Champions League Contention

[coreyfeldman]

I do wonder a bit if actually getting champions league this season is a year too soon for us. Probably an unpopular opinion, and I am desperate for us to be there but Newcastle have suffered from that, and a few others before us too.

It could be that another summer of transfers and pre season, along with getting those long term injury absentees back would give us the squad for a more likely top 4 push.

Assuming I'm going to get torn to pieces now

[pauliewalnuts]

Let's not qualify for the CL this year, so we can have a real push for it next season instead?

[Brazilian Villain]

Assuming I'm going to get torn to pieces now

It's normally what happens when Lions sense weakness.

[coreyfeldman]

That's not what I said though is it, I'm saying that if we didn't it might not be the worst thing in the world, that's all

[David_Nab]

I do wonder a bit if actually getting champions league this season is a year too soon for us. Probably an unpopular opinion, and I am desperate for us to be there but Newcastle have suffered from that, and a few others before us too.

It could be that another summer of transfers and pre season, along with getting those long term injury absentees back would give us the squad for a more likely top 4 push.

Assuming I'm going to get torn to pieces now

I'm not sure the extra 6 games Newcastle played in the CL really effected them, the constant injuries and Tomali suspension is the cause of thier issues.

[David_Nab]

Let's not qualify for the CL this year, so we can have a real push for it next season instead?

Is that like lets get relegated so we can win more matches in a lower level league

[pauliewalnuts]

That's not what I said though is it, I'm saying that if we didn't it might not be the worst thing in the world, that's all

Well, it kind of is.

It could be that another summer of transfers and pre season, along with getting those long term injury absentees back would give us the squad for a more likely top 4 push.

[coreyfeldman]

Again, that isn't what I said at all.

I'm not suggesting that we deliberately try to avoid getting champions league, I'm just debating the idea that another season of building and moving through the competitions could be better for us longer term.

I'm not being unambitious, its just a question about sustainability and squad depth/quality

You lot are so quick to jump on certain things and twist words

[coreyfeldman]

I do wonder a bit if actually getting champions league this season is a year too soon for us. Probably an unpopular opinion, and I am desperate for us to be there but Newcastle have suffered from that, and a few others before us too.

It could be that another summer of transfers and pre season, along with getting those long term injury absentees back would give us the squad for a more likely top 4 push.

Assuming I'm going to get torn to pieces now

I'm not sure the extra 6 games Newcastle played in the CL really effected them, the constant injuries and Tomali suspension is the cause of thier issues.

Yeah I'd tend to agree but had Newcastle been in europa they also probably would have gone further which means more money, and we all know the confidence that winning breeds in a team.

[Risso]

Again, that isn't what I said at all.

I'm not suggesting that we deliberately try to avoid getting champions league, I'm just debating the idea that another season of building and moving through the competitions could be better for us longer term.

I'm not being unambitious, its just a question about sustainability and squad depth/quality

You lot are so quick to jump on certain things and twist words

The trouble is, we don't exist in a vacuum, and this year we've had Newcastle, Chelsea and Man U mostly being absolutely terrible. Assuming Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City are the top three again, it only takes one of those to sort their shit out, and the job becomes much harder. If all three of them do, then it's going to be exceedingly difficult. I'd still fancy us for top 7, but top 4/5 is really difficult. Let's do it now. We've got Kamara, Mings, Ramsey and Buendia to come back, after all.

[ez]

Let's not qualify for the CL this year, so we can have a real push for it next season instead?

Yeah, tell that to our best players.

[Dave]

I do wonder a bit if actually getting champions league this season is a year too soon for us. Probably an unpopular opinion, and I am desperate for us to be there but Newcastle have suffered from that, and a few others before us too.

It could be that another summer of transfers and pre season, along with getting those long term injury absentees back would give us the squad for a more likely top 4 push.

Assuming I'm going to get torn to pieces now

I'm not sure the extra 6 games Newcastle played in the CL really effected them, the constant injuries and Tomali suspension is the cause of thier issues.

Yeah I'd tend to agree but had Newcastle been in europa they also probably would have gone further which means more money, and we all know the confidence that winning breeds in a team.

If Newcastle had finished top of their hypothetical Europa League group and were still in it now, they'd have made about £9m so far from their Europa League run. If they won it, the whole thing would have brought them around £25m, plus extra match-day revenue.

Between prize money and TV revenue, they'll make around £35m from their six Champions League matches.

[coreyfeldman]

£35m could be the difference between having to sell someone or buying a much better player so not to be sniffed at

[Dave]

£35m could be the difference between having to sell someone or buying a much better player so not to be sniffed at

Yes. Which is why getting £35m for being knocked out in the group stages of the Champions League is better* than needing to win the whole competition for £25m in the Europa League.

*in terms of money, not success obviously.

[Somniloquism]

If Newcastle had finished top of their hypothetical Europa League group and were still in it now, they'd have made about £9m so far from their Europa League run. If they won it, the whole thing would have brought them around £25m, plus extra match-day revenue.

Between prize money and TV revenue, they'll make around £35m from their six Champions League matches.

This. The money at that level is massively higher then we would get even winning our competition. And it is only going up next year with the new format. If we don't go in it and Tottenham (and maybe one other) does then we are more likely to need to sell players to buy players to "push on" for the following season. Plus being able to offer CL football could also sway some of the summer signings.

Newcastle's problems, like our current ones are down to injuries, but also down to us having the better players in key positions and a better manager. The only part of the squad where they are better then us is backup striker, but then they also have both strikers made of glass as well so they need that.