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Europa league













Barrel of Fun

Abort, retry, fail
It is ridiculous that teams fail on the big stage and are then shunted on to the little stage. When Champions of various European countries have to take a playoff game against a team that finishes fourth in their own league.

Why should a club suffering failure, be rewarded with another chance to win a trophy?
 




Southwick_Seagull

Well-known member
Oct 8, 2008
2,035
It is ridiculous that teams fail on the big stage and are then shunted on to the little stage. When Champions of various European countries have to take a playoff game against a team that finishes fourth in their own league.

Why should a club suffering failure, be rewarded with another chance to win a trophy?

Because it's UEFA's 'product' and its easier to sell the television and advertising rights at a high price when bigger teams are involved. Sad but true. The real winners out of this are Channel 5, bet they are going wild tonight.
 


Sarisbury Seagull

Solly March Fan Club
NSC Patron
Nov 22, 2007
15,010
Sarisbury Green, Southampton
Do Channel 5 have the pick of the games then cos I've also seen the Europa league on ESPN and ITV?

Its a shame the Europa league is now such a derided competition. I used to really enjoy the old UEFA and Cup Winners Cups.
 


trueblue

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
10,954
Hove
Viewing figures may exceed three digits.

Actually, even Fulham v Wisla Krakow on C5 got more viewers than 2 of the 3 live Sky games that week. And at under 1.5m that wasn't even a particularly good rating compared to many in the past.

That's why they'd always been keen on covering football (until Richard Desmond showed up with his usual business policy of spending no money on anything at all).
 




Tricky Dicky

New member
Jul 27, 2004
13,558
Sunny Shoreham
It is ridiculous that teams fail on the big stage and are then shunted on to the little stage. When Champions of various European countries have to take a playoff game against a team that finishes fourth in their own league.

Why should a club suffering failure, be rewarded with another chance to win a trophy?

I would think the answer, as usual, is "money". I suspect most teams that fall out of the CL would rather not be in the Europa cup - it's different for teams like Stoke for whom playing anything in Europe is a bonus. I'm sure United and City would rather concentrate on winning the PL instead of trapsing round the continent every Thurs for nothing.
 




JJ McClure

Go Jags
Jul 7, 2003
11,106
Hassocks
I've referred to it as the Losers Cup ever since they started putting the champions league rejects in there. It's basically teams who failed to qualify for the group stages against teams who failed to make the top three or four in their respective leagues, add in some fair play teams and cup runners up and its become a real tin pot trophy.
 




Sarisbury Seagull

Solly March Fan Club
NSC Patron
Nov 22, 2007
15,010
Sarisbury Green, Southampton
Apparently all the English teams are kept apart in the next round of the Europa League. If people think Spurs treated the competition with contempt,watch United go.

Maybe but its probably going to be Uniteds only chance of winning something! Out of the Champions league and league cup, away to City in the FA cup and I can see them finishing as low as 3rd or 4th in the league.

They have got big problems - Vidic is out for a while, Rio is ageing rapidly, the keeper is clearly promising but he will continue to make errors this season as so young, their midfield is really quite poor and Hernandez seems injury prone this season.

Their starting 11 looks weaker than Spurs now in my opinion.
 


Badger

NOT the Honey Badger
NSC Patron
May 8, 2007
13,102
Toronto
What's the betting the Europa league will suddenly switch from ITV4 to ITV1?
 


Paris

Well-known member
Jul 17, 2010
4,127
13th district
Maybe but its probably going to be Uniteds only chance of winning something! Out of the Champions league and league cup, away to City in the FA cup and I can see them finishing as low as 3rd or 4th in the league.

They have got big problems - Vidic is out for a while, Rio is ageing rapidly, the keeper is clearly promising but he will continue to make errors this season as so young, their midfield is really quite poor and Hernandez seems injury prone this season.
Their starting 11 looks weaker than Spurs now in my opinion.

I agree with you regarding Spurs having a stronger starting 11 at present. Especially with Vidic and Hernandez sidelined. I just can't see United taking the Europa League seriously. They'll be wanting to focus all their attention on overpowering City on the domestic front.
 




strings

Moving further North...
Feb 19, 2006
9,969
Barnsley
I really hope the English teams try to win the Euro League this year. I don't care it is a second rate competition, it just annoys me when the big teams send out a team to lose.
 






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