How important is the EL spot?

[Leylo]

Of course love us to be back in Europe but they could make this trophy more exciting by having a straight knock out how good would that be instead of a stuttering cup competition.

 

[riddick]

Yes, if you win it. But if effectively rules you out of qualifying through the league. United did it last season (finished top 4 after starting in EL) but they were only the 3rd team to do so.

It is too big a handicap the thursday / Sunday thing & if we get EL; I think there is virtually no chance of kicking on the next season in terms of points

Hasn't really hurt Wolves that much, no?

 

[dead_soft]

I support Everton because of the community and the match and away days are ace in Europe, and Goodison under the lights against a European team can be genuinely majestic. Very few exact moments I'd want to recreate than the noise around Goodison after Arteta scored against Fiorentina. So it may be diminished by some but I definitely want Everton in any form of European competition.

 

[Cels]

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Although I'm not a fan of European football, I do want us to always finish as high up the table as we can, and win every cup competition we play in. It's 25 years and counting for Everton, I don't think we are in a position to turn our noses up at the chance of winning any trophy really.

Finishing in a European spot will generate more revenue and raise the profile of our club, which is a good thing. But had Everton qualified for this years Europa League, I suspect we'd have been really struggling now with the injuries sustained and our lack of cover; we've found it hard enough to cope as it is.

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[KaiserEFC]

I’m usually not keen but my opinion is shifting. Consistent Europe is the next step plus I love European beer and want to go to some mad ex Soviet states

 

[H.H.]

I’m usually not keen but my opinion is shifting. Consistent Europe is the next step plus I love European beer and want to go to some mad ex Soviet states

The women alone make the 5+ hour flight to Donetsk worth it.

 

[KaiserEFC]

The women alone make the 5+ hour flight to Donetsk worth it.

I’d like to say I’d avoid the absolute warzone that is Donetsk entirely but I’ve done worse for women!

 

[number4.]

Hasn't really hurt Wolves that much, no?

No finished 7th twice (57 & 59 points) - but on the other side they haven't been able to kick on either, despite adding Jimenez, dendonker and Podence to the squad the next season which is my point. If they genuine goal is CL in two / three years, my take is better off without Europa for one year to clean out a bit of the dross in the squad.

But that said, back in Europe would be great. Glass half full either way

 

[chrismpw]

The uefa Cup was something to win.

The EL is just a marathon for little reward. It is clearly a mechanism to weaken challengers to the establishment in the sky runners-up cup so their path to the top six with their bloated squads is clear.

 

[TheBlackWatch]

Very Important! We need it to attract and retain players. It would show that we are moving in the right direction.

 

[Barnfred 55]

Would be nice to skip but it's a foot in the door on the path to CL.
More Everton.
More exposure for the club.
Helps show the need for a larger, quality squad.
May help us attract or even keep players that want European football.
Our fans love leaving their families to go on their jollies around random Eastern European locations.
Winning it gives a CL place.

More match day threads on GOT. Who could wish for more

 

[Rooney_Tunes]

So, I've got this question ever since I started lurking around GOT and reddits of PL teams (Arsenal, CFC, Everton, etc). My question is, how important is the minor European competition for English fans and clubs?

I've got this impression for years that if it's not CL, that you'd rather not be competing. That PL is be all end all of competitions. Heck, that even FA cup is more important than Europa League. And certainly, lineups that English teams field in such competitions kinda prove me that I'm right. It's mostly rotation squads there unless it's QF or some later stage. And now I'm reading the reddits and forums, I'm seeing these completely different opinions to what I thought was normal. Fans actually looking forward to EL, etc, and it's leaving me a bit confused.

Would be nice if you guys could explain a bit and shed some light on the importance of EL for you guys.

Did not read all the above; lots of words...just answering your question.

"Not as important as the Champions League spot".

 

[paulbefc]

I support Everton because of the community and the match and away days are ace in Europe, and Goodison under the lights against a European team can be genuinely majestic. Very few exact moments I'd want to recreate than the noise around Goodison after Arteta scored against Fiorentina. So it may be diminished by some but I definitely want Everton in any form of European competition.

Also an excellent point that I overlooked. There's no place in English football like it on a big European night. That was incredible and it'd be a shame to leave without getting to experience that kind of night there again.

Only been to the one european away myself, but bringing 10k there again was fantastic fun (even the build up on here using VPNs or whatever it was to get past the geo blockers on their ticketing site to buy out blocks in the home end).

There's no set of fans I know of that'd be given a 5k allocation in Europe and then proceed to start selling out the surrounding blocks to the point the home club have to move the segregation due to the suspicious number of "Parisians" taking a particular interest in the blocks nearest the Everton fans.

 

[JobForTheMoyes]

If Everton were in the Europa League - I'd rather Everton put a stronger team out in the FA Cup, and even the League Cup. It's embarrassing we've never won that domestic cup, and we're so desperate to win anything, something - I'd fancy our chances more for the League Cup over Europa League.

They've progressively made the Europa League less and less attractive. It needed to be standalone, with less football and more financial incentive.

All that said, the Club need to be regularly in Europe. We just need to make sure if we do that, we don't let it dictate transfer policy as I think we did under Koeman.

I would say the Europa League is easier to win than the FA Cup, to be honest. Maybe easier than the League Cup too, depending on whether Liverpool, Man City, Man Utd take it seriously.

 

[Tommy.]

The best players want to play in Europe, the Europa would enable us to keep our better players for at least another season I think as it proves we're edging closer to the promised land. Same principle applies to international football, the vast majority of us might put club before country but that certainly isn't true for footballers. They want prestige (and obviously the wedge that comes with) so to casually dismiss the Europa is painfully short-sighted.