The venues is speculation but the constant churn of fixtures isnt. In a normal season i'd be happy to be in it but not next season.
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Next season we likely need minutes for guys like Skipp, Tangana, Parrott. Sessegnon, Cirkin etc. and can't afford to give them too many minutes in the EPL with the weak team that we have. We also could use it as a way to recruit a back-up striker that we have desperately be needing. Having Europa League games would help alleviate any concerns about playing time. With the top 4 (City, Liverpool, Chelsea, United) looking to be very difficult it also offers us another way into CL. Plus there is always the chance of finally winning a trophy.
Next year seems like an even better year than most to be in the Europa League.
If Mourinho is our manager he wont pick a team packed full of youngsters. Maybe Skipp, Sessegnon but it will be strong teams. If Mourinho isnt our manager id rather the new bloke spends time on the training pitch. Way too many fixtures in a short space of time, will kill anyones season.
To be honest I'd like to be in any cup that we took seriously.
There's no point in qualifying for Europa if we're not going to put maximum effort and resources into. If Jose is going to take it seriously then so be it but in the past we've been guilty of throwing The league Cup, the FA Cup and the Europa league.
If we're going to take it seriously then bring it on - if not then I'd rather not bother because as much as winning breeds success, losing can also become an annoying habit.
I also think that it can upset the squad as invariably the squad gets split into A and B teams which is rubbish.
There's no point in qualifying for Europa if we're not going to put maximum effort and resources into. If Jose is going to take it seriously then so be it but in the past we've been guilty of throwing The league Cup, the FA Cup and the Europa league.
If we're going to take it seriously then bring it on - if not then I'd rather not bother because as much as winning breeds success, losing can also become an annoying habit.
I also think that it can upset the squad as invariably the squad gets split into A and B teams which is rubbish.
But it doesn't kill seasons. The teams that are in the CL repeatedly are the teams that do the best in the league. Wolves were in Europa League and are having their best season ever (or in recent years not sure how they were pre-Premier League). Are we so bad that we can't even aspire to have similar levels of success as Wolves.
Also how do you know what Jose will do? Seems pretty defeatist to say no to something that will undoubtly help our team out based on maybes and could be's.
I really do not see guys improving more by spending time on the training pitch rather than being in real games against good opposition. Sessegnon has been on the training pitch all year we need to see what he can do in games against real people, not how many times he can bounce the ball on his foot or nutmeg his buddies as they halfass it against him.
Wolves started playing in July. The coming season will start in September therefore if you are playing in the qualifiers you wont get a free week for 4 months. Wolves have played a lot of games but they had breaks in between. As for Mourinho its his hustory that tells me what side he will pick, he has always mistrusted younger players with the very odd exception. Check out his United teams in the europa on 16/17. Full strength sides pretty much.
But they had those games and were fine early in the season. United were in the EL as well and have been fine so far this season. In previous years teams have had CL games and done fine even winning titles. The games argument is so weak and shown to be not a issue at all outside of Burnley who have a very shallow squad. If we are at Burnley levels of depth then we should want Europa League next year as our last shot at watching European football for a long while.
As for Mourinho its such a useless, defeatist attitude to just assume what will happen and really not even a good argument against playing in Europa League. In your scenario the downside is that he plays a competitive team that challenges and maybe wins the Europa League. Oh no whatever will we do if that happens???
Its called realism. I cant see how playing the same games as Wolves in 7 or 8 weeks less time wont lead to players being knackered. We'll have to agree to disagree on this, as i say normally id happily be in it but not in a shortened season with (likely) this manager.
I think Levy's a cunt
I'm in two minds on this.
If we are in it we have to take it seriously and play a strong team in every round.
Which could have an impact on the league form.
If we play a few youngsters, as some have suggested, and we lose then we will be accused of not taking it seriously enough.
On balance, I'd rather be in it and go all out to win it, than not.
If we are in it we have to take it seriously and play a strong team in every round.
Which could have an impact on the league form.
If we play a few youngsters, as some have suggested, and we lose then we will be accused of not taking it seriously enough.
On balance, I'd rather be in it and go all out to win it, than not.
It's almost essential we get EL next season.
We have no idea if fans will even be allowed into stadiums next season. Imagine what our budget would look like with no match day revenue and no European football money. It would be a disaster.
I want us to get in and rotate some youngsters in and then in the knockouts give it a go.
We have no idea if fans will even be allowed into stadiums next season. Imagine what our budget would look like with no match day revenue and no European football money. It would be a disaster.
I want us to get in and rotate some youngsters in and then in the knockouts give it a go.
I can see both sides, but as a club to go from regular Champions League qualifiers to no European football whatsoever would rightfully be deemed an absolute disgrace and we'd be a laughing stock.
Even if we didn't, nothing would change except even less money being available to 'upgrade' the squad, so what is the upside? Depending on the draw we could get away with playing a B team in Group stages, we'd maybe even get a few games at Ndombele's level. Something like Redknapp did in 2011-12 when we got back into the Top 4 by prioritising the league.
We're arguably slightly stronger now, so if they made it out of the group stages then they could mix it up and try for the trophy.
Even if we didn't, nothing would change except even less money being available to 'upgrade' the squad, so what is the upside? Depending on the draw we could get away with playing a B team in Group stages, we'd maybe even get a few games at Ndombele's level. Something like Redknapp did in 2011-12 when we got back into the Top 4 by prioritising the league.
We're arguably slightly stronger now, so if they made it out of the group stages then they could mix it up and try for the trophy.
what's the point. it's not like we will be any different regardless of what comp we are in
Do you honestly think it will make a difference?
Of course I want EL, for the sake of my Thursday night entertainment.
getting beat by astara or rostov might change that
There is zero reason we cannot win our group and still play a lot of youth. I don't think we are talking about sending our U-18 team out there. Guys like Sessegnon, Tanganga, Skipp even Cirkin and Parrott are (hopefully) good enough when paired with other guys from our main squad to beat teams from Belgium, Czech, Austria and Bulgaria.
Once the knockout stages come then I think you look at cutting back the youth a bit and assess how they played in those earlier games to see who can and can't handle the increase in competition.
