Who gives a shit about Europe

[MBBlade]

We’ve been brilliant, the lads have done us proud, bring it on for next season

 

[HammerInPeace]

Honestly, I think you dodged a bullet there.
You had a very good first season back but many of you know, there is work to be done.
Rather than getting frankly hamstrung by the pretty pointless Europa (unless you win it), aim to become established in the PL.
Perhaps win the FA Cup, as well!

 

[MBBlade]

In CWAK we trust.

 

[SW12 to S12 to S18]

Honestly, I think you dodged a bullet there.
You had a very good first season back but many of you know, there is work to be done.
Rather than getting frankly hamstrung by the pretty pointless Europa (unless you win it), aim to become established in the PL.
Perhaps win the FA Cup, as well!

I’d liked to have qualified but would have been pretty pissed off at not being able to travel. As you point out, there is work to be done.
Glad you stayed up by the way.

 

[HammerInPeace]

I’d liked to have qualified but would have been pretty pissed off at not being able to travel. As you point out, there is work to be done.
Glad you stayed up by the way.

Thanks. I'm pleased to continue our rivalry next season!
Yes, I totally understand all of you's that wanted to get into Europe. At least in the PL, every season you've got a chance.

 

[SwissBlade]

We’ve been brilliant, the lads have done us proud, bring it on for next season

I always want us to finish as high as possible. We fell short of our pre lockdown season in the last few weeks since the restart.

I hope we kick on next season

 

[georgebernardshaw]

I always want us to finish as high as possible. We fell short of our pre lockdown season in the last few weeks since the restart.

I hope we kick on next season

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

This from Swiss.....

 

[Sheffsteel]

Honestly, I think you dodged a bullet there.
You had a very good first season back but many of you know, there is work to be done.
Rather than getting frankly hamstrung by the pretty pointless Europa (unless you win it), aim to become established in the PL.
Perhaps win the FA Cup, as well!

Agree with your sentiments.....however United getting into Europe is a life times ambition for many Blades.
Its quite incredible to think that a club the size of Sheff Utd have never played in European competition.
It’s embarrassing....Sheff Utd are currently the biggest club in Europe to have never played in the UEFA competitions.

Almost every Blade I’ve spoken to over the years have claimed they would attend our first match in UEFA competition....such a historic occasion.
We’ve joked that knowing our luck it would be away in Georgia or Azerbaijan...playing a village teams miles away from an international airport.
In recent months I’ve heard Blades say....it’s typical....we qualify for Europe but there’s a lock down so no one can attend,

Taking everything into account....agree that NOT qualifying this season should prove a blessing.

 

[Sheffsteel]

I always want us to finish as high as possible. We fell short of our pre lockdown season in the last few weeks since the restart.

I hope we kick on next season

I had a theory that we might struggle post lock down.....compared to pre lockdown.
There were several reasons....we are famed for our organised....high tempo pressing as a team style.

In the middle of Summer...the weather makes it really difficult (sometimes impossible) to play a high tempo pressing game.
The PL tried to ease this issue by allowing 5 subs....this idea really benefits clubs with the money to afford quality squads.

Also we play as a team unit....Wilder often tried to play the same starting 11 week in week out...he also didn’t make mass substitutions.
Teams with better “individual“ players aren’t effected by constantly being subbed on and subbed off, playing 1 matches then rested the next.
However as matches were being played every 3 days....we had no choice but to make bigger changes than normal.
These constant changes upset the balance and formation/ tactical understanding of the 11 on the pitch.
Our style doesn’t rely on individual quality....we play brilliantly as a team unit...so we need familiarity and consistency regards playing staff.

and finally there’s been a great connection between the manager, the players and the fans....so we do benefit slightly from having fans in the stadium.
Where as Spurs have benefitted from having no fans...Mourinho has been playing a dull defensive game but it’s proving successful regards results.
I reckon if Spurs had their fans watching...they would be getting booed and receiving pressure because of their dour style.

 

[LS16Blade]

I had a theory that we might struggle post lock down.....compared to pre lockdown.
There were several reasons....we are famed for our organised....high tempo pressing as a team style.

In the middle of Summer...the weather makes it really difficult (sometimes impossible) to play a high tempo pressing game.
The PL tried to ease this issue by allowing 5 subs....this idea really benefits clubs with the money to afford quality squads.

Also we play as a team unit....Wilder often tried to play the same starting 11 week in week out...he also didn’t make mass substitutions.
Teams with better “individual“ players aren’t effected by constantly being subbed on and subbed off, playing 1 matches then rested the next.
However as matches were being played every 3 days....we had no choice but to make bigger changes than normal.
These constant changes upset the balance and formation/ tactical understanding of the 11 on the pitch.
Our style doesn’t rely on individual quality....we play brilliantly as a team unit...so we need familiarity and consistency regards playing staff.

and finally there’s been a great connection between the manager, the players and the fans....so we do benefit slightly from having fans in the stadium.
Where as Spurs have benefitted from having no fans...Mourinho has been playing a dull defensive game but it’s proving successful regards results.
I reckon if Spurs had their fans watching...they would be getting booed and receiving pressure because of their dour style.

Agree with all of that.

At the point that the season re-started, I told a mate who supports Arsenal that I expected us to suffer from the additional breaks, additional substitutions and absence of crowds, but that sides such as his would probably prosper.

Before the break, our team looked like it was in the same 'zone' that we got into after Christmas in the promotion season and I was very confident that we would make the top 6.

As it was, the new conditions suited sides like Man U and Arsenal. These clubs have big squads of talented individuals that you would imagine are brilliant in training and when the league became a series of glorified training matches, they shone. The question would surely have to be, however, why are these superstars (I'm thinking particularly of Man U) so mentally flaky that it took the absence of crowds for them to flourish?

The absence of crowds has been massive. Many of the show ponies at the big 6 have revelled in the freedom of not having fans shouting at them or pressurising them not to be negative (as well as Spurs, the likes of Newcastle improved without their hyper-critical fans).

As Wilder says on the Player of the Year season review interview, "We don't get beat against Arsenal on a Sunday afternoon in front of 30,000 people at Bramall Lane; absolutely no way." And, I believe he's right.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

Glad we are not in Europa. It is a awful competition with not much money involved, too many games, random sides you've hardly heard of, Thursday/Sunday splits and knackered players. We simply do not have the squad for it yet.

 

[Bearlie]

Honestly, I think you dodged a bullet there.
You had a very good first season back but many of you know, there is work to be done.
Rather than getting frankly hamstrung by the pretty pointless Europa (unless you win it), aim to become established in the PL.
Perhaps win the FA Cup, as well!

Its OK for you coming on here saying that ,I've followed this club for 40 years I'd have loved nothing more than walking through Manchester Airport singing with a load of blades .
Getting on a flight to some far flung European city to see my team grace the European stage .
Yep it would have been a dream come true .

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Its OK for you coming on here saying that ,I've followed this club for 40 years I'd have loved nothing more than walking through Manchester Airport singing with a load of blades .
Getting on a flight to some far flung European city to see my team grace the European stage .
Yep it would have been a dream come true .

^ This.

I give a shit about Europe. It's only a little shit and it hasn't spoiled things that it's not happened. But I'd have liked it to have happened. And I hope it will happen at the end of next season, when people are warning us about "third season syndrome".

 

[PokerBlade]

I wanted Europe. I don't care what anyone says about the Europa, I want to experience its crapness first hand. Still does nothing to take away from what a phenomenal season we've had.

 

[Sheff de party]

I would say this represents the shit I gave. I’m not disappointed in the players obviously, but I’m heartbroken we got so close and we didn’t make it.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Honestly, I think you dodged a bullet there.
You had a very good first season back but many of you know, there is work to be done.
Rather than getting frankly hamstrung by the pretty pointless Europa (unless you win it), aim to become established in the PL.
Perhaps win the FA Cup, as well!

Have West Ham played in Europe? yes of course and you've won something too - stuff of DREAMS. now remember that word dreams - it's what we as fans have dreamed of. Our piggy neighbours take the piss because we haven't played in a real European competition - it's a stick they beat us with. They used the same stick to beat us about the "boxing day massacre" and quite rightly so, but we put that one to bed with our very own bouncing day massacre. We also wanted to play in Europe next season and if it wasn't for COVID getting in the way of our momentum, I genuinely believe we would have qualified. Point taken about dodging a bullet - Hull/Burnley didn't do terribly well after qualification, but some of us and I genuinely believe Chris Wilder would have seen it as just another challenge.

When we were really shit playing in League one a few years ago - my youngest and I made a daft pact - that we would go the the first away Europe game where ever it was - for sure Azerbaijan would have been a real challenge (for many reasons) but if you've never done it, then that's just what it is - but also an experience.

It's now something we'll never know, but i'd have really preferred to TRY and dodge that Europa bullet.

All the best..........the dreams start again next season.

UTB

 

[HammerInPeace]

It's now something we'll never know, but i'd have really preferred to TRY and dodge that Europa bullet.
All the best..........the dreams start again next season.
UTB

Which is why I said that I totally understood all of you's that wanted to get into Europe.
It would have been a dream come true for you.
I actually agree that if the season hadn't been interrupted, I think that you could well have qualified by getting a higher league finish.
I guess I'm partly trying to soften the blow for you but it's also honestly how I see it. I would have loved to see you qualify, but I think it could have strained your squad & adversely affected your season.
Plus, if none of you could have gone to the games, I'd say it was now a win/win!
F*ck Europe for this season!

 

[John Street West Terrace]

Was expecting with the post title a piece by Boris