ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Is it worth being in the Uefa Cup?

I had this discussion with my dad towards the end of last season when I said that I?m not sure it?s a good thing qualifying for the Uefa Cup. Let?s be honest: it is a second-rate European competition?most of the teams that you come up against you have never heard of and there is no money in it. The Champions League it is not! Also you have to play an incredible amount of games if you progress through the competition.

I think it is impossible for a team like Everton with a small squad to play in the Uefa Cup without our league form being affected. How can they possibly play a big game on Thursday evening and then be expected to play again on Sunday and beat a team who have been well rested for a week?

If Everton weren?t in the Uefa Cup this year I think they could finish in the top 5 if not higher in the league. But if they progress in the Uefa Cup I think it could well cause us to drop to 8th or lower. So my question is would people prefer us to have a good season in the league? or forfeit the league for a run in the Uefa Cup? as I don?t believe you can have both!
Matthew Hayhurst, Urmston Posted 24/09/2007 at 09:32:27

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James Smith
1 Posted 24/09/2007 at 15:17:37

A silly question really, as the Uefa Cup gives more exposure to the club that allows

(a) more money

and

(b) attracts better players

to vastly improve the team and enable us to mount a challenge for the CL places.

stan sheppard
2 Posted 24/09/2007 at 15:17:01

Very good point Matthew. You outline the issues which have been around for a while now, ie. that the UEFA cup can be a poison challis for those who qualify for it. Especially those with smaller/weaker squads. (although Seville have won it 2 yrs in a row with a small squad)

The advantages are that it allows you to attract better players and there are potential financial gains if you do well, along with prestige if you win it! The disadvantages have already been outlined by your good self.

I am glad we’re in Europe again but the league is also your bread and butter and it has to come first. Maybe that was the plan on Thursday night, as it looks like it may not be a distraction for much longer.

Nick Entwistle
3 Posted 24/09/2007 at 15:27:43

Can’t agree with you James.
’Boro didn’t make any money out of it untill they reached the final.
And as for raising our profile, just being in the Premiership does more than the UEFA Cup will. Not as if ’Boro are now attracting a better quality of player because they reached the final... and besides, which CL quality player would go to a UEFA Cup team just for being in it? So I think we can attract the level of player right now that you say the cup will raise our profile for.
As for raising that all important profile... name the last 5 UEFA Cup winners!
Oh, and I don’t give a dam about being in it for the reasons the post states. Though fun while it lasts...

Lee Penswick
4 Posted 24/09/2007 at 15:35:39

8th!!?We will be lucky to finish in the top half at all if we continue to play like we currently are.

James Smith
5 Posted 24/09/2007 at 15:42:08

Nick, I don’t mean making money from the tournament itself, I mean the potential to generate further income through sponsorship or investment - attracted by the exposure of us being one of "Europe’s top teams", being on tv every fortnight and so. You can’t understate the value of exposure via whatever means the UEFA brings throughout Europe. Being in the UEFA, coupled with results in the league will generate benefits for the club, certainly better than merely being in the league! It’s just a question of finding the right balance so that the leage position is not adversely affected and we don’t embarass ourselves (oops) in Europe to drive off this potential beneficial exposure!

Ray
6 Posted 24/09/2007 at 15:47:15

There is absloutely no value at all to Everton being in the UEFA cup other than the fact that it generates a little bit of interest amongst supporters and other something different considering we have hardly seen European football at this club recently. Other than that there is no money at all in this cup even in the latter stages and we are obviously not accustommed to playing European sides because we are not a good enough football team..So after all the hard work of last season it does look like the European adventure is over before it started (again) and I am wondering what the point is to the rest of the season..It would be good to get to the Carling cup final and win some bloody silverwear (forget the FA cup) so I may get some stick for this but perhaps the Sheffield Wednesday match takes on an even greater significance than Europe now. What will happen against Kharkiv anyway?. We will probably play well and still go out thus in the process exhausting ourselves for the Newcastle away game the following Sunday. Other than seeing a few different European teams I cant see the point of progressing in the UEFA cup, we are not good enough to win it.

Seamus Murphy
7 Posted 24/09/2007 at 16:05:08

If we had had some European experience when we qualified for the CL then perhaps we may have been more successful. We need this European experience if we are ever gonna hope to make any impact in the CL should we ever break that top 4 again.

Also i totally agree with the point that it attacts better players - it also helps keep the good players we have happy.

David
8 Posted 24/09/2007 at 16:08:08

"If Everton weren?t in the Uefa Cup this year I think they could finish in the top 5 if not higher in the league." That made me laugh we wont be in the uefa cup this season 2 games doesn’t count and we sure as hell will not finsh in the top 5. we need a good run in the uefa for three reasons1.higher seedings in draws if we ever made it to the champ league lol2.to attract better players 3.for european experienceso the uefa cup. in my eyes it is a essential building block for a club like ours to become succesful

Peter Keating
9 Posted 24/09/2007 at 16:26:58

Am I right in saying that none of the teams that played in the UEFA cup on Thursday won yesterday and do believe along with Everton they didn’t play that well either.

I think personally it is a hinderance as it showed the last time Everton were in it. They struggled with their league form as they seem to be starting to do now after what was a fairly good start in the Premiership

glen strachan
10 Posted 24/09/2007 at 16:39:45

NO - NO and NO !

A little money waits for the two finalists.

Otherwise it is a consolation cup for second rate teams (the good ones go to the last 16 in the Big Cup).

Thursday games that we can’t even kick off in time followed by Sunday matches where the team is so flat that we cannot even look as interesting as boring old Aston Villa.

Coppell was right .....send the reserves.

You think it brings profile to appear in the UEFA.

Years ago maybe..........but NOT IN RECENT YEARS !

Our Mexican satellite provider spends Thursdays showing repeats of the ’real matches’ in the Champions Cup from the two previous days.

We see the UEFA Final and that is all.

This tournament is seriously Mickey Mouse !

Think back to Thursday if you doubt me.

steve
11 Posted 24/09/2007 at 16:48:15

i thinks its well worth thinking about you youth senior players to come back cahill vaygan gravesen arteta now the youth put in as well are morrison rodwell connor agard kissock codlling jutkiewica these players well ive us so much

steve
12 Posted 24/09/2007 at 16:54:49

side for wednesday turner hibbert rodwell stubbs valenta carsley morrison kissock mcffaden agard jutkiewica subs arteta connor codlling neville o kane

Gavin Ramejkis
13 Posted 24/09/2007 at 17:03:14

How about just as cynical; what’s the point in trying hard in the Premiership if you know you won’t win it? The UEFA Cup may not be the dog’s danglers for some but it does get your player’s European experience, the club a higher European points standing should they ever qualify for the Champions League and an increased profile across Europe in terms of media and player recognition. Every game the club plays earns cash, it may not be much but a little is better than sod all.

mick wrende
14 Posted 24/09/2007 at 20:11:57

At least getting in the UEFA cup is a reward for finishing reasonably high in the premiership. Otherwise what the fuck does it matter whether you finish 5th, 6th or 7th - there is no glory in that.

Peter Singer
15 Posted 24/09/2007 at 20:30:33

Apart from the money and exposure, it gives one more important thing if we take our goal to reach Champions League seriously: a better UEFA coefficient. Being seeded in the third qualifying round can easily prove to be the difference between group stage and failure.

Tom Martin
16 Posted 24/09/2007 at 21:22:33

Doesn’t it give you a buzz to see Everton back in Europe? I love to see Everton playing in Europe, even thopugh this isn’t as good as Champions league. I think it is good preparation for the Champions league as well, when we do - and we will - get into the Champions League again, I think the experience gained in the UEFA cup will be very beneficial.
Last we were definitely unlucky to lose to Villareal but, to be truthful, no one knew what to expect; "Unchartered Waters" I seem to remember was the the title of an article of one of the programmes. Gaining experience in the UEFA Cup I think will help us to be less naive when we step up the Champions League.

Peter Singer
17 Posted 24/09/2007 at 21:39:20

Tom, the problem is, we don’t really play in Europe, we just sort of sit around and watch football being played by our opponents. If we did play last Thursday, this whole post wouldn’t exist.