Top Four Possibility

[Prevenger17]

The Europa league has is a season wrecker. You get hardly any extra money and I'm not convinced it makes you any more attractive to potential targets, couple with the fact you have to play 21 games to win it, I see very few benefits to it.

It's nice to see Everton play on a Thursday night, but that's about the end of the positives

 

[davek]

Would a Wednesday Saturday schedule in the Champions League suit you better?

Get to that point and you have the cash to invest in a squad that can cope.

 

[ianefc]

It's nice to see Everton play on a Thursday night, but that's about the end of the positives

Not if you've got a Sunday 1:30 away at Anfield and they've had the week off.

 

[Catfish Blues]

If the financial difference between the Champions League and Europa League was narrowed

It is narrowing a bit. The Europa League cash is now roughly a third of the Champions League cash

 

[Mikeonlythebestwilldo]

Not if you've got a Sunday 1:30 away at Andield and they've had the week off.

An**field Ian mate

 

[Tubey]

It's nice to see Everton play on a Thursday night, but that's about the end of the positives

That's basically the be all, end all of why fans like it, if they switch the rational part of their brains off which points out the dozens of reasons why it is a general bad idea.

 

[Bagpuss]

Because it is a business, and like any business you only allocate resources where you are likely to see a significant gain from doing so.

The Europa is simply not worth it financially or in terms of a reward, especially when the league offers four spots of equal value and more prize money. Some teams in the top four could play nearly twice the number of games than Liverpool in the run-in if they go far in the cups - unless that is the Champions League, that is simply not an effective ROI.

It's just cold hard fact over romanticism. If the financial difference between the Champions League and Europa League was narrowed, it'd be a different story - and you can say that about the difference between the Premier League and FA Cup too. As it stands, smart clubs simply do not allocate time and resources into domestic cups and at the very least the early stages of the Europa League, because it doesn't make sense to cripple your league performance by doing so.

Economically speaking I agree with you - The Europa is a busted flush. However we as fans dont want to be top of the winning money leagues we want to win trophies. Europa is another chance for us to do that (it does also give us another chance of Champions League Qualification). Moyes showed in the past that you can get through to the knockouts while playing the kids and a blend of squad players which would account for around 10 of the games. Its a great chance for us to give a lot of the U23 lads the chance to showcase themselves and push themselves further into Koemans thoughts.

I do think it would help attract more players too - a team playing in europe in any form is going to be looked upon as a more successful club than one not competing.

As someone born in the 80's our European trips have been a hightlight for me as I have only seen us win one trophy that I have any memory of and the game against Fiorentina was one of the best atmospheres I can remember. Those are the type of nights I want more of and I love going to night games at Goodison, its a completely different beast to anywhere.

 

[Mountfield1985]

That's basically the be all, end all of why fans like it, if they switch the rational part of their brains off which points out the dozens of reasons why it is a general bad idea.

Why so snotty about people wanting to have fun supporting their club? I don't know if you've been to any European aways, but they are the best times i've ever had following Everton.

Aside from that, there are not "dozens of reasons why it is a general bad idea". There is one. Fixture congestion. It might cause us to drop some points or tire out. Or it might not. Just like it didn't for Tottenham last year when they challenged for the League Title while being involved in the Europa League until late March. We'll need to manage it carefully but there's no reason why we can't.

There are plenty of reaons why it would be great to be involved. Increased exposure, increased revenue, attract better quality players, more game time for younger players, European experience for the squad, having another path to the CL, and another chance of a trophy, and boost our Co-Efficient so that we have half a chance of doing well if we ever do manage to break into the Champions League. It might be a nuisance for clubs like Man United who already are a super-power, but for a club like us it would be a big step to help us move forward, and that's why both Moshiri and Koeman outlined it as our target at the beginning of the season.

 

[Tubey]

Why so snotty about people wanting to have fun supporting their club? I don't know if you've been to any European aways, but they are the best times i've ever had following Everton.

Aside from that, there are not "dozens of reasons why it is a general bad idea". There is one. Fixture congestion. It might cause us to drop some points or tire out. Or it might not. Just like it didn't for Tottenham last year when they challenged for the League Title while being involved in the Europa League until late March. We'll need to manage it carefully but there's no reason why we can't.

There are plenty of reaons why it would be great to be involved. Increased exposure, increased revenue, attract better quality players, more game time for younger players, European experience for the squad, having another path to the CL, and another chance of a trophy, and boost our Co-Efficient so that we have half a chance of doing well if we ever do manage to break into the Champions League. It might be a nuisance for clubs like Man United who already are a super-power, but for a club like us it would be a big step to help us move forward, and that's why both Moshiri and Koeman outlined it as our target at the beginning of the season.

I didn't mean to come across as snotty. I understand people like to watch Everton play football in Europe, but there's good reasons why the way it happens isn't necessarily good for the club.

 

[murphy89]

The club is more attractive to players if they are competing in Europe as it shows you are competing at the top end of the table in the league. Also, tell those Seville players/fans that it is irrelevant. I would be made up to win it.

 

[Mountfield1985]

I didn't mean to come across as snotty. I understand people like to watch Everton play football in Europe, but there's good reasons why the way it happens isn't necessarily good for the club.

What else other than fixture congestion?

 

[AdaBrummieblue]

Yes, and a Thursday/Sunday schedule near all season.

You're never happy! We need the exposure that the EL brings us. We can't just say "Ok it's either top 4 or we have to finish lower than 7th to avoid the EL". It's a good tournament and one we could possibly do very well in provided we get the signings we need. We have a good bunch of "kids" who are ready for the extra work an EL campaign would give us. I think it's imperative that we reach Europe as soon as possible. On topic: Top 4 is possible but highly unlikely. I'd take 6th right now but would love to finish above both United and the rs. So 5th for me. Confused myself now.

 

[BlueLlama]

So pardon my ignorance but why is it different?

745 pm game on Wed
12:45 noon on Sat
Roughly 65 hours between both matches beginnning.

6/8pm game Thursday
1:30 game on Sun
Roughly 64/65 hours between both matches beginning.

The effect of long distance travel.

I forgive your ignorance x

 

[Tubey]

What else other than fixture congestion?

Lack of financial incentive, the mental aspect of progressing through multiple competitions (see Leicester), extended travel (see our games in Kharkiv etc.), the requirement for a larger squad to deal meaningfully with multiple competitions increasing financial expenditure and increasing the risk of just "bringing bodies in for the sake of it", increased likelihood of player injuries etc.

 

[bol-uk]

EL DOES have a neg effect on teams PL placings (weirdly, CL does not (due to squad size I presume)

Club Europa League games played in season Change in league position (places) Season
Newcastle 14 -11 2012-13
Newcastle 12 -9 2004-05
Bolton 10 -9 2007-08
Everton 2 -7 2005-06
Middlesbrough 15 -7 2005-06
West Ham 2 -6 2006-07
Newcastle 12 -6 2006-07
Tottenham 10 -6 2007-08
Portsmouth 6 -6 2008-09
Fulham 19 -5 2009-10
Blackburn 8 -4 2006-07
Everton 10 -3 2009-10
Swansea 12 -3 2013-14
Aston Villa 2 -3 2010-11
Bolton 8 -2 2005-06
Manchester City 16 -1 2008-09
Fulham 14 -1 2011-12
Stoke 12 -1 2011-12
Tottenham 12 -1 2012-13
Millwall 2 0 2004-05
Tottenham 10 0 2006-07
Everton 2 0 2008-09
Aston Villa 10 0 2008-09
Aston Villa 2 0 2009-10
Everton 10 1 2007-08
Liverpool 14 1 2010-11
Tottenham 8 1 2011-12
Liverpool 12 1 2012-13
Manchester City 12 2 2010-11
Blackburn Rovers 4 3 2007-08
Tottenham 8 3 2008-09
Middlesbrough 10 4 2004-05

• If you look at Evertons first stint, we played twice and finished -7 (7 league places worse off) than the previous season.
• There appears to be a massive correlation between the more you play and the more league positions you drop.