Absolutely, fair play. 👏

It's interesting people still call CL a "closed shop" when Arsenal, Newcastle and Villa have all got in for the first time on a long while in last 2 seasons.

comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 2 minutes ago
It's interesting people still call CL a "closed shop" when Arsenal, Newcastle and Villa have all got in for the first time on a long while in last 2 seasons.
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Not that i've heard anyone call it that but your point is true.
We've had

Chelsea
Arsenal
Spurs
City
Utd
Liverpool
Leicester
Villa

In what the last 8 years? Is that a lot? Im not sure

The table doesn't lie, you are where you deserve.

Now please go and got beaten by Palace so we can all laugh at Spurs fans again

Unai Emery has done really well this season. They've been good to watch when I've seen them and I'm pleased that they've made it to the CL next season instead of the one of the usual suspects.

I bet there were very few who put any cash on Villa finishing top 4 this season? more than decent odds I'd assume as well.

Superb result by the club, very well done imo

An underrated period as well during Unai’s tenure is a 12 month period Villa amassed the equivalent of like 75+ points over the equivalent of 38 games, they had near title winning form for a consistent number of months

Well done Villa. Deserved it in the end and I am pleased for their manager who I have always rated.

Never expected Spurs to be up there this season, so disappointed to have missed out as it was in our hands but generally satisfied with 5th and would have settled for that back in August!

Astounding that Villa haven’t been in the European Cup for 43 years tbh

comment by red_evils (U19878)
posted 40 minutes ago

Now please go and got beaten by Palace so we can all laugh at Spurs fans again
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comment by red_evils (U19878)
posted 17 minutes ago
The table doesn't lie, you are where you deserve.

Now please go and got beaten by Palace so we can all laugh at Spurs fans again
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That would be the highlight of your embarrassing season !

Out of interest, how have the two defeats to Olympiacos gone down?

I imagine most fans would have gladly taken top 4 ahead of a minor European trophy, but even that type of silverware is hard to come by.

What is it about top 4, then? The chance to see your side go up against the top sides in Europe? The glamour? The expectation that the added funds will lead to further growth? Entertaining the dream that you might just pull off the mother of all surprises and win the thing?

Genuinely curious to know.

comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 1 hour, 28 minutes ago
It's interesting people still call CL a "closed shop" when Arsenal, Newcastle and Villa have all got in for the first time on a long while in last 2 seasons.
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I think the closed shop idea applies more to the big leagues versus the rest, on the one hand, and the actual likelihood of someone outside the established order actually winning the thing, on the other.

Arsenal made good progress this season, but they're still one of the wealthiest clubs in Europe, so I don't think it can be classed as that much of a surprise. The same would apply to pretty much any club from the PL that makes it into the CL other than maybe Leicester.

Whilst not totally unheard of, teams from leagues like Portugal or the Netherlands making it into the QFs or SFs is probably more of a surprise.

Aside from choking the Conference against a team with fraction of your budget it's been a good season for Villa.

Hard to see it being maintained next season but should be around the lesser Euro places again.

comment by it'sonlyagame (U6426)
posted 24 minutes ago
Out of interest, how have the two defeats to Olympiacos gone down?

I imagine most fans would have gladly taken top 4 ahead of a minor European trophy, but even that type of silverware is hard to come by.

What is it about top 4, then? The chance to see your side go up against the top sides in Europe? The glamour? The expectation that the added funds will lead to further growth? Entertaining the dream that you might just pull off the mother of all surprises and win the thing?

Genuinely curious to know.
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first time in Europe for a long time so to reach the Semi final was decent, team looked knackered in the first game, no excuse really tho, no one was calling for Unai's head anyway

comment by HB Fash (U21935)
posted 12 minutes ago
Aside from choking the Conference against a team with fraction of your budget it's been a good season for Villa.

Hard to see it being maintained next season but should be around the lesser Euro places again.
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they know they need to strengthen and they will, the squad is just too small atm, recent subs benches showed that

Clubs who qualify for the CL immediately know they have at least £50m more in the transfer kitty

comment by Fan Gillhaus 1903 (U3339)
posted 5 minutes ago

first time in Europe for a long time so to reach the Semi final was decent, team looked knackered in the first game, no excuse really tho, no one was calling for Unai's head anyway
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Yeah, it's inconceivable that anyone would. Just wondering whether there's (m)any who would've swapped the ECL trophy for missing out on top 4.

comment by it'sonlyagame (U6426)
posted 3 minutes ago
comment by Fan Gillhaus 1903 (U3339)
posted 5 minutes ago

first time in Europe for a long time so to reach the Semi final was decent, team looked knackered in the first game, no excuse really tho, no one was calling for Unai's head anyway
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yeah, it's inconceivable that anyone would. Just wondering whether there's (m)any who would've swapped the ECL trophy for missing out on top 4.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
probably not

comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 2 minutes ago
Clubs who qualify for the CL immediately know they have at least £50m more in the transfer kitty
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Add in the odd sponsorship deal of £1.5billion per annum from Etihad Airways, and you've got the makings of a good transfer kitty

comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 2 minutes ago
Clubs who qualify for the CL immediately know they have at least £50m more in the transfer kitty
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Is it really a £50M kitty though? You have to start by knocking off whatever's due in bonus payments to the playing and coaching staff. There will also be contract improvements demanded, some given, which knocks another chunk off, and the increased wage expectations of whichever 'CL calibre' players are brought in. Not to mention however much the execs and directors might take out. So it's not quite the transfer kitty it appears to be.

In addition to that, is it really worth it when it's relatively likely it's going to be a once or twice off?

With or without those £50M, considered in terms of the playing staff already at their disposal and the wages they're able to pay, there will still be 6 or 7 better resourced clubs competing for the CL slots next season (City, Arsenal, Liverpool, United, Chelsea, Spurs, and probably Newcastle).

Not to say a club like Villa shouldn't set its aims high, but it isn't so clear to me that the chance of having a season in the CL trumps lifting a continental trophy.

comment by Fan Gillhaus 1903 (U3339)
posted 7 minutes ago
comment by it'sonlyagame (U6426)
posted 3 minutes ago
comment by Fan Gillhaus 1903 (U3339)
posted 5 minutes ago

first time in Europe for a long time so to reach the Semi final was decent, team looked knackered in the first game, no excuse really tho, no one was calling for Unai's head anyway
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yeah, it's inconceivable that anyone would. Just wondering whether there's (m)any who would've swapped the ECL trophy for missing out on top 4.
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probably not
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Fair enough. Hard to tell without being put in the situation, but I think I might have - though I understand I'm probably in a small minority on this one.

Sorry, I don't mean to rain on your parade here. I should've started by extending a big congratulations to Villa. A 4th placed finish in the PL is still a highly respectable achievement in view of the competition and of where you were when Emery took over.

comment by it'sonlyagame (U6426)
posted 22 seconds ago
Sorry, I don't mean to rain on your parade here. I should've started by extending a big congratulations to Villa. A 4th placed finish in the PL is still a highly respectable achievement in view of the competition and of where you were when Emery took over.
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no problem

comment by it'sonlyagame (U6426)
posted 6 minutes ago
comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 2 minutes ago
Clubs who qualify for the CL immediately know they have at least £50m more in the transfer kitty
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Is it really a £50M kitty though? You have to start by knocking off whatever's due in bonus payments to the playing and coaching staff. There will also be contract improvements demanded, some given, which knocks another chunk off, and the increased wage expectations of whichever 'CL calibre' players are brought in. Not to mention however much the execs and directors might take out. So it's not quite the transfer kitty it appears to be.

In addition to that, is it really worth it when it's relatively likely it's going to be a once or twice off?

With or without those £50M, considered in terms of the playing staff already at their disposal and the wages they're able to pay, there will still be 6 or 7 better resourced clubs competing for the CL slots next season (City, Arsenal, Liverpool, United, Chelsea, Spurs, and probably Newcastle).

Not to say a club like Villa shouldn't set its aims high, but it isn't so clear to me that the chance of having a season in the CL trumps lifting a continental trophy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I wouldn't spend that much effort to explain how money transfer work to a City fan