UEFA Europa League Qualifying Rounds 2020-21

[Chimaera]

For a club like Brighton, domestic trophy means more. If they got into Europe, it would be a lark, and they’d have a good time at some away days. But they would probably worry about squad depth and toll on players more than any logical results. We saw it with Burnley.

The fact it’s even a discussion shows how far Arsenal have fallen. For all the banter, they should be a global club, and expect to compete on the continent for stuff. They haven’t, and likely won’t, but one day they did. The FA Cup would be nice to win as a Liverpool supporter because I haven’t seen it, but never at the expense of CL or knockouts in that. It’s a simple decision. That’s not even to discuss a joke preseason trophy or the former Carling Cup or whatever dog mess they call it now. Big clubs have ambition. Mid table are happy to see an FA Cup final, as unfortunately that’s probably where they top out. Be happy to win it, and enjoy it, but at some point, it isn’t enough for a club with any type of expectations or ambition. Mediocrity is an easy habit to get into. I can speak from experience. Arsenal are sliding towards that

 

[Chimaera]

I don’t know where Leicester sees themselves. They’ve won the league, they have support and decent structure to push on, considering they’ve been in the top portion for a while now. I think their aim is to disrupt the top order, and push into Europe consistently, but that takes a lot more depth.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Doesn’t Emery have more European silverware than the worlds mightiest club?

The guy that wasn’t good enough for the mightiest club too.

 

[YNWA14]

I don't get it.

There are always elite teams that go far in the Europa League. It's clearly more prestigious than the FA Cup.

 

[Lambo]

Congrats "Yellow Submarine"! In 21 Century the sixth spanish club to win a European Cup(CL, EL). After Barca, Real, Sevilla, Valencia, Atletico now Villarreal.

 

[S E P H]

Looks at score...

 

[Aladyyn]

Fred gets a knock and immediately the entire structure we've had success with goes out the window because we don't have midfielders. And we're not linked to any realistic targets despite that.

Whoever failed to tell Bruno to choose to shoot first needs to be fired immediately though. And if there's nobody then they need to be hired.

 

[Power Man]

The 1992 AFCON Final penalty shootout between Ivory Coast and Ghana was pretty epic too

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Europa League (former UEFA Cup) is the 4th most prestige competition to win in football (After World, Euro and CL)
who ever says different, doesn't no jack!.

Its not some shitty trophy, shitty competition, its one of the top competition in the football world.
And not very easy trophy to win.

 

[luiginb]

No one outside the UK cares about the FA Cup. I don't really care that much about Copa del Rey either.

Emery won the match last night because he noticed when his players were gassed and made the right changes at the right time.

That penalty shootout was epic, so much quality on the field, such well struck penalties.

 

[Havre]

Yes. Nothing like being the 17th or maybe 24th best team in Europe this year such a strange tournament. What do you actually win? Conference League is obviously even stranger. Basically just a way for teams from smaller countries to get to play teams from other small countries. Which is fine of course - for what it is. I'm Norwegian so for a Norwegian team playing in the Conference League is a "big" thing still - even if winning it doesn't mean much (will hardly ever be won by a Norwegian team ever anyway).

Winning the league title in any of the big leagues is far bigger than winning the EL. Personally I would easily take the FA Cup over the EL as well.

Maybe I just don't like the EL because it typically ends with some sort of embarrassment for Spurs

 

[Chimaera]

Side note, but Alberto Moreno is awesome

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

Whoever failed to tell Bruno to choose to shoot first needs to be fired immediately though. And if there's nobody then they need to be hired.

EVERYONE KNOWS that the team who shoots first has a huge advantage. EVERYONE. Couldn't believe it.

 

[Savi]

The 1992 AFCON Final penalty shootout between Ivory Coast and Ghana was pretty epic too

The U20 World Cup in Holland in 2005 had a great shootout too between the hosts and Nigeria, I think it was the semis or the QF, anyway that one went on forever too with Nigeria eventually winning

 

[Power Man]

The U20 World Cup in Holland in 2005 had a great shootout too between the hosts and Nigeria, I think it was the semis or the QF, anyway that one went on forever too with Nigeria eventually winning

Interesting, I’m gonna look it up on Youtube

 

[hatterson]

No one outside the UK cares about the FA Cup. I don't really care that much about Copa del Rey either.

Emery won the match last night because he noticed when his players were gassed and made the right changes at the right time.

That penalty shootout was epic, so much quality on the field, such well struck penalties.

Emery won in an 11 round penalty shootout after an awful game. This wasn’t some tactical or managerial masterclass. It was a game filled with mediocrity decided by a shootout in which both keepers were awful and one was just more awful.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

Emery won in an 11 round penalty shootout after an awful game. This wasn’t some tactical or managerial masterclass. It was a game filled with mediocrity decided by a shootout in which both keepers were awful and one was just more awful.

Yeah. Nobody winning that game would have been a more satisfying outcome.

 

[Chimaera]

I don't think Emery is some master tactician. But you also can't argue with his results here and with Sevilla. Villareal finished 7th in La Liga. They don't have anywhere near the budget / roster that United should. Yes, they won on penalties, but for much of the latter stages, it really looked like Villareal was the better side. United only getting 2 shots on target in a Cup final, as one of the biggest clubs in the world, and the second place finisher in the EPL?

I get Maguire was hurt. But it really wasn't a good enough showing.

I don't know if you can put that on OGS. Or the players, or what. But it was pretty mediocre.

 

[Aladyyn]

Villarreal had 1 shot on target...

 

[Havre]

And United had 2.

 

[Havre]

I'm sure Perez at Madrid liked the game yesterday. Proving that football is s***.

 

[robertmac43]

4th most prestige competition to win in football

More prestige than winning the league eh?

 

[Chimaera]

Villarreal had 1 shot on target...

Yeah, they both sucked. But one side is a mid table Spanish side. The other is Manchester United.

 

[hatterson]

I don't think Emery is some master tactician. But you also can't argue with his results here and with Sevilla. Villareal finished 7th in La Liga. They don't have anywhere near the budget / roster that United should. Yes, they won on penalties, but for much of the latter stages, it really looked like Villareal was the better side. United only getting 2 shots on target in a Cup final, as one of the biggest clubs in the world, and the second place finisher in the EPL?

I get Maguire was hurt. But it really wasn't a good enough showing.

I don't know if you can put that on OGS. Or the players, or what. But it was pretty mediocre.

I'm hesitant to credit Villareal with amazing defending because it was mostly just sit with two solid blocks of four and letting United screw around on the outsides. There weren't any advanced plans or complex defensive assignments.

The biggest thing Emery did was convince the players to lock in and buy in to play like that.

It wasn't like he was awful or anything, but it was basically mediocrity defined.

 

[Power Man]

Yeah, they both sucked. But one side is a mid table Spanish side. The other is Manchester United.

Paul Scholes was so salty yesterday

Probably still is