Popular Post Marka Ragnos Posted April 19 VT Supporter Popular Post Share Posted April 19 (edited) Europa League is actually pretty amazing, too -- and we're basically in. Are we going to stop and celebrate that fact? No time for resting yet? Isn't it pretty incredible that we've picked up Europa league almost as an afterthought? Are we ever going to stop and say wow? Maybe I have a lot of the old Villa in me, but I'm still just pinching myself that we're even back in Europe. I don't want to get too carried away, but I love thinking that some newer, younger Villa fans may be a generation who start to think of Villa the way my father did in the glory days. So again ... EUROPA LEAGUE 2024/2025!!!!! Is there an argument to be made for embracing our certain Europa League qualification for 2024-2025 over a hard-won, but potentially taxing Champions League spot we may be less "ready" for? Edited April 19 by Marka Ragnos 12 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
479Villan Posted April 19 Share Posted April 19 We are going to be back in Europe after having maintained a top 5 league position AND a deep advancement in a European competition in our first year returning to Europe, with a ton of injuries. To be honest, it's all a bit much to take in. I'm a big believer that real success in sport comes from going up through the gears of success as opposed to a one-off shot. So, one year you make the playoffs, the next year you advance further, the next year etc, until you win. As opposed to "make the playoffs and go like 3 levels deeper than you should" which doesn't work out quite the way people would want. If Champions League qualification in any given year really meant something unique in perpetuity, Everton and Newcastle wouldn't be in their current positions I'd reckon. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post ender4 Posted April 19 Popular Post Share Posted April 19 I DONT LIKE THIS THREAD. I WANT CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, not crappy Europa League. 1 1 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam2003 Posted April 19 Share Posted April 19 I mean yes, if we “just” get into the Europa League, while also going deep in European competition, that’s a great season. I definitely agree with that. But still, let’s move this to other football in case we don’t need it eh I believe we can win the 2-3 more games needed for CL 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvonVillain Posted April 19 Share Posted April 19 28 minutes ago, Marka Ragnos said: Europa League is actually pretty amazing, too -- and we're basically in. Are we going to stop and celebrate that fact? No time for resting yet? Isn't it pretty incredible that we've picked up Europa league almost as an afterthought? Are we ever going to stop and say wow? Maybe I have a lot of the old Villa in me, but I'm still just pinching myself that we're even back in Europe. I don't want to get too carried away, but I love thinking that some newer, younger Villa fans may be a generation who start to think of Villa the way my father did in the glory days. So again ... EUROPA LEAGUE 2024/2025!!!!! Is there an argument to be made for embracing our certain Europa League qualification for 2024-2025 over a hard-won, but potentially taxing Champions League spot we may be less "ready" for? Top post. We quickly get used to things previously unimaginable. However, as things have panned out, it would be quietly devastating in the same way Leicester couldn't ever quite get over the line despite massively positive seasons overall, to qualify for the Champions League under Rodgers. Right now, it would be snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Such a blow could reverberate for years. My personal feeling is that we qualify, and a new era is being heroically written in front of our astonished eyes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post StewieGriffin Posted April 20 Popular Post Share Posted April 20 Premature. Chelsea, Newcastle and Man Utd can still catch us if they win every game - we could still be in the conference league again 1 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlobalVillan Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 (edited) if we are in the Europa League instead of the CL, we will be doing so without several of our best players. I'm pretty sure Ollie will leave, Luiz will leave and maybe 1 or 2 others. Not just for their ambitions, but also because of FFP. We have to get CL. Europa is not good enough given our precarious position on the financial front. Edited April 20 by GlobalVillan 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 5 hours ago, StewieGriffin said: Premature. Chelsea, Newcastle and Man Utd can still catch us if they win every game - we could still be in the conference league again Newcastle and utd will catch us Chelsea will win the FA Cup We'll get nothing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panto_Villan Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 Someone raised in another thread that it’d a really challenging place for the club to be - lots of strong teams in there, so you probably can’t get away with rotating the team like we did in the early stages of the conference. Yet the prize money is still far, far less than the champions league (and not that much more than the conference). I thought that was a good point. But yeah, it’s kinda amazing that the worst we can do this season is to show a major improvement on last season - which itself was one of the best seasons we’ve had in ages. It’s a hell of a safety net. It’s just a shame the money is so tilted towards the CL really. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 2 hours ago, GlobalVillan said: if we are in the Europa League instead of the CL, we will be doing so without several of our best players. I'm pretty sure Ollie will leave, Luiz will leave and maybe 1 or 2 others. Not just for their ambitions, but also because of FFP. We have to get CL. Europa is not good enough given our precarious position on the financial front. You think Emery decided to join a team that had to make champions league within 18 months or else the entire club falls apart. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 7 hours ago, ender4 said: I DONT LIKE THIS THREAD. I WANT CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, not crappy Europa League. Once I realised there are not teams dropping out of the CL to EL next season I immediately thought of it like the ECL this season. We are surely one of the favourites to win it no? Imagine winning a properly prestigious trophy like the Europa League. Only winning the PL or CL is bigger. We also get qualification to CL too. It would be a next step for us that's for sure. The exposure of going deep in a European Trophy again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlobalVillan Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 22 minutes ago, DCJonah said: You think Emery decided to join a team that had to make champions league within 18 months or else the entire club falls apart. No I am just explaining the current financial situation. It's pretty widely known amongst agents that Villa will need to sell if we don't make the CL. Laugh all you want. It's something I know to be true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 7 minutes ago, GlobalVillan said: No I am just explaining the current financial situation. It's pretty widely known amongst agents that Villa will need to sell if we don't make the CL. Laugh all you want. It's something I know to be true. Several of our best players. I highly doubt we are in that much of a mess. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talldarkandransome Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 We snook into Europe last season so it was different. This season we have been pretty much in top 4/5 all season. Europa League would almost feel like a let down. And I mean almost, either one is a bloody miracle given our serious injuries. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlobalVillan Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 Just now, DCJonah said: Several of our best players. I highly doubt we are in that much of a mess. As I said, there are several reasons and FFP is just one. The likes of Ollie will be in high demand in pre season and CL clubs will be after him. Arsenal for example, who he supported as a kid. Europa League won't be enough for us to keep hold of our very best players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 8 minutes ago, GlobalVillan said: As I said, there are several reasons and FFP is just one. The likes of Ollie will be in high demand in pre season and CL clubs will be after him. Arsenal for example, who he supported as a kid. Europa League won't be enough for us to keep hold of our very best players. Ollie has had 1 proper top class season. I highly doubt he's demanding a move if we don't get 4th. He'd also cost an absolute fortune so that limits the kind of clubs who could buy him. We've got a world cup winning keeper who loves this club. I don't buy that these players will be desperate to get out if we finish 5th. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlobalVillan Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 Just now, DCJonah said: Ollie has had 1 proper top class season. I highly doubt he's demanding a move if we don't get 4th. He'd also cost an absolute fortune so that limits the kind of clubs who could buy him. We've got a world cup winning keeper who loves this club. I don't buy that these players will be desperate to get out if we finish 5th. It happens to clubs every season. Clubs that are succesful, but not quite succesful enough. It happened to us under MON too. But fine, believe what you want. Let's hope we don't find out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 16 minutes ago, GlobalVillan said: No I am just explaining the current financial situation. It's pretty widely known amongst agents that Villa will need to sell if we don't make the CL. Laugh all you want. It's something I know to be true. This isn't true at all. If we don't qualify for CL we will probably need to be bringing in profit from a big sale to keep us on right side of the rules of we plan on doing and summer transfers. I think we will need to do that anyway regardless because we need the headroom to bring players in. The financial gap between EL and CL based on our expected progression between the two competitions would be 15m or so Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 4 minutes ago, GlobalVillan said: It happens to clubs every season. Clubs that are succesful, but not quite succesful enough. It happened to us under MON too. But fine, believe what you want. Let's hope we don't find out. I'm not denying at some point we will lose players. But the idea that finishing 5th causes us to sell several of our best players doesn't add up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlobalVillan Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 7 minutes ago, DCJonah said: I'm not denying at some point we will lose players. But the idea that finishing 5th causes us to sell several of our best players doesn't add up. Finishing 5th will cost us key players one way or another. Not just because of FFP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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