[Albion] Do you want us to qualify for the conference league

[Justice]

It quotes like this that are probably the main reason I would consider not qualifying as a good thing. There's lots of 'a real chance of winning' stuff posted in this thread, and its just another example of raising expectations exceedingly high. So when we don't win it, or get to the semis or whatever, people will moan. When we fail to beat a team from Bulgaria, people will moan. Meanwhile it will undoubtedly have an impact on our league form, so people will moan. And I think it will all disrupt the progress of this manager and squad. Brentford, Fulham, they've had a few years with their manager building to this, they're probably at a better stage of their journey for a little European run. Or Palace will win the Cup and then Villa or Forest will get to enjoy the Conference League instead.

Overall I would like it, of course, because it will be fun playing all these other teams in far-flung corners of Europe. I voted yes in the poll. But I just worry it will become another yoke around Fab's neck.

Isn’t that why managers get a salary of £2m + a year to take the pressure and win games?
All this babying of Fab is ridiculous.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Isn’t that why managers get a salary of £2m + a year to take the pressure and win games?
All this babying of Fab is ridiculous.

Almost as ridiculous as wanting a manager sacked who already has our 2nd highest points total with 3 to play.

 

[Mustafa II]

Not really 'Micky Mouse' for a club of our size.

It would a massive historic moment if we won it, that we would all savour forever, with some great European trips along the way.

Anyone who voted 'no' is, frankly, a moron.

 

[byf1]

Not really 'Micky Mouse' for a club of our size.

It would a massive historic moment if we won it, that we would all savour forever, with some great European trips along the way.

Anyone who voted 'no' is, frankly, a moron.

So anyone who has a differing opinion is suddenly a moron. What utter nonsense you spout.

You know it's ok to not share the same opinion right?

It is a micky mouse tournament that holds no real weight & it's purely and simply for average teams in average domestic leagues around Europe. It's basically the Auto Windscreen Shield or LDV vans trophy of European competition and in my mind shouldn't even exist as a tournament, so why would I want to watch us struggle at the lower end of the premier league week in week out for this.

Would we get to see the best teams in Europe grace the Amex, no we wouldn't. Would it ensure we keep any of our best players, nope. Would it most certainly decimate the squad injury wise, probably. But I get it, a lot of you want a piss up on a thursday in Bulgaria or Armenia. I'll say one thing, it would be laugh with your mates and a cheap trip to a random place in Europe and if thats what floats your boat then that's absolutely fine to feel like that, but lets not dress the competition to be anything more than a tin pot trophy largely full of a mis match of teams nobody has ever heard of. (As shown below)

APOEL
Omonoia
Pafos
Cercle Brugge
Jagiellonia
Celje
Olimpija
Noah
Borac
Mladá Boleslav
Heidenheim
Víkingur
Petrocub
TSC
The New Saints

Really wets the lips doesn't it! There's teams above that Worthing FC would give a run for their money!

But as a lot of you say, it's a trophy....I mean on that basis, so is the Sussex Senior Cup.

 

[dazzer6666]

So anyone who has a differing opinion is suddenly a moron. What utter nonsense you spout.

You know it's ok to not share the same opinion right?

It is a micky mouse tournament that holds no real weight & it's purely and simply for average teams in average domestic leagues around Europe. It's basically the Auto Windscreen Shield or LDV vans trophy of European competition and in my mind shouldn't even exist as a tournament, so why would I want to watch us struggle at the lower end of the premier league week in week out for this.

Would we get to see the best teams in Europe grace the Amex, no we wouldn't. Would it ensure we keep any of our best players, nope. Would it most certainly decimate the squad injury wise, probably. But I get it, a lot of you want a piss up on a thursday in Bulgaria or Armenia. I'll say one thing, it would be laugh with your mates and a cheap trip to a random place in Europe and if thats what floats your boat then that's absolutely fine to feel like that, but lets not dress the competition to be anything more than a tin pot trophy largely full of a mis match of teams nobody has ever heard of. (As shown below)

APOEL
Omonoia
Pafos
Cercle Brugge
Jagiellonia
Celje
Olimpija
Noah
Borac
Mladá Boleslav
Heidenheim
Víkingur
Petrocub
TSC
The New Saints

Really wets the lips doesn't it! There's teams above that Worthing FC would give a run for their money!

But as a lot of you say, it's a trophy....I mean on that basis, so is the Sussex Senior Cup.

Several potentially interesting awaydays in that lot. Far more preferable than going to ****ing Stoke in the FA Cup on a Tuesday night. For that alone I’m in

 

[byf1]

Several potentially interesting awaydays in that lot. Far more preferable than going to ****ing Stoke in the FA Cup on a Tuesday night. For that alone I’m in

But given the choice, what would you rather win?

The oldest cup competition in the world played out at the iconic Wembley stadium in front of 40k Albion fans or beating Noah’s Ark FC in the final in Baku in front of 6k Albion.

 

[dazzer6666]

But given the choice, what would you rather win?

The oldest cup competition in the world played out at the iconic Wembley stadium in front of 40k Albion fans or beating Noah’s Ark FC in the final in Baku in front of 6k Albion.

Happy with either

 

[putthatboarddown]

So anyone who has a differing opinion is suddenly a moron. What utter nonsense you spout.

You know it's ok to not share the same opinion right?

It is a micky mouse tournament that holds no real weight & it's purely and simply for average teams in average domestic leagues around Europe. It's basically the Auto Windscreen Shield or LDV vans trophy of European competition and in my mind shouldn't even exist as a tournament, so why would I want to watch us struggle at the lower end of the premier league week in week out for this.

Would we get to see the best teams in Europe grace the Amex, no we wouldn't. Would it ensure we keep any of our best players, nope. Would it most certainly decimate the squad injury wise, probably. But I get it, a lot of you want a piss up on a thursday in Bulgaria or Armenia. I'll say one thing, it would be laugh with your mates and a cheap trip to a random place in Europe and if thats what floats your boat then that's absolutely fine to feel like that, but lets not dress the competition to be anything more than a tin pot trophy largely full of a mis match of teams nobody has ever heard of. (As shown below)

APOEL
Omonoia
Pafos
Cercle Brugge
Jagiellonia
Celje
Olimpija
Noah
Borac
Mladá Boleslav
Heidenheim
Víkingur
Petrocub
TSC
The New Saints

Really wets the lips doesn't it! There's teams above that Worthing FC would give a run for their money!

But as a lot of you say, it's a trophy....I mean on that basis, so is the Sussex Senior Cup.

Yep, I’d happily play any of those!

 

[essbee1]

Not really 'Micky Mouse' for a club of our size.

It would a massive historic moment if we won it, that we would all savour forever, with some great European trips along the way.

Anyone who voted 'no' is, frankly, a moron.

Mustafa, point taken and I would love to do well in the Europa whatever it is, but we have to be realistic.
We don't the squad or the injury-free consistency to do two other cups, the PL and a load of Thursday games. We'd
end up fielding the bare bones and/or the U-21s. It just ain't worth it.

 

[byf1]

Yep, I’d happily play any of those!

And that’s football. It’s ok to feel like that. It’s ok to have differing opinions and wants for the club we all love

 

[byf1]

Mustafa, point taken and I would love to do well in the Europa whatever it is, but we have to be realistic.
We don't the squad or the injury-free consistency to do two other cups, the PL and a load of Thursday games. We'd
end up fielding the bare bones and/or the U-21s. It just ain't worth it.

Yep. Agree

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

On the evidence of this season* we don't need a few extra games to be completely knackered with injuries.

We're not going to win the league, and we almost certainly won't win the FA Cup. And the reasons we won't win either are much more fundamental than the off chance of a couple of players picking up an injury in any given European game (particularly given they'd probably pick up the same injury in a league or cup game a couple of weeks later anyway).

*and about 99% of all teams' seasons ever.

 

[Bold Seagull]

So anyone who has a differing opinion is suddenly a moron. What utter nonsense you spout.

You know it's ok to not share the same opinion right?

It is a micky mouse tournament that holds no real weight & it's purely and simply for average teams in average domestic leagues around Europe. It's basically the Auto Windscreen Shield or LDV vans trophy of European competition and in my mind shouldn't even exist as a tournament, so why would I want to watch us struggle at the lower end of the premier league week in week out for this.

Would we get to see the best teams in Europe grace the Amex, no we wouldn't. Would it ensure we keep any of our best players, nope. Would it most certainly decimate the squad injury wise, probably. But I get it, a lot of you want a piss up on a thursday in Bulgaria or Armenia. I'll say one thing, it would be laugh with your mates and a cheap trip to a random place in Europe and if thats what floats your boat then that's absolutely fine to feel like that, but lets not dress the competition to be anything more than a tin pot trophy largely full of a mis match of teams nobody has ever heard of. (As shown below)

APOEL
Omonoia
Pafos
Cercle Brugge
Jagiellonia
Celje
Olimpija
Noah
Borac
Mladá Boleslav
Heidenheim
Víkingur
Petrocub
TSC
The New Saints

Really wets the lips doesn't it! There's teams above that Worthing FC would give a run for their money!

But as a lot of you say, it's a trophy....I mean on that basis, so is the Sussex Senior Cup.

The FA Cup features Worthing and other small teams, do you put no value on that trophy either?

The finals so far:
Roma v Feyernoord
West Ham v Fiorentina
Olympiacos v Fiorentina

This year, Rapid Vienna, Real Betis, Fiorentina, Legia Warsaw, FC Copenhagen, Panathinaikos - what dreadful trips to look forward to….

 

[GT49er]

So anyone who has a differing opinion is suddenly a moron. What utter nonsense you spout.

You know it's ok to not share the same opinion right?

It is a micky mouse tournament that holds no real weight & it's purely and simply for average teams in average domestic leagues around Europe. It's basically the Auto Windscreen Shield or LDV vans trophy of European competition and in my mind shouldn't even exist as a tournament, so why would I want to watch us struggle at the lower end of the premier league week in week out for this.

Would we get to see the best teams in Europe grace the Amex, no we wouldn't. Would it ensure we keep any of our best players, nope. Would it most certainly decimate the squad injury wise, probably. But I get it, a lot of you want a piss up on a thursday in Bulgaria or Armenia. I'll say one thing, it would be laugh with your mates and a cheap trip to a random place in Europe and if thats what floats your boat then that's absolutely fine to feel like that, but lets not dress the competition to be anything more than a tin pot trophy largely full of a mis match of teams nobody has ever heard of. (As shown below)

APOEL
Omonoia
Pafos
Cercle Brugge
Jagiellonia
Celje
Olimpija
Noah
Borac
Mladá Boleslav
Heidenheim
Víkingur
Petrocub
TSC
The New Saints

Really wets the lips doesn't it! There's teams above that Worthing FC would give a run for their money!

But as a lot of you say, it's a trophy....I mean on that basis, so is the Sussex Senior Cup.

Great idea - let's all concentrate on the Sussex Senior Cup then, so much more prestige, and easy midweek trips to Bognor, Burgess Hill, Horsham etc. I mean, at least that'll mean not having to play against team we've never heard of, the very idea!

 

[Goldstone1976]

Yes, I do. But I don’t think we will this year.

 

[byf1]

The FA Cup features Worthing and other small teams, do you put no value on that trophy either?

The finals so far:
Roma v Feyernoord
West Ham v Fiorentina
Olympiacos v Fiorentina

This year, Rapid Vienna, Real Betis, Fiorentina, Legia Warsaw, FC Copenhagen, Panathinaikos - what dreadful trips to look forward to….

The FA cup is everything. It’s the pinnacle cup competition in English football and the oldest in the world. We also wouldn’t play Worthing due to us coming in on the 3rd round and the chance of them or any non league team being in it then is unlikely.

Ahh ok so we perform bang average in the premier league week in week out because the players are knackered and Injury ravaged for the odd half decent game against a competitive opponent. I see the logic…

 

[byf1]

Great idea - let's all concentrate on the Sussex Senior Cup then, so much more prestige, and easy midweek trips to Bognor, Burgess Hill, Horsham etc. I mean, at least that'll mean not having to play against team we've never heard of, the very idea!

Well we want a trophy don’t we? And that’s a trophy is it not.

I appreciated that Noahs ark or the mighty Petrol club or New Saints aren’t in it, but it can’t be those level of glamour games every week can it!

Imagine playing at home to the 5th best team in Armenia. It’s what dreams are made of really!

 

[Uh_huh_him]

So what’s the plan, never qualify in case we play someone good and lose?

No this was purely in agreement with a post regarding the idea that we would be favourites to win the Conference league.

I want to be competing in it regardless of our likelihood of winning it.

 

[Zeberdi]

What utter nonsense you spout… You know it's ok to not share the same opinion right?

It is a micky mouse tournament that holds no real weight & it's purely and simply for average teams in average domestic leagues around Europe.

Exactly - why we would probably have a better chance of getting Champions League football through this route than our chances of finishing top four/five in the EPL or winning a domestic cup …

Ahh ok so we perform bang average in the premier league week in week out because the players are knackered and Injury ravaged ... I see the logic…

Like most of this season you mean without the European football?

In 2023/24 after the Europas, we finished in 11th place (mid-table) - this season, we are on course for a similar finishing position with the same number of injuries in key areas over the season unless there is a radical change of fortune.

We are ‘bang average’ in the Premier League, that’s what a mid-table club is and what we are (which is a great achievement in itself) - if there is an opportunity (any opportunity) to compete at the highest level in European football, fans should be jumping at the chance.(IMHO!)

 

[Hotchilidog]

I would love us to qualify, but I will not be despondent if we don't.

The European experience last season was terrific, who wouldn't want that again. A few spare holiday days have been kept in reserve just in case.