I'm putting this out there mainly to see if I'm the only one or if others feel the same as me - but currently I just really don't care whether or not we make the Champions League places next season or not. In the past, from the first time we did it under Redknapp right up until with Conte and that big win over Woolwich, it has always felt like a huge deal. But this season it just seems something is different, and I'm going to try to briefly summarise a few reasons why I think this is the case.
If I'm being honest, I think the Europa League is currently much more our level, and a tournament we have a genuine chance of winning. In the past we've been guilty of not taking it seriously, but it seems to have risen in stock slightly over the past few years. Just look at the quarter-finalists now: I'd say Liverpool and Milan are bigger clubs than us, we're bigger than West Ham and Atalanta, and we're around the same level as Benfica, Marseille, Roma and Leverkusen. Essentially, it's where we should be, and I'd much rather have a good run there than be knocked out of the Champions League early on or disappoint in the round of 16.
I also am starting to feel a general apathy around the Champions League. That 2018/19 season was an absolute dream, but in hindsight seems like a once-in-a-lifetime series of events that may never be bettered. I know the typical arguments that will be thrown around in support of being in the UCL: we'll receive X more money, we'll be able to attract better players, we'll play bigger teams. But that just doesn't excite me anymore. We've been there, done it plenty of times before, and it's not made a difference to my enjoyment of supporting the club, minus the odd glamorous night against big opposition (and look what happened against the likes of Bayern). Give me an FA Cup win any time over progressing past the group stage before meekly bowing out of the UCL round of 16. If Levy's pockets are slightly thinner as a result, I'm ok with it.
Would be interested to hear everyone else's thoughts, and perhaps it's partly to do with the fact that 5th place could still be enough, but compared to the run-ins of the past when we've been going for UCL places, it all just seems a bit... meh at the moment. Am I wrong?
If I'm being honest, I think the Europa League is currently much more our level, and a tournament we have a genuine chance of winning. In the past we've been guilty of not taking it seriously, but it seems to have risen in stock slightly over the past few years. Just look at the quarter-finalists now: I'd say Liverpool and Milan are bigger clubs than us, we're bigger than West Ham and Atalanta, and we're around the same level as Benfica, Marseille, Roma and Leverkusen. Essentially, it's where we should be, and I'd much rather have a good run there than be knocked out of the Champions League early on or disappoint in the round of 16.
I also am starting to feel a general apathy around the Champions League. That 2018/19 season was an absolute dream, but in hindsight seems like a once-in-a-lifetime series of events that may never be bettered. I know the typical arguments that will be thrown around in support of being in the UCL: we'll receive X more money, we'll be able to attract better players, we'll play bigger teams. But that just doesn't excite me anymore. We've been there, done it plenty of times before, and it's not made a difference to my enjoyment of supporting the club, minus the odd glamorous night against big opposition (and look what happened against the likes of Bayern). Give me an FA Cup win any time over progressing past the group stage before meekly bowing out of the UCL round of 16. If Levy's pockets are slightly thinner as a result, I'm ok with it.
Would be interested to hear everyone else's thoughts, and perhaps it's partly to do with the fact that 5th place could still be enough, but compared to the run-ins of the past when we've been going for UCL places, it all just seems a bit... meh at the moment. Am I wrong?
