Kid Icarus Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 Sorry, a bit of sick came up as I posted that Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
timeEd32 Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 7 minutes ago, The College Dropout said: https://x.com/Edit_Kev/status/1758501634869514732?s=20 No idea where to put this but a good read Should be mandatory reading in the Eddie Howe thread. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The College Dropout Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 5 minutes ago, timeEd32 said: Should be mandatory reading in the Eddie Howe thread. It backs up everybody's points (both positive and negative)... just with data. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 Looks like we are one of five teams fighting for 7th now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisJbarnes Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 Top 4 is not going to happen realistically. Top 6 probably unrealistic as well. Realistically we should now be aiming for 7th which would be some sort of Europe and "best of the rest". Chelsea look like they are the biggest threat to me. Given what we've been up against and the amount of injuries that would be a good result and progress. As someone else posted in the match thread, with no proper strikers, first choice midfielders out and Dubvravka in goal, we are realistically a mid table team. Therefore to grind out unglamorous results is probably the best to hope for until a few more come back. A point today was disappointing but considering it was nearly a loss indicates team spirit still there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superior Acuña Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 On 16/02/2024 at 06:57, Kid Icarus said: Mourinho and Martinez Mourinho is spot on for Dalglish, our Gullit has to still be playing though. Virgil van Dijk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
madras Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 Didn't know where to put this but here seemed as good as any...... You know that there'll be a point towards the end of the season when Ŵillocks back, so is Isak, Anderson, Barnes can last 90 and we'll give someone a beating.......and we'll wistfully dream of what could have been. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUPERTOON Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 1 minute ago, madras said: Didn't know where to put this but here seemed as good as any...... You know that there'll be a point towards the end of the season when Ŵillocks back, so is Isak, Anderson, Barnes can last 90 and we'll give someone a beating.......and we'll wistfully dream of what could have been. I wouldn’t bet on all those being fit at one time with the way this season has gone. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midds Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 1 minute ago, madras said: Didn't know where to put this but here seemed as good as any...... You know that there'll be a point towards the end of the season when Ŵillocks back, so is Isak, Anderson, Barnes can last 90 and we'll give someone a beating.......and we'll wistfully dream of what could have been. Brentford (A) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibierski Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 1 hour ago, Beth said: Looks like we are one of five teams fighting for 7th now. Cheering on Liverpool next weekend to ensure European spot drops to 6th, and hope someone in top 6 wins FA Cup if we don’t. Then it keeps Europa Conference leagues hopes alive. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfcastle Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 Steady on ffs, its just the conference league, if its a benefit at all its marginal and certainly doesn't justify cheering on those horrible bastards Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 (edited) 31 minutes ago, Sibierski said: Cheering on Liverpool next weekend to ensure European spot drops to 6th, and hope someone in top 6 wins FA Cup if we don’t. Then it keeps Europa Conference leagues hopes alive. 8th would get the ECL if Liverpool win the LC and England get an extra CL spot for 5th. Going off current form Chelsea have to be favourites for 7th now. Edited February 17 by Beth Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solitude20 Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 Yeah, top 6 this season is virtually impossible now with our current team/injuries. It will be us, Brighton, West Ham, and Chelsea fighting for 7th and 8th for any European football next season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRon Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 On 17/02/2024 at 21:43, Wolfcastle said: Steady on ffs, its just the conference league, if its a benefit at all its marginal and certainly doesn't justify cheering on those horrible bastards Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
timeEd32 Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 Coefficient update 1. Italy - 15.571 (+0.857 since last week) 2. Germany - 14.500 (+0.572) 3. England - 13.875 (no change, thanks Arsenal) 4. France - 13.250 (+1.000) 5. Spain - 13.187 (+0.250) Despite Arsenal's defeat I think England have to be considered the favorites for the second spot. A lot of things went right in the last two weeks. Italy still haven't had a team eliminated and are in an incredibly strong spot, though its three CL teams are all away for the second leg. Brighton v. Roma could help England make up ground. It's annoying that Freiburg got through, but Frankfurt is out. The CL second legs will be interesting. West Ham v. Freiburg in the EL is huge. France is pretty much done with Lens, Toulouse, and Rennes all going out yesterday. Betis is out so Spain is left with 5 out of 7 teams and four of them are in the CL. They will need Villareal and Barcelona or Atletico to join Real on deep runs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Optimistic Nut Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 Doubt it'll affect us now unless it's the difference between Europa and Europa Conference. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
timeEd32 Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 Just now, Optimistic Nut said: Doubt it'll affect us now unless it's the difference between Europa and Europa Conference. That's what I'm focused on. I'm assuming (though find it hilarious no one seems to know for sure) that England getting the 5th CL spot will make 7th Europa League instead of Conference, assuming a top 6 team wins the FA Cup which is also likely given who's left (or we'll win it). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilcline Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 11 minutes ago, timeEd32 said: That's what I'm focused on. I'm assuming (though find it hilarious no one seems to know for sure) that England getting the 5th CL spot will make 7th Europa League instead of Conference, assuming a top 6 team wins the FA Cup which is also likely given who's left (or we'll win it). There was an explainer on Sky Sports this week that said it would mean Europe goes down to 8th if both cup winners are in the top 6, first time I'd seen it "confirmed" assuming it wasn't bullshit or guesswork Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
timeEd32 Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 1 minute ago, Kilcline said: There was an explainer on Sky Sports this week that said it would mean Europe goes down to 8th if both cup winners are in the top 6, first time I'd seen it "confirmed" assuming it wasn't bullshit or guesswork I've seen lots of things that say European places will go down an extra spot, but haven't seen anyone explicitly say 7th would be EL (with the right cup winner). It makes logical sense since getting a 5th CL spot wouldn't, presumably, take away a EL spot. Either way it definitely increases our odds of European football and it most likely makes the EL a much more realistic target. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkie Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 I don't like this expansion of places at all, tbh. Finishing 5th in the PL really shouldn't earn entry into the highest echelon of European competition. The better thing to do would've been to fast-track actual champions from lower-ranked leagues; or at least more runners-up from the slightly-lower ranked ones. It's mad that the league winners from the likes of Sweden, Romania and Poland have to start way back in the early qualifiers. I get that the 'Champions' League retains that name for no reason beyond it being far too strong a brand to lose - rather than it having anything to do with any champions... but still, it would be nice to have a few more of its entrants actually meet the definition. Even getting entry into Europe by finishing 8th feels quite unmerited. I like the UCL and would embrace being in it but if it's that easy to qualify it loses that sense of gravitas; which it already struggles with. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colos Short and Curlies Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 Said it before but I'd love a season where everyone in the top leagues in every UEFA nation qualifies for a straight up one legged knock out competition with no seeding and no country restrictions. It would be absolute chaos but great fun and you would have a genuine champion of Europe. Real Madrid vs some Welsh minnow first round, playing in front of 10 angry welsh men and 50 sheep Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
timeEd32 Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 They'll never do this because less games = less money, but scrapping the Conference League and combining all its teams with the EL into one big knockout only tournament would be a far more interesting alternative to the CL. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The College Dropout Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 Conference League is great. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The College Dropout Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 1 hour ago, Yorkie said: I don't like this expansion of places at all, tbh. Finishing 5th in the PL really shouldn't earn entry into the highest echelon of European competition. The better thing to do would've been to fast-track actual champions from lower-ranked leagues; or at least more runners-up from the slightly-lower ranked ones. It's mad that the league winners from the likes of Sweden, Romania and Poland have to start way back in the early qualifiers. I get that the 'Champions' League retains that name for no reason beyond it being far too strong a brand to lose - rather than it having anything to do with any champions... but still, it would be nice to have a few more of its entrants actually meet the definition. Even getting entry into Europe by finishing 8th feels quite unmerited. I like the UCL and would embrace being in it but if it's that easy to qualify it loses that sense of gravitas; which it already struggles with. Have you watched the Champions League group stages? The disparity between clubs from the top nations and the champions of smaller European nations is enormous. A lot of uncompetitive games already. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Optimistic Nut Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 1 hour ago, The College Dropout said: Have you watched the Champions League group stages? The disparity between clubs from the top nations and the champions of smaller European nations is enormous. A lot of uncompetitive games already. Yeah, was more even up to the 70s probably due to clubs' followings being more regionalised since. Less live football on TV (particularly overseas games), no internet, etc so I guess big clubs in each country were more even.. Seems like from late 80s with Serie A, then the Premier League in the 90s and La Liga kicking off globally, it's made it almost impossible for the rest to keep up. Not sure there'll ever be a fix. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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