The CL would pay for a new squad. Yes European nights at St Marys would be great. Almost as great as the risks they would incur. What I want from this season is for us to finish above Spurs and Liverpool, just for its own sake. Next season can take care of itself, but if we were to finish 7th and not qualify for the Europa League (if that's possible) then we might turn out to have dodged a bullet. I don't know, in other words. I do know that I very badly want us to beat spurs next week.
A Benteke on form is far too good for this Villa team. I would happily see us bid for him during the summer.
Yes please. Lovely goal by Villa. Want Liverpool to go through because 7th would get Europa League, but nice to see Liverpool suffer.
Dammit, I want to celebrate that goal, but can't. Send for Rickie, Brendan. Rickie will send us to Europe.
Well it now makes things very simplistic: If Villa win the final Villa will go into the EL group stage 5th place will go into the EL group stage 6th place will go into 3rd qualifying round If Arsenal win the final 5th place will go into the EL group stage 6th place will go into the EL group stage 7th place will go into 3rd qualifying round
Realistically, we need a much bigger squad. This season started well, and has died off in the second half. And it's not like we even had extensive cup runs. Europa League will be OK for us as long as it doesn't last more than 4/6 matches. Because we won't win it, and it will undoubtedly be detrimental to our season.
So, so negative. Read TSS's post in Koemans.... You're going to live a shorter live than me! 1. Why can't we win it (Middlesborough got to the final) 2. It might enhance our season and develop more youngsters and more fringe players 3. Of course we need a bigger squad - we did anyway. 4. If this was a Champions League discussion, no-one would be being negative about it.
It is not the Europa League as such, it is what qualifying represents. We finished high enough up the table to qualify...got to be worth celebrating. Once in, we'll deal with it.
This debate reminds me of the people who would rather we were playing in the Championship or even League One because there was less pressure and we won most of the time. Well as I remember it there was just as much pressure because our squad wasn't as strong as some of the other teams in those days. Qualifying for either European competition would represent the inexorable progress we have made in the last 5 and a half years, and would be accompanied, as Beefy and Fran quite rightly say, with investment in the depth of the squad. I am confident we could compete both in the Europa League and the Prem, because, as always, there is a plan.
If we invest in the squad I'll eat my words. I don't believe we'll spend the kind of money required to compete, though.
It depends how clever we are. We don't need to sign 10 superstars. Let's assume, we lose Clyne, Morgan and Toby. We would then need to replace them plus maybe another 5 players. That's 8, maybe 9. It is not out of the question to go and find 5m valued players that will do a good job for us. Add to that, thew likes of Hesketh, Gallagher, McCarthy, Reed, Targett, Mugabi, Seager who will all be a year older, stronger and with good introductions, can also be playing a part of that. We've already invested heavily once - we can again.
We have a list of players we want if we don't get in Europe. We have a larger list if we do. Kat is fully behind strengthening the squad big time if we get into Europa. We want at least two players for each position if we do.
Certainly every sign that KL is fully supportive...I think she's discovered that owning a football club can be more fun than owning any other company. Where else can you buy lots of strapping young men without getting arrested
surely if Arsenal win the cup, then Villa qualify as runners up? So I think answer to the OP is 'no'.
