Champions League Contention

[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??

03/03/03

Uff.

[Drummond]

I think the pressure is getting to some people.

[paul_e]

[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.

What it will mean is more money and whether we like it or not we won't become established as a clubn that regularly challenges for trophies if we can't increase our turnover to close the gap on the richest clubs in Europe.

I don't think anyone on here is suggesting that they don't want to win the conference league, just that finishing in the top 4 will have a bigger impact on the club, that's just how it is when so much of the wealth in the sport is concentrated at the top.

[eamonn]

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

Uff.

You were too young and yet too wise to experience such profanity. Or is that FootyVill ?

[Risso]

I think the pressure is getting to some people.

Same here.

We'll batter them 4-0 tonight and everybody will feel better tomorrow. We can them play some kids in the return leg and make sure we give finishing 3rd ahead of Liverpool our full attention.

[eamonn]

We’re all Chelsea fans tonight

We're all bourgeois now

[lovejoy]

It’s all just conjecture I appreciate but surely a long term ambition is preferable to a minor cup and loss of revenue/opportunity. I’m assuming the 5th doesn’t then get followed by endless years of top4 as it’s not often many of the wealthy clubs are in such a state.

Basically the hypothetical question I’m answering is, do we want to be Portsmouth, win the cup but boom then bust under Redknapp or Brighton, gradual sensible progression to establish yourself but not winning the cup.

I choose Brighton, but other opinions are welcome. And no need for profanity.

[PaulWinch again]

Yeah but your analogy doesn’t really work. Also with the number of games left rotating is largely irrelevant. Injuries are an issue but that shouldn’t prevent us fielding the strongest possible side for each game.

[olaftab]

It never is and never has been either or. Go for the best in every case and live with any fall out.

[LeeS]

Winning begets winning. If we put out a load of kids tonight and get hammered it will have an effect on Sunday. Not least in terms of added pressure. We will also have to go hammer and tongs in the return leg, ahead of the Liverpool game. I say play a full strength squad today and at Brighton, get both jobs done and then see what we have to play with for the next games.

I want this trophy so much. Less prestigious than the Carabou? My arse. You only really need to win a couple of tough games to win the League Cup. This competition is a marathon.

[eamonn]

The right honourable Matej Cash said in his presser yesterday that the adrenaline takes you through and he ain't tired at all so quit whining bitches, we're in everything to win!

[Dave]

It’s all just conjecture I appreciate but surely a long term ambition is preferable to a minor cup and loss of revenue/opportunity. I’m assuming the 5th doesn’t then get followed by endless years of top4 as it’s not often many of the wealthy clubs are in such a state.

Basically the hypothetical question I’m answering is, do we want to be Portsmouth, win the cup but boom then bust under Redknapp or Brighton, gradual sensible progression to establish yourself but not winning the cup.

I choose Brighton, but other opinions are welcome. And no need for profanity.

Slightly odd examples. You'd rather be Brighton, winning nothing and now sliding back down the league while losing your best players to bigger sides, ahead of winning the FA Cup?

We did the first one under O'Neill, and I imagine you'd be in a very small minority of believing that the O'Neill years were better than a hypothetical FA Cup win.

[LeeS]

It’s all just conjecture I appreciate but surely a long term ambition is preferable to a minor cup and loss of revenue/opportunity. I’m assuming the 5th doesn’t then get followed by endless years of top4 as it’s not often many of the wealthy clubs are in such a state.

Basically the hypothetical question I’m answering is, do we want to be Portsmouth, win the cup but boom then bust under Redknapp or Brighton, gradual sensible progression to establish yourself but not winning the cup.

I choose Brighton, but other opinions are welcome. And no need for profanity.

Slightly odd examples. You'd rather be Brighton, winning nothing and now sliding back down the league while losing your best players to bigger sides, ahead of winning the FA Cup?

We did the first one under O'Neill, and I imagine you'd be in a very small minority of believing that the O'Neill years were better than a hypothetical FA Cup win.

We are still owed that League Cup from 2010. Cheating bar stewards.

[Dave]

It’s all just conjecture I appreciate but surely a long term ambition is preferable to a minor cup and loss of revenue/opportunity. I’m assuming the 5th doesn’t then get followed by endless years of top4 as it’s not often many of the wealthy clubs are in such a state.

Basically the hypothetical question I’m answering is, do we want to be Portsmouth, win the cup but boom then bust under Redknapp or Brighton, gradual sensible progression to establish yourself but not winning the cup.

I choose Brighton, but other opinions are welcome. And no need for profanity.

Slightly odd examples. You'd rather be Brighton, winning nothing and now sliding back down the league while losing your best players to bigger sides, ahead of winning the FA Cup?

We did the first one under O'Neill, and I imagine you'd be in a very small minority of believing that the O'Neill years were better than a hypothetical FA Cup win.

We are still owed that League Cup from 2010. Cheating bar stewards.

It's think easier to rationalise by accepting that we probably would still have lost to ten, nine or even eight-man Man Utd. Given that's what the universe has decided is going to be the case for the rest of time.

[Smithy]

It’s all just conjecture I appreciate but surely a long term ambition is preferable to a minor cup and loss of revenue/opportunity. I’m assuming the 5th doesn’t then get followed by endless years of top4 as it’s not often many of the wealthy clubs are in such a state.

Basically the hypothetical question I’m answering is, do we want to be Portsmouth, win the cup but boom then bust under Redknapp or Brighton, gradual sensible progression to establish yourself but not winning the cup.

I choose Brighton, but other opinions are welcome. And no need for profanity.

I totally empathise with this position, even if I don't 100% agree with it.  I've said before, my head says 4th is more important, but my heart says "trophy" every single time.  I can't help but look at Newcastle this season, and see that Champions League for one season doesn't guarantee anything, even though I know it's best for our long-term development as a club.

If you asked 100 Geordies if they would have preferred to have been in the Europa League this season and have added a trophy to their cabinet last year, what do you think the responses would be?

As many others have said, I don't believe it's a case of either/or - and I don't think Unai will be prioritising one competition over the other.  I genuinely believe he will be going all out to win every single game we play from here on in, whether it's 5 more games, or 6. 

Now, whether we have enough in the tank, I don't know. But in line with his zero-excuses culture, let's focus on winning the whole lot!