Europa League 2020-21 - Quest For Glory

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ryuzakiluke100 said:
EL have an extra KO round. Many teams from big leagues had decided to down tool and drop out early. Many good team in CL is not as good when they drop to EL. Team with EL pedigree not always that good in CL nor in their own big league. It's a different know how game.

Football needs context.
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Ok, but none of that changes the fact that the better teams by far do better in this competition than do Eastern European with bad pitches.

The Eastern European bogeyman is a myth as I stated earlier. It may have been true in the past when travel was not what it was or stadium standards not what they are now but as we saw with the Bulgarian team we played UEFA will change the venue from a goat track if the stadium is that poor, the team travels on chartered flights with top notch accomodations and dedicated staff to ensure they get the best possible conditions to travel in.

The biggest threat we have of going out in the round of 32 is finishing 2nd and playing one of the top teams that drop down from the CL, this should not even be a debate. yes playing Krasnodar wouldn't be ideal but it isn't a worry either.
 
ryuzakiluke100 said:
And it's like they haven't made semi finals, finals.

Quarter final is an usual scene by what I meant in previous posts.
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Which bad team from Eastern Europe have made the finals or Semi-Finals based on them having an advantage of a poor pitch and cold weather?

The teams from Eastern Europe that have made those runs are good teams from those leagues.

Shaktar didn't win because they beat teams with their garbage pitch they were a good team. I agree I don't want to face a good team from Eastern Europe but we are unlikely to face a team like that if we finish 1st.
 
Igula said:
Ok, but none of that changes the fact that the better teams by far do better in this competition than do Eastern European with bad pitches.

The Eastern European bogeyman is a myth as I stated earlier. It may have been true in the past when travel was not what it was or stadium standards not what they are now but as we saw with the Bulgarian team we played UEFA will change the venue from a goat track if the stadium is that poor, the team travels on chartered flights with top notch accomodations and dedicated staff to ensure they get the best possible conditions to travel in.

The biggest threat we have of going out in the round of 32 is finishing 2nd and playing one of the top teams that drop down from the CL, this should not even be a debate. yes playing Krasnodar wouldn't be ideal but it isn't a worry either.
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The point being in early KO round, the winter weather, playing condition would affect motivation of stronger team especially if they have a tough schedule in the league and has depth issue.

When spring comes, and it's deeper in the competition, it's easier to get players motivated to get the job done.

Time zone difference. Even the best accommodation can't always help. There is a reason team would try to get the fuck out after game, instead of trying to rest and come back. And yes after a trip away to these Eastern countries, it would mean less training time, but more about recover.

I specifically remembered Mourinho bitching when they played in Russia in that season Man U eventually won it. There were few other instances about similar theme that I can't recall who the managers were.
 
ryuzakiluke100 said:
The point being in early KO round, the winter weather, playing condition would affect motivation of stronger team especially if they have a tough schedule in the league and has depth issue.

When spring comes, and it's deeper in the competition, it's easier to get players motivated to get the job done.

Time zone difference. Even the best accommodation can't always help. There is a reason team would try to get the fuck out after game, instead of trying to rest and come back. And yes after a trip away to these Eastern countries, it would mean less training time, but more about recover.

I specifically remembered Mourinho bitching when they played in Russia in that season Man U eventually won it. There were few other instances about similar theme that I can't recall who the managers were.
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I am not arguing that it isn't ideal, I am saying that it is better than facing a top team.

Yes, I agree that going to Eastern Europe is not great, but I would gladly take that than playing a good team and we are talking about so few teams that are an option that it wouldn't make finishing 2nd better than finishing 1st.

The biggest risk we have in the round of 32 is playing a team that is at a similar level to us and I don't see anyone like that in the teams we could potentially play if we win the group. After that hopefully we avoid one of the Eastern European teams as well.
 
Igula said:
I am not arguing that it isn't ideal, I am saying that it is better than facing a top team.

Yes, I agree that going to Eastern Europe is not great, but I would gladly take that than playing a good team and we are talking about so few teams that are an option that it wouldn't make finishing 2nd better than finishing 1st.

The biggest risk we have in the round of 32 is playing a team that is at a similar level to us and I don't see anyone like that in the teams we could potentially play if we win the group. After that hopefully we avoid one of the Eastern European teams as well.
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I am not arguing either.

I just say some team like Ajax, Napoli... are not all that in EL. They can be easier prey in the earliest EL KO round than going to. Hence my usage of the term semi tough. Nobody want a CL heavy weight like both Madrid though.

Good thing that we're in position to choose which path we can go for this next round. After that's all but luck of the draw.
 
Champions League drop-outs:

Red Bull Salzburg
Shakhtar Donetsk
Olympiakos
Ajax
Krasnodar
Club Brugge
Dynamo Kiev
Man Utd
 
Sean said:
Nothing to be really worried about then
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Not really, no.

More worried about the teams already in the competition this season:

AC Milan
Roma
Bayer Leverkusen
Napoli
Real Sociedad

But I do feel this season seems a bit "easier" than previous years with some of the teams and I think we've lucked out with some of those CL drop outs.

Still not an easy comp to win and we will need to rely on luck and our depth coming in strong.
 
Totti said:
Champions League drop-outs:

Red Bull Salzburg
Shakhtar Donetsk
Olympiakos
Ajax
Krasnodar
Club Brugge
Dynamo Kiev
Man Utd
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Worth putting them into the seeded teams (who EL teams 2nd in group might face) and unseeded teams who those finishing top in the group may face :

Seeded : ManU, Bruges, Shalhtar, Ajax

Unseeded : Krasnodar, Red Bull Salzburg, Dynamo Kiev, Olympiacos

I'd suggest the seeded teams are better quality (more difficult opponents) but more long distance trips are unseeded - although on a charter flight maybe not such an issue.


Most of the best teams in EL will end up being seeded as well.

But luck of the draw who we get in next couple of rounds - could be a tough draw or easier draw whether we top the group or finish 2nd
 
By the look of it, topping the group has no benefit. You still have a chance to pick up one of the some semi tough teams: Benfica, Rangers, Granada, PSV, Soceidad, Napoli, AZ Alkmaar, Lille, Milan, Leverkusen...

So just rest key players tomorrow, and gives minutes to the players that need them tomorrow. Let the luck of the draw decide.
 
Totti said:
Champions League drop-outs:

Red Bull Salzburg
Shakhtar Donetsk
Olympiakos
Ajax
Krasnodar
Club Brugge
Dynamo Kiev
Man Utd
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Funny...

>RB Salzburg
>Shaktar Donetsk
>Olympiacos
>Ajax
>Krasnodar
>Club Brugge
>Dynamo Kyiv
>Manchester United

With the most notable exception of United, that's a relatively friendly bunch of CL dropouts joining us in the EL knockout stages.

You'd almost suggest it's a good year to go all out and win the whole damn thing.

But having said that... José might have a difficult choice to make if our league form continues.
 
I also wouldn't count out most of those drop downs.

Shaktar took 6 points off of Real Madrid and Salzburg fought well with both Atleti and Bayern.

It's an interesting field for the knock outs.
 
Totti said:
Champions League drop-outs:

Red Bull Salzburg
Shakhtar Donetsk
Olympiakos
Ajax
Krasnodar
Club Brugge
Dynamo Kiev
Man Utd
Click to expand...

Roma
Young Boys
Woolwich
Molde
Slavia Prague
Bayer Leverkusen
Rangers
Benfica
Granada
PSV
Napoli
Real Sociedad
Leicester
Braga
Lille
Milan
Hoffenheim
Red Star Belgrade
Maccabi Tel Aviv
Wolfsberger

All join them.
 
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