Why we're happy to be in the mix.

For such a crap thread the comments more than make up for it!

That may be, but if said fans were given the choice between that and competing for and winning the biggest trophies in football then most would choose the latter.

For such a crap thread the comments more than make up for it!
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Thanks,lol.

comment by HenrysCat (U3608)
posted 47 minutes ago
comment by Jay - I'll think of something profound to put here. (U16498)
posted 5 minutes ago
Henrys, I think you have completely misunderstood what he said there. He gave the scenario 'given the choice, which would you rather see' - He didn't belittle the Europa League, just made the point that if it were a choice between winning trophies every year, or playing in Europa,most would choose the former.

Nobody said it'd be awful to compete in the EL, just not as optimal as the CL/League
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That's jolly sporting of you, Jay - and I've no doubt this White Wall chap will appreciate you wording it far better, and far more tactfully, than he did. But, I can read what he wrote and it smacks of typical 'top 4' arrogance and makes me feel ever so slightly bilious.
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Thats a mighty big chip on your shoulder.

Where did I say competing in the Europa league is a bad thing? maybe you can enlighten me???

I said (as previous posters have said) A choice between CL and winning things and the Europa.

You do know that Utds famed golden generation didn't come through at Utd either so. Giggs was 14, beckham was 15 and scholes was 16 when they joined Utd but they count as Utd youth?

At least we make some of our players

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You do know that there are laws against signing kids too young? You do know that you did not "make " these lads, their parents did.
You do know that you are an idiot?

I guess it's a balance of both, and it also depends where you're coming from.

As a Madrid fan, I couldn't care less if we didn't win another Liga, Copa del Rey or Champions League in the rest of my lifetime. I've seen us do all of them multiple times. I'd actually go as far as saying I found very little pleasure in us winning the title under Mourinho.

If you ask me, I'd much rather we gave our youth a bigger chance. I'd love to see how far we could go with players like who've come through our academy - like Jesé, Morata or Nacho for example.

Some clubs also have a different sense of identity and attachment. Look at Real Sociedad; they qualified for the Champions League with 18 academy players in their squad. Surely the sense of pride and achievement for their fans is just as big if not greater than it is for the fans of the European juggernauts to see their club win the thing. Even in some cases for their players themselves, e.g. Iñigo Martinez, who refused to leave the club in the summer because he said he wouldn't miss donning the club shirt in the CL for anything in his life.

People would be wrong to think Athletic Bilbao fans would rather watch a collection of expensive imports to be competing in their strip for the Champions League every year than to preserve a century's tradition of playing only Basque lads.

Good post, ioag. I think Whitewall's point was probably particular to England.

I'm sure Catalan's and Basques would say something different, but as you say some clubs have a different sense of identity and attachment and I don't think there's anything remotely close to that in England.

Would be interesting to see what team Madrid could muster from academy players. When you look at some of the players that have come through Madrid I'm sure it would still be a top side.

In the case of Madrid, I'd like there to be some sort of balance. I'm not saying 'only' academy products, but I'd love to see us take to the pitch with a team where at least half the team had come through the ranks. Perhaps my most enjoyable days as a fan was in the 1980s, when we played some beautiful football with half of our team having come through our academy. There were some bitter disappointments, such as losing the European Cup semis to PSV or AC Milan, but in the balance I still don't think I'd swap those days for the years we won the CLs.

comment by White Wall (U1078)
posted 51 minutes ago
comment by HenrysCat (U3608)
posted 47 minutes ago
comment by Jay - I'll think of something profound to put here. (U16498)
posted 5 minutes ago
Henrys, I think you have completely misunderstood what he said there. He gave the scenario 'given the choice, which would you rather see' - He didn't belittle the Europa League, just made the point that if it were a choice between winning trophies every year, or playing in Europa,most would choose the former.

Nobody said it'd be awful to compete in the EL, just not as optimal as the CL/League
----------------------------------------------------------------------
That's jolly sporting of you, Jay - and I've no doubt this White Wall chap will appreciate you wording it far better, and far more tactfully, than he did. But, I can read what he wrote and it smacks of typical 'top 4' arrogance and makes me feel ever so slightly bilious.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Thats a mighty big chip on your shoulder.

Where did I say competing in the Europa league is a bad thing? maybe you can enlighten me???

I said (as previous posters have said) A choice between CL and winning things and the Europa.

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Don't think I really have a chip on my shoulder. My point being, the Europa is "winning things" - so it's a stupid choice. Particularly since to qualify for the Europa, a team may well have won the League Cup or FA Cup.

On reflection, I suspect you meant the choice between winning the Premiership or getting 6th place. Which makes much more sense, but is very much not what you said.

I think it's worth noting that by doing that you can arguably have more success, especially with a youth academy as good as Madrid's.

It's no surprise that Barca have dominated La Liga for so long because they've had a philosophy that can be maintained threw their youth system as well as bringing in players that suit that ideal.

How are you possibly meant to reach a level of cohesion to be a dominant force when you are continually buying superstars that aren't all on the same page?