Just remembering Fulham playing in the snow at minus 5C in Basel, needing a win to qualify to the Europe League knock-out stages. A wonderful evening ending in a glorious Fulham win 2-3 that set us on the road to the Final. Now we find that ManU could not manage the same feat. And now they drop to the EL, together with ManC - The joke 3rd placed rule continues - Somewhat unfair on Stoke and ourselves (hopefully we can beat Odense).
Someone on the official FFC website made a rather good point regarding the CL teams dropping into the Europa. FFC defeated Shakhtar, Juventus, Wolfsburg, Hamburg who had all come from the CL, we have no reason to fear either Man City or Utd, just like the FA Cup, anything can happen in the Europa. Utd are not what they used to be (CL this season, under-performing in the league) and we have already taken a point from City this season. The point is that the teams dropping into the EL do make the competition a lot better and certainly more commercial.
I still don't think teams that weren't good enough for the CL should get to pop up in the last 32 of the Europa. It's a massive kick in the teeth for clubs like ours who were qualifying for the competition back in June. And said teams who drop out will only degrade the competition by playing a youth team in every game.
I was there in Basel that night ... what a game. I couldn't talk for two days because my voice was shot. In one sense it's funny that huge teams like Man U and Man C get knocked out of the CL by little teams like Basel and Benfica, but what's not so nice is that they end up in the Europa League making progress for us more difficult.
Completely agreed on all of the above. The thing that really pi**es me off though is that we reached the final and, albeit lost, but we did not automatically qualify for the Europa League the next season. So having turned over the CL drop outs we still were not rewarded. I really hope we do a job on Odense and get onto the knock out stages.
I do get everyone's point but thems the rules, good or bad. It spices it up a bit but as it was pointed out we beat teams that dropped down last time. Bring it on I say!
I suppose if you look at it from the outside it's a bit like our FA Cup system where teams come into different stages of the competition. The smaller teams are fighting through the lower levels to get a shot at playing the big clubs.
I wasn't at our Basel game but I remember it as the start of the magic of our previous EL run: the fact that it was a must-win away game when our away record was (probably) even worse than it is now and we won it against the team tipped to finish 2nd in the group - the first of our against the odds victories which led us all the way to Hamburg. The snow and the noise from the hardy FFC fans only added to the atmosphere even on the TV. Lets beat Odense and do it all again!
I agree on all points though for one, I love seeing the glum look on those glory hunting united fans faces on they switch on channel 5 on thursday evenings. Plus if they put out their reserve sides, there's no reason why if we ever play them we won't give them a good hammering. Side note, assuming we and stoke both go through there will now be a lot of PL games scheduled on sundays.
I agree that them entering the competition at this stage almost seems like rewarding failure, but it is all down to money at the end of the day, and with Utd and City now entering the competition, UEFA will be licking their lips for days.
Your right Bandit, it is all about money. But, and it's a big but, clubs like ours will be the losers - less TV money; less prize money unless we go all the way. Indeed if we get knocked out in the 1st round, we will lose money. A cynic might say, with the toll taken by the players after so many games, a waste of time as well as money. Of course, since my glass is half full, we'll show the sods ! COYW
I agree that the TV money will be less, but looking at our Europa run last time, Liverpool also entered the competition after elimination from the CL, and I still remember us getting some quality TV time that time around. In a way this actually benefits us, Utd and City will most likely field reserves/youngsters, which gives us much more of a chance of winning, adding to the fact that the grounds would be more local (good for players not fans) therefore tiredness from travelling would not longer become an issue.
You're right, although at that point I think it was only us and Liverpool in the comp (maybe City got through to the last 16?). This time it can possibly be us, United, City, Spurs and Stoke, which isn't such a good sign for us, coverage-wise.
You are absolutely right , they fail in one competition and automatically get a second bite at the cherry. ridiculous. They are sh1te anyway so good luck if you meet them .
