Europa priority change?

[tooey]

What didn't you get @mattbrakeuk ?

That you could possibly want to win the FA cup instead of obtaining 4th place, I thought that was obvious. I've had this conversation over and over again so I apologise that I can't be bothered to explain why.

 

[Essex Spur]

Should try to win every tournament you enter, especially with younger players as winning breeds a winning mentality.

Ask most player at the end of their career and I bet they would rather have winners medals than regular memories of playing in a champions league

 

[stewartd]

Win the EL wonderful night out, open bus tour down the High Road ,and automatic group qualification next season to CL.
Come fourth qualification round of CL no party night no mass celebration.
No question what Id rather do.
However if we go for it we go for it full throttle to win it, no point in mixing and matching and hoping we don't fall between two stools.
Nothing to say that if we go for it full pelt we cant come fourth anyway, as IMHO the standard this season in the league is as low as its been for years as highlighted by the Scums display last night.

 

[TottenhamMattSpur]

Are you Wenger? Top 4 is not a trophy. Winning the Europa would be the best thing we have done is 30 years.

30 years ago yes.

In 2015 it's a different game altogether.
You only build great squads by sustaining champions league football. It's the equivalent of a championship club being promoted by coming 4th vs wining the Johnstone Paint Trophy.

 

[worcestersauce]

Win the EL wonderful night out, open bus tour down the High Road ,and automatic group qualification next season to CL.
Come fourth qualification round of CL no party night no mass celebration.
No question what Id rather do.
However if we go for it we go for it full throttle to win it, no point in mixing and matching and hoping we don't fall between two stools.
Nothing to say that if we go for it full pelt we cant come fourth anyway, as IMHO the standard this season in the league is as low as its been for years as highlighted by the Scums display last night.

That's a bit like saying you rather not win automatic promotion to the Premier league because you'd prefer the play offs and a day out at Wembley, I wouldn't.
The question is a good one, it really is either/or because both is not an option.

 

[Lilbaz]

30 years ago yes.

In 2015 it's a different game altogether.
You only build great squads by sustaining champions league football. It's the equivalent of a championship club being promoted by coming 4th vs wining the Johnstone Paint Trophy.

Finishing top 4 or winning the el both get cl. So i have no idea what you are talking about.

If the question was win the el once of qualify for cl regularly the answer might be different.

Also the el is worth around £11m not including sponsors, matchday etc... Difference between 4/5 is £500k (i think).

 

[Gbspurs]

30 years ago yes.

In 2015 it's a different game altogether.
You only build great squads by sustaining champions league football. It's the equivalent of a championship club being promoted by coming 4th vs wining the Johnstone Paint Trophy.

Yeah, you make some valid points but the key word there is sustaining CL football. We are talking about this season so I'm not sure how finishing 4th over winning the Europa is going to make us any more prepared for next seasons CL or provide a guarantee of future participation.

Ultimately we have 2 open routes and we should fully explore both and ignore other distractions (League cup/Fa Cup).

 

[not_tenth-again]

The priority is both. I don't know about anyone else but outside of striker I think we are pretty solid for depth.

We should be managing workloads, strategically substituting and occasionally resting players. We need to think beyond the idea of a best eleven.

 

[newbie]

If it was a choice of top 4 or winning the el. I would choose el everytime.

I agree, esp as it = champs league I think we have more chance of top 4 if we solely concentrated on it.

 

[nightgoat]

30 years ago yes.

In 2015 it's a different game altogether.
You only build great squads by sustaining champions league football. It's the equivalent of a championship club being promoted by coming 4th vs wining the Johnstone Paint Trophy.

When did they award the Johnstone's Paint Trophy winners with a place in the Premier League?

 

[Borks]

Of course between the choice of winning a trophy and qualifying for the CL or not winning a trophy and qualifying for the CL you would choose the former.

 

[talkshowhost86]

Yeah, you make some valid points but the key word there is sustaining CL football. We are talking about this season so I'm not sure how finishing 4th over winning the Europa is going to make us any more prepared for next seasons CL or provide a guarantee of future participation.

Ultimately we have 2 open routes and we should fully explore both and ignore other distractions (League cup/Fa Cup).

I think this is spot on.

When the Europa didn't have a Champions League place for the winners, I'd have hands down said focus on the league.

But now there's a Champions League place available, it's actually a worthwhile competition and we'd be silly to go out of it having not tried properly.

We should be able to get through the group stages using some changed teams, and fortunately we're already out of the League Cup so that doesn't cause an extra issue.

There's no reason why we can't focus on both with the squad we've got, but as you say I think it means sacrificing the FA Cup unless we stumble our way to the latter stages.

 

[worcestersauce]

Both is not an option, how hard is it to see that, you can not make top four if you don't prioritise it over Europa and you won't win the Europa if you don't prioritise it over the league.
If we make top four and win Europa I won't be as happy as some because if we can do that we could've had a shot at the title.

 

[talkshowhost86]

Both is not an option, how hard is it to see that, you can not make top four if you don't prioritise it over Europa and you won't win the Europa if you don't prioritise it over the league.
If we make top four and win Europa I won't be as happy as some because if we can do that we could've had a shot at the title.

Genuine question Worcester. If we got back to the Champions League, would you still think that we shouldn't prioritise both, and if so which one would you prioritise?

If the goal is to get into the Champions League, we need to think about what we'd do when we get there, and surely the answer is that we'd have to prioritise both?

 

[Mr Pink]

I think some are underestimating just how significant finishing in the top four this season just might be. Keeping key players and keeping this group together could be huge for going forward, as opposed to constant rebuilding jobs.

I understand we want to be a Club with a playing identity that permeates right throughout the Club and that helps offset against losing our top players but we can already see the signs of a strong team developing now.

Like it or not the CL is the competition with by far the most prestige and that's where players aspire to be playing. The recognition and exposure of playing in it is what most players want to feel.

Yes it will be very difficult to sustain regular top four finishes but finishing there this season could be pivotal by giving the players a taste. Combine that with our plans for the new stadium in the not too distant future and we might just keep this group together.

If we want to compete near the top we have to start acting like it and finishing top four this season, where the chances of doing so are higher, would certainly be a good start and one we must try to take.

 

[Larryjanta]

We have the squad to do well in both.

 

[spurs mental]

If we get CL, which is still a LONG way away right now, the issue will be sustaining it, as others have said.

Personally I'd love to win the EL, it's got more glory about it than finishing 4th, but I want us to finish ahead of Chelsea and Liverpool and I think I if we do that then we will finish 4th anyway.

The thing about the EL this season is, there are some VERY GOOD teams in it. CL teams or teams that have been there for a few years previously. Fenerbache, Dortmund, Napoli, Villareal have been there in previous seasons, Monaco, Schalke.

But the thing is, I'd actually fancy our squad now to handle a big game v Madrid much better than the squad with Modric, VDV, Bale all did when we made it to the QF all those years ago. Don't know why. Maybe I just believe the mentality is stringer ITB this group.

Even still, get out of the group in EL, maintain form in the league, reassess after Christmas.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

Leeeet's delve into this topic at the end of the month, shall we?

 

[nicdic]

Next game is always most important.

If we want this squad to go anywhere and achieve anything, then we should want them to want to win every match and every competition. Focus on the next game, then the one after, etc.

 

[Riandor]

League.
I'm sorry, I know we have a proud cup heritage and we all like winning trophies, but...

This has the hallmarks of a pivotal season, a chance to realistically aim for top four and whilst we are striving to achieve that, who knows what might happen. I seriously cannot see us winning the Europa league, i'm sorry but there are too many teams better equipped to do it and even if not, it's a total lottery.

Ideally you say both, but starting with tonight, I personally would rest half the first team if not more in preparation for a crunch game on Sunday.

We have never realistically looked close to EL success, even in our best seasons. Where as 4th or HIGHER is achievable this season. I think the problem with stating it as we want fourth over a trophy is its seen as aiming for fourth, where as I see a run of form that is needed to grab fourth as something that could grab something more. Look after all how close we were to more than 4th under HR.

Liverpool were possibly 1 game away from keeping Suarez, do we want to be 1 game away from losing Lloris, Eriksen, Kane?

So, in short, I would love EL success, but I would prioritise the league right now.