Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: Drummond on April 19, 2015, 11:17:06 PM
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We've as good as qualified now.
Good, or bad? Are you glad or sad?
I liked European nights at Villa Park but the attendances in the UEFA these days are rubbish.
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We've as good as qualified now.
Good, or bad? Are you glad or sad?
I liked European nights at Villa Park but the attendances in the UEFA these days are rubbish.
We have to win the FA Cup.
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As PWS said we need to lift the cup. Rules changed last year.
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We've as good as qualified now.
Good, or bad? Are you glad or sad?
I liked European nights at Villa Park but the attendances in the UEFA these days are rubbish.
We have to win the FA Cup.
Just as well then as we will anyway.
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In before the lock.
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Oh well, obviously didn't pay any attention before, it hasn't really been in my thoughts as a possible for years!
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In before the lock.
Me too
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IT'S JUST NOT FAIR!
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Didn't even think about that ;D Its a tough call I can remember when we got back in Europe under MON and we were in that group with the likes of Hamberg and Ajex. That did feel like the special European nights were back at VP. But then times were different at the club also at that point the Europa league (was it still called UEFA cup at the point can't remember?) had not become the total farce that it is today.
As great as yesterday was and with maybe even better to come in six weeks ;) The fact remains that our tough work will come in the league. First making sure we get the win needed to make sure that we are there next season, but then having a more consistent season and not ending up back in a scrap next season. Although it might give us a few nice trips I do think with our squad size than it would be too much of a distraction.
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For me testing yourself in Europe is the ultimate test as you come up against different philosophies and tactics. Yes the Europa League appears to be unwieldy but for a club of our size our record is not good. 1 European Cup and Qtr Final and 2 UEFA Cup qtr finals does not make good reading and we need to do better.
I'm also going to be possibly one of the first to say I like the Europa League. It's only 1 more round of knockout games than the Chumps League so hardly this monstrosity of a competition people make out. Yes they could improve it, removing chumps league failures would be the best move.
If we win it, strengthen the squad in the summer, and make this our priority after the League.
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I'm also going to be possibly one of the first to say I like the Europa League. It's only 1 more round of knockout games than the Chumps League so hardly this monstrosity of a competition people make out. Yes they could improve it, removing chumps league failures would be the best move.
I'll be the second then.
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For me testing yourself in Europe is the ultimate test as you come up against different philosophies and tactics. Yes the Europa League appears to be unwieldy but for a club of our size our record is not good. 1 European Cup and Qtr Final and 2 UEFA Cup qtr finals does not make good reading and we need to do better.
I'm also going to be possibly one of the first to say I like the Europa League. It's only 1 more round of knockout games than the Chumps League so hardly this monstrosity of a competition people make out. Yes they could improve it, removing chumps league failures would be the best move.
If we win it, strengthen the squad in the summer, and make this our priority after the League.
But then you have all the qaulifers on top of the group games, and that depending on how many you have to play we could start our season in July. Plus often you don't get to play the cream of the crop of Europe anyway. I just think we need to keep our feet on the ground, and improve in the league and then maybe think about such things as Europe.
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We've never won the UEFA Cup/Europa League, so it would be nice to complete the set (excepting the CWC, which we can't win now anyway).
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For me testing yourself in Europe is the ultimate test as you come up against different philosophies and tactics. Yes the Europa League appears to be unwieldy but for a club of our size our record is not good. 1 European Cup and Qtr Final and 2 UEFA Cup qtr finals does not make good reading and we need to do better.
I'm also going to be possibly one of the first to say I like the Europa League. It's only 1 more round of knockout games than the Chumps League so hardly this monstrosity of a competition people make out. Yes they could improve it, removing chumps league failures would be the best move.
If we win it, strengthen the squad in the summer, and make this our priority after the League.
But then you have all the qaulifers on top of the group games, and that depending on how many you have to play we could start our season in July.
No, we couldn't because we're not going to finish sixth or seventh. It's not just randomly decided who plays qualifiers and who doesn't.
If we win the FA Cup then we go straight into the group stages.
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For me testing yourself in Europe is the ultimate test as you come up against different philosophies and tactics. Yes the Europa League appears to be unwieldy but for a club of our size our record is not good. 1 European Cup and Qtr Final and 2 UEFA Cup qtr finals does not make good reading and we need to do better.
I'm also going to be possibly one of the first to say I like the Europa League. It's only 1 more round of knockout games than the Chumps League so hardly this monstrosity of a competition people make out. Yes they could improve it, removing chumps league failures would be the best move.
If we win it, strengthen the squad in the summer, and make this our priority after the League.
But then you have all the qaulifers on top of the group games, and that depending on how many you have to play we could start our season in July. Plus often you don't get to play the cream of the crop of Europe anyway. I just think we need to keep our feet on the ground, and improve in the league and then maybe think about such things as Europe.
If we win the FA Cup then it's one round of qualifiers in August.
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it will be great as long as we don't play any of our squad players in it until we reach the last 4.
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(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CCKjZbyWgAAuHKD.png:large)
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Don't the FA cup winners go straight into the group stage? I'd understand an aversion if you had to go through three or so two-legged playoffs just to get into the groups, but otherwise, the way I see it, the whole point of football is to win things.
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Sorry didn't realise it was straight to the Group stage. In that case 6 group games then 4 knockout rounds and the final, 15 games job done. Reserves/youth in the League Cup and have a go in the FA Cup. Priority needs to be the League though.
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Don't the FA cup winners go straight into the group stage? I'd understand an aversion if you had to go through three or so two-legged playoffs just to get into the groups, but otherwise, the way I see it, the whole point of football is to win things.
I did think that to be fair, and if that is a case then I am more sold on it. But I still stick by my guns that for now it would be more of distraction than a positive. Don't forget that one of the big turn offs about it is the Thursday night games and then having to play again at the weekend. I know then our weekend game would be on a sunday but still if you have a long trip and then don't have much time to train before the weekend then I can still see why it would be a pain in arse.
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Yeah, from the standpoint of a club itself it's probably not the greatest to have a Thursday night on the continent, possibly in some backwater, and then have less than a couple of days to prepare for a league game.
I obviously don't want to be getting ahead of myself at all, but if the squad depth's decent enough, may as well give it a go.
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I really like the Europa League, but think we are way too short and way too injury prone to cope with it at the moment. 5-6 new faces in the summer and maybe.
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No worries, Sylla, Tonev, Helenius and Bennett are all ready to twat on whoever we face.
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Of course we want to play in Europe. It will mean we've won the FA Cup.
Top 6 isnt going to happen unless at least one of Spuds znd 'The Mighty Reds YNWA' to bomb. Oh and then we would have to better than half a dozen teams we've not been better thsn for a while.
Europe gives us a profile. Yes its shit that games are moved to Sundays but I want those evening atmospheres back at The Majestic Complex. Witness the Souless Old Tafford and even Anfield which come alive on big European nights.
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it would be a bonus, but winning the fa cup and staying in the league would do me for the next decade!
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Win the Europa League and you are in the Champions League - it should be taken seriously, just a shame its so long.
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Don't you think we should win the cup first , before we start talking about Europe.
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Don't you think we should win the cup first , before we start talking about Europe.
The thread was started because some people thought that being in the Final was enough to qualify for the Europa (as it used to be)
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Don't you think we should win the cup first , before we start talking about Europe.
thumbs up
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Don't you think we should win the cup first , before we start talking about Europe.
The thread was started because some people thought that being in the Final was enough to qualify for the Europa (as it used to be)
Indeed , driving back yesterday a caller had Collymore convinced we'd already qualified for Europe . 4 mins later Stan was corrected by his producer.
Personally , I'm not sure we are ready for Europa league yet , as in squad personnel and also inevitable detriment to the domestic games.
Then again, if we are being sold this summer who knows ?
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I'd give this a pass for the moment.
What I want next season is a comfortable season with no relegation danger whatsoever. Something like Stoke and Swansea have had, floating around 8-10th for most of the season although with goals and exciting games to make it more interesting.
Obviously I want to win the FA cup but I wouldn't give a moments thought if we went out in the play offs as we did under O'Neill or exited at the group stages as I just think our squad isn't ready and it would just be a hindrance to our league form and I don't want any relegation battle next season.
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I'd give this a pass for the moment.
What I want next season is a comfortable season with no relegation danger whatsoever. Something like Stoke and Swansea have had
Haven't both Stoke and Swansea played in the Europa league in the last couple of seasons?
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Yep. In fact, I'm struggling to think of a team who has played a large number of European games and gone down. Even Small Heath combined a top six place (admittedly in a lower division) with a reasonable go at Europe.
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I meant the seasons Swansea and Stoke have had this year. Both have floated around 8-12th for most of this season, never in any relegation danger whatsoever. I want us to have that sort of season next year.
If you remember Swansea were near the relegation zone for a bit of last season, imo that was down to them being in the europa league as they had a lot of poor results on the following Sunday after games and their form picked up after going out and they stayed up comfortably in the end.
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I'd give this a pass for the moment.
What I want next season is a comfortable season with no relegation danger whatsoever. Something like Stoke and Swansea have had
Haven't both Stoke and Swansea played in the Europa league in the last couple of seasons?
And both had their lowest finishes since getting promoted. In the season they played in Europe I mean.
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Well, looking at Stoke's point tally, that wasn't really affected all that much. Went from 46 down to 45 in the season they played in Europe, and then they placed higher the next season despite having 42. The placings are really all about the rest of the teams in the league I'd say.
Meanwhile, with Swansea, you could say that there were other factors - I'm pretty sure by that point Laudrup had worn out his welcome by talking himself up about a bigger job; and also, looking at Wikipedia, he appeared to have been sacked by Swansea because of a poor stretch of two months or so from February 4 backwards, which probably stretches back only to their final group stage game.
I don't think there's anything too conclusive you can gain from those two cases.