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Krueger: The Europa League is not a negative for Southampton

trousers

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trousers

trousers

Posted
Posted

http://m.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/13321908.Krueger__The_Europa_League_is_not_a_negative_for_Southampton/

 

“We’re doing this to play football. We’re an entertainment industry and we just earned more football games, so that’s why we’re here."

 

“So, any club out there that sees this as a negative, or as something that gets in the way of something else, is just not understanding what their business is."

 

Can't argue with that.

 

Or, this being SaintsWeb, perhaps we can...?

david in sweden

david in sweden

Posted
Posted

like many other Saints' fans - I'm going through withdrawal symptoms at this time of the year without regular games. The prospect of more games is very inviting,Ralph.

 

What we do need is a really solid squad of good professionals who can carry the burden of 50+ games a season. That's down to Les, Ron and The Board.

The biggest decisions will be...... who can play how many games .....and what is the best team to select - on the day.

 

Someone has to make the decision between big spending and wise investment, but at the end of next May - (even if we don't win any competitions), I look forward to enjoying another season of good football and more games will suit me fine.

niceandfriendly

niceandfriendly

Posted
Posted

It didn't need saying, just like the sentence "it's not a negative to drink water" or "it's not a negative to donate money to a good cause" but good to hear anyway I suppose.

 

There isn't anyone who believes us qualifying for Europe is a negative thing, is there? Oh loooordy :lol:

angelman

angelman

Posted
Posted

Wonder whether Souness would have said the same if we had crept into CL. Pretty much same number of games, and more likely than not to go into EL?

buctootim

buctootim

Posted
Posted (edited)
Don't think we have any chance whatsoever of maintaining our current league position along with a Europa League campaign but would love to be pleasantly surprised.

 

Worries me too. We tailed off last season because we didnt have enough strength in depth to give players a rest. Will be worse this time. Worth it though.

Edited by buctootim
angelman

angelman

Posted
Posted
I agree with him, but I don't like the ridiculous idea of Thursday nights and Sunday afternoons.

 

Is it a lot different from Wednesday nights and Saturday afternoons?

Redslo

Redslo

Posted
Posted
Is it a lot different from Wednesday nights and Saturday afternoons?

 

It is pretty much the same, just more ridiculous.

Lallana's Left Peg

Lallana's Left Peg

Posted
Posted
Is it a lot different from Wednesday nights and Saturday afternoons?

 

Not too much different, but Champions League clubs will likely only have to do that three times before Christmas, and if we make the group stage then we'd have had to do it around eight times. We'll get longer to prepare for an easier game on the Thursday than we will the harder game on the Sunday too.

Lallana's Left Peg

Lallana's Left Peg

Posted
Posted
Surely we will go into next season with more strength in depth

 

I wouldn't be so sure. 3 loan players have gone (two on the fringes of the team, and one very important) - they will need to be replaced for us just to stand still, and we have a keeper to bring in to replace Forster as well. Europa League doesn't have much money in it, so I would expect us to play more kids next season, which I'm fine with.

sadoldgit

sadoldgit

Posted
Posted

The only problem I have with Europa football is squad size. Will we invest in a bigger better squad or will be play the kids? We should be in it to win it so I wouldn't want to play the kids. Europa has caused problems for clubs of our size in the past and clubs have gone down when being involved in Europe (us, Ipswich). It is a positive but it needs to managed well.

Saint_Ash

Saint_Ash

Posted
Posted

The whole reason for competing in the league is to finish as high as possible and reap the rewards that brings, one of them is getting in to Europe, if our league place is hindered due to being in Europe then so be it. I prefer to come 7th, get in to Europe and the following season have a decent European campaign and come 10th. We then learn what we need to do for the next time we're in Europe.

farawaysaint

farawaysaint

Posted
Posted
The only problem I have with Europa football is squad size. Will we invest in a bigger better squad or will be play the kids? We should be in it to win it so I wouldn't want to play the kids. Europa has caused problems for clubs of our size in the past and clubs have gone down when being involved in Europe (us, Ipswich). It is a positive but it needs to managed well.

 

We were hardly involved in Europe, it's a terrible excuse for our relegation.

The9

The9

Posted
Posted
The only problem I have with Europa football is squad size. Will we invest in a bigger better squad or will be play the kids? We should be in it to win it so I wouldn't want to play the kids. Europa has caused problems for clubs of our size in the past and clubs have gone down when being involved in Europe (us, Ipswich). It is a positive but it needs to managed well.

 

Which season did our involvement in Europe cause our relegation then? 2004/5 we weren't in Europe, and any relegation prior to that would have been when the european competitions were straight knockouts and you only had to play 10 extra matches to win it.

The9

The9

Posted
Posted
Don't think we have any chance whatsoever of maintaining our current league position along with a Europa League campaign but would love to be pleasantly surprised.

 

I think we can come happy 7th after a season in midtable, as opposed to miserable 7th after a season in the top 6. Europa League might cost us about 10 points over the season, it just puts us in Everton's position last season really.

 

Oh, and the difference between Saturday football and Sunday football for me is the need to be sober for Monday. :(

angelman

angelman

Posted
Posted
Football is meant to be on Saturday afternoon at 3 o'clock. Anything else is flyin' in the face of nature.

 

Amen.

 

When is Friday night PL footie coming - is it next season? :(

sadoldgit

sadoldgit

Posted
Posted
Which season did our involvement in Europe cause our relegation then? 2004/5 we weren't in Europe, and any relegation prior to that would have been when the european competitions were straight knockouts and you only had to play 10 extra matches to win it.

 

My bad, English teams kicked out of Europe when we qualified.

Window Cleaner

Window Cleaner

Posted
Posted
I wouldn't be so sure. 3 loan players have gone (two on the fringes of the team' date=' and one very important) - they will need to be replaced for us just to stand still, and we have a keeper to bring in to replace Forster as well. Europa League doesn't have much money in it, so I would expect us to play more kids next season, which I'm fine with.[/quote']

 

Djuricic not being pursued then ?

Batman

Batman

Posted
Posted
Still don't buy this. We tailed off cause we didn't have enough goals in the team. Before anyone was tired or injured that was clear. Then we were hit by the Forster lose and Morgan. If Forster stayed for I think we'd have been 5th pushing for 4th. Small margins.

 

I hope we don't make liverpool's mistake. Sign lots of players as you worry about all the extra games, then struggle to pick a coherent team from the larger squad. We should improve our team, still know what our strongest team vaguely is, and add some decent competition around it. Not just sign 10 attackers and hope for the best.

 

A striker would be good, but say we sign Austin, we'd have him, Pelle, Long, Rodriguez, Mane, Gallagher and Seager all for that attack. Seems like plenty of options when Tadic can play up there too. Our squad really isn't that week, we just need to replace who leaves and add a keeper, creative midfielder and striker.

which is strength in depth. we had no one else to come in when pelle went on half a season without a goal or a credible keeper at all when forster was injured.

Matthew Le God

Matthew Le God

Posted
Posted
The only problem I have with Europa football is squad size. Will we invest in a bigger better squad or will be play the kids? We should be in it to win it so I wouldn't want to play the kids. Europa has caused problems for clubs of our size in the past and clubs have gone down when being involved in Europe (us, Ipswich). It is a positive but it needs to managed well.

 

No we didn't.

 

- Saints were last in Europe in the 2003/04 (playing two games vs Steaua Bucharest early in the season)

- Saints were relegated from the Premier league in 2004/05

Dalek2003

Dalek2003

Posted
Posted
Don't think we have any chance whatsoever of maintaining our current league position along with a Europa League campaign but would love to be pleasantly surprised.

 

I am very worried about this. We cannot take a Premier League status for granted.

sadoldgit

sadoldgit

Posted
Posted
No we didn't.

 

- Saints were last in Europe in the 2003/04 (playing two games vs Steaua Bucharest early in the season)

- Saints were relegated from the Premier league in 2004/05

 

See post 25

bpsaint

bpsaint

Posted
Posted
Friday night football >>>>>>>> Monday night football

 

This. A Friday night on the **** watching Saints then straight into town afterwards, plus the joyous feeling of having a whole weekend off ahead of you. As opposed to MNF, which is just a bit ****e really.

 

Chances are domestic cup competitions will be sacrificed if we progress through to the Europa group stages, does any know if teams involved in Europe still bypass the earliest round of the league cup available to us?

Saint IQ

Saint IQ

Posted
Posted
Wonder whether Souness would have said the same if we had crept into CL. Pretty much same number of games, and more likely than not to go into EL?

 

Probably goes over most football pundits heads...

The9

The9

Posted
Posted (edited)
This. A Friday night on the **** watching Saints then straight into town afterwards, plus the joyous feeling of having a whole weekend off ahead of you. As opposed to MNF, which is just a bit ****e really.

 

Chances are domestic cup competitions will be sacrificed if we progress through to the Europa group stages, does any know if teams involved in Europe still bypass the earliest round of the league cup available to us?

 

We go straight into the League Cup third round.

 

Due to all the Prem teams in Europe next season all the relegated Prem sides are in the Lge Cup first round next season when often one or more get byes into R2.So that's Hull offset for last season's European League Cup bye immediately.

Edited by The9
The9

The9

Posted
Posted
Probably goes over most football pundits heads...

 

We'd have had a shedload more money guaranteed to cope with the additional matches from the CL, and don't forget unless you come bottom of the CL group you still get knockout matches (Europa League for 3rd), whilst EL gives you one shot and out other than the group stage.

scdean

scdean

Posted
Posted
like many other Saints' fans - I'm going through withdrawal symptoms at this time of the year without regular games. The prospect of more games is very inviting,Ralph.

 

What we do need is a really solid squad of good professionals who can carry the burden of 50+ games a season. That's down to Les, Ron and The Board.

The biggest decisions will be...... who can play how many games .....and what is the best team to select - on the day.

 

Someone has to make the decision between big spending and wise investment, but at the end of next May - (even if we don't win any competitions), I look forward to enjoying another season of good football and more games will suit me fine.

 

 

Exactly right re transfers.

We will need some big signings but also some solid squad signings. They may not set the world alight or get us excited, but nevertheless they will be as impedance as any big 10m+ player. Someone who will come into the team and do a job when needed. Think of your Jack Cork types.

buctootim

buctootim

Posted
Posted
I transcribed this and posted it on my blog.

 

Good job Redslo, thanks. I like Krueger and want to know what he said, but find listening to his interviews cringeworthy - so this is great!

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