't exist, it is possible to refer to the affect that previous injuries have had on our squad. And I very much believe that we would have amassed far more points in 2008/09 if Yakubu hadn't have been crocked in November 2008.

And you keep on making out like Tottenham have had a great season, their season will have been a crap one if they miss out on the Champions League to their local rivals by 1 or 2 points, or even goal difference. And I think they will rue messing about in the Europa League and having absolutely fook all to show for it.

 

[Brennan]

Where is the evidence that playing in Europe doesn't hinder league performance?

If you think referring to previous seasons, where different squads perform against differentiated opposing squads in a league that contains 3 different teams proves your point, then there is no hope for you, as it proves nothing of the sort.

Holding a different viewpoint as to whether you think the rewards of playing in the Europa League are worthy of the risks that are involved in playing up to 12 extra games is one thing, but denying that the risk exists is nothing but stupidity, or the actions of a sad troll.

So do you acknowledge that playing an extra 10-12 games will put our best players at a greater risk of getting injured?

Whilst it is impossible to make comparisons to variables that don't exist, it is possible to refer to the affect that previous injuries have had on our squad. And I very much believe that we would have amassed far more points in 2008/09 if Yakubu hadn't have been crocked in November 2008.

And you keep on making out like Tottenham have had a great season, their season will have been a crap one if they miss out on the Champions League to their local rivals by 1 or 2 points, or even goal difference. And I think they will rue messing about in the Europa League and having absolutely fook all to show for it.

Players have a higher risk of getting injured if they play football full stop. Should we just rest our best players for every game that isn't against a top 6 team ?

Whether players have a higher risk of getting injured or not isn't the point. You believe that Europe hinders league performance overall compared to not being in it, still waiting for evidence.

As AF said, you'd think that at least one of the seasons we had in Europe would show us getting less points than without European competition. In fact, it actually shows the opposite.

 

[Essex Blue]

Players have a higher risk of getting injured if they play football full stop. Should we just rest our best players for every game that isn't against a top 6 team ?

I'm glad that you have acknowledged that playing extra games puts our squad members at greater risk of getting injured.

Do I think that means we should rest our best players in Premier League matches? Absolutely not, because I think that our performance in the Premier League is of a very high priority, far higher than messing about with a bunch of farmers from Eastern Europe.

You may consider the Europa League to be of higher priority than I do, that's fine. But lets not pretend that the competition doesn't increase the risk of important players getting injured, and when we are so close to the top4, I don't think messing about with a gang of farmers is worth the risk. Not if we end up missing out on a Champions League spot by 3 or 4 points.

 

[Bigmaclad]

My thread has grown hugely over the last few hours, I feel proud

 

[Allezfan]

My thread has grown hugely over the last few hours, I feel proud

It's just me and brennan bickering, like. That hardly counts.

We'd do that even if the thread was "Are ravens black, I think ravens are black: discuss"

 

[Brennan]

I'm glad that you have acknowledged that playing extra games puts our squad members at greater risk of getting injured.

Do I think that means we should rest our best players in Premier League matches? Absolutely not, because I think that our performance in the Premier League is of a very high priority, far higher than messing about with a bunch of farmers from Eastern Europe.

You may consider the Europa League to be of higher priority than I do, that's fine. But lets not pretend that the competition doesn't increase the risk of important players getting injured, and when we are so close to the top4, I don't think messing about with a gang of farmers is worth the risk. Not if we end up missing out on a Champions League spot by 3 or 4 points.

Would you advocate getting knocked out of the League Cup and FA Cup in the first match ?

 

[Bigmaclad]

It's just me and brennan bickering, like. That hardly counts.

We'd do that even if the thread was "Are ravens black, I think ravens are black: discuss"

DONT RUIN THE MOMENT

 

[Essex Blue]

Whether players have a higher risk of getting injured or not isn't the point. You believe that Europe hinders league performance overall compared to not being in it, still waiting for evidence.

As AF said, you'd think that at least one of the seasons we had in Europe would show us getting less points than without European competition. In fact, it actually shows the opposite.

No, I think that the 'rewards' of the Europa League are far outweighed by the risks that competing in that competition poses.

I've already explained to you how it is impossible to make comparisons to a variable that doesn't exist, which means you cant prove that playing the Europa League doesn't hinder league performance, but I'm not repeatedly asking you to provide such non-existent evidence like a sad demented child, so I don't know why you are continuing to do so?

Your entirely arguable conclusions based on a small snapshot of one team's final points tally in differing seasons does not denounce the risk that is posed through playing extra games in the Europa League. Are you struggling to understand this?

Football is mental, you can seldom predict how it is going to go. But you can't seriously deny that losing a key player won't have consequences, and that things will be the same regardless?

Once again, I think we have a small vulnerable squad, and I don't think the rewards of the Europa League are in any way worthy of the adverse affect that it can (not necessarily will) have on your league form, especially when we are so close to qualifying for where the real party is at, the Champions League.

 

[Essex Blue]

Would you advocate getting knocked out of the League Cup and FA Cup in the first match ?

Plenty of clubs do just that, especially with the League Cup, and they do it because they consider their league form to be of a higher priority. If it wasn't an issue then clubs wouldn't do it. If some clubs could abstain from even entering the League Cup, I'm sure some would.

I'm not advocating getting knocked out of the Europa League in the first match, I'd want us to win it. It doesn't denounce the fact that playing in that competition puts your better players at a greater risk of being injured, and that the rewards are far outweighed by the risks.

 

[Allezfan]

I still don't care about the league, like.

 

[Goat]

I still don't care about the league, like.

 

[Allezfan]

You know you've gone downhill as a poster when goat stops engaging you in arguments and just starts giving you thumbs down and insulting gifs.

I feel like I've let you down tbh, mate.

 

[Goat]

Bad timing on your part bro.

I had just stolen it from Twitter and yours was the first post I saw.

 

[Brownie]

Personally I ****ing love it when we only play a small amount of games against roughly the same teams every year. Those midweek occasions when you can sit down and think, only a few days until Fulham at home. Sweet as, really great.

 

[Brennan]

Personally I ****ing love it when we only play a small amount of games against roughly the same teams every year. Those midweek occasions when you can sit down and think, only a few days until Fulham at home. Sweet as, really great.

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