Europa League thread

[moomba]

Obviously this is now the pre-eminent competition in Europe for this season, who cares about the chumps league (ah, how it's good to call it that again) anyway.

Few good teams in the comp this season.

Seeds will be the winners of the Group Stage plus the top 4 teams coming down from the Champions League.

Based on current standings:
Seeded - Man City, Man United, Olympiacos, Valencia, Standard Liege, PSV Eindhoven, Sporting CP, Athletic Bilbao, Metalist Kharkiv, Shalke, Twente, PAOK, Stoke, Brugge, Atletico Madrid, Anderlecht.

The ones in bold are confirmed.

Unseeded - Porto, Ajax, Trabzonspor, Viktoria Plzen, Hannover 96, Legia Warsaw, Rubin Kazan, Vaslui, Besiktas, Red Bull Salzburg, AZ, Braga, Udinese, Maccabi Haifa, Fulham, Lokomotiv Moscow.

Draw for R32 and R16 is next week, country protection exists for R32 but not for R16. Birmingham, Celtic and Spurs struggling to make it through the group stages, but not out of it yet.

 

[mojito]

I will be chuffed to bits if Celtic don't get out of their group.

One of us will get Kazan. I can see it happening.

 

[X_box_X]

Samir Nasri has hit back at critics of his mega-money move to Man City by blasting Arsenal for failing to provide the Europa League football he craved.

Nasri - who was criticised by Arsenal fans and labelled a mercenary when he left for Man City in the summer - feels vindicated following the 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich that helped Man City finish ten points above Villarreal to qualify for the Europa League's last 32.

"I can't wait to hear the Europa League anthem as we line up on the pitch on a Thursday night," said the winger. "The hairs will be standing up on the back of my neck as I hear that tune. How does it go again?"

Nasri was part of an Arsenal side that visited Barcelona in the Champions League last season, but admits it was difficult watching new club City visit the likes of FC Politehnica Timisoara.

"If I ever wanted to play Europa League football I had to leave Arsenal," claimed Nasri. "It's been over a decade since Arsene Wenger last guided his team into Europe's second-tier competition and Arsenal again failed to land a Europa League spot last year. To make matters worse, we had to watch Spurs grab the last place. Even Fulham got in via the flippin' fair play league - at that point I knew it was time to say au revoir.

"There were moments this season when I wondered if I had done the right thing moving to City, when it looked as if we were in danger of qualifying for the next round of the Champions League and Arsenal were on course for the Europa, but now I can look forward to possibly playing Stoke."

Nasri is chomping at the bit to face the Europa League's finest. "There are no easy names in the Europa League," he said. "Whether it's FC Metalist Kharkiv, FC Vaslui or Vorskla Poltava, I can't pronounce any of them. At least I might get a game, though."

 

[Cruyff14]

That's gold.

 

[moomba]

I wonder who will end up winning more silverware this season, Nasri or Arsenal?

 

[Cruyff14]

Just admit it's funny and move on moomba

 

[Junk Time]

I wonder who will end up winning more silverware this season, Nasri or Arsenal?

While sitting on the bench?

 

[moomba]

Just admit it's funny and move on moomba

It was OK, fairly obvious stuff.

 

[moomba]

While sitting on the bench?

14 starts so far for us. Missed a few through injury.

Dont want to ruin a story though.

 

[Zidane98]

Looks like City fans will have a "Legia Warsaw" celebration to add to the "Lech Poznan" one.

 

[Gameova_]

man the europa league sucks

 

[kid_a]

man the europa league sucks

probably because ALL the teams in it are 2nd rate

 

[Tulip]

LOL @ struggling.I'm still upset that there is a chance we'll get through

 

[moomba]

LOL @ struggling.I'm still upset that there is a chance we'll get through

UEFA Cup and Cup Winners Cup form nearly 20% of your clubs total major achievements.

Shame so many of your supporters disregard the competition.

 

[Tulip]

UEFA Cup in the 80s and Europa League this decade are very different beasts. There is no glory in winning it, nor money. Teams league campaigns are disadvantaged and its a dumping ground for clubs who can't cut it in the CL and unlucky ones like United and Valencia.

 

[moomba]

Theres more glory in the Europa League than anything Spurs have won in the last 20 years.

What would be funny is if, down the line England get knocked back to 3 places in the champions league because of poor performances of clubs that just cant be arsed putting in an effort in the Europa League.

FWIW Spurs are currently the 16th ranked team currently sat in a champions league qualifying position through the league. Go out next week and you've almost certainly cost yourself a place in the second pot if you do make it into the champions league next year.

 

[Tulip]

Damn. I guess we'll have to qualify from the third pot as we did last season.

That'd be the same as Manchester City. We won an FA Cup 20 years ago.

 

[moomba]

That'd be the same as Manchester City. We won an FA Cup 20 years ago.

20 years and 7 months actually.
.

The fact we've only won an FA Cup in the past 20 years is just one reason why I'd love to win the Europa League this season.

 

[hawkman]

Fulham knocked out with the last touch of the game. Sat back in the 2nd half and deserved to concede late

 

[Zidane98]

Nasty injury to Schwarzer by the look of it.

 

[Ray Nolan]

Where did all these feckin' johnny come-lately's come from?

Win at home to Maribor, Braga do the business over Club Brugge and we're through.

Fingers crossed!

 

[Borgsta]

Theres more glory in the Europa League than anything Spurs have won in the last 20 years.

Honestly I would say just. I rate the Europa league a little bit higher than the CC. UEFA have ruined the competition and whilst European nights are good there is nothing to be gained by winning this mish mash of a comp.

 

[Zidane98]

Honestly I would say just. I rate the Europa league a little bit higher than the CC. UEFA have ruined the competition and whilst European nights are good there is nothing to be gained by winning this mish mash of a comp.

You would prefer to win the FA cup instead of Europa League?

 

[moomba]

Where did all these feckin' johnny come-lately's come from?

I've only just come to realise this is the pre-eminent European competition this season.

Good scenes in Krakow, their game had ended and they thought they were out. Then the news from Craven Cottage filtered through.

 

[moomba]

I'd rather win the FA Cup than the Europa, but thats just because I grew up watching FA Cup finals and the thought that we'd even be in one let alone win one still amazes me.

But I'd love to win the Europa League, and still consider it a very important bit of silverware. I still think the best atmosphere I can remember at our place was the quarter final against Hamburg a few years back.