Premier Lg EPL Matchday 38 - On Optus Sport

[Jatz]

That's crazy! Leicester are one of many clubs that don't have a consistent history of being in the top flight. You should savour every one of those seasons where you are playing in the Premier League whether it's winning the comp or just surviving. Would you really swap places with Fulham or Wolves right now?

Then if you get relegated there's always the risk of dropping down again.

Fulham yes but they're not exactly established. They've not long had the joys of promotion.

Wolves no. That existence is everything I hate about football. What's the point? They're not competing at the top end but they're too good to go down. Every season rolls around and what's the aim? Why anyone would just be happy sitting exactly the same year after year makes no sense to me.

 

[Frank Bunn]

Fulham yes but they're not exactly established. They've not long had the joys of promotion.

Wolves no. That existence is everything I hate about football. What's the point? They're not competing at the top end but they're too good to go down. Every season rolls around and what's the aim? Why anyone would just be happy sitting exactly the same year after year makes no sense to me.

Wolves reached the QFs of the Europa League in 2020 after finishing 7th. Of course they would like to get back into the top 7. But it's a very competitive league. Sometimes you have to consolidate and rebuild. You can't finish in the top 7 of the Premier League if you are in the Championship!

 

[SM]

Wolves reached the QFs of the Europa League in 2020 after finishing 7th. Of course they would like to get back into the top 7. But it's a very competitive league. Sometimes you have to consolidate and rebuild. You can't finish in the top 7 of the Premier League if you are in the Championship!

Well of course being in Europe is entirely different which is Jatz and my point. If the club is ambitious and aiming for those spots then fantastic, but Wolves now, and Palace as another, are clubs that seem quite happy just being in that 11-13th range.

 

[Bostonian]

Fulham yes but they're not exactly established. They've not long had the joys of promotion.

Wolves no. That existence is everything I hate about football. What's the point? They're not competing at the top end but they're too good to go down. Every season rolls around and what's the aim? Why anyone would just be happy sitting exactly the same year after year makes no sense to me.

What other choice do clubs like Wolves have though?

It's not like all the rich douches with their play things and sportswashing make it so that the like of Wolves can fairly compete.

Mid table teams can at least be disruptors in a season and cost some of the "big" clubs points.

They can also leverage that position to create a longer term financially stable position for the club.

 

[Jatz]

Wolves reached the QFs of the Europa League in 2020 after finishing 7th. Of course they would like to get back into the top 7. But it's a very competitive league. Sometimes you have to consolidate and rebuild. You can't finish in the top 7 of the Premier League if you are in the Championship!

So 3 seasons ago?

Do they seem likely to make it top 7 again next season? If not, why do you think Wolves should be excited for the upcoming season?

 

[Bradesmaen]

Thank * we don't have to go to s**t places like Boro and Hull

 

[Jatz]

What other choice do clubs like Wolves have though?

It's not like all the rich douches with their play things and sportswashing make it so that the like of Wolves can fairly compete.

Mid table teams can at least be disruptors in a season and cost some of the "big" clubs points.

They can also leverage that position to create a longer term financially stable position for the club.

They don't have another choice, and it's not Wolves fault.

As a supporter, it's ******* boring though.

 

[SM]

What other choice do clubs like Wolves have though?

It's not like all the rich douches with their play things and sportswashing make it so that the like of Wolves can fairly compete.

Mid table teams can at least be disruptors in a season and cost some of the "big" clubs points.

They can also leverage that position to create a longer term financially stable position for the club.

They could show some ambition like your club, Brentford and Villa have? Villa, granted, have a lot of money, but so did Wolves not so long ago.

Just meekly accepting that you're going to be an also ran every season is so ******* boring and goes against the whole spirit of supporting a sporting club. If clubs like Palace gave more of a s**t in the Cup competitions I'd at least understand, but they throw out weakened teams there as well even when they have almost no risk of going down.

Reminds me of Soton and Toon in years gone past where they were comfortably mid-table but would go out in the FA Cup third round each year.

 

[Bostonian]

They could show some ambition like your club, Brentford and Villa have? Villa, granted, have a lot of money, but so did Wolves not so long ago.

Just meekly accepting that you're going to be an also ran every season is so ******* boring and goes against the whole spirit of supporting a sporting club. If clubs like Palace gave more of a s**t in the Cup competitions I'd at least understand, but they throw out weakened teams there as well even when they have almost no risk of going down.

Reminds me of Soton and Toon in years gone past where they were comfortably mid-table but would go out in the FA Cup third round each year.

Is it meekly accepting or is it often being financially responsible?

Like it or not a Cup run doesn't actually put much into the coffers.

Staying up each season in the PL does.

Plenty of clubs have had ambitions but ended up in financial messes because of it.

 

[SM]

Is it meekly accepting or is it often being financially responsible?

Like it or not a Cup run doesn't actually put much into the coffers.

Staying up each season in the PL does.

Plenty of clubs have had ambitions but ended up in financial messes because of it.

You can be financially responsible and still show ambition.

Who said anything about putting money in the coffers? Why should all football decisions be made on the basis of 'will this make us more money'? Why not just actually go out and give your fans some joy?

If you're safely mid-table why can't you go out and go on an FA Cup run instead of losing to L1/L2 sides by playing your U21s?

You're changing your tune pretty quickly on this, wouldn't have expected it from you a few years ago. Would you have been happy if Brighton was sitting in 12th under Chris Hughton barely scoring but doing enough to stay up each season? Cheering when that money hits the club's accounts at the end of the season?

 

[Elmer_Judd]

The simpsons nerds are making fun of us.

It's a relief it's all over though, and yet doesn't feel anywhere near as bad as our 2004 relegation for some reason.

Certainly lived through darker days as a LUFC fan over the years.

I have little faith or confidence that our current owners will get as back up any time soon though.

 

[Bostonian]

You can be financially responsible and still show ambition.

Who said anything about putting money in the coffers? Why should all football decisions be made on the basis of 'will this make us more money'? Why not just actually go out and give your fans some joy?

If you're safely mid-table why can't you go out and go on an FA Cup run instead of losing to L1/L2 sides by playing your U21s?

You're changing your tune pretty quickly on this, wouldn't have expected it from you a few years ago. Would you have been happy if Brighton was sitting in 12th under Chris Hughton barely scoring but doing enough to stay up each season? Cheering when that money hits the club's accounts at the end of the season?

You need money to keep clubs running, the EPL is a very expensive thing to take part in.

If you go on a cup run it can impact the other aspects of the season.

Have always said the long term future of the club is the #1 priority.

As long as we're stable and not going out of existence then that's a win.

Mid table PL finishes will make that scenario more viable.

Sure it would be nice to win something but it's not the be all and end all in a totally rigged competition.

 

[SM]

You need money to keep clubs running, the EPL is a very expensive thing to take part in.

If you go on a cup run it can impact the other aspects of the season.

Have always said the long term future of the club is the #1 priority.

As long as we're stable and not going out of existence then that's a win.

Mid table PL finishes will make that scenario more viable.

Sure it would be nice to win something but it's not the be all and end all in a totally rigged competition.

You keep conflating a cup run with potential relegation when I've said repeatedly the sides I was referring to were mid-table and safe. And regardless I rubbish the notion that a Cup run is in any way damaging to a club that is comfortably above the relegation zone. Playing regularly and winning is never harmful for a side and unless you already have a paper thin squad it's not going to have an impact on personnel. That line gets peddled by owners who think their fans are gullible and believe that anything that jeopardises PL safety is the devil. Steve Bruce did that when he rested half our squad and we bombed out of Europa qualifying only to get relegated that season anyway with a bloated squad unhappy with not having enough playing time.

 

[Bostonian]

You keep conflating a cup run with potential relegation when I've said repeatedly the sides I was referring to were mid-table and safe. And regardless I rubbish the notion that a Cup run is in any way damaging to a club that is comfortably above the relegation zone. Playing regularly and winning is never harmful for a side and unless you already have a paper thin squad it's not going to have an impact on personnel. That line gets peddled by owners who think their fans are gullible and believe that anything that jeopardises PL safety is the devil. Steve Bruce did that when he rested half our squad and we bombed out of Europa qualifying only to get relegated that season anyway with a bloated squad unhappy with not having enough playing time.

And people keep conflating playing young players and bench players as not taking a cup seriously.

We're a perfect example of using such games to get the youth and the bench some first team experience that benefits their progression.

Jason Steele, Evan Ferguson, Julio Enciso and Billy Gilmour are perfect examples of youth/bench players getting an opportunity in cups and turning it into first team league starts.

 

[SM]

And people keep conflating playing young players and bench players as not taking a cup seriously.

We're a perfect example of using such games to get the youth and the bench some first team experience that benefits their progression.

Jason Steele, Evan Ferguson, Julio Enciso and Billy Gilmour are perfect examples of youth/bench players getting an opportunity in cups and turning it into first team league starts.

Sorry yeah forgot Brighton are amazing and everything has to come back to them.

 

[Bostonian]

Sorry yeah forgot Brighton are amazing and everything has to come back to them.

Yeah sorry for providing an example of something. Makes sod all difference who the club is if it proves something to be nonsense.

 

[SM]

Yeah sorry for providing an example of something. Makes sod all difference who the club is if it proves something to be nonsense.

Yeah except that your young players are key parts of your squad and have played a lot of league games and aren't just kids out of your U21s. You've also made Europe this season and gone on Cup runs, which kind of suggests you're exactly the sort of club I'm praising here. So well done I guess?

 

[jd2010]

Wolves should be a much more fun team to watch with their direct line into Portuguese talent. And should be pushing to be a disruptor side as much as Villa and Brighton. They've got it wrong and still had enough talent to never really look like going down

 

[Bostonian]

Yeah except that your young players are key parts of your squad and have played a lot of league games and aren't just kids out of your U21s. You've also made Europe this season and gone on Cup runs, which kind of suggests you're exactly the sort of club I'm praising here. So well done I guess?

They weren't key players when they were used in cup games. That's the point, they gained valuable experience that lead to the league games later in the season.

 

[SM]

They weren't key players when they were used in cup games. That's the point, they gained valuable experience that lead to the league games later in the season.

Ok cool. I'm talking about the clubs who actively talk about the Cup as a distraction and an inconvenience, and cited my own club tanking the Europa league to justify PL survival that didn't come.

 

[darth_timon]

Well, it was a forgettable, lamentable season from my perspective. Sad to see Leicester go down, and sad to see Leeds go, but Leeds... they so often seemed the architects of their own downfall. Defending can be an art when don't properly; Leeds were using crayons to draw shapes.

Still, Stevenage got promoted, so silver linings.

 

[dirty2]

Any Luton town fans on bf?

 

[The Filth Wizard]

Any Luton town fans on bf?

Aye. Born there.

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

Any Luton town fans on bf?

pantskyle Elton Johns Wig

 

[darth_timon]

Aye. Born there.

As a Stevenage-raised lad, let me be the first to say...