Europa League 2011/2012

Snow said:
Of the teams left, besides Manchester City, the most dangerous teams looks to be Metalist, Dutch teams and Italian teams. They've been playing good football in Europe. Athletic Bilbao lost a center half to a red card today and Valencia looks sloppy recently. Never know how those Spanish team will do. But for me, the teams I mentioned first look like they want to win it the most.
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There's only one Italian team left - Udinese.

I think it's City, Atletico, Udinese and Valencia who could win it, apart from us obviously.
 
rcoobc said:
Moved this reply to hear because it had nothing to do with the atmosphere thread.
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I wouldn't even say Stoke's attitude was disgraceful, by all accounts they were massively outplayed at home, and would've needed some sort of miracle to win in Spain.

And I don't think you can say Stoke are still safe when they're just nine points off the relegation zone. Blackpool proved last season that you aren't safe until it's mathematically impossible to go down.

Spurs' attitude was probably the worst, to have that squad and go out at the group stages, but ask any fan if they'd still like to be in it, they'll all say no because it'd hinder their title/4th place chances. The Europa League is the European booby prize, it's like the JPT, it's a chance for a final for teams who have little chances of major success. You've got to remember, most teams in this didn't even win their own domestic league.
rcoobc said:
Look at the teams that could finish in the Europa League spots:

England.
Cardiff City (League Cup)
Liverpool (League Cup, FA Cup or 5th Place+)
Chelsea (5th Place+ or FA Cup)
Arsenal (5th Place+)
Newcastle (5th Place+)
Other FA Cup Winner.

Spain. Assumed a Barcelona Copa Del Rey win.
Espanyol (5-6th Place+)
Athletic Bilbao (5-6th Place+)
Atletico Madrid (5-6th Place+)

Italy
Lazio (5-6th Place+)
Roma (5-6th Place+)
Napoli (Coppa Italia or 5-6th Place+)
Inter (5-6th Place+)

Germany
Werder Bremen (5-6th Place+)
Bayer Leverkusen (5-6th Place+)
Hannover 96 (5-6th Place+)

France
Lille (5 Place+)
Saint-Étienne (5th Place +)
Lyon (5 Place+, League Cup or FA Cup)
Marseille(5 Place+, League Cup or FA Cup)

Not a complete picture, but there are at least 10 teams you would associate with the Champions League there. That is without the Champions League group stage drop outs too. Cant understand the attitude towards this cup.
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So who else then? Definitely not 'at least' 10. I assume you'll mean Liverpool as well, although next season will be three in a row for them, but nevertheless, for argument's sake, let's include them. So that's seven. The others nicely make up the Europa League latter stages, and are teams you'd be surprised to see in the knockout stages of the UCL, bar the odd one or two.
 
I would have included Lille, Marseille, Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid and Liverpool in that list, although I accept its pretty debatable, especially Leverkusen. It depends what you mean I guess by my point is that there is quality in the Europa League, and there is definitely a reason for it to exist. The Europa League has problems its true, but English football seems to have a major problem with it beyond all others.

In English football, only 1 "great" team enters the Europa League, and 2 often enter it because of cup runs. The whole situation is pretty mucked up, but when a team who finishes 5th gets joined by 2 lower division teams you understand they will start to feel some apathy for the competition. But the quality is there.
 
Is there a draw after this round of matches or is the next round already planned out?
 
Liam147 said:
The Ro16 has been drawn, when the Ro32 was, we play Bilbao. As far as I know the quarters and semis are drawn together too, possibly alongside the UCL (:() draws
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Yeah I'm aware we play Bilbao, I was speaking of the following round (quarters). But you seemed to answer my question anyway.
 
Not sure what thread we should be using, still 0-0 in the City game.
 
Big goal for Twente.

1-0 on the night, 2-0 on agg.

Tidy finish
 
Sw33t said:
Big goal for Twente.

1-0 on the night, 2-0 on agg.

Tidy finish
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The ref ruined that tie in the 1st leg. Red card and a penalty because a Twente player dived outside the box without being touched what so ever.
 
Great free-kick. City 1-0 down.
 
Really it is to their advantage to go out, it may help us now we have. City might be thinking the same. They may realise that we will be getting the rest between games.
 
Sw33t said:
:confused:
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They obviously can't handle playing on Thursdays and then 3 days later in the league imo. I honestly don't care if they win the Europa League Cup. If they go through then their title chances will get hurt badly.
 
Sw33t said:
:confused:
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City's presence in the Europa league means less time to recover in the league + more possibility of injuries.

The league title is paramount. For that to happen for us it's important that City are kept busy in other competitions (especially one's in which we are no longer playing)

Make sense now?
 
DomesticTadpole said:
Really it is to their advantage to go out, if may help us now we have. City might be thinking the same.
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Why? If your worried about a game just send your second, third, forth eleven.

Playing on Sunday isn't ideal but many of the fixtures have been written now, and Thursday Sunday is the same as Wednesday Saturday
 
Do they need to score 3 now?

Don't particularly mind if they go through or not. Would rather they didn't win it though.
 
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