Winning the League Cup

In the last few years, am I right in saying most teams the season struggle the following season?

If so just wondering why?

My guess is that when your then in Europe your put in groups and end up playing about 8 or 10 European games, which mean you need a large squad for this if you still want to do well in your league.

Didn't Birmingham and Norwich mediocre Premier League clubs fail due to this?

Teams in the Europa league do seem to struggle in the league.
Look at where Newcastle are this season compared to last year.

Would be a shame to have to play the jacks at home next season after they've had a Thursday night game in Russia

Hopefully this happens to the Jacks.

In the last few years, am I right in saying most teams the season struggle the following season?

If so just wondering why?

My guess is that when your then in Europe your put in groups and end up playing about 8 or 10 European games, which mean you need a large squad for this if you still want to do well in your league.

Didn't Birmingham and Norwich mediocre Premier League clubs fail due to this?

It really hurt Birmingham Annis, big time. The jacks squad is paper thin, most recently demonstrated by how badly they were hammered by the mickey mousers.

The European run could conceivably lead to their relegation.

In the last few years, am I right in saying most teams the season struggle the following season?

If so just wondering why?

My guess is that when your then in Europe your put in groups and end up playing about 8 or 10 European games, which mean you need a large squad for this if you still want to do well in your league.

Didn't Birmingham and Norwich mediocre Premier League clubs fail due to this?

It really hurt Birmingham Annis, big time. The jacks squad is paper thin, most recently demonstrated by how badly they were hammered by the mickey mousers.

The European run could conceivably lead to their relegation.

Sorry but this is bullshit.

Birmingham were exceptional during their Europa league season in the championshipl ast season. They managed to come in to the play offs, a miracle with their financial state and squad. I think they will be fine personally, it's a cliche. I honestly believe they will give Europe a good crack next year, might hate the fans but the players put on hell of a performance today and it was a great win.

I am not bias, just saying it how I sees it. If they don't sign players I can see them dropping like a stone because once you go past the first 11 it's league one at best.

Well apart from the Jacks saying that the league cup was Mickey mouse last year granted they beat league 2 Bradford City & yes they did win the league cup today.

IMO Swansea in Europe next season could end up in disaster they will defo need a bigger squad which is gonna cost alot as they can't keep relying on the same players & if no big club comes in for Michu because let's be honest he is world clasasthenosphere there's something wrong & I very much dour he will stay at a small club like Swansea so I'm sure some bigger clubs may come in for him & he will be a fool not to go also Their manager Laudrup then it could go all tits up for them. Extra Pressure imo will be on them for next season to stay up & deliver a good run in Europe !!!!! However that's all that matters to me next season is the mighty Cardiff City to stay up & build ready for the next season !!!!!

The way its been going for them lot to the the west lately they'll win the tournament and finish in the top 4. This after they sell players for triple their ability and buy players with a fee worthy of only a quarter of their ability.

no matter what, they'll never take more than 100 to sunderland.

am i right in saying ipswich got relegated when they was playing in uefa cup?

Still as much as I hate them, they aren't going to win the prem or be a top 4-6 side,

so what difference does it make if they finish 17th or 7th? Apart from position bonus the club receives.

Every player/club wants to be in europe and for some reason its only the british that do not rate the europa cup. I personally don't like the group stage part. Think it should be like the uefa and straight 2 leg knock out.

You can only beat what is put in front of you and let's face it yesterdays "Match" was akin to a walkover in horseracing terms. Having said that I thought the Jacks were absolutely superb against Chelsea and for those performances they fully deserved the win yesterday.

But now comes the big challenge for our cousins out west, with Real Madrid looking at their manager and Brenda looking to offer silly money for their captain in the summer having their squad tested by the Europa League will be a serious test for them next season.

It will be interesting to see how the "well run" club approaches this european challenge, yes this compeition will bring in extra revenue but far bigger clubs have racked up heavy debts, and seen a downturn in PL performances because of taking part in this competition.

50+ fixtures a season will be a huge challenge no doubt about that.

I don't think they'll make it out of the group stages. They have no European pedigree (neither do we) so will be a low seeded team and have a tough draw. But that that shouldn't knock their acheivments. The past decade they've done really well.

We go in at the 3rd stage

We go in at the 3rd stage

that's two rounds against lesser teams, the Jacks will be fine til the group stages. Unless they have stage freight like Everton did in the CL a few years ago.

Don't take this the wrong way folks, but every year there is a thread like this, off the top of my head, there was "the Jacks will struggle in the Championship", "Second Season syndrome", "Doomed without Martinez", "They'll break Derby's lowest points record", "Doomed without Rodgers!", "Second Season syndrome (again!!!). And now it's this?

Yet season after season we go about our business and you can't deny that we have improved on and off the field each and every time? At some point we will have a wobble, you and I both know it, and I'm sure you'll revel in it like we are at the moment, but threads like this have been coming back to bite you for years.

Don't take this the wrong way folks, but every year there is a thread like this, off the top of my head, there was "the Jacks will struggle in the Championship", "Second Season syndrome", "Doomed without Martinez", "They'll break Derby's lowest points record", "Doomed without Rodgers!", "Second Season syndrome (again!!!). And now it's this?

Yet season after season we go about our business and you can't deny that we have improved on and off the field each and every time? At some point we will have a wobble, you and I both know it, and I'm sure you'll revel in it like we are at the moment, but threads like this have been coming back to bite you for years.

Sooner or later we have to be right. The law of averages and all that.

Don't take this the wrong way folks, but every year there is a thread like this, off the top of my head, there was "the Jacks will struggle in the Championship", "Second Season syndrome", "Doomed without Martinez", "They'll break Derby's lowest points record", "Doomed without Rodgers!", "Second Season syndrome (again!!!). And now it's this?

Yet season after season we go about our business and you can't deny that we have improved on and off the field each and every time? At some point we will have a wobble, you and I both know it, and I'm sure you'll revel in it like we are at the moment, but threads like this have been coming back to bite you for years.

Sooner or later we have to be right. The law of averages and all that.

The way these threads tend to work out, we'll probably go and win the Europa League...

In the last few years, am I right in saying most teams the season struggle the following season?

If so just wondering why?

My guess is that when your then in Europe your put in groups and end up playing about 8 or 10 European games, which mean you need a large squad for this if you still want to do well in your league.

Didn't Birmingham and Norwich mediocre Premier League clubs fail due to this?

It really hurt Birmingham Annis, big time. The jacks squad is paper thin, most recently demonstrated by how badly they were hammered by the mickey mousers.

The European run could conceivably lead to their relegation.

My thoughts as well - couldn't happen to a nicer club

they done swansea and welsh football proud. we will do well to match what they have done in 2 seasons in prem.

say it as it is i say. but the bluebirds will rise to the challenge.

p.s rise above the hate

anybody see miss wales swansea on sky sports news. better birds down this way.

In the last few years, am I right in saying most teams the season struggle the following season?

If so just wondering why?

My guess is that when your then in Europe your put in groups and end up playing about 8 or 10 European games, which mean you need a large squad for this if you still want to do well in your league.

Didn't Birmingham and Norwich mediocre Premier League clubs fail due to this?

It really hurt Birmingham Annis, big time. The jacks squad is paper thin, most recently demonstrated by how badly they were hammered by the mickey mousers.

The European run could conceivably lead to their relegation.

My thoughts as well - couldn't happen to a nicer club

What reality are you watching football? Swansea have wins over Liverpool, Chelsea, Swansea, Man City, Arsenal in the past two seasons have money like hardly any other club and even if they lose Michu and Laudrup in the close season they have the funds to replace them. They can easily make the group stages and cope with the Prem next season.

I have no love for Swansea or basically any other team than Cardiff, but I am not a fool.

Only you could make a negative of getting in to Europe, we'll be able to attract a whole new calibre of players, have the money to do it and be able to keep hold of our key players. We're only going to improve on our squad next season.

I don't think they'll make it out of the group stages. They have no European pedigree (neither do we) so will be a low seeded team and have a tough draw. But that that shouldn't knock their acheivments. The past decade they've done really well.

I believe their seeded by what you've qualified as, I believe people coming in to the 3rd qualifying round face teams who've won in the 2nd qualifying round.

We'd also get straight in to the play off game if a team that's already in Europe beats a team that doesn't qualify for Europe in the FA Cup final, we'd be classed as the cup winners and only have to win the one game to make it to the play-offs.

Looking at previous League Cup winners in Europe (who hadn't already qualified for Europe), these is the sort of teams they've faired in the last 10 years:

Middlesbrough (2004) - Banik Ostrava (4-1)
Tottenham (2008) - Wisla Krakow (3-2)
Birmingham )2011) - Nacional (3-0)
Liverpool (2012) - Gomel (4-0), Hearts (2-1)

All qualifying for the group stages but the main thing to take from this is who they've played against, and they've faced small clubs, however well they've done in Europe in the past. Then seeding does kick in, which could affect us but even Championship side Birmingham who would will be affected just as much as us in the seeds were one point away from going through the groups and have nowhere near the quality we will have next season.

Middlesbrough (2004) - 1st (Villareal, Partizan, Lazio, Egaleo) [DIFFERENT FORMAT]
Tottenham (2008) - 2nd (Udinese, Dinamo Zagreb, NEC Nijmegen, Spartak Moscow) [DIFFERENT FORMAT]
Birmingham (2011) - 3rd (Brugge, Braga, Maribor) - only team not to qualify
Liverpool (2012) - 1st (Anzhi, Young Boys, Udinese)

As for league finishes, Middlesbrough finished 7th, Spurs finished 8th and Birmingham finished 4th in the Championship.

Annis you can't help yourself can you, do you want me to bump the threads where you were adamant we'd go down at the start of the season and even in November/December time, I'm sure you don't and your not going to want me to bump up threads like this next season either.

In the last few years, am I right in saying most teams the season struggle the following season?

If so just wondering why?

My guess is that when your then in Europe your put in groups and end up playing about 8 or 10 European games, which mean you need a large squad for this if you still want to do well in your league.

Didn't Birmingham and Norwich mediocre Premier League clubs fail due to this?

It really hurt Birmingham Annis, big time. The jacks squad is paper thin, most recently demonstrated by how badly they were hammered by the mickey mousers.

The European run could conceivably lead to their relegation.

clutching at straws

In the last few years, am I right in saying most teams the season struggle the following season?

If so just wondering why?

My guess is that when your then in Europe your put in groups and end up playing about 8 or 10 European games, which mean you need a large squad for this if you still want to do well in your league.

Didn't Birmingham and Norwich mediocre Premier League clubs fail due to this?

Another redbird fan predicting the fall of the mighty JACKS,

Birmingham did really well. Don't forget they were a championship team and managed to get to the play-offs at the end of the season. Although Newcastle struggled a bit this year (getting on track now) and it was the route to Pompey's demise, but it really depends on the strength in depth of the squad, and the luck with injuries. For all we know Swansea could get knocked out of the qualifying stages before they get to the group stage, which wouldn't really effect their league status

In the last few years, am I right in saying most teams the season struggle the following season?

If so just wondering why?

My guess is that when your then in Europe your put in groups and end up playing about 8 or 10 European games, which mean you need a large squad for this if you still want to do well in your league.

Didn't Birmingham and Norwich mediocre Premier League clubs fail due to this?

It really hurt Birmingham Annis, big time. The jacks squad is paper thin, most recently demonstrated by how badly they were hammered by the mickey mousers.

The European run could conceivably lead to their relegation.

clutching at straws

In truth you would be better off getting knocked out in the qualifying round as i dont see any mileage team wise or financially in going through the group stages.
the thursday sunday routine would i believe have a detrimental effect on your league form bearing in mind the defeat suffered at liverpool with a handful of your regulars missing.
whats your own take on it?

In the last few years, am I right in saying most teams the season struggle the following season?

If so just wondering why?

My guess is that when your then in Europe your put in groups and end up playing about 8 or 10 European games, which mean you need a large squad for this if you still want to do well in your league.

Didn't Birmingham and Norwich mediocre Premier League clubs fail due to this?

Its a meaningless little trophy, little teams like Welsh Wigan will get all delusional and go back to the lower divisions asap with a bit of luck. They do give us a laugh tho

Credit were credit due,but playing in Europe i agree could be their downfall,i don't think it will capture the imagination of their fans either,after all the Ospreys have been playing in Europe for years and their crowds are shit.

In the last few years, am I right in saying most teams the season struggle the following season?

If so just wondering why?

My guess is that when your then in Europe your put in groups and end up playing about 8 or 10 European games, which mean you need a large squad for this if you still want to do well in your league.

Didn't Birmingham and Norwich mediocre Premier League clubs fail due to this?

It really hurt Birmingham Annis, big time. The jacks squad is paper thin, most recently demonstrated by how badly they were hammered by the mickey mousers.

The European run could conceivably lead to their relegation.

that would be a shame....their usual plummet has begun already then....

Mixed bag - Stoke and Fulham have done well others not so well.

Definitely important to strengthen the squad, the back up isn't that good but to say it's league 1 is a bit wide of the mark

Looks like you boys are finally up with us. Keep Malky and you'll be fine IMO