Can understand why you wouldn't want to be in it! There is money to be made and the europa league winners will get a Champions League place after next seasons competition.
Play the youngster's in Europe, I wouldn't care about trying to win that cup as a relegation battle might come along with it.
I want Southampton to do as well as possible but I can't see that we're ready for the Europa League next season. There are several studies that show if you play in the UEFA Cup/Europa League in midweek the chances of winning your game the next weekend drops. That's including teams like Liverpool, Spurs and Newcastle with bigger squads than us. You can suggest playing the kids or resting players or whatever but the manager and staff still have to prepare a team for another game. Away games are obviously the worst. Even if you leave players at home the manager and staff still have to fly out to Russia or wherever, which screws with your training in mid week. They then arrive home on Friday afternoon and possibly play Sunday lunchtime. And if we're honest, we probably won't just play the kids. The majority of the squad will travel even if some senior players don't start.
International days are changing...can be from Thursday to Tuesday. Hodgson is concerned about PL clubs releasing players after a Sunday PL match for England training for a Thursday game. Another reason to have a deeper squad.
Whilst I completely agree, I'm not sure putting out this team would result in many Europa matches... I'm still in 2 minds about Europa, it would be lovely to say Saints are in Europe - but if even Swansea who have had 2 seasons (plus) of rise and rise can then falter in the season they have Europa League football like they have, and lose a top manager (and not because he went on to better things...) - then maybe it's just too much of a poisoned chalice. I want so much to finish above Utd...
Given the side we put out against Sunderland, why would anyone think we would be serious about us putting a full team out in the Europa Cup? Cannot see how Poch would take this competition seriously other than to blood the youngsters.
Boruc was the only one of our first choice side who Poch chose to leave out of the match day squad against Sunderland.
Didn't do Chelsea any harm last season, did it? At least they got on with it!!! Besides which it can help raise the club's profile not only nationally but further afield, leading to increased support (which is largely confined to Hampshre at present), increased revenues in terms of shirt sales and TV revenue. Seeing where Manchester United are, it will be an extremely tall order for this season at least!!
This thread would seem far more relevant if we were still in the FA cup. No danger of us sneaking into Europe this season.
It was only relevant because Mauricio made it so, by saying it was the target after we came out of the cup. Although there are still lots of points to go, I suspect that losing another game whilst United won has probably made that impossible.
Its not impossible when we still have to face United Everton and Newcastle at home. Unlikely but do-able on our early season form.
