2015/16 Europa League - Round of 16: Borussia Dortmund

[Jordinho]

I want us in the EL (barring a miracle surge for fourth!), so we need to push for 5th so we avoid as many matches as possible.

As i have mentioned before, i'm sure 8-9 first teamers could be left out permantly for those 6 group games, so lessening the effect on our prem campaign. (just looked and the knock-out phase didn't start until the 19th feb this season).

And make no mistake there is going to be a large dose of transition again next season....we have just too many players to shift (never easy with levy overseeing every penny) as well as 2-3 additions. The EL helps with bringing through youth, intergration of new faces and giving squad players game time.

We should be able to get through the groups fairly easily, but we've struggled with doing a professional job on teams. Too often we slow down our game because the opposition allows that by sitting back and basically not being British and it becomes dull. A bit more pace up front would do nicely.

 

[Gutter Boy]

We should be able to get through the groups fairly easily, but we've struggled with doing a professional job on teams. Too often we slow down our game because the opposition allows that by sitting back and basically not being British and it becomes dull. A bit more pace up front would do nicely.

Pace is the last thing that works against teams that sit back. Guile is what you need to unlock those defences.

 

[Jordinho]

Pace is the last thing that works against teams that sit back. Guile is what you need to unlock those defences.

Guile is when you draw them out, then hit the openings with pace.

 

[chicken_badge]

I'd say I'm pro-Europa League.
However, consider three teams recently who had no European football in the same season they finished top 4:

* Tottenham 2010; also out of both domestic cups early

* Liverpool 2014; Suarez almost wins them the league

* Man U 2015 (probably)

Also Tottenham 2012, bailed out of the EL at the group stage and finished 4th, although did not qualify for CL

Any others in recent years?

And further to this, other than Spurs which top sides have had EL football and would claim this kept them out of a top 4 finish?

 

[glorygloryeze]

I'd say I'm pro-Europa League.
However, consider three teams recently who had no European football in the same season they finished top 4:

* Tottenham 2010; also out of both domestic cups early

* Liverpool 2014; Suarez almost wins them the league

* Man U 2015 (probably)

Also Tottenham 2012, bailed out of the EL at the group stage and finished 4th, although did not qualify for CL

Any others in recent years?

And further to this, other than Spurs which top sides have had EL football and would claim this kept them out of a top 4 finish?

 

[parklane1]

levy wants europa but what is poch's real take on this on this aside from the PC speak of "we want to win everything"?

And I hope Levy still does and that we qualify for it again, I fail to understand why some fans want to give up on winning things and roll out the same excuses for not wanting the EL. They are myths and have been pointed out more then once for being so.

 

[chicken_badge]

Ok so maybe didnt bow out of the domestic cups as early as I thought! Did we get the better of KPB the next season?

 

[jaysea67]

Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino: avoiding Europa League could help us

Mauricio Pochettino has admitted the Europa League is a hindrance to a Premier League club’s domestic aspirations. The Tottenham Hotspur manager has endured a 10-game campaign in Europe’s second-tier cup competition this season – which got them no further than the last 32 – and he is closing in on a return to it.

Pochettino did not say whether he would welcome the Europa League next term but, from his comments, it would be safe to deduce he would not. Tottenham will qualify again if they finish in the league’s top seven – unless they were to finish seventh and Aston Villa beat Arsenal in the FA Cup final.

Uefa has made a change to the qualifying criteria and the FA Cup runners-up will no longer be granted a Europa League slot. Arsenal are almost certain to take one of England’s four Champions League places.

“The Europa League is not an easy competition, it’s a very tough competition because it affects your domestic league,” Pochettino said. “It was my opinion when I was at Southampton, when I was asked a lot about this and, having had a Europa League season, I can now confirm that it is very difficult to manage the Europa League with the Premier League and both cups.”

Pochettino highlighted the cases of Liverpool last season and Manchester United this season as examples of clubs having benefited in terms of top-four pushes from a lack of European football. Liverpool finished second last season and United are on course for a top-four finish.

Pochettino was asked whether Tottenham may be closer to the top four if they had not had to play in the Europa League. “Maybe,” he replied. “I think that you spend a lot of energy when you play in the Europa League and it’s not easy.

“It’s true that the experience of last season with Liverpool and now with Manchester United – I think that is a clear example that you will have the opportunity to stay closer to the top four, if you only have to focus on the Premier League and the cups.”

Pochettino takes his team back to Southampton on Saturday, with Tottenham sitting sixth, one point and one place above his former club. Hugo Lloris, the goalkeeper, faces a fitness test on his knee, while Kyle Walker has been ruled out for the final weeks of the season with a foot problem.

“In football, you need to try and take the positive result and always win,” Pochettino said. “If you achieve the Europa League, it might not be the dream of the club or the supporters but you need to play it because it is good for the financial side of the club.

“We need to try and build a strong team for next season to fight for the top four. We need to be clever, to analyse after the end of the season and move quick to build the team. If we achieve Europa League or not, we need to move quick.”

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/apr/23/tottenham-mauricio-pochettino-europa-league

 

[Gutter Boy]

Shouldn't be an issue next season if all the big 6 are back in Europe.

It's only 2 more games than CL - that crappy round of 32, which needs to be abolished.

I'm still gutted watching Fiorentina progressing through the tournament. We should have finished them off at the Lane and been pushing to win the tournament not.

 

[a spur from swansea]

It be a great help if the premier league allow or give permission or what ever, that clubs in the Europa cup be allowed to play on a monday if they have travelled away on a Thursday night. Granted they are given a bye in the league cup for the second round but thats a football league decision.

Also in some games we were picked to play at half one on a Sunday for Sky.I know its a small detail but the club should insist they play at 4pm or again a Monday night after a Thursday.

MP has stated this aswell in press meetings

 

[Jordinho]

They should also stop picking all our non-EL weekend games as Sunday games. It's like they have no brains at all, making games that are likely to be moved to Sunday early or late Saturday kickoffs and moving CL teams to Sunday when they could get a game the following Tuesday. They spend all summer figuring this out, only for many of them to end up not being shown.

 

[braineclipse]

“We need to try and build a strong team for next season to fight for the top four. We need to be clever, to analyse after the end of the season and move quick to build the team. If we achieve Europa League or not, we need to move quick.”

This is the most important part. We need to be clever in the transfer market...

 

[K.D.D.D.D.Soc]

If the club do manage to unload some of the deadwood (Adebayor/Soldado/Chiriches/Kaboul/Capoue/Stambouli or Paulhino) the squad would be very thin and despite some loan players returning and possible new signings we would not be able to field a competitive side out in the Europa League without using 1st team players. Which puts us in the same position as the last couple of years, lacking training time due to trips to the middle of nowhere for 2 days a week. I don't believe it's just a coincidence that both Liverpool Football Club (last season) and Manchester United have done well in the league whilst not being in the Europa League.

 

[Jordinho]

We were two points behind Liverpool after 19 matches last season and three behind ManU this season. Liverpool had two strikers in top form in the second half and United this season is pure luck IMO.

 

[Rorschach]

It be a great help if the premier league allow or give permission or what ever, that clubs in the Europa cup be allowed to play on a monday if they have travelled away on a Thursday night. Granted they are given a bye in the league cup for the second round but thats a football league decision.

Also in some games we were picked to play at half one on a Sunday for Sky.I know its a small detail but the club should insist they play at 4pm or again a Monday night after a Thursday.

MP has stated this aswell in press meetings

I think that the both European competitions should be on the Wednesday but on alternative weeks. The Europa league already feels like a runners up competition, but this would allow it it's own 'space' and maybe claw back some of the lost prestige.

 

[Whiffler]

Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino: avoiding Europa League could help us
.....
"........ I can now confirm that it is very difficult to manage the Europa League with the Premier League and both cups.”
......

Well, I can confirm that you're paid to do exactly that. If you cannot do so playing against EL opposition, then it is highly unlikely you'll do it in CL.

The key is having enough players to rotate. Not taking an expensive striker to away matches ... what was that all about?. Not that I would have played him, but as 'Manager' you should manage - not get by, but proactively influence events.

And communicating in a form of English that people can hear and understand would be handy.

 

[indianspur]

This is the most important part. We need to be clever in the transfer market...

i think Poch put more of an emphasis on being quick.....I dont think he will be happy at all if we dont get his targets before pre season starts

 

[braineclipse]

If the club do manage to unload some of the deadwood (Adebayor/Soldado/Chiriches/Kaboul/Capoue/Stambouli or Paulhino) the squad would be very thin and despite some loan players returning and possible new signings we would not be able to field a competitive side out in the Europa League without using 1st team players. Which puts us in the same position as the last couple of years, lacking training time due to trips to the middle of nowhere for 2 days a week. I don't believe it's just a coincidence that both Liverpool Football Club (last season) and Manchester United have done well in the league whilst not being in the Europa League.

The problem this season hasn't been the size of our squad, but rather the quality of the players seen as squad players. Some of the players you mention have played a decent chunk of the EL games, others have not. But other than arguably Stambouli and possibly Chiriches none of them have made much a positive contribution. For our front 6 positions (striker, 3 AM, 2 CM) there's arguably one player in there (Stambouli) that's done alright. That's what's forced us to rely on first choice players. We quite simply couldn't trust Adebayor, Soldado, Capoue, Paulinho, Townsend/Lamela etc to do a job.

We're all hoping that new signings will fit in better and contribute more. That would give us more cover and competition for places, despite not having more players.

 

[braineclipse]

i think Poch more of an emphasis on being quick.....I dont think he will be happy at all if we dont get his targets before pre season starts

If we're not being clever about who we bring in it doesn't really matter how early we get the deals done.

I can understand wanting to get deals done early, definitely. But if that's what we want we probably have to accept not going for some players that bigger clubs might be in for, even more need for being clever.

 

[Baleforce]

its probably better to get Player B with a full pre season than Player A mid August imo (unless the quality differential is huge), that way the fitness will be there and hopefully a better understanding of the system