I don't want to be seemingly jumping the gun, or getting above my station here. But considering that we all agree that QPR can avoid the relegation situation of last season. ( Sparky promised us that. ) Especially with the sides that have come-up, and the de-stabilisation of Swansea, Norwich and to some extent Wigan. Along with DT's relevent argument that there is such a sort distance between 16th and 8th. And of course bringing in the right players, this season or next. ( Disclaimer.... Nor am I proposing that we have established ourselves in the Prem. 17th will still do for me next season, although with a little less drama please. ) But for arguments ( and entertainments sake.. ( It's the close season) ) if we punched above our weight. Would you want QPR to be in the Europa League? Other than the obvious benefit that we had a high place finish the previous season, I'm not so sure it would be a good thing. Can you help me make my mind up? * Yes I know I'm being a bit optomistic, and it's unrealistic. I am only asking the question as a what if...? *
100% yes mate. I've seen my country play abroad many times but never been able to see OUR team play in Foreign climes. Can't wait for the chance to come eventually.
More fatigue on players for the prem games. Less and less 3pm Saturday kick-offs. It's great if you win it. But even that is a monumental task,even getting to the Final, and even if you do it holds as much kudos as winning the League Cup.
Europe every time! Thought that was the whole meaning of competing as a football club That's why it for me hurts like hell when we whimper out of the cups at the first opportunity year on year. Lets not kid ourselves, we're not going to win the league (at least not any time soon ). Then what is the point if we can't mount a serious challenge in one of the cups? And Europe being the pinnacle it's an easy decision for me. Bo****ks that you can't be involved in both Europe and the league and be competitive in both!
I agree, but isn't the prem all encompassing. Warnock let us get knocked out of the league cup. Hughes let us get knocked out of the FA Cup and even Sir Ribena AF and Mancini got knocked out of the Europa to concentrate on the Premiership.
Yeh. But both Colin and MH were right last season. We needed to concentrate 100% on staying up - I think MH played too strong a team against the Scum in the FA Cup, he should have put out a Youth team and told em to give em hell! I find it hard to see past much more than staying up again next season, but if we are looking safe by early January then I hope we give the FA Cup a real go. And if some day we get back into Europe we should give that a real go too.
The problem with all the cups now, bar the CL, is one of risk vs. potential reward. If, at any time we play a cup game, there's a danger we'll lose PL status, players will be rested. I wish it were otherwise.
If the academy takes off.and we nurture young players into the starting side now and again,build a solid squad of players then in a few years why not anything Fulham can do?
Yes...obviously would love to be in Europe...Paris St Germain in our group would be ideal! However, priority is firstly to be secure where we are...and then secondly it would require a massive investment in players to that our squad looked good on paper, not just our starting 11. The worry would be we get secure and then playing mid week almost without exception would prove too much.
The problem with the Europa League is it's early start and the number of micky-mouse teams in places you've never heard of. You could end up in a group featuring Russian, Ukrainian, Armenian and other such sides which will be far from glamourous and wear the team out by Christmas with the travel and additional wear and tear on players. If they regionalised the early rounds it would make the competition far more appealing for both players and supporters. Perhaps drawing a line down the old Iron Curtain boundary would be worthwhile until the knockout stage of the tournament. Ultimately it will be seen as a sign of progress and we should embrace it, but I don't think it will be a whole-hearted embrace...
We got to the final, you've got a lot to live up to IF you ever get in the competition that is. Despite being a Fulham fan (don't hold it against me) I'm interested in the reasoning behind this 'we won't be relegated next season'. When Warnock left, you were no worse off than when you ended the season, despite having spent an awful lot of money in January that Warnock never had. Statistics would show that Hughes did just as poorly/well as Warnock, yet some of the posts I've seen here labels him as a saviour? I wanted QPR to go down last season (a rivalry would expect no less) but the main reason for wanting it so is because I see you being a much better team next season. I hate Hughes for what he did to Fulham but love him for what he did for Wales (I'm Welsh) but cannot deny he is a good manager and think he will steer you clear of safety next season, but what are your reasons for thinking so?
It took time for MH's methods to get through plus a shower of red cards didn't help. our form in the last five home games kept us up and he will bring in better quality players, so that is where the optimism comes from...
I have my own reasons as to why I think you will be far better next season, I was merely asking your fans for yours, as obviously your views on your own club would be much more accurate than mine.
Seeing as you brought it up, you give us your reasoning first and then we'll give you ours. Fair enough?
Warnock and Hughes appear to have finished their respective bits of the season equally but for me (others might disagree) Warnock had lost the confidence of the owners, players and many fans and was in a nose dive that may well have seen us finish below Wolves. Certainly couldn't find a point for love nor money, we were that bad. Hughes on the other hand needed to time to assess unfamiliar squad players and just couldn't get the team to click for the first couple of months. However, he finished up with a side that could beat most others at home. That saved us from the drop so many of us (pundits included) considered a foregone conclusion up to the second half of the last day. That makes Mark Hughes our saviour in my book.
Do I want us to get into the Europa Cup? Why not? As Telford suggested above, as long as our squad is strong enough to compensate for the added risks - which it should be once we've managed to attain the necessary league position. Once that happens, it's not as though you can opt out is it?
