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Race for The Top 10

FeilSpurs

Active Member
Mar 18, 2014
143
148
Since people are asking (y)

Europa League qualification

There are three ways to qualify for the Europa League:
Finish fifth (or sixth if City's ban is upheld) - qualify for the Europa League group stage
Win the FA Cup - qualify for the Europa League group stage
Win the Carabao Cup - qualify for the Europa League second qualifying round
If the winners of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup finish fifth or higher in the Premier League, their Europa League spots go to the next-highest ranked team not qualified for UEFA competitions in the Premier League.
For example, last season, Manchester City won both cups and the Premier League. Therefore, their spot in the group stage from the FA Cup victory was given to Manchester United - who finished in sixth - and seventh place Wolves entered into the second qualifying round.
Manchester City's Carabao Cup win this term is good news for the European-football chasers. Because they're set to finish in the top five, their place in the second qualifying round of the Europa League transfers to the next highest-placed side. If City's appeal is successful this would be sixth but if not it will be the side that finishes seventh in 2019/20.
The FA Cup resumes this week - and fans of European hopefuls should follow the action there closely, too.
Should City or a team in the top five also win the FA Cup, and City's ban is upheld, the Europa League second round qualifying spot will drop to the team who finishes eighth - with the sixth placed team taking the second available group stage place.


 
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Timberwolf

Well-Known Member
Jan 17, 2008
10,328
50,217
I think there is a tendency to overrate our squad though. Before the re-start many people were getting carried away by its apparent strength but ,although undoubtedly full of very good players, there are huge flaws and gaps in all areas . A couple of world class players ( Kane and Son) but we don't exist in a vacuum and the premier league has been gradually evening itself out over the last few seasons( apart from Liverpool and city). We have gradually deteriorated whilst the new ambitious clubs have improved, no longer needing to sell their best players to keep afloat.
I even watched Brighton yesterday and thought not for the first time this season, what a good and improving team they look. I'd be more than happy to transplant their 2 centre defenders into our defence. We have a large squad of mostly very good individuals but are miles off replicating the teams we had a few seasons back and my worry is that I'm not sure where we go from here given the inevitable difficult transfer window and the nagging doubts that we have the right manager in place.
The same Brighton team that got 1 win in 15 prior to their win at Arsenal. I doubt anyone was admiring them too much in the middle of that spell.

That last point was a bit churlish, and I do think Brighton are a good footballing team moving in the right direction, but the point I'm trying to make is that football fans are incredible fickle and have a tendency to swing between two extremes. Whether it's us, or another team, everything is always fantastic or utter dogshit, and there's little care for the grey area in-between:

1) WE'RE FUCKING SHIT. OUR SQUAD IS TERRIBLE - RELEGATION FODDER. SELL HALF THE TEAM, etc etc

2) DIER FOR ENGLAND - WE COULD WIN ALL OF OUR REMAINING GAMES. GREAT CHANCE OF CL etc etc

The reality is, almost always, in between the two. Personally I think the par for our current squad is probably around 5th/6th in the league. I think a good manager could have us pushing for 3rd and a sub-par manager will have us in mid-table. Now I'm not saying our squad is perfect - it's obvious we have issues at the back and in DM - but what I'm arguing against is the reactionary doom-mongers who suddenly think our entire squad is shite because we lost a match.

Ultimately, I think the problem is far more one of management than it is the quality of the players. Compare our squad to that of Burnley and Sheffield United - how many of their players would you want in our squad? Very few, I imagine. Yet they're both above us in the table. That alone is a testament to the fact that it isn't just the squad, but rather how we're setting up.

Teams like Brighton move the ball around much more intelligently and progessively than we do. Even fucking Newcastle look more coherent going forward at the moment than us.

Would anyone on here prefer Maupay to Kane, Almiron to Son or Mooy to Lo Celso? Fuck no. You mention Kane and Son as our only two world class players, but not many clubs have players as talented as Bergwijn, Lo Celso, Ndombele, or even potentially Sessegnon, Alderweireld, Alli, Lamela, Sanchez and Lucas. If used correctly in a coherent system, I have no doubt some of the better bottom half managers could have an absolute field day with this squad and a couple of choice signings.

Therefore, in my book the majority of the blame has to go on Mourinho, not the players.
 
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homer hotspur

Well-Known Member
Dec 7, 2014
2,868
4,637
The same Brighton team that got 1 win in 15 prior to their win at Arsenal. I doubt anyone was admiring them too much in the middle of that spell.

That last point was a bit churlish, and I do think Brighton are a good footballing team moving in the right direction, but the point I'm trying to make is that football fans are incredible fickle and have a tendency to swing between two extremes. Whether it's us, or another team, everything is always fantastic or utter dogshit, and there's little care for the grey area in-between:

1) WE'RE FUCKING SHIT. OUR SQUAD IS TERRIBLE - RELEGATION FODDER. SELL HALF THE TEAM, etc etc

2) DIER FOR ENGLAND - WE COULD WIN ALL OF OUR REMAINING GAMES. GREAT CHANCE OF CL etc etc

The reality is, almost always, in between the two. Personally I think the par for our current squad is probably around 5th/6th in the league. I think a good manager could have us pushing for 3rd and a sub-par manager will have us in mid-table. Now I'm not saying our squad is perfect - it's obvious we have issues at the back and in DM - but what I'm arguing against is the reactionary doom-mongers who suddenly think our entire squad is shite because we lost a match.

Ultimately, I think the problem is far more one of management than it is the quality of the players. Compare our squad to that of Burnley and Sheffield United - how many of their players would you want in our squad? Very few, I imagine. Yet they're both above us in the table. That alone is proof that it isn't just the squad, but rather how we're setting up.

Teams like Brighton move the ball around much more intelligently and progessively than we do. Even fucking Newcastle look more coherent going forward at the moment than us.

Would anyone on here prefer Maupay to Kane, Almiron to Son or Mooy to Lo Celso? Fuck no.

Therefore, in my book the majority of the blame has to go on Mourinho, not the players.
Well we certainly have to hope that is the case and that we can make the required adjustments in the summer. Another glaring weakness you didn't highlight is the one striker farce which simply cannot continue. Perhaps Graham Potter is the answer?!
 

Timberwolf

Well-Known Member
Jan 17, 2008
10,328
50,217
Well we certainly have to hope that is the case and that we can make the required adjustments in the summer. Another glaring weakness you didn't highlight is the one striker farce which simply cannot continue. Perhaps Graham Potter is the answer?!
It would've been a risky appointment due to his lack of experience at this level but honestly I think someone like Hasenhuttl or Potter would've got more out of this group of players than Mourinho has so far. At the very least it would've been much easier on the eyes.
 

stormfly

Well-Known Member
Dec 6, 2006
4,584
11,990
Can we still get Europa through the fair play league? It’s been a while since I’ve had to know this haha.
 

stov

Well-Known Member
Jul 20, 2005
3,353
6,112
If we don't spend wisely this summer we are gonna be in the fight for relegation next season.

Can't see this exhausted squad fighting for top 10 next season.
I've been quite negative since the fraud mourinho arrived. But no way will be in a relegation fight next season.
 

YiddoTom90

Well-Known Member
Feb 9, 2015
1,456
2,051
It does seem to be a sensible match - they are on the rise and need an elite striker and Kane won't want to keep feeding on scraps and staying midtable. :(
and mess up greenwood's rise I don't think so. city are the only ones who are likely with aguero going soon
 

DiVaio

Well-Known Member
May 27, 2020
4,173
17,393
The same Brighton team that got 1 win in 15 prior to their win at Arsenal. I doubt anyone was admiring them too much in the middle of that spell.

That last point was a bit churlish, and I do think Brighton are a good footballing team moving in the right direction, but the point I'm trying to make is that football fans are incredible fickle and have a tendency to swing between two extremes. Whether it's us, or another team, everything is always fantastic or utter dogshit, and there's little care for the grey area in-between:

1) WE'RE FUCKING SHIT. OUR SQUAD IS TERRIBLE - RELEGATION FODDER. SELL HALF THE TEAM, etc etc

2) DIER FOR ENGLAND - WE COULD WIN ALL OF OUR REMAINING GAMES. GREAT CHANCE OF CL etc etc

The reality is, almost always, in between the two. Personally I think the par for our current squad is probably around 5th/6th in the league. I think a good manager could have us pushing for 3rd and a sub-par manager will have us in mid-table. Now I'm not saying our squad is perfect - it's obvious we have issues at the back and in DM - but what I'm arguing against is the reactionary doom-mongers who suddenly think our entire squad is shite because we lost a match.

Ultimately, I think the problem is far more one of management than it is the quality of the players. Compare our squad to that of Burnley and Sheffield United - how many of their players would you want in our squad? Very few, I imagine. Yet they're both above us in the table. That alone is a testament to the fact that it isn't just the squad, but rather how we're setting up.

Teams like Brighton move the ball around much more intelligently and progessively than we do. Even fucking Newcastle look more coherent going forward at the moment than us.

Would anyone on here prefer Maupay to Kane, Almiron to Son or Mooy to Lo Celso? Fuck no. You mention Kane and Son as our only two world class players, but not many clubs have players as talented as Bergwijn, Lo Celso, Ndombele, or even potentially Sessegnon, Alderweireld, Alli, Lamela, Sanchez and Lucas. If used correctly in a coherent system, I have no doubt some of the better bottom half managers could have an absolute field day with this squad and a couple of choice signings.

Therefore, in my book the majority of the blame has to go on Mourinho, not the players.

Exactly this. Our fans underrate massively our squad and overrate the others.
 
Jan 31, 2006
2,184
6,495
The same Brighton team that got 1 win in 15 prior to their win at Arsenal. I doubt anyone was admiring them too much in the middle of that spell.

That last point was a bit churlish, and I do think Brighton are a good footballing team moving in the right direction, but the point I'm trying to make is that football fans are incredible fickle and have a tendency to swing between two extremes. Whether it's us, or another team, everything is always fantastic or utter dogshit, and there's little care for the grey area in-between:

1) WE'RE FUCKING SHIT. OUR SQUAD IS TERRIBLE - RELEGATION FODDER. SELL HALF THE TEAM, etc etc

2) DIER FOR ENGLAND - WE COULD WIN ALL OF OUR REMAINING GAMES. GREAT CHANCE OF CL etc etc

The reality is, almost always, in between the two. Personally I think the par for our current squad is probably around 5th/6th in the league. I think a good manager could have us pushing for 3rd and a sub-par manager will have us in mid-table. Now I'm not saying our squad is perfect - it's obvious we have issues at the back and in DM - but what I'm arguing against is the reactionary doom-mongers who suddenly think our entire squad is shite because we lost a match.

Ultimately, I think the problem is far more one of management than it is the quality of the players. Compare our squad to that of Burnley and Sheffield United - how many of their players would you want in our squad? Very few, I imagine. Yet they're both above us in the table. That alone is a testament to the fact that it isn't just the squad, but rather how we're setting up.

Teams like Brighton move the ball around much more intelligently and progessively than we do. Even fucking Newcastle look more coherent going forward at the moment than us.

Would anyone on here prefer Maupay to Kane, Almiron to Son or Mooy to Lo Celso? Fuck no. You mention Kane and Son as our only two world class players, but not many clubs have players as talented as Bergwijn, Lo Celso, Ndombele, or even potentially Sessegnon, Alderweireld, Alli, Lamela, Sanchez and Lucas. If used correctly in a coherent system, I have no doubt some of the better bottom half managers could have an absolute field day with this squad and a couple of choice signings.

Therefore, in my book the majority of the blame has to go on Mourinho, not the players.
Agree mostly, but some of the talented players should be moved on because they've been with us too long/or just aren't bothered anymore (Dele has the sun and daily mirror celeb pics on his mind)
 

rossdapep

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2011
21,905
78,641
Agree mostly, but some of the talented players should be moved on because they've been with us too long/or just aren't bothered anymore (Dele has the sun and daily mirror celeb pics on his mind)
Harsh on Dele, he's clearly been disrupted by his hamstring problems and the fact we are awful at the moment.
 

Bobbins

SC's 14th Sexiest Male 2008
May 5, 2005
21,548
45,031
Huge middle of the table clash tonight for the Top Half Trophy.

Two washed up managers pitch their unbalanced and de-motivated squads against each other!

It's a battle of outdated tactics in front of zero fans!

And it's LIIIIIIVVVVVEEEE! on bbc radio
 

JCRD

Well-Known Member
Aug 10, 2018
19,153
30,013
Huge middle of the table clash tonight for the Top Half Trophy.

Two washed up managers pitch their unbalanced and de-motivated squads against each other!

It's a battle of outdated tactics in front of zero fans!

And it's LIIIIIIVVVVVEEEE! on bbc radio


That fucking **** tyler deserves a beating - fucking americanised aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand its live
 
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