Will we qualify for the CL?

[tomd2103]

April is shaping up to be a tough month if we do make it through to the QFs of the Champions League and beat Preston in the FA Cup.  Will look like:

Sun 30th March - Preston (A)
Wed 2nd April - Brighton (A)
Sat 5th April - Forest (H)
Tue 8th or Wed 9th April - Liverpool / PSG?
Sat 12th April - Southampton (A)
Tue 15th or Wed 16th April - Liverpool / PSG?
Sat 19th April - Newcastle (H)
Mon 28th April - Manchester City (A) (could be Semi-Final weekend)

So that's 8 fixtures in just under a month.  They could possibly be FA Cup quarter and semi finals, two legs of a Champions League quarter final and 3 or possibly even four league games (if us and Manchester City don't make the FA Cup semi-finals) against teans who we are competing for Champions League spots with. 

That's what we signed up for.

Yep, agree with that entirely and it is shaping up to be a very exciting month.  I just look at that fixture list and can't help but think that something has got to give in at least one or maybe even more of those games.

[aldridgeboy]

Yes that is a mental fixture list , but after a two and a half week break ? So they will be refreshed, hungry, and a big push for silverware ( FA cup)

We’ve wanted this for years. Come April, and still in 3 competitions ( I’ll concede the league is for CL not the title )

[Martyn Smith]

I have a feeling we'll be in the Europa next season, either thru league position or winning the FA Cup

[Rory]

I have a feeling we'll be in the Europa next season, either thru league position or winning the FA Cup

I think Europa qualification could be pretty important.

The money might be worlds apart, but in terms of quality, the gulf between CL and Europa is smaller than ever. Particularly in England.

It's not like the days of the 'top four', competing for four CL places and the Europa was decidedly second tier. In those times, the distinction was so clear that Tottenham qualified once and suddenly became a 'big club'.

But now, 'elite' clubs are in Europa every year. Playing in the PL and being in the Europa is as attractive to good players as one guaranteed season in the CL was for an Italian/French/German team 20 years ago.

I don't think we need CL. But we do need Europe.

[eamonn]

I dunno...top players  including ones we currently have, want CL. So we'll have a job on our hands in the summer with recruitment and retention if we're not in Big Cup.

[Rory]

I dunno...top players  including ones we currently have, want CL. So we'll have a job on our hands in the summer with recruitment and retention if we're not in Big Cup.

But equally, there are a diminishing number of clubs that can guarantee CL football and pay what we can in wages.

Three in Spain, three or four in Italy, one or two in Germany, one in France. Anything to an English club will involve a premium.

[KingstandingVilla]

It may be easier to look at a bigger slightly long term picture here.

The chance of us winning the FA Cup is higher than the chance of us winning the CL or qualifying for the CL through top 4/5. This alone puts in the Europa as would our probable league finish.. Not the glamour of the CL but European footballl for a 3rd year and Big Ears in the trophy cabinet the fan base would take this all day

Next season... Unia may view winning the Europa as easier than finishing in the the top 4/5 this would then give CL football for a second season in 3 and have us WELL established as a force in the game where people will want to come and play for us.

[ozzjim]

Looking at the sides left in the Europa, I'd fancy us to win it this season if we were in it.

Not getting CL must have been budgeted from the start, a cursory glance at Newcastle last season shows how hard CL to PL is too manage without players that have been there and done it, getting up for the biggest games midweek then doing it again against an increasingly competitive premier league, then lol at our injury list and the players who left.

Forest will find this out next season too.

[Dick Edwards]

I have a feeling we'll be in the Europa next season, either thru league position or winning the FA Cup

Given our inconsistent form this season that would be a very acceptable outcome

[London Villan]

If Forest do qualify, they will implode due to all the forced sales.

[edgysatsuma89]

Looking at the sides left in the Europa, I'd fancy us to win it this season if we were in it.

We did say this about the Conference League, though. Especially as West Ham had just won it.

[Demitri_C]

Think i would rather be in conference  than europa as the games will be less demanding and we can also focus on the league. Europa blt so much

Looking at the level of teams in the conference  compared to last season its alot poorer standard

[rougegorge]

As a minimum, if we don't win the FA Cup, we need to finish 8th to get into Europe. I would be OK with any European qualification for next season.

However, that is also based on the assumption that the top 5 get into next year's CL, a team outside the top 8 does not win the FA Cup (eg Crystal Palace/Fulham), and that if Newcastle were to win the League Cup they finish in the top 8.

[Rigadon]

Think i would rather be in conference  than europa as the games will be less demanding and we can also focus on the league. Europa blt so much

Looking at the level of teams in the conference  compared to last season its alot poorer standard

Huh? You’d rather play in the 3rd tier competition rather than the one spurs and Man Utd are STILL in?

[eamonn]

The Conference is hard to take seriously as a competition. Some nice memories of it but I'd rather not be in it next season, it feels like it should be for non-powerful clubs ie no one from England.