The Europa League Draw - Friday 28th

[Nigel Spinal]

Fiorentina is probably the toughest draw we could have got.

Wonder whether the clowns who were assuring everyone on the Monaco team thread that 'if we finished top of the group we got an easy draw so we must play some of our top players v Monaco' will have the courage to come on this thread and admit they were wrong ...............and don't do the same thing next season

On a different note, think this tie takes on another important meaning - Italy has been drawing closer to England in the co-efficient wars. So we probably need to win this one to stop the Italian tide who want to take the 4th CL place away from England who would then have only 3 CL places (and all co-efficient points won in EL count in that score too).

I think it will be better when England loses its 4th CL spot.

It will break the cartel and get all the Sky-hype 'CL is everything' idiots to start giving EL its due reverence, like everyone else on the continent does.

 

[N170ap]

Absolute Radio just said and I quote "Augsburg v Liverpool is the pick of the Europa League draw"

 

[DCSPUR]

I think it will be better when England loses its 4th CL spot.

It will break the cartel and get all the Sky-hype 'CL is everything' idiots to start giving EL its due reverence, like everyone else on the continent does.

Nig - there is something to what you say here...really think there is an upside for us if only 3 CL spots are up for grabs...will create more turbulence in the league which is good and not so easy for the cartel to pinch all the top players based on CL as they won't be able to guarantee it every season

 

[DCSPUR]

Just where has this phrase "truthers" appeared from? Man it is annoying.

USA

 

[Gaz_Gammon]

Utd. How do they do it? Every time, they get an easy draw.

I would suspect that Yanited will be full of confidence after their venture to the South coast on Saturday.

 

[Nigel Spinal]

Nig - there is something to what you say here...really think there is an upside for us if only 3 CL spots are up for grabs...will create more turbulence in the league which is good and not so easy for the cartel to pinch all the top players based on CL as they won't be able to guarantee it every season

It will likely ruin Arsenal, as the 3 other teams are much better resourced.

 

[Mr Pink]

Anderlecht finish 2ndand get olmpiakos

And the amount of times I got negged for saying it didn't matter if we finished first or second lol.

 

[Spursidol]

I think it will be better when England loses its 4th CL spot.

It will break the cartel and get all the Sky-hype 'CL is everything' idiots to start giving EL its due reverence, like everyone else on the continent does.

Regrettably don't think it will change anything.

The EL is a bastardised format which takes too many ties to win - with a tiny pot of money at the end. I used to love the UEFA cup but this has none of the glamour.

At the moment its arguable that CL money allows 2 clubs to compete against Man City and Chelsea who have been so doped up that other teams need the money to compete. FFP may change things - but not if ManCity are allowed to get away with their current sponsorship deal.

A better solution would be to pool all the CL money and share it amongst a number of clubs more equitably - try to reduce the fact that CL money probably adds 50% onto the earnings of clubs from PL and other competitions. But that will never happen sadly

 

[Rout-Ledge]

Just so we're clear: we win our group comfortably and get a really tough draw against a top European side, whilst United flop out of the CL and get a near-by.

It's really quite tiresome.

 

[Geyzer Soze]

I was hoping for any of them other than Galatasary, Fenerbache, Shakhter or Fiorentina - purely because I wanted a new decent away day. But as Borks said, we were treated like shit out there last year and the booze ban and midnight was a right pain in the arse. Will have to wait for the next round and hope we go through! Although we'll probably then draw United or Liverpool...

It's true, we were treated like absolute shite. i had kind of forgotten until now. hmmm. might not go now that you've reminded me. Funny how these things fade ...

 

[worcestersauce]

I think it will be better when England loses its 4th CL spot.

It will break the cartel and get all the Sky-hype 'CL is everything' idiots to start giving EL its due reverence, like everyone else on the continent does.

So are you saying we will take it seriously when there is no hope of making the CL, I suppose that fits, it's not the despair, I can live with the despair, it's the hope that gets me.

 

[Mr Pink]

Just so we're clear: we win our group comfortably and get a really tough draw against a top European side, whilst United flop out of the CL and get a near-by.

It's really quite tiresome.

Its just a complete joke really.

 

[Spursidol]

OS :

Last 32 of the @EuropaLeague: 1st leg: Fiorentina v #THFC (18 Feb, 6pm) 2nd leg: #THFC v Fiorentina (25 Feb, 8.05pm)

 

[thebenjamin]

At least it won't ruin the Rumbelows Cup final for us this time.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

I think we've got a better chance to beat them then last season, with us playing at home in the second leg. Will still be very difficult though, especially as it's during such a crucial period in the league season so Poch will have to rotate quite heavily.

 

[Trix]

CL drop outs should not be allowed in the EL. Given that they are the draw should be such that the CL teams entering the EL can only draw each other in the first knock out round

and how would that generate extra revenue for Uefa? That is the only reason it is as it is now.

 

[JerryGarcia]

Great, more stabbings coming up then.

On the pitch I think we'll beat them this time though.

 

[talkshowhost86]

Sorry if it's been covered in here already, but is the Saturday between the two games currently free because that's an FA Cup weekend?

If so we're really going to have to make a lot of changes if we're still in the Cup at that point. It's a shame as I'd love a cup run, but at that stage of the season there's no way we can play our full strength side in all three competitions (assuming we're still in the hunt for something in the league at that point).

 

[robbiedee]

OS :

Last 32 of the @EuropaLeague: 1st leg: Fiorentina v #THFC (18 Feb, 6pm) 2nd leg: #THFC v Fiorentina (25 Feb, 8.05pm)

Hmmm not too bad - I'm not sure what fixture we'll have after the 1st leg - I think it might be an FA Cup weekend. Our match after the second leg is at home to Swansea.

 

[robbiedee]

Sorry if it's been covered in here already, but is the Saturday between the two games currently free because that's an FA Cup weekend?

If so we're really going to have to make a lot of changes if we're still in the Cup at that point. It's a shame as I'd love a cup run, but at that stage of the season there's no way we can play our full strength side in all three competitions (assuming we're still in the hunt for something in the league at that point).

That was my conclusion too!!!