Tonight's Football

[BWFC_Insane]

Manchester United fans greet news of Tottenham's 3-0 lead over Aston Villa with cheers. They are clearly quite happy for their team to concentrate on an improved Premier League campaign in 2014-15 rather than the hassle of Thursday night Europa League ties in the back of beyond.

can't say as I blame them, really....

Indeed. Shirley it's been a huge advantage to Liverpool this year that they've had no European games?!

Sadly, I believe that the same non-involvement will be to the benefit of the DMB's next year. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

If non European involvement is such an advantage for clubs with the resources of Man UTD and Liverpool, then why was it never allowed to be considered as such by ourselves, especially when we were fighting relegation at the time?

[Bruce Rioja]

Manchester United fans greet news of Tottenham's 3-0 lead over Aston Villa with cheers. They are clearly quite happy for their team to concentrate on an improved Premier League campaign in 2014-15 rather than the hassle of Thursday night Europa League ties in the back of beyond.

can't say as I blame them, really....

Indeed. Shirley it's been a huge advantage to Liverpool this year that they've had no European games?!

Sadly, I believe that the same non-involvement will be to the benefit of the DMB's next year. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

If non European involvement is such an advantage for clubs with the resources of Man UTD and Liverpool, then why was it never allowed to be considered as such by ourselves, especially when we were fighting relegation at the time?

Eh? Megson prioritised our league position over Europe. Did you not see the teams he put out? Have you forgotten the Lisbon / Wigan debacle?

[BWFC_Insane]

Manchester United fans greet news of Tottenham's 3-0 lead over Aston Villa with cheers. They are clearly quite happy for their team to concentrate on an improved Premier League campaign in 2014-15 rather than the hassle of Thursday night Europa League ties in the back of beyond.

can't say as I blame them, really....

Indeed. Shirley it's been a huge advantage to Liverpool this year that they've had no European games?!

Sadly, I believe that the same non-involvement will be to the benefit of the DMB's next year. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

If non European involvement is such an advantage for clubs with the resources of Man UTD and Liverpool, then why was it never allowed to be considered as such by ourselves, especially when we were fighting relegation at the time?

Eh? Megson prioritised our league position over Europe. Did you not see the teams he put out? Have you forgotten the Lisbon / Wigan debacle?

My point was that if Man UTD are going to get an advantage not being in Europe then surely we had no choice but to do what we did, given our resources are dwarfed by those who it is now being said are better off not in it?

[thebish]

here's an idea, BWFCi - maybe these two situations are different..

1) a club (ManU) who have won the premiership multiple times and the champions league multiple times considering that they might not have much to gain from the second-tier european cup - in that even if they won it - nobody would be that excited given their previous status..

and 2) a club (Bolton Wanderers) for whom the second tier of european football might be considered the highest level we would ever play at... and being it it would be a rare occurrence

if you understand the difference, then it wouldn't be too hard to understand why a manU fan might not be that fussed about missing out on the UEFA cup but why a Bolton fan might be miffed if - having managed to get into the UEFA - we then seemed not to be that bothered about trying to progress any further...

[BWFC_Insane]

here's an idea, BWFCi - maybe these two situations are different..

1) a club (ManU) who have won the premiership multiple times and the champions league multiple times considering that they might not have much to gain from the second-tier european cup - in that even if they won it - nobody would be that excited given their previous status..

and 2) a club (Bolton Wanderers) for whom the second tier of european football might be considered the highest level we would ever play at... and being it it would be a rare occurrence

if you understand the difference, then it wouldn't be too hard to understand why a manU fan might not be that fussed about missing out on the UEFA cup but why a Bolton fan might be miffed if - having managed to get into the UEFA - we then seemed not to be that bothered about trying to progress any further...

No, I get that. Of course. But that is subtly different to what I was talking about.

Financially we had to prioritise trying to stay up, I don't think anyone can deny that. That was the brief given to our manager at the time, that staying up is the number 1 objective.

Working towards that objective he decided that it was very hard to play the same 11 away on a Thursday in Europe then a few days later in the premiership in crucial games. Now, people said that was an excuse etc, only now it appears a valid line of thinking with clubs who have far more resources than we do.

I personally think that it is hard on any squad.

I also think that whilst I can understand Man UTD fans might not be that excited by a second tier European competition, there are no guarantees that they will have more significant trophies on the table either.

[thebish]

not really sure why you had to drag our involvement under meggo into it at all, really... the issues are not the same at all... let it go man!! it was aaaaaaages ago!

[Bruce Rioja]

My point was that if Man UTD are going to get an advantage not being in Europe then surely we had no choice but to do what we did, given our resources are dwarfed by those who it is now being said are better off not in it?

Eh? At want point were we hoping to challenge for the title? It was the ride of our fecking lives. Or did you choose to let it pass you by?

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

I still think the de-prioritisation of Europe was the right thing to do that season. The feck-up against Wigan has no bearing on that whatsoever.

[bwfcdan94]

Manchester United fans greet news of Tottenham's 3-0 lead over Aston Villa with cheers. They are clearly quite happy for their team to concentrate on an improved Premier League campaign in 2014-15 rather than the hassle of Thursday night Europa League ties in the back of beyond.

can't say as I blame them, really....

Yes but instead because they are now going to be in a financial crisis with the amount of revenue lost through not playing champions league they will have to play regular midweek friendlies in the likes of Qatar, the UAE and India. I don't know Marseille away sounds a little less daunting for the players fitness then Lekhwiya away.

[jaffka]

Still going on about Mugson

[bwfcdan94]

I haven't mentioned Mugson .

[jaffka]

I haven't mentioned Mugson .

that's right, you haven't, his number 1 fan has though

[BWFC_Insane]

My point was that if Man UTD are going to get an advantage not being in Europe then surely we had no choice but to do what we did, given our resources are dwarfed by those who it is now being said are better off not in it?

Eh? At want point were we hoping to challenge for the title? It was the ride of our fecking lives. Or did you choose to let it pass you by?

And one that we couldn't sustain together with our fight to stay up. One can argue over the merits of prioritising one over another but when your owner has sunk at the time nearly 100M into the club it changes your perspective on throwing away another 40 odd million I guess.

[thebish]

My point was that if Man UTD are going to get an advantage not being in Europe then surely we had no choice but to do what we did, given our resources are dwarfed by those who it is now being said are better off not in it?

Eh? At want point were we hoping to challenge for the title? It was the ride of our fecking lives. Or did you choose to let it pass you by?

And one that we couldn't sustain together with our fight to stay up. One can argue over the merits of prioritising one over another but when your owner has sunk at the time nearly 100M into the club it changes your perspective on throwing away another 40 odd million I guess.

this all may or not be true - but it wasn't what the issue was about - it's the other footy thread and was about manU fans being relieved at the idea of not getting into the UEFA cup (or whatever it is called now)... their reasons for relief are about as far away from any emotion Bolton fans migt have felt over prioritizing the league as it is possible to get...

[Prufrock]

Don't think I've said this for a few weeks. Mark Hughes can cnut off. The massive cnut.

[Prufrock]

Also, we do shit pundits enough; sad to see Hansen go. The best, if not the only, one to consistently be on it.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

this all may or not be true - but it wasn't what the issue was about - it's the other footy thread and was about manU fans being relieved at the idea of not getting into the UEFA cup (or whatever it is called now)... their reasons for relief are about as far away from any emotion Bolton fans migt have felt over prioritizing the league as it is possible to get...

My take on the whole thing is thus...

What is the point of striving for Europe all season, to then not really bother with it when you get there.

DMBs are just glory hunting wankers that are only interested in glory. Half of them will be Citeh fans come the end of the decade anyhoo.

[thebish]

this all may or not be true - but it wasn't what the issue was about - it's the other footy thread and was about manU fans being relieved at the idea of not getting into the UEFA cup (or whatever it is called now)... their reasons for relief are about as far away from any emotion Bolton fans migt have felt over prioritizing the league as it is possible to get...

My take on the whole thing is thus...

What is the point of striving for Europe all season, to then not really bother with it when you get there.

DMBs are just glory hunting wankers that are only interested in glory. Half of them will be Citeh fans come the end of the decade anyhoo.

it can happen to any club... Bobo's buggered off to support stoke now...

[Bruce Rioja]

My point was that if Man UTD are going to get an advantage not being in Europe then surely we had no choice but to do what we did, given our resources are dwarfed by those who it is now being said are better off not in it?

Eh? At want point were we hoping to challenge for the title? It was the ride of our fecking lives. Or did you choose to let it pass you by?

And one that we couldn't sustain together with our fight to stay up. One can argue over the merits of prioritising one over another but when your owner has sunk at the time nearly 100M into the club it changes your perspective on throwing away another 40 odd million I guess.

Again 'Eh?', that's not what my point was about at all. Is this a record bid of your's for going off at tangents?

[thebish]

how come I am hearing stuff about ManU putting in bids for players (Luke Shaw) when they have no manager? Are transfers at "big" clubs now totally divorced from what a manager might think/want?? (surely Giggs hasn't got a say, has he??)