Positives from the Cup Final

[lordmcgrath5]

Don't understand all these comments about not wanting to qualify for the Europa League.

Yes, it's a lot of games; yes, there's some evidence to suggest it can negatively impact on Premier League performance - I understand those bits.

But for me the positives easily outweigh the negatives. Villa in Europe and you get to play big names like Ajax, Hamburger SV etc. etc. I love European away trips.

[Drummond]

So what's your positive then?

[lordmcgrath5]

So what's your positive then?

Just getting to the final is positive in itself.

[cdbearsfan]

Don't understand all these comments about not wanting to qualify for the Europa League.

Yes, it's a lot of games; yes, there's some evidence to suggest it can negatively impact on Premier League performance - I understand those bits.

But for me the positives easily outweigh the negatives. Villa in Europe and you get to play big names like Ajax, Hamburger SV etc. etc. I love European away trips.

Agree. Love the European games. Even if it's against somebody you've never heard of, it's still much more interesting than playing the likes of Stoke and Leicester or losing to Man U.

Not that I think the cup runners-up deserve a European place, but I remember thinking a few months ago... "It'd be typical if we lose a cup final this year, the year they stop letting runners-up into Europe".

Oh, and as for a positive... ermm... I'd rather have lost to Arsenal than, say, Chelsea. That's about it.

[David_Nab]

Don't understand all these comments about not wanting to qualify for the Europa League.

Yes, it's a lot of games; yes, there's some evidence to suggest it can negatively impact on Premier League performance - I understand those bits.

But for me the positives easily outweigh the negatives. Villa in Europe and you get to play big names like Ajax, Hamburger SV etc. etc. I love European away trips.

Sevilla fans must be gutted winning twice in a row and now going into the champs league from it .....

[kippaxvilla2]

I can honestly say I had one of my best days out in years only spoilt by an hour and half's compulsory break in the middle.  Talking to loads of random people who were all great, some nice selfies with girls I would never ever have a chance with in a million years but it felt good for a second (sadness knows no bounds with me).  Pub atmosphere fabulous, bar staff competent, wearing Villa colours, all very positive. 

[lordmcgrath5]

But for me the positives easily outweigh the negatives. Villa in Europe and you get to play big names like Ajax, Hamburger SV etc. etc. I love European away trips.

Sevilla fans must be gutted winning twice in a row and now going into the champs league from it .....

Indeed. In general, the Spanish and Portuguese clubs have a far better attitude to this competition. Doesn't seem to have negatively impacted Sevilla's league form either as far as I can tell.

[Toronto Villa]

If we all accept that we are not going to get into the top 4 any time soon, then we absolutely should be going all out to get into the Europa. I'm not a fan of the tournament per se and the Thursday/Sunday nonsense. But with the right approach and squad building achieving consistent Europa league qualification should be the aim. And once you get past the groups it is a regular knockout tournament with the added CL bonus. I love European football at VP.

[silhillvilla]

I don't think we are ready for Europe yet, we need to stabilise our domestic position on many levels before we want the added pressures of a European campaign.

[Brend'Watkins]

If it was purely a knock out tournament then fine.  But It isn't.  We can barely keep a starting 11 fit for the first team as it is without the possibility of another potential 20 games on top of that.  We're just not ready for it in the current set up.  Get the domestic bit sorted then look to push on.

[lordmcgrath5]

I don't think we are ready for Europe yet, we need to stabilise our domestic position on many levels before we want the added pressures of a European campaign.

That's a reasonable argument. But it doesn't rule out the possibility of Europe (probably the Europa League if we're honest) in time.

[Toronto Villa]

If it was purely a knock out tournament then fine.  But It isn't.  We can barely keep a starting 11 fit for the first team as it is without the possibility of another potential 20 games on top of that.  We're just not ready for it in the current set up.  Get the domestic bit sorted then look to push on.

well we're not in next season so the question becomes would we be ready for it in 2016/2017 or more realistically 2017/2018?

[Nelson Lodge]

To add to the one I posted yesterday, reasons to be cheerful part 2;
1) By happy chance of birth I did not have to grit my teeth and present the Cup and winners medals to those friggin' barstewards. Then restrain myself from punching their smug git Frog manager in the face and knocking his teeth down his throat!
2) This one for either the very old, or the historians amongst us.
     Ted Drake did not play for Them on Saturday
If you don't know what I am on about look it up in your Villa books, or google.
For my son(s) who may read this my mom, your gran, was at VP to see it happen. Never forgot, never stopped hating the Arsenal from that day forward; but not quite so much as she hated the stripey filth!

[martin o`who??]

The game itself needs no further discussion, the  build-up and the atmosphere before kick off was magical, pub right by wembley way £3.65 a pint, full of Villa, fantastic banter, no tension, what a day - would i do it all again? please Oh dear Lord, please.

[Brend'Watkins]

If it was purely a knock out tournament then fine.  But It isn't.  We can barely keep a starting 11 fit for the first team as it is without the possibility of another potential 20 games on top of that.  We're just not ready for it in the current set up.  Get the domestic bit sorted then look to push on.

well we're not in next season so the question becomes would we be ready for it in 2016/2017 or more realistically 2017/2018?

if we did it by route of league placing then you'd start to think we might have a squad capable of giving it a go.