[Albion] Can we forget the Champions League now?

[Flounce]

Yeah another season to improve, then our best players will be sold and then the cycle starts again

Beats being a PL relegation threatened team or bobbing around in mid table in the Championship for me

 

[BrightonCottager]

What did you think at 3-2? Confident or I can barely watch this

I sat with my head in my hands, barely able to watch, wondering why each minute seemed to last 5 (like B&H Bus minutes), occasionally howling at a misplaced pass or ineffective clearance. I could have cracked a Brazil nut with my sphincter. So, not the most relaxed 20 minutes of my life.

 

[Weststander]

Crazy and wildly frustrating that a season's work can be blown in one disastrous week. Maybe less. In our hearts, I think most of us knew after the Forest game that the season had gone.

Had that shoot out gone differently, maybe momentum could have got us through the two very even games which followed. Ah well, who knows

Winning the shootout would’ve still left us without Webster, the brilliant CB pairing broken up, and no Rutter. Immediately our defence is pants.

 

[Justice]

I sat with my head in my hands, barely able to watch, wondering why each minute seemed to last 5 (like B&H Bus minutes), occasionally howling at a misplaced pass or ineffective clearance. I could have cracked a Brazil nut with my sphincter. So, not the most relaxed 20 minutes of my life.

Why when you need a goal injury time seems like 30 seconds when you are clinging on I swear time slows down

 

[Cotton Socks]

Whenever this kind of stuff is mentioned on here, my automatic reaction is 'Are you mad?' for even considering it in the 1st place.
'If' we get a Europa League spot again, I'll be bloody happy as it means that it wasn't a fluke the last time.
My brain still can't compute Brighton & the Europa League & it was only a year ago. My coat & shoes are still drying.

 

[GT49er]

Yes, we can for this season - and probably no bad thing; a step too far for us at this moment. Even the Europa was pushing it - we did well to get through the group stage, but each game played we scraped through - and used up a fair amount of our season's allocation of luck! When we came up against one of the big dogs we had our arse handed to us on a 4-0 plate.
I know finance-wise it's not in the same league as the CL - or even the Europa - but I think the ECL, if we can squeeze in to the required league placing (whatever that turns out to be), would be the best possible result for us this season.

 

[Peacehaven Wild Kids]

I still can’t believe this is even a question, if we start winning a few matches and some results go our way we might come the summer start searching Google maps for exotic places like Shamrock, TNS and Bød0_G1Mp but that’s about. Personally I’m making other plans for the winter.

 

[HCxUK]

There is a scenario in which we finish 8th and don't get Europe, it involves Palace winning the FA Cup and it's too painful to properly contemplate. Statistically it'd be our second best ever season, yet it'd probably feel like the worst.

Bournemouth seem to have run out of gas. Feels like it's us vs Fulham for 8th...

I'd actually really enjoy the Conference League. The fixtures wouldn't be as glamorous, but it'd give us a great chance to give the whole squad lots of minutes and it's a very good chance to win some silverware.

 

[Flounce]

There is a scenario in which we finish 8th and don't get Europe, it involves Palace winning the FA Cup and it's too painful to properly contemplate. Statistically it'd be our second best ever season, yet it'd probably feel like the worst.

Bournemouth seem to have run out of gas. Feels like it's us vs Fulham for 8th...

I'd actually really enjoy the Conference League. The fixtures wouldn't be as glamorous, but it'd give us a great chance to give the whole squad lots of minutes and it's a very good chance to win some silverware.

I was with you until your last three words….

 

[London Irish]

We'd get battered if we made the Champs League, no sign that Bloom wants to spend big again to give us the squad to cope, didn't Barber imply that recently.

8th and Conference League would be ideal for us, I think even Europa would be too taxing for us to do that and a decent EPL campaign

 

[oldboyroy]

We'd get battered if we made the Champs League, no sign that Bloom wants to spend big again to give us the squad to cope, didn't Barber imply that recently.

8th and Conference League would be ideal for us, I think even Europa would be too taxing for us to do that and a decent EPL campaign

I'd take conference league. We'd do alright in that possibly win it. Any trophy is a trophy. Obviously, Europa is better but financially, Bloom will rub his hands with glee with a highly improbable champions league spot.

 

[Peacehaven Wild Kids]

I'd take conference league. We'd do alright in that possibly win it.

[sigh]

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

The bar for European qualification gets ever lower. Soon it'll be a managerial sackable offence not to qualify for Europe

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Yes. On this season's form I don't think many of ours would start for Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Notts Forest or Man City.

The weird thing is that Liverpool have looked bang-average all season. Just slightly better than every team they face, almost every time.
Citeh, similar but not quite as consistent.

Chelsea, Arse and Forest have put on some great displays.
Chelsee in particular can look really exciting.
But so have we / can we..
Unfortunately we win hands down on the 'from time to time a really shit display' front.

Consistency is an elusive little bugger.

 

[Han Solo]

We'd get battered if we made the Champs League, no sign that Bloom wants to spend big again to give us the squad to cope, didn't Barber imply that recently.

8th and Conference League would be ideal for us, I think even Europa would be too taxing for us to do that and a decent EPL campaign

The main thing about going to Champions League isn't really the players we'd be able to sign but the ones we'd be able to keep.

If we go to the Champions League, we can fend off everyone not named Barca or Real Madrid from buying any of our players for another 12 months.

Given how young and improvable our team is, we'd just need a "normal" transfer window IF we went to the CL. 2-3 new defenders and we'd be good to go compete for knockout stages.

But lets deal with that issue when it comes...

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

TBH I'm not expecting us to qualify for Europe at all. If we do, it'll be a nice bonus that we don't really deserve.

If we get it, we deserve it.
That's how it works

 

[Han Solo]

I'd actually really enjoy the Conference League. The fixtures wouldn't be as glamorous, but it'd give us a great chance to give the whole squad lots of minutes and it's a very good chance to win some silverware.

My Djurgården-supporting friend has gone to Luxemburg, Finland, Slovenia, Austria, Wales, Iceland and Cyprus this season to follow his team in all their Conference League games. Exotic, wild, expensive and not very glorious. But he's had very fun. Its a weird little cup...

 

[zefarelly]

Hate to say it but could our squad do with another season without European football? I could see Bournemouth and Fulham struggling (& possibly even Forest) with the increased workload. We probably have more evenly distributed squad depth compared to our last go at it, but possible Thursday eve games are a bit of a killer.

I've not said publicly, but I'm kind of hoping we're close but no cigar . . . . A minor squad shuffle and the vast majority are wiser, stronger and better equipped mentally and physically for a super season next year . . . .

9th is no disgrace for a bunch of kids.

 

[GT49er]

There is a scenario in which we finish 8th and don't get Europe, it involves Palace winning the FA Cup and it's too painful to properly contemplate. Statistically it'd be our second best ever season, yet it'd probably feel like the worst.

Bournemouth seem to have run out of gas. Feels like it's us vs Fulham for 8th...

I'd actually really enjoy the Conference League. The fixtures wouldn't be as glamorous, but it'd give us a great chance to give the whole squad lots of minutes and it's a very good chance to win some silverware.

My 'like' is for your last para. I too would be delighted if we get the Conference next season - the right level for us at the moment, IMHO.

 

[Pliny the Gull]

I think it's great we can even talk about the possibility, so soon after experiencing Europa league.
Nearest I can remember Albion playing anywhere near abroad was Canvey Island in the cup .