July 19, 201412 yr The target is generally seen as promotion to the Premier League, with a 50% chance of immediate relegation and only a 25% chance of surviving 2 seasons, Riches combined with (probably) miserable results. The chances of reaching the Champions' League by finishing in the top 4 are extremely modest. But from this season there is an alternative route to the CL. Winners of the FA Cup qualify for the Group Stage of the Europa League. (Runners-up can no longer qualify, however). Winners of the League Cup enter the Europa League, but face 2 rounds of qualifying knock-out matches before reaching the GS. From this season the winners of the Europa League will qualify for the next season's Champions' League. And, so long as the CL winners also qualify from their domestic league position (which is usually the case), the EL winners will go directly to the GS of the CL. While this is not an easy route, remember the performances of Middlesbrough and Fulham, and indeed Bolton's own performances (yes I know the team was stronger, but....). It would be possible to miss promotion but stll get Euro trips, and surely a better prospect (albeit still thin) of reaching the CL, which is a separate goldmine. Imagine the effect on player values! So should the FA Cup be the top priority?
July 19, 201412 yr Probably the best chance of a 'smaller' club reaching Europe was as FA Cup final losers. This has now gone. Which suggests to me that the changes are just a further way of ensuring the 'big rich' clubs monopolise the European places. Cynical, but ........
July 19, 201412 yr A team like Aston Villa would be 33/1 to win the FA Cup and if they won it, they'd be 33/1 or so to win the Europa so at 1000/1 or thereabouts, I'd say it was unlikely even for big clubs like Villa
July 19, 201412 yr The target is generally seen as promotion to the Premier League, with a 50% chance of immediate relegation and only a 25% chance of surviving 2 seasons, Riches combined with (probably) miserable results. The chances of reaching the Champions' League by finishing in the top 4 are extremely modest. But from this season there is an alternative route to the CL. Winners of the FA Cup qualify for the Group Stage of the Europa League. (Runners-up can no longer qualify, however). Winners of the League Cup enter the Europa League, but face 2 rounds of qualifying knock-out matches before reaching the GS. From this season the winners of the Europa League will qualify for the next season's Champions' League. And, so long as the CL winners also qualify from their domestic league position (which is usually the case), the EL winners will go directly to the GS of the CL. While this is not an easy route, remember the performances of Middlesbrough and Fulham, and indeed Bolton's own performances (yes I know the team was stronger, but....). It would be possible to miss promotion but stll get Euro trips, and surely a better prospect (albeit still thin) of reaching the CL, which is a separate goldmine. Imagine the effect on player values! So should the FA Cup be the top priority? I stopped reading after the first line.
July 19, 201412 yr I stopped reading after the first line. You're a better man than me. I didn't get that far.
July 19, 201412 yr Author how did WARBURY get in and win it That is fiction. But, allegedly, they qualified as fourth in the PL.
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