Not when it's a step too far, too soon, no.
Although we scraped through some of those matches by the skin of our teeth...............and then we were schooled by Roma. All in all, if we'd had a choice, I'd have gone Conference.
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[Albion] To Avoid Hürzeler Bashing - The Staying Up and Europe Tracker - season 2024-25 Game 17 Update
- Thread starter Giraffe
- Start date
Well if you twisted my arm, I wouldn't say no to the Champions' League.
The weird thing is that I haven't watched a single kick of CL action for about a decade. Just always thought it was such a rich man's plaything that it was nothing to do with us, so I've zoned out. That would obviously change dramatically if we gate-crashed the party.
Still think it's a stretch but if the 5th place spot opened up, who knows?
Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo
I believe in Joe Hendry
- Oct 4, 2003
- 12,213
It was not a step too far. We were competitive in the group stage winning what was considered the toughest group draw most of us could have imagined. We then got unlucky to draw one of the toughest teams we could face out of potential last 16 opponents. Roma made the final the season before. Had we gone out in the group stage finishing bottom you could say we weren’t ready but we acquitted ourselves brilliantly and no one would turn their noses up at repeating trips to places like Amsterdam, Rome or Marseille again.
We might have had stage fright against AEK in the first game but the come back against Marseille was brilliant. We then deservedly beat Ajax twice before winning two tighter games to finish off the group stage. None of it was by the skin of our teeth though. We were competitive in every group game. And I’ve already covered Roma being the toughest possible last 16 draw we could have had.
You can’t pick and choose how you qualify for Europe, if we finish in the Champions League places it will be because we deserved to be in those places and I’ll look forward to possibly seeing how we get on against some European giants in what will be a memorable experience win, lose or draw. Plus with how the new format works we’d still be facing some teams id expect us to have a great chance of beating.
Even if we ended up in the Confernece League we wouldn’t be guaranteed anything, sure we’d be amoung the favourites but of the teams in it this year I’d imagine both Fiorentina (twice runners up in the conference league) and Real Betis would be real tests if we drew them.
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Ugh, no. Conference is a major step down from Europa. (The fact that Chelsea have put out a 'B' team - and didn't even register Palmer for it - says it all.)
We had great Europa ties. Just had a tough draw against Roma - and a wreckless manager.
Greg Bobkin
Silver Seagull
- May 22, 2012
- 16,293
Hold your Champions League horses guys, it's not *that* long ago that people on here were writing the team off as bang average for the SHITEHOUSE last few minutes against Wolves. And those complaints came after draws against [we should be beating teams like] Ipswich and Notts Forest...
- Jun 20, 2021
- 3,941
And next year the same people will be saying we should be beating teams like....Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern Munich and Juventus
I certainly will
Machiavelli
Well-known member
If you thought we were SHITEHOUSE in those drawn games, then just how bad were we against Chelsea which we lost, because our 31yo manager -- bless -- doesn't understand tactics as well as we all do, as demonstrated by the unfathomable decision to play a high defensive line?
I know that!!
But if we could choose, my vote would be for The Conference (for next season). We could well do a Newcastle in the CL!
Would you like to look at the teams in the Champions League & the Conference League this season and have a rethink on this one?
I disagree. We won our group and had a bad game against Roma. That can happen. Man City just lost 4-1, so are they not ready for the CL?
We also had a lot of injuries which harmed our PL season.
Greg Bobkin
Silver Seagull
- May 22, 2012
- 16,293
Double SHITEHOUSE
I agree 100%. And even if you were wrong .... so what? It meant our first-ever European games were against AEK Athens, Marseilles and Ajax Amsterdam. Even now I can hardly believe it. I'm SO pleased it's those three illustrious names in the record books and not a load of part-timers from Norway, some Scottish non-league team and an unknown side from eastern Europe with an unpronounceable name.
If we'd got stuffed in every game then yeah, I'd agree that perhaps it was a step too far and we should have started with the lesser competition, but we didn't, we won the group!
Can we get to 40 points first please? Then you can all start dreaming about Champions League whatevers.
Business before pleasure.
Business before pleasure.
I get all the reasons why you would prefer the Conference League. They're all perfectly reasonable.
But as we're talking about ifs, I simply couldn't pass by the opportunity to see us playing Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern et al in competitive matches.
Much like last season in fact. I was fortunate enough to attend all the European home fixtures and I spent the entire time pinching myself. I could barely compute that we were playing... IN EUROPE!!! I've supported the club for almost 45 years and spent most of those assuming that division three (in old money) was our natural spot in the food chain. Yet there we were... IN EUROPE!!! Not just any Europe either. Proper clubs. None of this eastern minnows malarkey.
So, yeah! IF the Champions' League was ever on offer, I'd walk over hot coals/sell a lung for a piece of that action.
schmunk
Why oh why oh why?
You dirty bastard.
Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo
I believe in Joe Hendry
- Oct 4, 2003
- 12,213
Would you still pick the Conference League over getting into the Europa League because we'd won the FA Cup?
Don't know! Would that be a choice? (not that I'd be the one who'd get to make it anyway!)
Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo
I believe in Joe Hendry
- Oct 4, 2003
- 12,213
If we won the FA Cup we'd be guaranteed Europa League at a minimum. So if you could pick would you go Conference League or winning the FA Cup?
pigmanovich
Good Old Sausage by the Sea
Shirley the latter, silverware please!
Absolutely. Just once in my life I would love to see my team win a nice big silver pot, which would also give us something new to hold over that bunch from Croydon. They can keep their Simod Zenith thingy.