[Albion] Some people seem to think we could do with NOT qualifying for Europe this year.

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I'd love for us to be playing in Europe, but I don't want us to trounced, whopped, flogged or 7-0'd again...given our recent performances, that is what I think would happen.

Nothing magical about Europe. Huge numbers of teams you never heard of rumbling around the Conference. In some countries it's almost harder not to qualify for Europe. Like @Flounce said further up the thread it's a small club mentality to not want to be in it to win it

 

[jackalbion]

We could just get relegated next year (unlikely but football is a funny old game), every opportunity we have to get into European football as we may never get it again.

 

[1066familyman]

Burnley.

 

[GT49er]

I think they're mad/wrong.

Why Wouldn’t Brighton Want Europe? Seriously. Why?

There’s a strange take doing the rounds in Albion-centric corners of the internet right now. It goes a bit like this: “Maybe it’s better if we don’t qualify for Europe this season… it’ll help us next year.” Sorry, what was that? Brighton & Hove Albion have been to Europe once in our 124-year...

www.northstandchat.com

I'm not sure it's people not wanting to qualify for Europe so much as not wanting to qualify for that (in some peoples' view) mickey-mouse competition, The European Conference League, because:
a). it's a mickey-mouse competition and the prize money won't even cover the air fares; or
b). there's no glory in winning it, and it's not worth the effort; or
c). would like to be in the CL but if we can't have that we're not playing; or
d). the whole thing is beneath us, we're too entitled to demean ourselves playing in it.
Personally I disagree with all that thinking, and would love it if we sneaked into the Conference with the last kick of the PL season. I don't think we will though.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

our injuries show we cannot cope with the volume of football in the present season. We'd be buggered with extra games in Europe!

Our league position show we have coped with the volume of football in this season., with an unprecedented number of injuries.
It doesn't necessarily show that we can't cope with more football next season.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

I'm not sure it's people not wanting to qualify for Europe so much as not wanting to qualify for that (in some peoples' view) mickey-mouse competition, The European Conference League, because:
a). it's a mickey-mouse competition and the prize money won't even cover the air fares; or
b). there's no glory in winning it, and it's not worth the effort; or
c). would like to be in the CL but if we can't have that we're not playing; or
d). the whole thing is beneath us, we're too entitled to demean ourselves playing in it.
Personally I disagree with all that thinking, and would love it if we sneaked into the Conference with the last kick of the PL season. I don't think we will though.

People just aren't thinking clearly are they?
A decent chance of our first ever trophy, with guaranteed Europa league in the following season if we do?

I would bite your hand off for that opportunity.
But similarly, I don't think we will.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Win the conference league, put a gold star on the shirt and put banners around the Amex saying "Home of the European champions"

 

[Commander]

I just wonder how many of this squad might not be here?

That is a concern. But trust the process .

 

[Commander]

That logic seems to be:

I don't want us to qualify for Europe this season...

...so we have a better chance of qualifying for Europe next season.

No. I don't want us to qualify for a third rate European competition and end up finishing 12th next year because of it...

... so we can finish 5th next year and qualify for the Champions League and win the league cup.

 

[Simster]

Qualifying for the Conference league would be absolute quality. Imagine being the only club on the entire continent that has won a major European honour but not a domestic one. That could be us in 2 years. Rather us than them up the road eh?

 

[Flounce]

I'd love for us to be playing in Europe, but I don't want us to trounced, whopped, flogged or 7-0'd again...given our recent performances, that is what I think would happen.

A veiled Fab OUT post?

 

[Flounce]

No. I don't want us to qualify for a third rate European competition and end up finishing 12th next year because of it...

... so we can finish 5th next year and qualify for the Champions League and win the league cup.

If we can’t cope with playing pub teams in Europe, using our big squad, then there is no way we are ending up in the CL by not being in the Conference.

 

[JBizzle]

Small club mentality if you don’t want to play in Europe. Time to bury, ”I was at Hereford, Gillingham and Withdean” so am just glad to be in the PL mentality

I didn’t hear any of this when the Italian man/child had us fighting for Europe.

You don't hear this from Hurzeler either. He's never once used his squad size/average age/crippling injury list as an excuse.

Also, there's nothing wrong with remembering your context as a football club. It's part of the history of who we are, but it's not an excuse. What is NEVER brought up, though, is our respective budget today in relation to our peer clubs, It's one hell of an achievement for a club of our size and budget to not be in the question of relegation. That's not to say we should be happy "doing a Palace" and sitting 12th-15th every season for eternity, but we are overachieving, as are Brentford and Bournemouth this season (massively).

The fact is, in my opinion, we aren't as good as some have built us up to be, just as we aren't as bad as some are making out.

Top 10 and going for Europe is the loudly stated club target. As fans, we can dream of finishing higher and qualifying for Europe every season, but I'm not going to burden the club with my expectations if they're too unrealistic at this time.

 

[Flounce]

You don't hear this from Hurzeler either. He's never once used his squad size/average age/crippling injury list as an excuse.

Also, there's nothing wrong with remembering your context as a football club. It's part of the history of who we are, but it's not an excuse. What is NEVER brought up, though, is our respective budget today in relation to our peer clubs, It's one hell of an achievement for a club of our size and budget to not be in the question of relegation. That's not to say we should be happy "doing a Palace" and sitting 12th-15th every season for eternity, but we are overachieving, as are Brentford and Bournemouth this season (massively).

The fact is, in my opinion, we aren't as good as some have built us up to be, just as we aren't as bad as some are making out.

Top 10 and going for Europe is the loudly stated club target. As fans, we can dream of finishing higher and qualifying for Europe every season, but I'm not going to burden the club with my expectations if they're too unrealistic at this time.

I think you misunderstand me, the RDZ reference was in no way intended to be a put down on FH. FH has been a model manager in not whinging at all about injuries, or using them as an excuse for us being absolute shite recently.

 

[superseagull1994]

Surely its just pure lies to cope with not qualifying for europe. Like how we discuss the failure to get promoted in 2015-16 season by saying we would have gone straight back down.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Sod that. Conference would be absolutely great. Some interesting trips, more experience for the young squad and a reasonable chance of a trophy. Club will bolster the squad in the summer

This - still in the hunt

 

[Clive Walker]

So…we never want to play in Europe?

not until we have sorted out our serious injury period which stretches back 18-24 months

 

[Balders]

It's a conundrum - if we had a sniff of Europa League, it would be a daft thing to say, but in all honesty, as others have said, the Conference League is a bit "mickey mouse" - West Ham won it and look at them now and Chelsea have basically got their name on the trophy for this year with the luxury of going through the group stages without Cole Palmer being named in the squad and waltzed through the group stages by playing their B team......

......however, with the nature of the PL, we should grab any opportunity we can and if the Conference League is as bad next year, by winning it, it's probably an easier route into the Europa League for the following year than the PL!

 

[Official Old Man]

Conference at least.
Remember it's a one off game over two legs so those not wanting Europe may only get the one game anyway.

 

[Forster's Armband]

The idea that we should be snobby about the Europa Conference is mad. I'd love to play all those random European Clubs, half the fun would be finding out where the hell they are on the map.