karl robinson being interviewed?

[Darren]

Yes Dazzler but what did we do last time we qualified for Europe.....oh hang on

I think people overestimate what it takes to qualify for Europe. On a conservative estimate, I reckon that if the current United team was playing in two thirds of the European leagues*, they would qualify for the Champions League or Europa League. However all that would mean would be maybe a tie or two against teams from Latvia or Bosnia before crowds that would worry an English 4th dvision team before the inevitable elimination by a team from one of the big countries.

My estimate of top divisions where United would not be competitive

Definitely

England
France
Spain
Italy
Portugal
Netherlands
Germany
Belgium
Russia
Ukraine
Turkey

Possibly

Austria
Greece
Romania
Serbia

Which leaves 38 other European leagues where I reckon we would be contenders

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Given how Murphy performed in Scotland, and then how he has fared here thus far, I think a move North of the Border is on.

Europe here we come

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

I think people overestimate what it takes to qualify for Europe. On a conservative estimate, I reckon that if the current United team was playing in two thirds of the European leagues*, they would qualify for the Champions League or Europa League. However all that would mean would be maybe a tie or two against teams from Latvia or Bosnia before crowds that would worry an English 4th dvision team before the inevitable elimination by a team from one of the big countries.

My estimate of top divisions where United would not be competitive

Definitely

England
France
Spain
Italy
Portugal
Netherlands
Germany
Belgium
Russia
Ukraine
Turkey

Possibly

Austria
Greece
Romania
Serbia

Which leaves 38 other European leagues where I reckon we would be contenders

Another plan: which of the 38 should we join to win some silverware?

 

[Balham]

Another plan: which of the 38 should we join to win some silverware?

Wales. Put the U21s in the Welsh Premier League: if Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham and Newport can play in the English league I can't see a problem with that.

 

[TarquinDelouche]

I think people overestimate what it takes to qualify for Europe. On a conservative estimate, I reckon that if the current United team was playing in two thirds of the European leagues*, they would qualify for the Champions League or Europa League. However all that would mean would be maybe a tie or two against teams from Latvia or Bosnia before crowds that would worry an English 4th dvision team before the inevitable elimination by a team from one of the big countries.

My estimate of top divisions where United would not be competitive

Definitely

England
France
Spain
Italy
Portugal
Netherlands
Germany
Belgium
Russia
Ukraine
Turkey

Possibly

Austria
Greece
Romania
Serbia

Which leaves 38 other European leagues where I reckon we would be contenders

United would piss all over the Austrian league. And be top six in Romania.

 

[Darren]

Wales. Put the U21s in the Welsh Premier League: if Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham and Newport can play in the English league I can't see a problem with that.

Indeed. And how come Swansea can qualify for the Europa League by winning an English competition. There used to be a rule that if a Welsh club ever did that they couldn't take up the European place. just as when the English border clubs who entered the Welsh Cup and won it (as Shrewsbury and Hereford sometimes did) they couldn't qualify for Europe through a Welsh competition.

Presumably the rule changed....

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

I'm not quite sure where this big push for Robinson originated, and more to the point what actually merits it.

He's had 3 seasons at Franchise FC, with some serious financial backing compared with what he would get at BDTBL, and has failed on all 3 occasions to get them promoted, last time even falling short of the play-offs.

Given his achievements at this level, with a sparsity of resources worse than ours, and finishing above the Dons this last season, I would think Russell Slade deserves more 'bigging up' than Robinson!

Yep, as I've posted in the rumour section, I'm finding it hard to understand the clamour and almost universal approval for him.

Decent manager at this level and probably ticks most of the boxes in the brave new world but Alan Smith ? Luke Chadwick ? Izale McLeod ? you can only imagine the furore on here if he made those kind of players the basis of his team here.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Wales. Put the U21s in the Welsh Premier League: if Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham and Newport can play in the English league I can't see a problem with that.

Need to do something as the grandkids aren’t even born yet and they are running out of years already to see us successful!

 

[alcoblade]

Decent manager at this level and probably ticks most of the boxes in the brave new world but Alan Smith ? Luke Chadwick ? Izale McLeod ? you can only imagine the furore on here if he made those kind of players the basis of his team here.

Any idea what the wage bill was? - that's a better measure. There's been little difference between us over the last few years - so if he's managed that with a third of our wage bill then it's more impressive.

UTB

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Any idea what the wage bill was? - that's a better measure. There's been little difference between us over the last few years - so if he's managed that with a third of our wage bill then it's more impressive.

UTB

Their wage bill is £3M a year according to their Chairman. Probably about 1/2 ours, I would guess.
Lower than Brentford's certainly.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/nov/27/peter-winkelman-mk-dons-afc-wimbledon

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

Any idea what the wage bill was? - that's a better measure. There's been little difference between us over the last few years - so if he's managed that with a third of our wage bill then it's more impressive.

UTB

The problem is, we've been on the way down with several 'Alan Smith's' already on the books. I've read a few articles which have suggested he's had 'money to spend' but it's all relative and as I say, depends whether you're on the way up or on the way down.

 

[alcoblade]

Their wage bill is £3M a year according to their Chairman. Probably about 1/2 ours, I would guess.
Lower than Brentford's certainly.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/nov/27/peter-winkelman-mk-dons-afc-wimbledon

In which case that suggets he's been doing a decent job.

UTB

 

[Isiah]

As

In which case that suggets he's been doing a decent job.

UTB

As said in the rumours section, not sure where this notion that MK Dons are big spenders comes from?
Word in MK is that Smith is on between £1.5K and 2K per week having turned down better money elsewhere because Robinson's set up and style impressed him. Think what you will of Smith - remember it was his goal that did for us in MK two seasons ago - but he's been around and played under some impressive managers.
I agree with Alco on this one - Robinson has made the very most of a small and limited squad on far less than has been spent at BDTBL in recent seasons.

 

[Kenilworth]

It's true - this picture just released - taken in the board room earlier

It must be true!

 

[TopBoy]

Any idea what the wage bill was? - that's a better measure. There's been little difference between us over the last few years - so if he's managed that with a third of our wage bill then it's more impressive.

UTB

Talking of wage bills, I read somewhere that Yeovil's is less than £1M a year or equal to the amount that we're losing each month.

 

[Bergen Blade]

I think people overestimate what it takes to qualify for Europe. On a conservative estimate, I reckon that if the current United team was playing in two thirds of the European leagues*, they would qualify for the Champions League or Europa League. However all that would mean would be maybe a tie or two against teams from Latvia or Bosnia before crowds that would worry an English 4th dvision team before the inevitable elimination by a team from one of the big countries.

My estimate of top divisions where United would not be competitive

Definitely

England
France
Spain
Italy
Portugal
Netherlands
Germany
Belgium
Russia
Ukraine
Turkey

Possibly

Austria
Greece
Romania
Serbia

Which leaves 38 other European leagues where I reckon we would be contenders

Based on what, our average crowd?

The way we have played this season, the line ups that we've put out, the weaknesses in the squad, the tactical setup, I wouldn't have been confident of us doing well in any of the Scandinavian leagues.

 

[Bladesway]

Yep, as I've posted in the rumour section, I'm finding it hard to understand the clamour and almost universal approval for him.

Decent manager at this level and probably ticks most of the boxes in the brave new world but Alan Smith ? Luke Chadwick ? Izale McLeod ? you can only imagine the furore on here if he made those kind of players the basis of his team here.

If it meant we didn't have Forte on loan I would have got Richard Cadette back.

 

[Bladesway]

Talking of wage bills, I read somewhere that Yeovil's is less than £1M a year or equal to the amount that we're losing each month.

Ah so thats the deal McCabe did then.