Focus on the cups

[ilikecheese]

Arsenal at the level for ten years, won one cup more than Wigan. My point is finals can be reached and cups can be won. Villa are getting their ass handed to them at the mo, but they are playing in the Final despite finishing fourth from bottom. We are not going to agree, but I'll dance around in circles with for a while longer if you wish

Right...so you'd take dancing around near the bottom for a cup final appearance? Personally, I'd much rather see us consistently competing for CL places. If that becomes the norm, your wish will come true in the cups. The best players want to play in the CL and with clubs that are fighting for those places.

I'm not suggesting that we'd become Wigan or Portsmouth if we won a cup which is what I think you think I think

What I am saying is that them winning the cup did nothing for their club's in the bigger scheme. It didn't rise them to another level. That is what competing consistently in the CL does. It's down to more money and being able to recruit the best in the world.

 

[Woolly Blue]

My point is that CL football is more important than the cups. Being at that level will sort the cups out.

I think you're missing the point a bit mate. To be fair, that point is kind of unstated but, in reality, we don't look like pushing for regular CL footie in the next couple of seasons. If we were, I'd be more inclined to agree with you in that if we were there, or thereabouts in the top four every season then cups would be likely to follow.

To win a cup, be it League or FA, we need to do enough to beat the relatively small teams and probably need to factor in having to beat a couple of teams who, if we're honest, are better than us.

I see winning a cup as being something which we're more likely to do than getting a Champions League spot. It's achievable with our current squad, or hopefully will be once all the outgoings and incomings have been sorted out. So, if we get to a point in the season where we're in the quarter finals of a competition, then we're unlikely to be in with a realistic chance of getting in the top four. In those circumstances, if we had to rest players to get the best out of them, I'd play our best XI in the cup game.

A cup win, as well as ending our trophy drought, gets us a place in the Europa, which, for the moment, is our realistic aim from a league position too. It'd give the fans something to shout about, be a boss day out and, for those in or around the city, would give us an open top bus ride to hopefully shut our neighbours up for a day or so.

In itself, winning a cup wouldn't do anything much, if anything, to help our finances or attract players like regular CL footie would, but it'd create a feelgood atmosphere around the place, generate some optimism in players and fans alike and, as part of a plan / hope to become a Champions League regular, isn't to be sniffed at.

If we end up in a position where we're in the quarters of a competition and we have a good chance of finishing top four, then the goalposts shift a bit, but lets worry about that when it happens.

 

[Cels]

We came 4th under Moyes; that did nothing to raise us to another level. Had we came 13th and won a cup that Season, I'd have been happier.

To dislodge one of the top four clubs on a regular basis is a massive ask, getting to a cup final here and there isn't so much. Creating a winning mentality would probably help us push more towards better League finishes in the long run.

 

[kenada_blue]

Said it for years...Goblet. Ever. Time.

To be fair, there's no way of breaking that top 4.

 

[4737carlin]

Interesting hearing Arsenal fans on the radio tonight saying this has meant more today than just competing in the champions league, real football fan talk. Until you have seen your team win something you have no idea how good it is.

 

[Number_25]

Some of the responses here are something I'd expect a kopite to churn out.

We don't deserve anything, we need to fight for it as much as every team.

 

[Lifelong-Toffee]

I think you're missing the point a bit mate. To be fair, that point is kind of unstated but, in reality, we don't look like pushing for regular CL footie in the next couple of seasons. If we were, I'd be more inclined to agree with you in that if we were there, or thereabouts in the top four every season then cups would be likely to follow.

To win a cup, be it League or FA, we need to do enough to beat the relatively small teams and probably need to factor in having to beat a couple of teams who, if we're honest, are better than us.

I see winning a cup as being something which we're more likely to do than getting a Champions League spot. It's achievable with our current squad, or hopefully will be once all the outgoings and incomings have been sorted out. So, if we get to a point in the season where we're in the quarter finals of a competition, then we're unlikely to be in with a realistic chance of getting in the top four. In those circumstances, if we had to rest players to get the best out of them, I'd play our best XI in the cup game.

A cup win, as well as ending our trophy drought, gets us a place in the Europa, which, for the moment, is our realistic aim from a league position too. It'd give the fans something to shout about, be a boss day out and, for those in or around the city, would give us an open top bus ride to hopefully shut our neighbours up for a day or so.

In itself, winning a cup wouldn't do anything much, if anything, to help our finances or attract players like regular CL footie would, but it'd create a feelgood atmosphere around the place, generate some optimism in players and fans alike and, as part of a plan / hope to become a Champions League regular, isn't to be sniffed at.

If we end up in a position where we're in the quarters of a competition and we have a good chance of finishing top four, then the goalposts shift a bit, but lets worry about that when it happens.

This X 1000

I don't think Ilikecheese read the OP. Cos we've been talking about different things.

Right...so you'd take dancing around near the bottom for a cup final appearance? Personally, I'd much rather see us consistently competing for CL places. If that becomes the norm, your wish will come true in the cups. The best players want to play in the CL and with clubs that are fighting for those places.

I'm not suggesting that we'd become Wigan or Portsmouth if we won a cup which is what I think you think I think

What I am saying is that them winning the cup did nothing for their club's in the bigger scheme. It didn't rise them to another level. That is what competing consistently in the CL does. It's down to more money and being able to recruit the best in the world.

Everyone would take "competing consistently in the CL".

Point is it's going to be basically impossible for Everton to do that now. Club finances dictate everything, and as there are now 6 teams at least with a lot more money than us, and soon West Ham will have too, it's impossible.

What I don't want is to turn into Newcastle - no ambition in the cups, and settle for top third / top half finishes...fans know there's no ambition, and that they're never gonna win the league, so the hope and fun of being a fan goes.

We CAN win the cups, or we can make it as likely as possible to, by everyone at the club collectively mentally prioritising the games, and if needs be, resting players so that they're fresh for 5th 6th round matches and so on.

Woolly Blue nailed it

 

[Dutch Toffee]

Focus on the cup and getting turned over by Arsenal in the final? No thanks, lets concentrate on getting into Europe again.

 

[The Equaliser]

Focus on the cup and getting turned over by Arsenal in the final? No thanks, lets concentrate on getting into Europe again.

Focus on the cup and thrash Villa in the final ? Yes please.

 

[Dutch Toffee]

Focus on the cup and thrash Villa in the final ? Yes please.

Another way of looking at it I guess. Do however think that Arsenal have a slightly better chance of making the Cup Final on a regular basis than Aston Villa.

 

[GwladysBlue]

Right...so you'd take dancing around near the bottom for a cup final appearance? Personally, I'd much rather see us consistently competing for CL places. If that becomes the norm, your wish will come true in the cups. The best players want to play in the CL and with clubs that are fighting for those places.

I'm not suggesting that we'd become Wigan or Portsmouth if we won a cup which is what I think you think I think

What I am saying is that them winning the cup did nothing for their club's in the bigger scheme. It didn't rise them to another level. That is what competing consistently in the CL does. It's down to more money and being able to recruit the best in the world.

With the ultimate aim of winning cups?