Will we qualify for Europe this season?

[Jeff Jones]

Trouble is, even with this run of good results we're not playing anywhere near well enough to compete in Europe, so
what's the point?

I'll be happy to keep going as we are for the time being.

 

[efcforever]

Even if teams who have already qualified through the league win the cups we'd still have to finish 7th. I can't see us catching up to Burnley. I reckon we'll end up 8th.

We'll just have to win the FA Cup...

 

[Khalekan]

I want improvement and to ultimately win titles. Any club should always be looking to be winning titles.

The Europa League is a roadblock that stops you progressing as a club to winning titles in my view - an almost completely useless competition that is compromised by the Champions League dropout involvement, limited prize money, massive fixture congestion impacting every other competition you're in, very little pull to prospective signings and the fact you have to win it for it to have basically any value whatsoever.

So I'd rather finish 7th and not qualify this year to give us a better chance to finish 4th gain the progression as a club that Champions League involvement gives you the following year.

Just so we are clear, Tubey.

You "really hope" that we do not make the CL next season.

So, in order for this to happen, if we are sitting between 5th and 7th toward the end of the season will you be actively hoping we lose games so we drop to 8th (or 7th if two outsiders are contesting the F.A. Cup Final) so we fail to make the EL cut?

And will you be rooting for the other team if we ourselves are playing in the final?

Of course you won't.

People saying they "hope" we do not qualify for the EL need to choose their words more carefully......because it is really absurd position to take as it means they do not want Everton to win as many matches as possible.

It is quite one thing to say one does not consider it helpful to the cause for Everton to be involved in the EL but to say one "hopes" it does not happen is paradoxical.

And to anyone expressing this view I would just say sit back and enjoy the moment.

Cheer us on every step of the way and hope we finish as high up the league and indeed get to Wembley and win the Cup.

If for no other reason it means that EFC are winning more games and I for one find my world a whole lot brighter after Everton have won a game

Sam Allardyce and his Merry Men are being paid millions.....leave the task of organising the team and managing the squad in the Europa to them.

And if we cannot make the CL next season.....I for one will actively embrace the EL if we are lucky enough to reach it

 

[Woolly Blue]

Whether through the League or via the FA Cup?

Personally I think its a definite possibility.....

It's a maybe for me, less than evens though.

If we do qualify for the Europa then I hope we play fringe players in those very early qualifiers.

I think we get back into the competition (or 7th and no Europa) and our schedule isn't nearly as grueling as it was this year. I think of all the players we should have available next year as well: Coleman, Bolasie, Dowell, Connolly, Onyekuru, Joe Williams... That is a talented group of youngsters and experience coming into the fold. Allardyce would be wise to field a strong team while rotating frequently. Europa should be priority number 2 as it was for our final game against Apollon. If we don't advance because we play a slightly weaker team, NBD.

Yep, agree with these views. I don't understand the "It'll kill our season" argument. It's up to the manager to balance Europe against the League, so that should mean playing youngsters instead of players in their thirties who struggle to play Thursday / Sunday. If, as a result, we get knocked out, then so be it.

 

[Tubey]

Just so we are clear, Tubey.

You "really hope" that we do not make the CL next season.

Erm... no?

 

[The Penalty Box Dancer]

I want improvement and to ultimately win titles. Any club should always be looking to be winning titles.

The Europa League is a roadblock that stops you progressing as a club to winning titles in my view - an almost completely useless competition that is compromised by the Champions League dropout involvement, limited prize money, massive fixture congestion impacting every other competition you're in, very little pull to prospective signings and the fact you have to win it for it to have basically any value whatsoever.

So I'd rather finish 7th and not qualify this year to give us a better chance to finish 4th and gain the progression as a club that Champions League involvement gives you the following year. Then in the future I'd like to see us improve our squad, consolidate our position in the top four and challenge for the league. Then, if we won that, I'd like to see us constantly compete for league titles and challenge the Champions League latter stages.

So that's the point of being an Evertonian or any football fan really - having ambition, and understanding that certain things are counter-intuitive to achieving goals.

The top 4 are getting further and further away. Nobody can touch Man City! They are practically in a league of their own. Gone are the days of 1994/95 when teams actually had a chance. The top teams aren't gonna wait for us to catch up.

 

[Tubey]

The top 4 are getting further and further away. Nobody can touch Man City! They are practically in a league of their own. Gone are the days of 1994/95 when teams actually had a chance. The top teams aren't gonna wait for us to catch up.

Ah right, I guess we best stop trying then.

 

[COYBL25]

Some weird stuff gets posted on here.

Not only on here

 

[Neiler]

I want improvement and to ultimately win titles. Any club should always be looking to be winning titles.

The Europa League is a roadblock that stops you progressing as a club to winning titles in my view - an almost completely useless competition that is compromised by the Champions League dropout involvement, limited prize money, massive fixture congestion impacting every other competition you're in, very little pull to prospective signings and the fact you have to win it for it to have basically any value whatsoever.

So I'd rather finish 7th and not qualify this year to give us a better chance to finish 4th and gain the progression as a club that Champions League involvement gives you the following year. Then in the future I'd like to see us improve our squad, consolidate our position in the top four and challenge for the league. Then, if we won that, I'd like to see us constantly compete for league titles and challenge the Champions League latter stages.

So that's the point of being an Evertonian or any football fan really - having ambition, and understanding that certain things are counter-intuitive to achieving goals.

Not for me mate, I would rather win or have a crack at the Uefa cup and finish 12th then not to be in Europe and being competitive for fourth.

It always amazes me that people seem to forget the actual point of football is to win trophies.

Not a fan of the just qualifying fo the champions league mentality.

If you can qualify for the champions league perfect, it is not a realistic goal for us this season, qualifying for the Uefa Cup is and we should want to and try and win it.

 

[royalblue66]

The top 4 are getting further and further away. Nobody can touch Man City! They are practically in a league of their own. Gone are the days of 1994/95 when teams actually had a chance. The top teams aren't gonna wait for us to catch up.

Damn.

 

[fandjango]

Trouble is, even with this run of good results we're not playing anywhere near well enough to compete in Europe, so
what's the point?

I'll be happy to keep going as we are for the time being.

The point is two window and a settled management team between now and the next European competition

 

[Tubey]

Not for me mate, I would rather win or have a crack at the Uefa cup and finish 12th then not to be in Europe and being competitive for fourth.

It always amazes me that people seem to forget the actual point of football is to win trophies.

Not a fan of the just qualifying fo the champions league mentality.

If you can qualify for the champions league perfect, it is not a realistic goal for us this season, qualifying for the Uefa Cup is and we should want to and try and win it.

You aren't getting it. My view is that if you get to the top table, which is Champions League qualification, then you have the chance to transform the quality of your club permanently and win trophies consistently.

Whereas "having a crack" at the Europa League does nothing for your club unless you win it, which is extremely unlikely due to Champions League clubs dropping in and the fixture congestion, and it also batters your achievements domestically too.

So I'm all for Everton finishing as high as we can in the league, every year, obviously. But if that end position results in Europa League qualification, I'd prefer us to ignore it and play the youth team, because it does far more harm than good.

 

[Caolam]

Best we can hope for in league is 8th (unless Burnley implode), very much doubt we will win FA Cup considering the 'big' teams tend to actually try nowadays

I think we will overtake Burnley and finish 7th. A couple of injuries over the winter could cause them major problems.

 

[Neiler]

You aren't getting it. My view is that if you get to the top table, which is Champions League qualification, then you have the chance to transform the quality of your club permanently and win trophies consistently.

Whereas "having a crack" at the Europa League does nothing for your club unless you win it, which is extremely unlikely due to Champions League clubs dropping in and the fixture congestion, and it also batters your achievements domestically too.

So I'm all for Everton finishing as high as we can in the league, every year, obviously. But if that end position results in Europa League qualification, I'd prefer us to ignore it and play the youth team, because it does far more harm than good.

I don’t accept that mate there was a time when Champions league revenue was a game changer, less and less so with the volume of money in the PL. of course it would be desirable but 10 mill here and there aren’t going to catapult any PL suddenly to the top of the table. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing qualifying for the CL, it should be a goal for us, not this year, but we should always aspire to play in Europe and that should be ingrained in our identity as a club a year without it should be looked at as a failure.

Look the premise of football is to win trophies, what has the Uefa cup ever done for anyone, look at Sevilla and United last season. Qualification dictates club development, bigger squads etc. Winning the Uefa Cup should be a realistic goal for us next season.

If you want to play in the CL there is little difference in playing Weds and Sat and Thurs and Sun.

Football is about trophies and the Uefa Cup is a gong we haven’t won yet and would create another strand to our already prestigious identity it should be an aim.

 

[Osamabindiesel]

It's a maybe for me, less than evens though.





Yep, agree with these views. I don't understand the "It'll kill our season" argument. It's up to the manager to balance Europe against the League, so that should mean playing youngsters instead of players in their thirties who struggle to play Thursday / Sunday. If, as a result, we get knocked out, then so be it.

Agreed. The one problem is that while it sounds simple to us, managers don't always prioritize and field their preferred XI regardless. I'd hope that whoever we bring in next season has restraint.