Blues need seventh for Europe... and no English double

Friday, 17 March, 2017 27comments  |  Jump to most recent
Everton's minimum target for the end of the season is seventh in the Premier League which is almost certain to secure a place in the Europa League next season.

Almost... because if both of England's remaining participants in Europe win their respective competitions, the Blues would be frozen out.

Manchester United winning the Europa League would vault them into the Champions League, but their Europa League spot for winning the League Cup would still need to be allocated elsewhere. That is where the Blues stand to benefit from the Red Devils' recent success at Wembley and the fact that a top-six side will win the FA Cup.

The fly in ointment – it's an unlikely one but they've shocked the world before! – would be Leicester City winning the Champions League in addition to United winning the Europa League.

In that instance, the Foxes would take one of the spots in next season's Champions League and force the team that finishes fourth in the Premier League to drop into the Europa League, robbing seventh place of a spot in that competition in the process, because Uefa rules preclude a country having more than five CL entrants in a given season.  



Reader Comments (27)

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Peter Howard
1 Posted 17/03/2017 at 07:19:13
What about the redshite finishing fourth and Leicester winning the Champions League.

If that were to happen you can bet the shite would want a rule change to their own rule change.

Brian Porter
2 Posted 17/03/2017 at 07:22:26
Looking at the remaining teams in the Champions League, I can't see Leicester pulling off an unlikely miracle. I think 7th will do it.
Mike Green
3 Posted 17/03/2017 at 07:54:12
The Champions League format needs simplifying with a complete overhaul. This is my suggestion.

The winners of the League go into the main contest, which is a knockout competition. It would, as such, be more of a "Cup" than a "League" competition so the organisers could take advantage of a re-branding opportunity and rename it the "European Cup".

The runners-up in the league go into what was formerly the Europa League, but is re-structured like the European Cup and is given the far snappier title of the "UEFA Cup".

A final competition will be reserved for the winners of the FA Cup - which will be renamed the "European Cup Winners Cup".

Good eh?

Mike Barrett
4 Posted 17/03/2017 at 09:18:46
Brilliant idea, Mike... They'll never go for it tho mate!!
Brian Wilkinson
5 Posted 17/03/2017 at 09:40:47
Leicester City winning Champions League, Everton finishing 6th, Red Shite finishing 4th, new stadium announcement.... will not happen but be good watching our neighbours sweat.
Brian Cleveland
6 Posted 17/03/2017 at 14:25:15
Brian! Why the RS finishing 4th and us 6th, have you no faith man? They're not so hot at the moment, we're on a decent run, if (please God this time) we get a result at their place, we're right there with them... let's be positive, us 4th and them 6th!!

It's all about ambition remember!

Brian Wilkinson
7 Posted 17/03/2017 at 15:08:58
Yes, Brian, we could get 4th and, with our luck, Leicester win the Champions League... sound familiar, finishing 4th?

Much rather the Red Shite have a kind kick in the bollocks for a change.

Brian Wilkinson
8 Posted 17/03/2017 at 15:13:46
Can you imagine Everton getting 4th only for Leicester to snatch the Champions League spot? We would never hear the last of it from our neighbours, whereas them finishing 4th and Leicester knobbing the champs league be worth its weight in gold with the petitions from our neighbours.

It would be interesting to see Leicester relegated but in the Champions league, would Lukaku sign for them.

Ray Roche
10 Posted 17/03/2017 at 15:49:00
Brian Wilkinson #7

Brian, if that happened they'd cwy and cwy like big girls until the rules were changed so that they could still play.

Brian Cleveland
11 Posted 17/03/2017 at 15:58:33
Brian, I had considered that possibility, but decided lightning couldn't strike twice... could it?
Liam Reilly
12 Posted 17/03/2017 at 19:24:40
Hell would freeze over before the RS would accept a demotion to the Europa League, if they finish 4th.

Can you imagine the shite we'd all have to listen too daily until there was a cave in.

Brian Hill
13 Posted 17/03/2017 at 19:35:35
I am sure there will soon be a movement to exempt them from actually having to qualify for the Champions League, rather to be given automatic inclusion because of their media driven special status and staggering sense of entitlement.
Clarence Yurcan
14 Posted 17/03/2017 at 21:24:18
Brian Hill 13: that hss sadly alreay been proosed by some clubs; AC Milan I believe last year was arging for a "wild card" status, yearly entry to the Champions League for "clubs of historical importance" such as themselves.
Robert Claxson
16 Posted 18/03/2017 at 21:20:06
Man Utd might well win the Europa League, but Leicester City surely won't win the Champions League, so thankfully there's no realistic prospect of the 4th placed Premier League side being dropped down to the Europa League.

We'll therefore be spared the shenanigans of Liverpool (or whoever) moaning and whinging to Uefa for a change to the established rules that have been clear & in writing for all clubs to understand.

Robert Claxson
17 Posted 18/03/2017 at 21:53:41
Would anyone else prefer the Europa League matches to be played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays rather than Thursdays?
Eric Myles
18 Posted 19/03/2017 at 13:07:52
So we just need to finish 6th or higher.

I look forward to our neighbours bleating about not getting into the Europa League as 7th place finishers due to the above scenario.

Brian Hill
19 Posted 19/03/2017 at 17:21:24
Thanks Clarence, first time I have heard that. I am sure AC Milan's current uselessness had nothing to do with their proposal.
Trevor Powell
20 Posted 19/03/2017 at 19:36:35
I think the biggest concern to the European game is being caused by the success of the Premier League attracting revenue all over the world in television fights through BT and SKumY.

THe two spanish giants and the fading Italian League are very concerned that it is no longer a level playing field and want a European League with all the partcipating teams leaving their national leagues.

Crowds are really down in Italy as the game is so boring. Not many countries want to show their league football.

Not many countries want Spanish League football except for when the top two teams contest their El Classicos.

German football is totally dominated by one club!

The Premier Leaguemay not have the best teams but we do have blood and thunder. We know that the bottom three can get results against the top teams.

This why the Premier League out muscles the continent for TV income.

The so called super 14 know this. The Champoins League was formed to make sure that all their members get into the competition even if they finish fourth!!!

With teams like AC Milan etc being frozen out of the top transfers market, their strategy will be for a guaranteed TV income at all times. It would never occur to them that attacking football may be a factor, or that Barcelona and Real Madrid destroy every competitor in Spain by buying up the heart of any challengers!

One day, perhaps UEFA will look into the way Real Madrid and Barcelona always seem to be able to outdo anyone else in the transfer market.

Colin Hughes
21 Posted 19/03/2017 at 19:42:21
Who gives a fuck about Europa League? All it does is mess up league form and move all of our games to a Sunday, probably at 1:30 pm.

We wouldn't have a cat in hells chance of winning it, especially now the top clubs take it seriously with a Champions League place to the winner.

Graham Mockford
22 Posted 19/03/2017 at 20:18:38
Colin,

'Who gives a fuck about Europa League' ?

I do, I like European away days. We don't get many and they are always a blast.

Dave Abrahams
23 Posted 19/03/2017 at 20:27:49
Colin(21) I am with you on the Europa League but understand plenty of Blues supporters love travelling to these games, including my sons and grandsons, as for me I think any chance we may have of getting into the top four next season will be severely handicapped by being in this mediocre competition, mediocre in my opinion.

The only solution is to get into the top four this season, I'd love to see that and how soon Lukaku would take to sign a new contract if that happens.

Eugene Ruane
24 Posted 19/03/2017 at 20:32:39
Colin (#21), 'Who gives a fuck about Europa League? All it does is mess up league form and move all of our games to a Sunday, probably at 1:30 pm. We wouldn't have a cat in hells chance of winning it, especially now the top clubs take it seriously with a Champions League place to the winner,'

Well as you ask, I give a fuck, I like the trips and the beer and the general Everton in Europe fol-de-rol.

However I'll concentrate on your second 'point.'

Question – Do you think we don't have a cat in hell's chance of winning the Europa League, but do have a cat in hell's chance of winning the Premier League?

I think it's fair to suggest we have no better or worse chance of winning the title than we do the Europa League and if that is fair (comment), given your 'logic', should we elbow the Europa Leagueand the Premier League and just concentrate on the two domestic cups?

Mike Kennedy
25 Posted 20/03/2017 at 11:51:00
4th is a remote possibility. We are 6 points off The Shite with Man Utd and Arsenal in between. We have to play all 3, away. Never happy hunting grounds any of them. But these teams are not what they were.

Unfortunately The Shite is the most difficult fixture. If we, and I know it is a big Leicester-esque 'if', we get wins in our next two games, it is all to play for.

With the hope that Chelsea are crowned Champions before their arrival at Goodison.

Eric Myles
26 Posted 20/03/2017 at 23:41:34
Colin (#21), if we have no chance of winning the Europa League, then we'd better not bother trying to finish 4th to get in the Champions League.
Stephen Ashton
27 Posted 21/03/2017 at 13:13:10
If, as seems likely, we qualify for the Europa League next season by finishing 7th, I believe that this would mean we join the competition at the 3rd Qualifying Round, the first leg of which is on 27th July – 4 days before the transfer window opens.

If we were to play Lukaku in this game, does that disqualify him from playing in Europe next season? If it does, would that devalue him, make it more likely that he will stay for another season? Or would he go on strike if selected. What would his mum say?

Daniel Lim
28 Posted 21/03/2017 at 13:44:05
Sorry if I am ignorant. I thought transfer window opens not on 1st Aug but something like 1st July?
Stephen Ashton
29 Posted 21/03/2017 at 17:24:04
Your correct Daniel - I knew it closed on 31st August and assumed it was just for one month.

Blushes!!!!

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