Race for top 4 is really tight this year tbf, as is the title race. Weirdly, relegation doesn't look so complicated this year. Only Luton have a small chance IMO. Other two are gone.

comment by Mamba the Chief Disinformation Officer on JA606 (U1282)
posted 1 minute ago
Race for top 4 is really tight this year tbf, as is the title race. Weirdly, relegation doesn't look so complicated this year. Only Luton have a small chance IMO. Other two are gone.
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Well the race for FOURTH is tight.

comment by Automatic For The People (U21889)
posted 14 minutes ago
comment by Mamba the Chief Disinformation Officer on JA606 (U1282)
posted 1 minute ago
Race for top 4 is really tight this year tbf, as is the title race. Weirdly, relegation doesn't look so complicated this year. Only Luton have a small chance IMO. Other two are gone.
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Well the race for FOURTH is tight.
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Yep, my bad, but what a race it's looking like. Top 3 is settled.

5th place gets top 4 this season though doesn't it, so you can still get top 4 if you finish 5th?

comment by Willie Dyer (U1734)
posted 5 minutes ago
5th place gets top 4 this season though doesn't it, so you can still get top 4 if you finish 5th?
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Likely, but not definite yet I don’t think.

comment by Automatic For The People (U21889)
posted 3 minutes ago
comment by Willie Dyer (U1734)
posted 5 minutes ago
5th place gets top 4 this season though doesn't it, so you can still get top 4 if you finish 5th?
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Likely, but not definite yet I don’t think.
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Really? What needs to happen now for 5 teams to get top 4?

comment by Willie Dyer (U1734)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by Automatic For The People (U21889)
posted 3 minutes ago
comment by Willie Dyer (U1734)
posted 5 minutes ago
5th place gets top 4 this season though doesn't it, so you can still get top 4 if you finish 5th?
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Likely, but not definite yet I don’t think.
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Really? What needs to happen now for 5 teams to get top 4?
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I just don’t think it’s been confirmed yet?

its not really that likely at the moment from that europe country table thing that 5th gets CL

but we'll be playing 2 games a week next season and it will be a challenge too

we make playing 1 game a week as difficult as playing 2

think we still have some way to go with the fitness of our squad and maintaining the quality on the ball that is needed for Ange playing as he does

the squad should improve and with more games should improve sharpness of players who don't play all the time (you would think)

comment by Phenom (U20037)
posted 3 minutes ago
its not really that likely at the moment from that europe country table thing that 5th gets CL

but we'll be playing 2 games a week next season and it will be a challenge too

we make playing 1 game a week as difficult as playing 2

think we still have some way to go with the fitness of our squad and maintaining the quality on the ball that is needed for Ange playing as he does
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OPTA has Englands chances of an extra CL spot at 71% - so it certainly is more likely than unlikely. Interestingly it was 90% pre draw.

We definitely need Europe next year - the gaps we’ve had have been a nightmare at times. It’s just so boring playing so few games, it’s craaap from that point of viw

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

The thing about the Europs is, yes I get that 'in theory' it should be easier for us to win, it may well also be easier for us to blood our younger players in such as Bergvall, Phillips, Donley etc. But I just can't get away from our past record - I feel like we will just always have a Zagreb, Gent, Basel, Fiorentina moment that will see us knocked out.

I mean we were even in the Conference league, the real lowest quality oppositio you're ever going to get in european competition, and because for most of the other teams, playing against a team like Spurs is one of the biggest matches of their career, at some point they'll want it more tha our players do and knock us out, as has happened countless times.

I'd love to believe that Ange can change this, I just don't see it - and resultd and performances such as the one on Saturday do little to change your mind!

comment by SpursBoy101 (U21819)
posted 6 minutes ago
The thing about the Europs is, yes I get that 'in theory' it should be easier for us to win, it may well also be easier for us to blood our younger players in such as Bergvall, Phillips, Donley etc. But I just can't get away from our past record - I feel like we will just always have a Zagreb, Gent, Basel, Fiorentina moment that will see us knocked out.

I mean we were even in the Conference league, the real lowest quality oppositio you're ever going to get in european competition, and because for most of the other teams, playing against a team like Spurs is one of the biggest matches of their career, at some point they'll want it more tha our players do and knock us out, as has happened countless times.

I'd love to believe that Ange can change this, I just don't see it - and resultd and performances such as the one on Saturday do little to change your mind!
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We all know that’s on Levy - the managers and players are remunerated for a top 4 finish not winning the “lesser” comps.


From a fan perspective there just have not been enough games this year and I’ve gotten quite bored waiting. A club our size should always be in europe

comment by Striketeam7 - There used to be a football club over there (U18109)
posted 7 minutes ago
comment by SpursBoy101 (U21819)
posted 6 minutes ago
The thing about the Europs is, yes I get that 'in theory' it should be easier for us to win, it may well also be easier for us to blood our younger players in such as Bergvall, Phillips, Donley etc. But I just can't get away from our past record - I feel like we will just always have a Zagreb, Gent, Basel, Fiorentina moment that will see us knocked out.

I mean we were even in the Conference league, the real lowest quality oppositio you're ever going to get in european competition, and because for most of the other teams, playing against a team like Spurs is one of the biggest matches of their career, at some point they'll want it more tha our players do and knock us out, as has happened countless times.

I'd love to believe that Ange can change this, I just don't see it - and resultd and performances such as the one on Saturday do little to change your mind!
----------------------------------------------------------------------

We all know that’s on Levy - the managers and players are remunerated for a top 4 finish not winning the “lesser” comps.


From a fan perspective there just have not been enough games this year and I’ve gotten quite bored waiting. A club our size should always be in europe
----------------------------------------------------------------------

comment by Striketeam7 - There used to be a football club over there (U18109)
posted 47 minutes ago
comment by SpursBoy101 (U21819)
posted 6 minutes ago
The thing about the Europs is, yes I get that 'in theory' it should be easier for us to win, it may well also be easier for us to blood our younger players in such as Bergvall, Phillips, Donley etc. But I just can't get away from our past record - I feel like we will just always have a Zagreb, Gent, Basel, Fiorentina moment that will see us knocked out.

I mean we were even in the Conference league, the real lowest quality oppositio you're ever going to get in european competition, and because for most of the other teams, playing against a team like Spurs is one of the biggest matches of their career, at some point they'll want it more tha our players do and knock us out, as has happened countless times.

I'd love to believe that Ange can change this, I just don't see it - and resultd and performances such as the one on Saturday do little to change your mind!
----------------------------------------------------------------------

We all know that’s on Levy - the managers and players are remunerated for a top 4 finish not winning the “lesser” comps.


From a fan perspective there just have not been enough games this year and I’ve gotten quite bored waiting. A club our size should always be in europe
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Absolutely, it must be something specifically to do with us as other teams have won it in the past 10-15 years while still having successful seasons. I actually find myself forgetting that sometimes, and when tems such as Arsenal, Chelsea, Utd, Liverpool etc have finished 5th, I've found myself assuming that will affect them negatively next season, only to be proved wrong:

Arsenal - 5th in 21/22, then in 22/23 sure they got knocked out of the Europa by Sporting but no one can deny they had a great season, they were title challengers until the last few games

Liverpool - 5th last season, title challengers this season and surely will at least get to the Europa final and will probably win it

Chelsea - Won the Europa under Benitez and got a CL place, same under Sarri

Utd - won the Europa, got to another final while finishing in CL places

So it just seems to be us who don't seem to be able to have a successful Europa and Prem season!

We defiantly need be playing in Europe regardless of which competition. the perceived lesser tournaments give us a chance to give players who don't much pitch time a go.... hopefully with a balance of experienced players to seem them through and not change all 11.

Our problem is we as a club have been fixated with the CL even though we've only come close to winning the actual league once since we won it last and have never taken the lesser euro comps seriously at all, again I guess since we won one last too.

That's our problem in recent years we act like a big club on the face of it but functionally we don't and that blame is mainly at Levy's door but previous managers and players also have to share that blame too.

Our treatment of the “lesser” competitions is Levy’s greatest failing at the club - there would be next to zero discontent if we had picked up a couple of league cups a FA cup or Europa and League cup in the last decade - it’s the outright snobbery towards these comps that faaaacks me off royally and yet if we’re in the CL most years we’ve gone all guns blazing and regularly made the knockouts.


Levy has to get over his CL obsession and start obsessing over winning trophies

It's up to Levy to provide a strong squad, capable of challenging at the top end of the PL and in Europe, only then can you judge your manager.

No managers are miracle workers, without the tools they will fail

Billy

Maybe next season two games a week would be better, but when you're trying to implement a new style you need plenty of time on the training ground at some point to really drill it home.

Plus you've also been wiped by injuries as you're early into a new approach with the squad too, which will also take time to come to fruition.

So all in all I'd say no Europe is a benefit at the moment.

How will Ange handle Europe you ask?

Exactly the same way he handles every other game!

comment by Tarrico_sees_red (U5595)
posted 9 hours, 55 minutes ago
Imagine how much time out injured Mickey will have if he has to make those runs twice a week🤣
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The fagility of Mickey VDV is a real problem. This player is absolute key to our Aussieglue way of playing. And he is a terrific player, nobody gets past him.
Unforunately, he is prone to hamstring injury, and Dragusin is NOT the answer. He is nowhere near as good as VDV.
What we need are two VDV's.

Why stop there? I say get 3 VDVs

Typical lack of ambition comment. Why not 4 VdVs?