Europa League 2013 topic

First topic message reminder :

Come on You Spurs

Gregers wrote:

Fernando wrote:

MockingJay33 wrote: 1st to hold the European Cup and UEFA Cup at the same time.

So Porto winning the UEFA Cup in 2002-03 then the CL in 2003-04 doesn't count then

They were no longer eufa cup champions by the time they won the champions league so no it doesn't as they don't overlap... Hence at the same time

a pretty Poopie excuse that for a record right there

You'd be mentioning it if arsenal had done it nando, and would you for united ent...

Not a fan of Terry or Chelsea for that matter.

But see no issue with him in full kit. Most of the other players are, and in any case, he's club captain, he played a part in getting them there.

Perhaps the man is being played and not the ball!

Well done Chelsea. Well done Rafa!

Gregers wrote:You'd be mentioning it if arsenal had done it nando, and would you for united ent...

Ill let you claim it all you like considering it's cowpat, Anyone with sense about football will give it to Porto regardless of 3 days If anything their achievement is better as they've done it the right way round and not got worse

Fernando wrote:

Gregers wrote:You'd be mentioning it if arsenal had done it nando, and would you for united ent...

Ill let you claim it all you like considering it's cowpat, Anyone with sense about football will give it to Porto regardless of 3 days If anything their achievement is better as they've done it the right way round and not got worse

Porto didn't get in through the back door either.

Fernando wrote:

Gregers wrote:You'd be mentioning it if arsenal had done it nando, and would you for united ent...

Ill let you claim it all you like considering it's cowpat, Anyone with sense about football will give it to Porto regardless of 3 days If anything their achievement is better as they've done it the right way round and not got worse

It's not even that, it's just bizarre - Chelsea have been out of the cl for months and the next final is in what 9 days? Really clutching at straws to be claiming to be holding the tournament when it's started and you are out of it.

Semantics really, well done on winning the Europa league.

FreekShow wrote:

Fernando wrote:

Gregers wrote:You'd be mentioning it if arsenal had done it nando, and would you for united ent...

Ill let you claim it all you like considering it's cowpat, Anyone with sense about football will give it to Porto regardless of 3 days If anything their achievement is better as they've done it the right way round and not got worse

Porto didn't get in through the back door either.

I dunno, I've heard funny things about that team

That said, I do find it a bit strange CL teams get a second bite for not being the biggest failures

FreekShow wrote:Wonder how they'll fare in the Super Cup? Can't do worst than last time around.

If they come up against Bayern then they might

GSC wrote:That said, I do find it a bit strange CL teams get a second bite for not being the biggest failures

It's stupid. Had Spurs won it it would have been an achievemnet. Chelsea - or any other CL dropout - goes on to win it and it's meh.

At least they don't get to face the mighty Corinthians again

GSC wrote:At least they don't get to face the mighty Corinthians again

I can't really lol that when Sao Paulo beat my lot in 2005!

Yeah, Benitez has done a good job but it's only the Europa League and with that squad, you should be expected to win the trophy, given the inferior opposition they have faced on the way to the final. Benfica should of wrapped that game up in the first half but once again, like Barcelona, possession and chances mean nothing if you fail to turn the scoreboard into goals. Terry in his kit holding the trophy up was just another example of why I hate this guy. Yes, you played your part in the competition but you did not participate in the game or the Champions League final but he gets him face and hands all over the trophy in his kit.

Let's not go overboard about this trophy or the achievement. It's a second rate competition, which in reality is a nuisance for the bigger clubs and doesn't reward the club financially at all that makes a difference. Benitez, six months ago was nowhere after completely failing at Inter and now he's some kind of god......that's football management for you. Expect to see him at PSG or some other Champions League club next season.

I disagree on Rafa. Failed at Inter sure, but his record with both Valencia and Liverpool stands on its own.

And to steer the madhouse that is Chelsea to 2 semi finals, 3rd and a Europa league win is a good result for him. He can leave with his reputation enhanced and making the Chelsea fans look a bit dim.

Oh yeah his reputation is enhanced for sure. I'm just saying the Europa League should always have been in the bag when you look at the opposition (Rubin Kazan, Basle & Benfica) against a squad as good as Chelsea's. I'm pretty sure anyone could of got them that top 4 position though and losing to Swansea is in the league cup is nothing to shout about.

He's done good in the circumstances but that's it. No need for people to go over the top about this seasons achievements. I agree, his Valencia and Liverpool record is far more impressive than his spell with Chelsea.

I think if you look at Inter now, it's no surprise that he failed, Mourinho juiced everything he could out of the club and left it pretty much a shell of the club he arrived at.

Thats what Jose does

John wrote:Yeah, Benitez has done a good job but it's only the Europa League and with that squad, you should be expected to win the trophy, given the inferior opposition they have faced on the way to the final. Benfica should of wrapped that game up in the first half but once again, like Barcelona, possession and chances mean nothing if you fail to turn the scoreboard into goals. Terry in his kit holding the trophy up was just another example of why I hate this guy. Yes, you played your part in the competition but you did not participate in the game or the Champions League final but he gets him face and hands all over the trophy in his kit.

Both Manchester United and Man City failed to win the Europa Cup last season despite fielding strong squads. The idea that Chelsea just had to turn up to win these games is a bit unfair on the effort the players put in.
Agree 100% on Terry though.

That's the sign of a great manager though. Take the squad to the limit, win the major trophies and then get out ASAP with your reputation at a high. Football is all about timings, not only as a player but also as a top manager. I think Guardiola has done the same thing with Barcelona. He knew players like Puyol, Xavi, Abidal and Villa for example were all coming to the end and the replacements that arrived were just woeful in Sanchez & Song.

I think that if Chelsea had been fighting for the EPL, they would not have put out as strong squads. I rememeber United & City were in a mammoth title battle and didn't put out their full strength sides in both legs, unlike Chelsea have this season.

Theres something to be said for long term management still.

Pep was more he couldn't feel he had it in him to take the harsh decision on players he had an immense emotional attachment to. He still brought through players like Thiago and Pedro, as well as bringing back Fabregas and Pique.

Jose just sacrifices the long term completely for the short term.

For me, the sign of a great manager is one that can not only build a great team, but also re-build it when the cracks start appearing.
Fergie being an obvious example of this.

Well to done to Chelsea, two European trophies in successive years is incredible. Find it hard to root for them though, fans are poor and they aren't that big a team really. But of course I'd love to be as spoiled as their supporters, win one after another!

UEFA have announced that the winner of the Europa League from 2015 will get a Champions League spot.

Makes sense.

Bit more incentive then to win the European edition of the League Cup.

Surely that can't be right? UEFA doing something that actually makes sense, well I never.

Usually it's a Champions League team dropping out of the major tournament that comes and wins the Europa League. What happens if the winner of the Europa League is already guaranteed a slot in the Champions League by their domestic league placing. What do they do, just disregard the award or do they give it to the runner up like they do with the Carling Cup for a Europa league place. What if the runner up is already qualified for Champions league for the next season too, like Benfica would have been this year. Too complicated. Do you follow.

They need to stop the Champions league drop outs going into the Europa League or like John says it will be a farce if both finalists have already qualified

I think if the winner has already qualified for the next seasons Champions League, their domestic league will gain an extra place.

I imagine nothing will happen, the reward will be forgotten about. For example, if the winner of the Champions League already qualified for the Champions League, nothing happens, but if they haven't qualified already they get a CL spot.