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Serious relegation fears

Ade's folks are ok really said:
ok, so they all have three weeks between first and second legs, just checked. Seems like an insane break given the Europa is consecutive Thursdays!
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Its because the EL has this ridiculous extra round - 40 teams go into the groups stage and after every has played 6 games, you're only down to 32 teams given the CL drop-outs join.
 
BrainOfLevy said:
I don't think it's right to want to get knocked out of Europe. I can't think of anything worse than having the players sitting at home having a whole week to wait before the next game because they've just dropped points at home to Bournemouth and having to hear everyone talk about how they choke.

When it's something as monumental as becoming an actual champion, I want them to be working out the kinks immediately in the next game, I want the entire squad to be able to be involved and pushing each other and I want a culture of winning embedded in to the club. We don't hear Barca, Atletico, Real, Man United or Chelsea (when they were good) talk about getting knocked out of the CL to preserve their title challenge. When they were good they would be going for everything. This year we are good. This year we can potentially be the best team in England, not a team that has having a complete outlier of a season like Leceister but a team that after so many years of being happy in the top 4/5/6, is finally making the breakthrough based on excellent coaching, a trust in youth and consistent performances based on a system of working that the entire club buys into.

The idea that we should be a top team and be happy not to win every game is a bad one. Getting knocked out to preserve a charge for 4th, when at the start of the season you'd wanna win the league (e.g. Arsenal) is something entirely different. That isn't pressure, it's playing for the bear minimum that they should expect and woopdedoo for them. If we are a top team we can handle it all.
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Hasn't "now we can focus on the league" been a pretty typical response? At least from the top English teams in the past when they've been involved in a proper title race...

I don't see many people saying that they want us to get knocked out of Europe. Just that they care less than in previous years because of our league position. And because fewer games as a distraction is seen as a potential benefit. Which I think it is. Leicester this season, Liverpool when they got 2nd... Plenty of evidence that post-European fixture hangovers is a thing other than that too.

On the other hand good flow, winning games, feeling strong, a chance to use more of the squad players... Benefits to going through too.

Either outcome I don't think focusing on the positives is wrong.

Ade's folks are ok really said:
Just been looking at when Arsenal can squeeze in their replay v Hull, given (i presumed!) that their next three midweeks are taken up with either Champs League v Barca or the Prem fixtures on Tue 1st/Wed 2nd March.

However, according to the BBC site, the return leg away at Barca is actually THREE weeks after the first leg!???!! Is this normal? I thought it was just a fortnight between the two games? I'm assuming it's not been pushed back to make room for the replay v Hull (UEFA would never budge for FA surely??!).

Just hoping for their squad to be stretched as much as poss of course, particularly in build up to NLD.
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Been the same for years I think. Was the same when we faced Milan in 2011.

Becomes a fortnight at the QF stage.
 
BrainOfLevy said:
I don't think it's right to want to get knocked out of Europe. I can't think of anything worse than having the players sitting at home having a whole week to wait before the next game because they've just dropped points at home to Bournemouth and having to hear everyone talk about how they choke.

When it's something as monumental as becoming an actual champion, I want them to be working out the kinks immediately in the next game, I want the entire squad to be able to be involved and pushing each other and I want a culture of winning embedded in to the club. We don't hear Barca, Atletico, Real, Man United or Chelsea (when they were good) talk about getting knocked out of the CL to preserve their title challenge. When they were good they would be going for everything. This year we are good. This year we can potentially be the best team in England, not a team that has having a complete outlier of a season like Leceister but a team that after so many years of being happy in the top 4/5/6, is finally making the breakthrough based on excellent coaching, a trust in youth and consistent performances based on a system of working that the entire club buys into.

The idea that we should be a top team and be happy not to win every game is a bad one. Getting knocked out to preserve a charge for 4th, when at the start of the season you'd wanna win the league (e.g. Arsenal) is something entirely different. That isn't pressure, it's playing for the bear minimum that they should expect and woopdedoo for them. If we are a top team we can handle it all.
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Could not agree more its a losers attitude.
 
Wouldn't it be funny if we won the EL (guaranteeing us CL) and then also finished in the top 3 (also guaranteeing us CL). We've ben chasing CL for the past 5 years and this year we could take our pick of how we qualify for it.
 
Ade's folks are ok really said:
Just been looking at when Arsenal can squeeze in their replay v Hull, given (i presumed!) that their next three midweeks are taken up with either Champs League v Barca or the Prem fixtures on Tue 1st/Wed 2nd March.

However, according to the BBC site, the return leg away at Barca is actually THREE weeks after the first leg!???!! Is this normal? I thought it was just a fortnight between the two games? I'm assuming it's not been pushed back to make room for the replay v Hull (UEFA would never budge for FA surely??!).

Just hoping for their squad to be stretched as much as poss of course, particularly in build up to NLD.
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No chance of that
 
braineclipse said:
Hasn't "now we can focus on the league" been a pretty typical response? At least from the top English teams in the past when they've been involved in a proper title race...

I don't see many people saying that they want us to get knocked out of Europe. Just that they care less than in previous years because of our league position. And because fewer games as a distraction is seen as a potential benefit. Which I think it is. Leicester this season, Liverpool when they got 2nd... Plenty of evidence that post-European fixture hangovers is a thing other than that too.

On the other hand good flow, winning games, feeling strong, a chance to use more of the squad players... Benefits to going through too.

Either outcome I don't think focusing on the positives is wrong.



Been the same for years I think. Was the same when we faced Milan in 2011.

Becomes a fortnight at the QF stage.
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Bang on the money for me

You can see the problem with Europa with the way the games aren't spaced out even at Thai stage

And your right we need to focus on the positives and their are Plenty

My only negative would be if we played a weak team. We won't we will play a Team that is good enough like we did yesterday
 
alekaras said:
Wouldn't it be funny if we won the EL (guaranteeing us CL) and then also finished in the top 3 (also guaranteeing us CL). We've ben chasing CL for the past 5 years and this year we could take our pick of how we qualify for it.
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It would be bloody brilliant!!!

Say this happened, what happens to the 'spare' CL spot?
 
Should Arsenal make it past Hull, their home game against West Brom will have to be postponed to a midweek slot somewhere. The other top 4 teams are unaffected by the FA cup. Leicester have a Monday night game, so we will not be playing catch up that weekend should we get another European tie.
 
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