All in for the Europa League

[Dr. J]

Sure there are good teams in the competition, but we don't have to beat all of them. If we get through Augsburg and get a break in the draw in the next round we can be rounding into full fitness as we face better teams.

 

I'm sure the mancs will be taking a harder look after today, but reckon Spurs may fancy their chances to win the league outright and may play a second team in the EL. I reckon it's a no brain decision to prioritise the EL - it is a European trophy, after all - but we'll see.

 

Would love to see Firmino - Coutinho - Origi - Sturridge as nailed on starters for the EL. We'll ship goals whoever else we play, older or younger, so we might as well try scoring a few.

[Tossed and blown]

What is the deal if the winner of the UEFA has already qualified for the CL through league position but the runner up doesn't? Is the UEFA place just lost then?

[Red House]

What is the deal if the winner of the UEFA has already qualified for the CL through league position but the runner up doesn't? Is the UEFA place just lost then?

 

Yep, think so.

 

On a similar note, I do wonder what would happen if Chelsea wins the CL and we (or God forbid the mancs) win the Europa league. Does that mean 6 English teams in the Cl next season?

[KevieG]

Yep, think so.

 

On a similar note, I do wonder what would happen if Chelsea wins the CL and we (or God forbid the mancs) win the Europa league. Does that mean 6 English teams in the Cl next season?

 

Just the top three in the premier league in that situation.

 

A maximum of 5 can only enter for any particular country.

[Gym Beglin]

With Sturridge, Origi, Firmino and Coutinho around, nobody particularly wants to face us in this competition.

As shit as Benteke is at the moment, he's a great option to change a game, however ugly it might get.

 

I think we need to work towards the chance of a Europa League final against the Mancs.

 

If you look at the draw for this round, the picture in terms of potential winners will change drastically after this because there's a few big ties where there can only be one winner.

 

Spurs v Fiorentina

Dortmund v Porto

Galatasaray v Lazio

Shakhtar v Schalke

Marseille v Bilbao

Sporting v Levekeusen

Villareal v Napoli

 

We're going to be losing half these tricky teams after this round.

Seems fairly certain that the games where the ties are less tricky will end with the stronger team advancing, so that's Liverpool, United, Sevilla in the hat most likely.

 

And then there's a bunch of very close ties where you wouldn't necessarily want to call it:

 

Valencia v Rapid Vienna (Valencia form is poor under Neville)

Fenerbahce v Lokomotiv Moscow

Anderlecht v Olympiacos

Sparta Praha v Krasnodar

Sion v Braga

St Etienne v Basel

[ZonkoVille77]

All I know is, is that we're fuckin shite.

[G Richards]

I think we have a decent chance to beat anyone in this competition. We are much better than we've seen for a lot of this season. We still need fairly drastic surgery in summer, mind - in particular, a new spine. With that said, we are a completely different team with match winners on the pitch.

 

If we can get Sturridge, Origi, Coutinho and Firmino on the pitch, we're in business. Particularly Sturridge.

 

Obviously his fitness record fills us all with concern. In the summer we need another as close to his level as we can find, but for now, if we can cajole some appearances out of him at the sharp end of this competition, we have a chance.

[Gym Beglin]

That said, I think Marseille are value at 50/1 in some places.

 

They don't sit pretty in the league, but in reality they've only lost 3 times since 4 October and two of those games have been narrow defeats to PSG.

 

 

 

If you look at the results of the previous group stage, some interesting things to note:

 

- Molde topped a group ahead of Fenerbahce, Ajax and Celtic.

- Krasnodar finished ahead of Dortmund, who are flying this season.

- Napoli have a 100% record and are by far the top scorers, and have conceded the least. You can still get very good odds on Higuain being top scorer for the competition as he only has 2 goals so far compared to the current top score which is 6.

- Rapid Vienna won 5 out of 6 games.

- Braga topped their group ahead of Marseille, and yet are the weakest of the portuguese clubs left.

- Lazio are unbeaten so far.

- Lokomotiv Moscow topped their group ahead of Sporting Lisbon, who are currently top of their league ahead of Benfica and Porto.

- Basel qualified ahead of Fiorentina

- Schalke and Sparta Prague also undefeated.

- Bilbao were second top scorers with 16 goals, but also conceded 8, only Midtjylland, Sporting and Augsberg conceded more and still qualified.

- Of the teams joining this round after dropping out of the CL, the best two in terms of results were Porto and Olympiacos who were both unlucky not to qualify for the knockout rounds of CL having amassed 10 points and 9 points respectively.

- Donetsk lost 5 of their 6 CL group games, and Sevilla and Valencia lost 4 of their 6 games.

[ZonkoVille77]

So you're saying put a few bob on Molde?

[Denny Crane]

I'm all in for the Europa and our chances are far higher than most realise. I would discount any results in the group stages as a predictor of potential winners and I would also discount form from August to January as a predictor. Our injury problems could be a blessing in disguise for the Europa as we have fresh players.

 

If you discount the Portuguese teams, only Chelsea from Italy, Spain, Germany and England as finalists have finished higher than 5th in their leagues. So this tournament is for teams who roughly finish 5th to 10th and Portuguese teams.

 

I'd be wary of teams who have less to play for in their leagues. Lazio, Bilbao and Liverpool are teams that no-one will want to draw who will probably focus hard in the Europa.

 

Villareal look value at 25-1 if they get past Napoli who have two huge games in Italy against Milan and Fiorentina before and after. Be interesting to see what teams get put out by Spurs Napoli and Villareal.

 

You can get 4-1 for a Spanish winner 5-1 for an Italian winner and 7-2 for an English winner.

[Denny Crane]

Just saw that Reina is 9th on the all-time Uefa appearance list on 145, Carragher above him in 8th on 150 Uefa appearances. No suprise Maldini 1st.

[Kevin D]

The idea that a team which can't defend, has no experience, and is filled with serial bottlers will win a European trophy is fanciful.

[Denny Crane]

Spoilsport my argument is there are lots of teams who are average at certain things it's why the majority are in the Europa.

 

Moreno was part of a team that kept a cleansheet for 120 minutes in the final anything is possible.

 

I'd be more confident if Mignolet had his appendix out though and was sidelined for the foreseeable future.

[an tha]

I hope i am wrong but i reckon we get beat tomorrow.

[Alan Sex]

So you're saying put a few bob on Molde?

 

I don't wanna know.

[Denny Crane]

Klopp.

 

“A few teams in the world can think about winning the Europa League and I think we are one of these teams,” he said.

 

“We don't have to say 'we have no chance'. But if you look at the teams in the competition now it is like a little Champions League. There are a lot of high quality teams in it.

 

“Sometimes you can look at winning a cup as the shortest way to get somewhere.

 

“I think there are a few teams when the competition starts that think they can win it. I think we are one of these teams.”

[Paulie Dangerously]

LET'S FUCKING HAVE IT

[Denny Crane]

All Spanish teams won no wins for English and Italian teams. That 4-1 for a Spanish winner prior looked very generous.

 

Villareal beat a weakened Napoli team but their odds are shortening. You can still get 20-1 and they know how to defend, one goal conceded in their last 9 home games. Third best defense behind Juventus and Athletico Madrid in Spain Italy, Germany and England with 18 goals conceded.

 

Lazio got a good score draw at Galatassary and Bilbao won away at Marseille as my tips for outside punts along with Villareal. The only team that let me down was Liverpool. Even then we should progress easy enough.

[Jairzinho]

All Spanish teams won no wins for English and Italian teams. That 4-1 for a Spanish winner prior looked very generous.

 

Villareal beat a weakened Napoli team but their odds are shortening. You can still get 20-1 and they know how to defend, one goal conceded in their last 9 home games. Third best defense behind Juventus and Athletico Madrid in Spain Italy, Germany and England with 18 goals conceded.

 

Lazio got a good score draw at Galatassary and Bilbao won away at Marseille as my tips for outside punts along with Villareal. The only team that let me down was Liverpool. Even then we should progress easy enough.

 

Are you suggesting La Liga has more than two teams?

[Kevin D]

I was at the Villarreal-Espanol game about 3 weeks ago, it ended 2-2. However, I remember thinking that Villarreal are really handy and they would dance about us, over two legs. Really tidy team.

[Jairzinho]

I was at the Villarreal-Espanol game about 3 weeks ago, it ended 2-2. However, I remember thinking that Villarreal are really handy and they would dance about us, over two legs. Really tidy team.

 

You're our new chief scout, aren't you?

[Kevin D]

I've been to a football match, before, which makes me ill-suited for the job.

[Jairzinho]

I've been to a football match, before, which makes me ill-suited for the job.

 

Yes, there is that.

 

But you did find yourself in an establishment with "dancing" girls so you're possibly more of a CEO.

[The Golden Eel]

Even then we should progress easy enough.

 

I can't think of any good reason why we would make this easy... Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if we go out or at least it's very close.  Nothing is straightforward with this side.  

[The Golden Eel]

The last home result (setting aside Exeter) that we've had that would get us through was on Boxing Day when we beat Leicester 1-0.  A replication of every other home result since that would see us go out... Or at least to extra time.