What was it called?

[PalazioVecchio]

we are off to Leipzig to win the European leg of the Johnson Paints Trophy. And i am only half joking, looking at some of the One-horse-towns that play in the tournament.

 

[Runningman]

The main issue you're all moaning over is a Branding thing 🤣. It shouldn't be called the 'Champions League', it should be European WodsOfDosh league.. or just go back to being called the Uefa Cup.

There's also only a handful of countries who have more than 2 entries allowed. But it really shouldn't be 8th in your league gets into Europe.

Or European Super League ? Albeit without Spuds and Chelsea next year ! 😂😂😂

 

[BromleyMonkey]

we are off to Leipzig to win the European leg of the Johnson Paints Trophy. And i am only half joking, looking at some of the One-horse-towns that play in the tournament.

Fiorentina and Shaktahr have got European pedigree though!

I’d sooner be in this and win it than have seen us floundering in the Europa league, so thanks fat Mary Knickers

 

[silvertop]

Apparently, if results had gone differently yesterday Bournemouth would have qualified for the champions league. By finishing sixth.

What the f*** they would actually have been champions of is unclear to me. It sums up European competition, though.

I hope we win on Wednesday if only to get the crack at the Europa League we were unfairly denied, but even if we do, the conference league is s***. Anyone who is any good at all is already in one of the other competitions because half of Europe qualifies now, so the very bottom of the lowest barrel has been scrapped to find the conference teams. It shows in most of the games.

European competition used to be the pinnacle, now it's often a step down for premier league teams.

Perhaps our first ever entry into Europe would have been a step too far had we got into the Europa League? Maybe having a season fighting the mid table dregs of Uzbekistan was a good way to adapt to a punishing season? If we win tomorrow and next year...

I am being glass half full; but what if I am correct?

 

[TheBigToePunt]

Perhaps our first ever entry into Europe would have been a step too far had we got into the Europa League? Maybe having a season fighting the mid table dregs of Uzbekistan was a good way to adapt to a punishing season? If we win tomorrow and next year...

I am being glass half full; but what if I am correct?

Where I take your point is that the Conference League has provided a series of first team fixtures which the club and manager wanted very much to win, but against a lower standard of opposition than we face most weeks in the league. I think this has played a big part in Canvot's increased performance and confidence levels, and has done Pino no harm at all in the same ways.

It may have given the squad some experience of the Thursday/Sunday slog, too, although perhaps just the experience to know that they can't do it without the league form falling off a cliff!

 

[BromleyMonkey]

Perhaps our first ever entry into Europe would have been a step too far had we got into the Europa League? Maybe having a season fighting the mid table dregs of Uzbekistan was a good way to adapt to a punishing season? If we win tomorrow and next year...

I am being glass half full; but what if I am correct?

I agree, I think we would’ve struggled to get out of the group stage if we had taken our rightful place in the Europa, we made hard work of the group in the this competition. But having said that, I have enjoyed it, it’s been something different however it turns out tomorrow

 

[Part Time James]

I agree, I think we would’ve struggled to get out of the group stage if we had taken our rightful place in the Europa, we made hard work of the group in the this competition. But having said that, I have enjoyed it, it’s been something different however it turns out tomorrow

Hard to know either way, but I felt like our hardship in the group stages was down to playing naff teams we were expected to slaughter (and they tried to shut us down). As soon as we played slightly better teams (on paper) I felt we raised our game (and benefited from more open play?). Perhaps we've seen elements of that in the league too? It does make me wonder whether we might have actually performed better against a higher standard of team? Or not. It's hot and I could be talking drivel.

 

[Part Time James]

Hard to know either way, but I felt like our hardship in the group stages was down to playing naff teams we were expected to slaughter (and they tried to shut us down). As soon as we played slightly better teams (on paper) I felt we raised our game (and benefited from more open play?). Perhaps we've seen elements of that in the league too? It does make me wonder whether we might have actually performed better against a higher standard of team? Or not. It's hot and I could be talking drivel.

Reading this back, it looks like everything I said had a question mark on the end despite not being a question? I don't know why?

 

[Glazier#1]

If these European competitions are to continue-and they will because of who is pulling the strings- then certainly the Conference League should be played in the summer break instead of all the friendly games. Palace will have played over 60 games during a 12 month period. Then there are the internationals and their friendly games. Personally, as others have said, I would revert to the original concept of league winners going into champions league, cup winners to Europa league and league cup winners through to Europa conference. The UEFA push for a European league is fuelling this.

Yes.

They made that cataclysmic statement of intent for a 'Super League' and it was uproariously rejected by the fans. Us.

But corporate money is a sly old dog and they know there's more than one way to skin a cat. This is bringing that 'Super League' into fruition by stealth: once national leagues have 'got used to' the concept of European leagues, the pathway to the 'Super League' will have been greased.

 

[Teddy Eagle]

Yes.

They made that cataclysmic statement of intent for a 'Super League' and it was uproariously rejected by the fans. Us.

But corporate money is a sly old dog and they know there's more than one way to skin a cat. This is bringing that 'Super League' into fruition by stealth: once national leagues have 'got used to' the concept of European leagues, the pathway to the 'Super League' will have been greased.

Good. Let the Big Boys slither off and play in their precious league.

 

[Glazier#1]

Good. Let the Big Boys slither off and play in their precious league.

Yeah And they can take their ball with them.

 

[BromleyMonkey]

Hard to know either way, but I felt like our hardship in the group stages was down to playing naff teams we were expected to slaughter (and they tried to shut us down). As soon as we played slightly better teams (on paper) I felt we raised our game (and benefited from more open play?). Perhaps we've seen elements of that in the league too? It does make me wonder whether we might have actually performed better against a higher standard of team? Or not. It's hot and I could be talking drivel.

No you may well be right, Fredrikstad and Larneca were two of the worst teams I’ve seen at selhurst for many a year and yet in the three games against them at our place we managed one goal. As soon as we played Alkmaar a team who did come out and have a bit of a go at us, it ended one of our better performances and we definitely improved against teams with proper European pedigree later in the tournament in Fiorentina and shaktahr

 

[Vaibow]

Can’t get on board with the names of the 2 lesser European cups. Heard people, including Palace fans calling it the ‘two Bob cup’ etc.
I’m going old school and will now be referring to it in its old name.
Can someone let me know if we are in the eufa cup final or cup winners cup final please.

Many thanks.

inter toto cup

 

[timmyb1971]

The Conference League is a relatively new tournament.
The tournaments used to go in order, The European Cup, now champions league which is a pisstake in itself.
UEFA Cup was second now called Europa League.
Then came the Cup Winners Cup played in by teams who had won the previous seasons FA Cup in various countries.

But in the 80s the Super Cup was played between the winners of the European Cup and the Cup Winners Cup…presumably because you actually had to win something to be in them.
The UEFA Cup was marginally the least prestigious, and the final played over two legs.

As far as I’m concerned, if we win tonight we’ll have bagged the FA Cup, Charity Shield and Cup Winners’ Cup…even though I know it’s stretching the imagination to breaking point.

Part of me would love to see us then pull out of Europa League for next season and concentrate on domestic football.
Thursday night football is ruination.
Playing Champions League teams on Sunday when they’ve had two days extra rest is a stitch up. And Champions League is the biggest contradiction in terms.

All that said…a third trophy tonight would be amazing!

 

[Linford]

It's called the Conference League. Call it the Conference Cup if you want.

The Champions League was called the European Cup.

The Europa League was called the UEFA Cup.

The Cup Winners Cup was "merged" into the UEFA Cup officially and so went out of existence.

The Conference League doesn't claim the Cup Winners Cup heritage or lineage, although they can both be considered the third tier of UEFA comps of their eras. A lot of the teams that qualify for the Conference do so by winning a cup.

The League Cup (EFL Cup / Coca-Cola Cup / Carabao Cup) in this country is supposed to be the qualifier for the Conference League. However the League Cup's spot has always so far ended up passing on to a league place, as the winners have all so far already qualified for higher UEFA comps by league place.

Then there is the further complication with our qualification at the end of last season, which I'm sure everyone knows plenty about by now.

 

[doombear]

Good. Let the Big Boys slither off and play in their precious league.

That was my reaction when the super league was first mooted but then I tried to think what I would feel if I were a genuine supporter of one of those big six English clubs. I'd have joined those who demonstrated strongly outside the ground against the idea. Let's not forget that it was the negative reaction of the genuine big 6 club fans that caused those clubs to do a quick about turn. Genuine fans don't want it no matter which club they support.

Having said that UEFA will continue to create more games and pressurize the PL and other relevant European leagues to cut their numbers from 20 to 18 clubs and before long from 18 to 16 if they can get away with it, making it more and more difficult for clubs like ours to survive at the top table. With the PL adopting UEFA's Squad Cost Ratio system for next season (and UEFA's is currently more stringent than that of the PL) it's the bigger clubs financially who benefit the most. Basically UEFA aren't interested in domestic leagues; they want their competitions to be pulling in all the media income.

 

[Teddy Eagle]

That was my reaction when the super league was first mooted but then I tried to think what I would feel if I were a genuine supporter of one of those big six English clubs. I'd have joined those who demonstrated strongly outside the ground against the idea. Let's not forget that it was the negative reaction of the genuine big 6 club fans that caused those clubs to do a quick about turn. Genuine fans don't want it no matter which club they support.

Having said that UEFA will continue to create more games and pressurize the PL and other relevant European leagues to cut their numbers from 20 to 18 clubs and before long from 18 to 16 if they can get away with it, making it more and more difficult for clubs like ours to survive at the top table. With the PL adopting UEFA's Squad Cost Ratio system for next season (and UEFA's is currently more stringent than that of the PL) it's the bigger clubs financially who benefit the most. Basically UEFA aren't interested in domestic leagues; they want their competitions to be pulling in all the media income.

This is the thing, isn't it? The fans will have to accept UEFA and the clubs' money chasing.