[Albion] Is Europe off the cards now?

[GT49er]

I agree, I don't want Conference for this reason. Lets have a rest from Europe and another good go at the league and maybe one of the cups and try and get back in to Europa again the following season.

I hope that when we do qualify for Europe again - this season or next - it is for the Conference. Perfectly good competition - and I would really like the Albion to win a trophy in my lifetime, and the Conference looks potentially winnable. FFS, even Wet Sham can do it! The Europa League, much as we were all excited about getting there - and pushing Villa down into the Conference - it really was, as it turned out, a case of trying to run before we could walk.
Yep, a season in the Conference would be just great! And if we did win it, perfect preparation for stepping up to the Europa the following season.

 

[HCxUK]

If we had 3 points for every time that's been written we'd be wondering if we could stay top.

Stat Brother, I just had a quick look at fbref and Welbeck's xG for this PL season is 4.0. He's scored 4 goals so no complaints from me there.

Aren’t Bournemouth the most in form team in the league at the moment?

Granted they're in good form but it has to be seen a winnable game.

 

[Stat Brother]

Granted they're in good form but it has to be seen a winnable game.

Like Brentford.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I hope that when we do qualify for Europe again - this season or next - it is for the Conference. Perfectly good competition - and I would really like the Albion to win a trophy in my lifetime, and the Conference looks potentially winnable. FFS, even Wet Sham can do it! The Europa League, much as we were all excited about getting there - and pushing Villa down into the Conference - it really was, as it turned out, a case of trying to run before we could walk.
Yep, a season in the Conference would be just great! And if we did win it, perfect preparation for stepping up to the Europa the following season.

It was just rotten luck to first draw Roma and then a bit crap and naive to go on to capitulate so thoroughly at their place in the first leg. And injuries heaped on injuries, which has been the over-arching story of this season. And let's never forget that we came top of a pretty tough Europa League group. F*** the Europa Conference

 

[dazzer6666]

I hope that when we do qualify for Europe again - this season or next - it is for the Conference. Perfectly good competition - and I would really like the Albion to win a trophy in my lifetime, and the Conference looks potentially winnable. FFS, even Wet Sham can do it! The Europa League, much as we were all excited about getting there - and pushing Villa down into the Conference - it really was, as it turned out, a case of trying to run before we could walk.
Yep, a season in the Conference would be just great! And if we did win it, perfect preparation for stepping up to the Europa the following season.

Don't think it was that - it was more a brilliant opportunity to learn (reminds me a bit of the pic of TB and Co at their board meeting the day after the play-off loss to Massive with essentially the immediate planning underway for the next season) - knowing how good TB/PB are learning as they go, we're going to be much better prepared next time it happens. It was also a great ride.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Unlikely, but never say never.

 

[Lenny Rider]

Think we will get Top Ten, its been a great season blighted by injuries.

Busy Summer window hopefully but more quality coming in than going out, and we go again in August with a real crack at a top 7 finish, with hopefully a realistic attempt at the League Cup.

Ironically I think the injuries to Mitoma and Pedro will work in our favour in keeping them here in the summer.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

It was just rotten luck to first draw Roma and then a bit crap and naive to go on to capitulate so thoroughly at their place in the first leg. And injuries heaped on injuries, which has been the over-arching story of this season. And let's never forget that we came top of a pretty tough Europa League group. F*** the Europa Conference

It was rotten luck that Mourinho was sacked just before we played Roma. They could've waited a few more weeks before getting rid of him. We'd be in the quarter finals now.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

It was rotten luck that Mourinho was sacked just before we played Roma. They could've waited a few more weeks before getting rid of him. We'd be in the quarter finals now.

Not with that level of crap defending and finishing we wouldn't

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Not with that level of crap defending and finishing we wouldn't

Did you see Roma's results under Mourinho? We also beat them at the Amex.
Football is always a game of fine margins. Lukaku out, means we win.

 

[Is it PotG?]

A season with no Thursday/Sunday with increased injury risks will be a chance to launch a solid campaign next season.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I hope that when we do qualify for Europe again - this season or next - it is for the Conference. Perfectly good competition - and I would really like the Albion to win a trophy in my lifetime, and the Conference looks potentially winnable. FFS, even Wet Sham can do it! The Europa League, much as we were all excited about getting there - and pushing Villa down into the Conference - it really was, as it turned out, a case of trying to run before we could walk.
Yep, a season in the Conference would be just great! And if we did win it, perfect preparation for stepping up to the Europa the following season.

I guess it depends what you want from European football. A friend is a. Villa fan and he looked at our ties with envy; he had Legia Warsaw, Alkmaar and Zrinjski in his group.

I do not agree we were 'trying to run before we could walk', we were in this tournament on merit, drew a very strong group, and topped it. Getting to the knockout stage in our first ever campaign is impressive, exciting for all involved, a superb learning experience for all inolved and possibly Roma aside we did not look too out of place. Further more we did not suffer the fate of ending up near the domestic relegation zone as many other Euro debutants do. We will be better for it in the next European campaign. The Conference is not to be sniffed at, but I have tasted the Europa league, those games in Marseille, Ajax and Rome will live in my memory forever, especially Marseille...so much fun and excitement.....and I want more.

 

[GT49er]

Don't think it was that - it was more a brilliant opportunity to learn (reminds me a bit of the pic of TB and Co at their board meeting the day after the play-off loss to Massive with essentially the immediate planning underway for the next season) - knowing how good TB/PB are learning as they go, we're going to be much better prepared next time it happens. It was also a great ride.

But surely cocking it up and getting it all wrong against a good team like Roma was exactly what trying to run before you could walk is all about? I agree the European campaign was great fun ........................ until then!

 

[Gazwag]

I hope that when we do qualify for Europe again - this season or next - it is for the Conference. Perfectly good competition - and I would really like the Albion to win a trophy in my lifetime, and the Conference looks potentially winnable. FFS, even Wet Sham can do it! The Europa League, much as we were all excited about getting there - and pushing Villa down into the Conference - it really was, as it turned out, a case of trying to run before we could walk.
Yep, a season in the Conference would be just great! And if we did win it, perfect preparation for stepping up to the Europa the following season.

Then we will have to fork out for Conference league steward's vests and centre circle plastic circle - there is only so much storage space available you know

 

[Giraffe]

I hope that when we do qualify for Europe again - this season or next - it is for the Conference. Perfectly good competition - and I would really like the Albion to win a trophy in my lifetime, and the Conference looks potentially winnable. FFS, even Wet Sham can do it! The Europa League, much as we were all excited about getting there - and pushing Villa down into the Conference - it really was, as it turned out, a case of trying to run before we could walk.
Yep, a season in the Conference would be just great! And if we did win it, perfect preparation for stepping up to the Europa the following season.

Not sure that is really true though is it? We did win the group remember. We then a) got unlucky with the draw against arguably the hardest opponent we could have done in that round. And then RDZ got it wrong with our tactics in the away leg coupled with all the injuries we had. I think we were ready and could easily in another scenario where injuries were less and the draw was kinder be sat quite happy in the Europa League quarter finals.

 

[rippleman]

Think we will get Top Ten, its been a great season blighted by injuries.

Busy Summer window hopefully but more quality coming in than going out, and we go again in August with a real crack at a top 7 finish, with hopefully a realistic attempt at the League Cup.

Ironically I think the injuries to Mitoma and Pedro will work in our favour in keeping them here in the summer.

The problem here is that the quality players (assuming we can afford them and their wages aren't too high) are likely to be attracted to a club playing in Europe.

I'm not really buying in to the idea that many top clubs will be offloading top players cheaply in the summer. Those players will be on massive wages; far more than we are willing or able to pay. If we don't qualify for Europe next season, and I can't see a way for that to happen now, we lose the Euro tv money and we are less attractive to potential top level recruits.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

A season with no Thursday/Sunday with increased injury risks will be a chance to launch a solid campaign next season.

Unless of course the club flogs off the next tranche of family jewels (Pedro, Mitoma, Ferguson) over the Summer and replaces them with slightly inferior, er, replacements

 

[Exilegull]

Unless of course the club flogs off the next tranche of family jewels (Pedro, Mitoma, Ferguson) over the Summer and replaces them with slightly inferior, er, replacements

Mitoma could leave who can blame him if he does. Pedro and Ferguson why would anyone want to buy a striker who can only score on penalty and one who cant score at all

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

Mitoma could leave who can blame him if he does. Pedro and Ferguson why would anyone want to buy a striker who can only score on penalty and one who cant score at all

Yeah we all forgot penalties don't count, and lets not think about the other 8 or 9 non penalty goals Pedro got this season.

 

[Exilegull]

Yeah we all forgot penalties don't count, and lets not think about the other 8 or 9 non penalty goals Pedro got this season.

They don't count the same way no if we had another penalty taker he´d have Maupay stats. No big club is buying a striker scoring the majority of his goals on penalty