ToffeeWeb - Season 2009-10

The Mail Bag

Next Europa Opponents

The shake down from tonight's Champion's League matches means we have a better idea who we will face in the Europa League "Round of 32".

UEFA's mechanisms mean that we will be drawn against one of the following:

Juventus, Wolfsburg, Marseille, Unirea Urziceni, Sporting Lisbon, Galatasary, Red Bull Salzburg, Fenebache, Shaktar Donetsk, PSV Eindhoven... and:

either Ajax or Anderlecht... but probably Ajax;
either Valencia, Lille or Genoa... but probably Lille;
either Hamburg or Hapoel Tel Aviv but probably Hamburg;
either Roma or Basle — presuming Fulham don't pull off a blinder — although we're not allowed to play them if they do,
either Werder Bremen or Atletico Bilbao... but probably Werder Bremen.

That's 15 possibilities, the missing one being Benfica who we can't play again at this stage. That is defo how it pans out.

Fancy a day out and a few beers in The Dam, Hamburg, Lisbon (again) and Eindhoven. Don't fancy the journey and the cold in Donetsk nor just the cold in Salzburg. Don't fancy getting stabbed at Rome, Istanbul or Anderlecht.

But a little teaser, do fancy a few cervezas and a bit of sunshine on the back at the Best little Spaniard we know's old stomping ground over at Bilbao. Might give him a tempting target to get fit for as well. Everyone's a winner.
Steve Green, Southampton Posted 09/12/2009 at 21:36:27

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Comments

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Kirk McArdle
1 Posted 10/12/2009 at 04:44:27

Would definitely prefer one of the big boys. With the remaining teams and the teams that have finished 3rd in Champions League groups dropping into the Europa League we have NO chance of winning the competition. Get knocked out and concentrate on moving up the Premier League table.

I see no advantage of attempting to progress in the Europa League. Even the prize money for winning the Europa League would constitute 3-4 places in the table. Add to that the traveling to and from the countries.

A lot of posters on here have asked the question about "What do Moyes and the coaches do with these players in training each day?" In-between playing 3 games a week and traveling how much time is actually spent training at Finch Farm?

Hibbert has now become the joint all-time European player in the Everton FC history racks. Congratulations to him sincerely. I would love to have his airmiles though!!!

Matt Traynor
2 Posted 10/12/2009 at 04:53:48

Worth noting that we won’t be seeded (barring cricket scores in our favour in both our game against BATE and Benfica - AEK). Seems also that our neighbours may not be seeded either.

Salzburg may be cold at that time of year, but it’s a cracking place to visit for 2-3 days (and not just if you’re a Sound of Music fan!)

Graham Holliday
3 Posted 10/12/2009 at 09:35:49

It strikes me that there is a number of strong teams in that list.

Though, with the games not due to be played until February, this gives us a chance to get the injured players back — at which point we will look a match for any of them.

That is, unless the current injury-free players get crippled in the meantime... which is more than likely the way things have been going of late!

Sean McCarthy
4 Posted 10/12/2009 at 09:35:24

I hope we avoid the really big boys as I would hate to see us embarrassed on the European stage once again... and please dont let anyone come on here saying we could win the competition!!!!

Chris Briddon
5 Posted 10/12/2009 at 09:38:00

Matt - as 1st deciding factor between teams is results between them, then we cannot win our group, we are guaranteed to be un-seeded.

For what it's worth, Liverpool are also unseeded.

I don’t see any teams in this competition that we couldn’t beat.

Kevin Sparke
6 Posted 10/12/2009 at 09:40:47

We could win this competition...

Jamie Rowland
7 Posted 10/12/2009 at 09:56:22

Anywhere hot....anywhere.....

Mike Dillon
8 Posted 10/12/2009 at 10:18:03

Personally, I couldn’t disagree more with Kirk.

I would gladly settle down for a mid-table finish and gun for some silverware than "concentrate on the league". That’s what the redshite excusemaking bandwagon says. Nobody remembers who finishes fifth in the league, and we want to raise our profile abroad - best way to do that is to be seen knocking seven bells of shite out of teams in the Europa.

Personally, I hope we get someone shit so we can beat them despite being crap and it won’t affect us that much.

Eugene Ruane
9 Posted 10/12/2009 at 10:11:00

I’m really hoping for Marseilles, because..

Got mates living nr Aix who could probably box-me-off with a ticket

I visit the city at least once a year - I love the place, the people, the atmosphere of the town, le vieux port etc.

Plus (unlike Lyon) it’s a genuinely football mad place.

Oh and there’s the soupe de poisson (any caff) and the pasta au Saumon in the Bar OM. Shit, I’m drooling here.

Erm...anyway, been a dream of mine for us to get drawn against them, so...I hope we do.

Dick Anderson
10 Posted 10/12/2009 at 10:54:38

Chris Briddon

You can’t see any team that we couldn’t beat?

What about Benfica?

They pretty much roasted us putting 7 goals past us.

Ciarán McGlone
11 Posted 10/12/2009 at 11:29:51

On any day we can beat anyone.... At the moment, we could be beaten by anyone...

Anthony Millington
12 Posted 10/12/2009 at 11:40:53

Can we get Liverpool?

Gavin Ramejkis
13 Posted 10/12/2009 at 11:59:56

Didn’t Juve also drop into the Europa after they got beat the other night too? There are an awful lot of strong sides in it this year, Benfica gave us two footballing lessons already.

Gavin Ramejkis
14 Posted 10/12/2009 at 12:12:21

D’oh mode, rule number one, don’t skim the article, read it and notice Juventus first in the list, sorry.

Kevy Quinn
15 Posted 10/12/2009 at 13:25:57

First sensible thing you have said in while Ciaran, sorry second agreed with your assesement of Jo. Go to the top of the class.

Alasdair Mackay
16 Posted 10/12/2009 at 13:27:40

Doesn’t matter who we get. By the time the first match kicks off we will have Arteta and Jags back, we will be on better form and we will have added to the squad in January. We are already starting to look stronger and more confident. I personally would like to get Benfica again later in the competition. With a fully fit and confident squad I think we would beat them.

Dream scenario — Beating Liverpool in a two legged semi-final (Dan Gosling with a last-minute winner) and Benfica in the final.

Christian Yandell
17 Posted 10/12/2009 at 13:33:46

Ciaran, you are quickly becomming the new Tony Marsh my friend!

Before you unleash on me I am not disagreeing with this particular comment but you did use to say some positive stuff once in a while.

We could maybe get a few players back for this game. None of them are better than the United team we beat in the semi’s last year. You know the sort of thing.

Go on give me something positive to get me through my Thursday afternoon at work.

Laurence Hart
18 Posted 10/12/2009 at 13:42:48

For Dick Anderson, the thought of Benfica does amuse me, for those of a certain age, we might remember enjoying a fine double over West Brom.

I think we won at the Hawthorns 6-2, the season 1967-68, we were hot favorites for the final, but some people said you can’t beat the same team 3 times in one season... you know what, they were right.

Peter McHugh
19 Posted 10/12/2009 at 13:44:04

Ajax for me. With our defenders back and Neill and Heitinga available and if Pienaar remains fit we have a good team. If Arteta returns Easter time and we’ve managed to progress, we have a very good team and a realistic chance of winning this competition

Christian Yandell
20 Posted 10/12/2009 at 14:00:56

Yes Peter McHugh, that is what I am talking about.

Any more positivity welcomed!

Ciarán McGlone
21 Posted 10/12/2009 at 14:14:57

Christian,

Just stating my opinion of the current situation... I thought the suggestion that we could beat anyone on any given day was actually a positive.

Jamie Rowland
22 Posted 10/12/2009 at 14:36:09

I’m with Mike Dillon...

Let's concentrate on the Europa Cup and raise our European profile...

That has to do more for us than finishing 5th in the prem (which, in all reality, hasn’t proved to be fruitful).

Jamie Rowland
23 Posted 10/12/2009 at 14:37:17

Anyone else see the Fat Spanish Waiter's remarks regarding his exit from the CL? — he said, after a few rounds of Europa Cup, the shite will have earned the same money!

Yet Everton have stated in the past that, unless you get into the quarter finals, the club receives no money for Europa league and its nowhere near the CL money...

How come the disparity?

Lee Kidd
24 Posted 10/12/2009 at 15:22:07

I think the fat Spanish waiter is referring to the fact Liverpool will still get some CL prize money for appearing in the group stages, and a few rounds in the Europa League from now on will equate to qualifying for the knockout stages of the CL when you add the group stage money on top of it.

If Liverpool had stayed in the CL and made the Quarters/Semi’s, they’d make substantially more money than they could ever make by winning the Europa League.

Brian Waring
25 Posted 10/12/2009 at 15:37:44

The thing is Jamie, while we concentrate on the Europa League this season, and our prem form doesn’t get any better, what happens next season, if we don’t finish 5th, and therefore don’t qualify for Europe?

Rob Squires
26 Posted 10/12/2009 at 16:18:29

Couldn’t we get Liege again or Rubin as both of these finished third in their CL groups?

James Stewart
27 Posted 10/12/2009 at 16:20:31

I think it’s actually pretty important to do well in this competition. Otherwise, why the hell was it so important to finish 5th last season?! Semi-Finals should be the aim.

Brian is right. We have more chance in this competition than we do finishing 5th in the league again.

Gavin Ramejkis
28 Posted 10/12/2009 at 16:30:16

Has anyone considered what with a decent euro run last season, two Wembley appearances and finishing fifth and we still made a loss, how fucked up is that? And how many players we will need to sell at the end of this season?

Dennis Stevens
29 Posted 10/12/2009 at 16:55:36

I wouldn’t mind one of the Dutch teams - that would make for a nice trip.

The only sensible thing to do is to try & win each game in each competition — we saw how Aston Villa fell away in the League last season after they "prioritised" it over the Uefa Cup, whereas for the last two seasons I think Everton’s league momentum has been helped by some good cup runs. A bit of silverware somewhere along the line wouldn’t go amiss either!

Michael Kenrick
Editorial Team
30 Posted 10/12/2009 at 17:12:45

If we are going to win the Prem next season, which is written in the runes, then I firmly believe it is important that we DO NOT qualify for Europe. A high finish just outside the Euro places would do nicely and provide an excellent springboard for the tremendous league campaign required in 2010-11. A fully fit squad raring to go and finally set to give David Moyes something tangible to celebrate as the crowning achievement of his Everton career.

Hmmmm... what is that in my coffee today?

Brian Reidy
31 Posted 10/12/2009 at 17:39:42

What's the betting that RS will be drawn at home same night as EFC (is this possible?) and we will have to move to Wednesday to accommodate them!

Still wouldn't mind a Dutch team next round.

Sean Patton
32 Posted 10/12/2009 at 20:02:32

Michael

While the 24-year gap between titles does apply, it could well be the Championship if we carry on at this rate.

I would take the easiest team possible which on paper would be Unirea Urzicini — it is high time Everton got some lucky draws in a cup competition.

Steve Green
33 Posted 10/12/2009 at 20:45:08

Rob Squires - Standard Liege and Rubin did finish 3rd in their groups but they were in the ’worst 4 losers’ of the teams who dropped down from Champions League. As we are going through as runners-up in our group, we would potentially face CL drop-out teams classified as ’best 4 losers’ — hence Juventus etc — as well as other Europa League group winners. Hope this makes sense.

Gavin, yes it was a decent season last year but I don’t recall a decent Euro run. Standard Liege saw to that didn’t they? Although I agree, don’t think a decent Euro run would have made much financial difference without including the very latter stages.

Eric Myles
34 Posted 11/12/2009 at 02:08:28

Brian Reidy, they would just switch the home and away legs so that both teams aren’t at home together.

Dave Street
35 Posted 11/12/2009 at 11:40:14

(To Sean Patton) Ermmm, how about Carlisle at home for a starter mate!!

Anthony Doran
36 Posted 11/12/2009 at 12:17:53

I hope we get someone ’easy’ and keep the big bhoys until we have some of injured players back towards the end of the season. With Liverpool now in this competition it makes it even improtant that we do well.

Chris Briddon
37 Posted 11/12/2009 at 12:21:37

Brian — as both Everton & Liverpool are unseeded both WILL automatically play their home legs on the same round of fixtures, which means that one of the games will have to move days. I think it's unlikely they will reverse legs, as playing at home 2nd is supposed to be a benefit of being a seeded team.

As for the cup final & 5th place but lost money debate, well its for another place, but not taking into account amortisation (or whatever the word is) we made a profit of about £5 or £6m I think, and as that is to do with the value of players and remaining contract time it is fairly irrelevant anyway, as a palyers value is determined by how much a club wants to spend and nothing else.

Damian Scott
38 Posted 14/12/2009 at 21:34:13

I was over in the Basque Country on holidays in September and we went to a Bilbao game against Villarreal (Bilbao won 3-2; great game)... Fantastic atmosphere in the St Mames and Bilbao is a nice city.

The St Mames actually reminded me a lot of Goodison Park. An older stadium with facelifts over the years. Think it was last done-up for the ’82 World Cup... If we get Bilbao, I’d defo go to that!!!

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