VillaJ100 Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 My first Europe game as a wee nip was villa vs 'NK Slaven Belupo'. Sod knows what league they were in. Guessing it was around 1998, Intertoto cup. The thing with the Europa League is that most champions league ties don't get down to the real quality teams until the quarter-finals. The group stages are normally Real Madrid slapping some team from Finland about Walsall's standard 6-0, with a bit tougher match against say Benfica 3-1. The Europa League is even worse. I watched Liverpool in the qualifying stage against a Maltese team who were literally postmen and farmers and I think they got a dodgy 1-0 after being under the cosh for ages. And that's in Malta which is a lovely country, you could end up in the arse end of central Europe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 I think mine was Ajax at home I'm not actually sure who I'm more upset for, the Ajax team of the mid 90s in my head are still fighting barca for the best team ever, as the money has ruined football they've died a death but that game was absolutely electric That crazy stat that this year i spose will be us, we'll earn more money finishing bottom of the prem that all of the eredivise teams put together Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 7 hours ago, Genie said: There are just so few "glamour" ties I think is the problem. Really difficult to get excited about. I often think during the day about a CL game I'm gonna watch on the night. Europa league... no chance. opposite for me, rather watch Shakhtar vs Schalke, Dortmund vs Porto or even Fiorentina vs Spurs than Wolfsburg vs Gent or Roma vs Real Madrid The Europa League is stronger in depth than Champions League as one of Big 3 will win that 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 Same as the World Cup and other tournaments I'll always pick players and try and watch them in the flesh, despite how sky advertise it for me the CL has been and always will be about watching players you've heard of on FM and FIFA but never seen in the flesh, id rather watch the Brazilian kids of shakthtar vs Meyer and the rest at schalke than an English team that sky have on every week anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 for me its a lot more open as a tournament in general even though Spain dominate and Sevilla have won 4 times in 10 years. If look at teams before start of games this week I think all but maybe 3 or 4 teams are reasonable contenders to win it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 The problem is with the Europea league it that teams play it lip service, sat here now Utd, Liverpool, Spurs, Napoli, Sevilla, Dortmund, Porto, lazio, shakhtar, couple of others, all decent teams who could win it, question is when it comes to the punch do any of the. Actually want to win it? Merson chatting shit on SSN said Spurs winning a prem and EL double would be as much of a shock / achievement as Leicester winning the league 1) Leicester winning the league would be mind blowing 2) Spurs winning the league wouldn't be far off...doing that double would be mad tbf The penny will drop for Utd and Liverpool too late, they should be smashing this tournament can it'll be "easier" than 4th Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 but thing is only English teams arent taking it serious except maybe Spurs, every other team seems to think its important and a trophy is a trophy. English teams have always had a strange arrogance towards the Europa League Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 4 hours ago, Zatman said: but thing is only English teams arent taking it serious except maybe Spurs, every other team seems to think its important and a trophy is a trophy. English teams have always had a strange arrogance towards the Europa League There is also the resentment that the English clubs have towards is as it is deemed you cant have a run in it without it being detrimental to the league standing (obviously there are exceptions to the rule like spurs this year). Games need to be played on the Tuesday/Wednesday like the CL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Pangloss Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 (edited) 7 hours ago, Zatman said: but thing is only English teams arent taking it serious except maybe Spurs, every other team seems to think its important and a trophy is a trophy. English teams have always had a strange arrogance towards the Europa League It's not really arrogance, it's more about incentives. Manager's success in premier league jobs (i.e. whether they actually keep their jobs) is typically indexed to league performance. On that basis it's pretty irrational to prioritise a second tier European competition that virtually has zero prestige any more. Edited February 21, 2016 by Dr_Pangloss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 11 minutes ago, Dr_Pangloss said: It's not really arrogance, it's more about incentives. Manager's success in premier league jobs (i.e. whether they actually keep their jobs) is typically indexed to league performance. On that basis it's pretty irrational to prioritise a second tier European competition that virtually has zero prestige any more. maybe but Liverpool are mid-table and have no chance of qualifying for Champions League except through the Europa League but dont think its high up Klopp priorities Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 12 hours ago, Woodytom said: Was about to post something similar. In fact they are probably the toughest of all opponents up to Madrid. Not a patch on trabzonpor tho I meant in respect I didn't know who many of their players were, in the 90s they were certainly an unknown quality. Bordeaux back then had Silvian Wiltord and Papin upfront, maybe Johnny Micoud in midfield aswell (didn't we nearly signed him a year or two later). Bilbao had plenty of Spanish internationals in their team like Julen Guerrero and Extabarria. Great memories though. It just shows how said it is when people say it will be good to go down as "we might win a few games." Not so long ago we were beating some of the best teams in europe, not just in the 80s but the 90s aswell. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 15 minutes ago, Zatman said: maybe but Liverpool are mid-table and have no chance of qualifying for Champions League except through the Europa League but dont think its high up Klopp priorities After Liverpool get league cup final out of the way they'll take europa league very seriously as what else can they play for, out of fa cup and mid table in league. In fact I'd argue they're doing it already as it was a full strength team at Ausburg. Klopp isn't silly, he knows it's a big thing when Liverpool win a european trophy to the fans, it gave Benitez a free pass for 5 years with the fans when he won the CL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Pangloss Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 11 minutes ago, Zatman said: maybe but Liverpool are mid-table and have no chance of qualifying for Champions League except through the Europa League but dont think its high up Klopp priorities Even then the incentives aren't necessarily there. Prize money for the winners (it's unlikely Liverpool would win) is only (e)6.5m (according to this http://www.totalsportek.com/money/europa-league-prize-money/). OK this doesn't include TV money but given the premier league offers something like £1.23m per place (http://www.totalsportek.com/football/premier-league-prize-money-table-2015/) it still probably pays to try and finish as high as possible in the league, baring in mind focusing on the Europa League will most likely negatively affect your league position. I think the central issue is that the Europa League has no credibility. The Champions League is so bloated these days that it really saps away most of the consumer interest in the second rate competition. The UEFA Cup used to mean something, the Europa League really just looks bloated and second rate. The Group stage especially looks like one giant burden for most clubs, the competition would be better served by scrapping the group stage and going back to pure knockout. The group stage offers zero excitement, knockout stages are way more exciting. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyp102 Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 (edited) The likes of utd and Liverpool would be stupid not to take Uefa cup seriously, they are unlikely to finish top 4, but winning Uefa will give them champions league football, meaning they will be able to attract a high calibre of player in the summer Edited February 21, 2016 by mikeyp102 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodytom Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 6 hours ago, VillaChris said: best teams in europe, not just in the 80s but the 90s aswell. I wouldn't go that far.... In the last 2 decades we've done next to nothing. Certainly nothing worth shouting about that other, less known teams havnt done. Fulham. Middlesbrough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 Alright maybe not, the Inter Milan games must've been memorable nights though? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodytom Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 27 minutes ago, VillaChris said: Alright maybe not, the Inter Milan games must've been memorable nights though? One of my earliest memories was Phil king scoring the pen and Ruben sosa smashing the bar. Didn't really understand what was happening tho tbh. Collymore goal is as buzzing as I've ever been. It was on c5 which was still pretty new back then. Signal was crap near me too. Was sat in my sisters room twiddling a manual aerial about. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Albrighton Posted April 10, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted April 10, 2016 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest av1 Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 Given that they still have a shot at top 4 (albeit slim), this may sound hyperbole, but given he has spent £250m and serves up some of the worst football i've ever seen, i think LVG is up there for managerial wooden spoon this season. Atrocious job he's doing up there, surely has to be sacked in the next few weeks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PieFacE Posted May 11, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted May 11, 2016 7 minutes ago, av1 said: Given that they still have a shot at top 4 (albeit slim), this may sound hyperbole, but given he has spent £250m and serves up some of the worst football i've ever seen, i think LVG is up there for managerial wooden spoon this season. Atrocious job he's doing up there, surely has to be sacked in the next few weeks? Have to agree. Mourinho is nailed on imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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