Champions League Contention

[Monty]

I'd love a trophy, and if it were the FA Cup we were talking about I'd be very conflicted (and if it were the Europa League I'd definitely prefer it given it qualifies you for the CL into the bargain).

But as it is, this should be about setting Villa up as a force in the coming years. If we finish 5th there's a greater chance we lose key players, have another transition year, give the incompetent behemoths another chance to get their act together, all that. I'd absolutely love a trophy, but I want us to be realistic contenders for years to come now.

[Nii Lamptey]

I'd take Europa and 5th over nothing and 4th

One of the most ridiculous posts ever. Rather win a third tier trophy that West Ham won and have to see some top players to bridge FFP, than get on the gravy train. Seriously give your head a wobble.

It's absolutely not! It's you that needs to give your head a wobble. O'Neill sacrificed our last chance of a trophy for league position and look where we ended up.
Look how we all celebrated last May at the thought of a European adventure, and you're saying throw that all away 2 games from a final in Athens for the sake of a few quid and the thought of some of our players being picked off. Utter garbage mate.

Aston Villa FC and Unai Emery are here to stay, and every player is replaceable - Trophies in the cabinet and memories with friends and family are not.

*EDIT - But we won't have to make that choice, as we're in a one-horse race for 4th. No way Emery reliquinshes our position to Ange-notGotAPostAClue.

[Tony Daleys Shorts]

I'm getting old and I don't to trade glory now, for glory later.

This sums it up well, there’s no guarantee of being around for future glories that may or may not happen in the future.

[LeeB]

The talk that if we don't make 4th this year the wheels might fall off, we'll lose our best players, this is our only chance etc.

For fucks sake we were in the Championship 5 years ago and I never thought we'd get back to anything near where we are now, but we have. Newcastle made 4th last year but it's not been life changing for them has it? I reckon they'd swap it now in a heartbeat for having won the league cup instead.

We haven't won a trophy for nearly 30 years, and this is a European trophy.

Christ, I think people really struggle to actually live in the moment sometimes.

[Monty]

[Shrug] I just think it would be better for winning bigger trophies in future. I don't want the Conference League to be our peak. I don't want to be West Ham!

[LeeB]

We're on a different trajectory to them though, and them winning it just meant another year pragmatism with Moyes.

[Risso]

Emery is clearly giving it his best go to achieve both, so all this talk about choosing between one and the other is absolutely completely bonkers. We may get both, we may get one or the other, we may get neither.

[Rigadon]

[Shrug] I just think it would be better for winning bigger trophies in future. I don't want the Conference League to be our peak. I don't want to be West Ham!

I know what you mean.  If we can finish top 4 and win the Conference League it will have been the best season we've had since the early 80s in my opinion (when you add all the factors together I mean, such as the modern game and the stacked dice, the ascent from the depths of the Championship, being so shit when Emery took over etc etc).  Finishing 5th and winning the conference wouldn't feel as amazing (to me at least), but it would still, obviously, be a great season. 

Actually, we have 2 glass ceilings to break.  CL qualification and winning something.  I just happen to feel that the former is a harder thing to do in the modern game and is more important to out medium/long term future as a club. 

[Brazilian Villain]

[Shrug] I just think it would be better for winning bigger trophies in future. I don't want the Conference League to be our peak. I don't want to be West Ham!

It won't be, it'll be more like Liverpool winning a couple of UEFA Cups before lifting the European Cup.

[Dave]

[Shrug] I just think it would be better for winning bigger trophies in future. I don't want the Conference League to be our peak. I don't want to be West Ham!

It might be better for winning bigger trophies. Or we might get knocked out in the first round next season, finish ninth and lose four of our best players. It's just as possible that qualifying for the Champions League once is our peak, as winning the Conference League is our peak.

[Monty]

No doubt. But we're still in a position where, to establish ourselves at the top, we have to take advantage of clubs with bigger revenues etc. fucking up. If ever there was that chance it's this year.

[Clark W Griswold]

I'd take Europa and 5th over nothing and 4th

One of the most ridiculous posts ever. Rather win a third tier trophy that West Ham won and have to see some top players to bridge FFP, than get on the gravy train. Seriously give your head a wobble.

This is all hypothetical, a bit pointless really and i can see the argument both ways but fucking hell what kind of bullshit is this?

[LeeB]

I think it's right up there as one of the worst posts ever, outside of social or political abominations.

And c**t night.

[Monty]

I think it's right up there as one of the worst posts ever, outside of social or political abominations.

And c**t night.

C**t night??

[Rigadon]

I think it's right up there as one of the worst posts ever, outside of social or political abominations.

And c**t night.

C**t night??

03/03/03