Europa League 2019-20 Group Stage Draw

[starmandb]

19/20 edition
Borrussia monchengladbach
Espanyol
Rennes
Please

[LMAO]

Arsenal
Young Boys
Standard
Dudelange

Light travel. Reserves can get maximum points.

As long as we avoid orcs like Getafe and pains to travel to (Astana, Qarabag, Krasnodar, Trabzonspor, Oleksandriya).

[Zenith]

I wouldn't underestimate Young Boys or Standard but if we respect them and don't field complete B/C-teams we should be able to beat them over both legs.

Dudelange have a combined estimated squad value of approximately £3.6m, so a nice run out can be given to many of our young professionals without too much cause for concern about the final outcome. I would be in favor of having a strong bench, just in case.

[LMAO]

19/20 edition
Borrussia monchengladbach
Espanyol
Rennes
Please

Espanyol and Rennes are in Pot 3.

I wouldn't underestimate Young Boys or Standard but if we respect them and don't field complete B/C-teams we should be able to beat them over both legs.

Dudelange have a combined estimated squad value of less than £3.6m, so a nice run out can be given to many of our young professionals without too much concern about the final outcome. I would be in favor of having a strong bench, just in case.

tbf I said can and not will

But yeah, I get what you're saying. They'd be up for it against us, and we shouldn't assume an automatic three points just based on name recognition and club stature. Though if we were to get a group like that though (no disrespect to them), I'd prefer just sending out the backups and reserves while saving our first XI for PL games. That way, the youngsters get experience in official games with stakes and the backups don't get too rusty in case they're called upon in PL games or latter-stage games in the EL, and the first team doesn't get worn out too early in the season from Thursday-Sunday games. And if we have to frequently play first team players just to get through the group stages of the EL because our squad isn't good enough to juggle two competitions, then we have no business being there in the first place.

Not that what I said matters because knowing us, we'll draw Monchengladbach, Getafe, and AZ, and my hopes will be moot lol

[Ach]

Looking forward to this and playing different teams

Last 2 seasons, this competition has been the highlight and hopefully we go one step further now.

[Zenith]

I wouldn't underestimate Young Boys or Standard but if we respect them and don't field complete B/C-teams we should be able to beat them over both legs.

Dudelange have a combined estimated squad value of less than £3.6m, so a nice run out can be given to many of our young professionals without too much concern about the final outcome. I would be in favor of having a strong bench, just in case.

tbf I said can and not will

But yeah, I get what you're saying. They'd be up for it against us, and we shouldn't assume an automatic three points just based on name recognition and club stature.Though if we were to get a group like that though (no disrespect to them), I'd prefer just sending out the backups and reserves while saving our first XI for PL games. That way, the youngsters get experience in official games with stakes and the backups don't get too rusty in case they're called upon in PL games or latter-stage games in the EL, and the first team doesn't get worn out too early in the season from Thursday-Sunday games. And if we have to frequently play first team players just to get through the group stages of the EL because our squad isn't good enough to juggle two competitions, then we have no business being there in the first place.

Not that what I said matters because knowing us, we'll draw Monchengladbach, Getafe, and AZ, and my hopes will be moot lol

↑ Going by Transfermarkt's estimations Young Boys (£59.81m) have a similar estimated squad value to Sheffield United (£62.46m) and, with £67.77m, Standard's squad value is estimated even higher.

Squad value doesn't paint the full picture, but it does give a decent indication of the quality of a side. Take it from me, neither Young Boys, nor Standard are not demonstrably worse than lower Premier League teams and are heavily superior outfits to your Qarabags, Vorsklas and BATE Borisovs—it's not even close.

Would you be comfortable selecting a full B-squad plus youngsters against the likes of Norwich and Sheffield?

It's also worth noting that those sides would field well-drilled teams who play together on a weekly basis, whereas we would be fielding a combination that has limited experience together as a unit. It's dangerous to underestimate the pertinence of automaticity between a group of players—especially when that group of players also doesn't have a great deal of individual experience.

I do agree squad rotation is crucial, but it doesn't have to be as black and white as your suggestion of sending a full reserve squad to Bern and Liège.

Considering the short distance of each trip, it'd be more than feasible to include a crop of our best players to take place on the bench, just in case we get ourselves in trouble. Their pre-match training at Colney would be replaced by pre-match training just across the English Channel and a potential, albeit unlikely, second half substitute appearance.

Fitness-wise the difference would be negligible.

[jayramfootball]

Whilst there is some money to be won, I'd prefer us to play our 2nd string team or even our academy team in the Europey league. It's a pretty useless competition. Btter to keep players fresh for the league and FA Cup.

[DiamondGooner]

Whilst there is some money to be won, I'd prefer us to play our 2nd string team or even our academy team in the Europey league. It's a pretty useless competition. Btter to keep players fresh for the league and FA Cup.

How is the FA Cup worth more than the Europa?

The Europa is a European comp where we've never won in the modern era and its a ticket to the CL.

[jayramfootball]

Whilst there is some money to be won, I'd prefer us to play our 2nd string team or even our academy team in the Europey league. It's a pretty useless competition. Btter to keep players fresh for the league and FA Cup.

How is the FA Cup worth more than the Europa?

The Europa is a European comp where we've never won in the modern era and its a ticket to the CL.

I place far more importance on the FA Cup.
I understand the EL can offer some decent prize money but it's Division 2 of Europe no matter how much they try and dress it up. It's not a major achievement to win it.
Getting top 4 is our ticket to the CL. I'd rather our players and managment team focused on that fully.

[Ach]

Whilst there is some money to be won, I'd prefer us to play our 2nd string team or even our academy team in the Europey league. It's a pretty useless competition. Btter to keep players fresh for the league and FA Cup.

Lol wtf

[jayramfootball]

Whilst there is some money to be won, I'd prefer us to play our 2nd string team or even our academy team in the Europey league. It's a pretty useless competition. Btter to keep players fresh for the league and FA Cup.

Lol wtf

Was pretty clear.
I don't place any footballing value on the EL. It's just about money, so can be useful, but our academy team will make it out the never ending group stages and probably further.

[DiamondGooner]

Whilst there is some money to be won, I'd prefer us to play our 2nd string team or even our academy team in the Europey league. It's a pretty useless competition. Btter to keep players fresh for the league and FA Cup.

How is the FA Cup worth more than the Europa?

The Europa is a European comp where we've never won in the modern era and its a ticket to the CL.

I place far more importance on the FA Cup.
I understand the EL can offer some decent prize money but it's Division 2 of Europe no matter how much they try and dress it up. It's not a major achievement to win it.
Getting top 4 is our ticket to the CL. I'd rather our players and managment team focused on that fully.

............. but until we're in the CL then you can't say the FA Cup gives us more, it doesn't.

If you think the Europa doesn't give us anything then watch if we win the Final, Arsenal fans will be going ape, you face good competition in the latter stages.

Everyone was celebrating when we beat Milan away previously and Napoli last year.

[Zenith]

Whilst there is some money to be won, I'd prefer us to play our 2nd string team or even our academy team in the Europey league. It's a pretty useless competition. Btter to keep players fresh for the league and FA Cup.

Lol wtf

Was pretty clear.
I don't place any footballing value on the EL. It's just about money, so can be useful, but our academy team will make it out the never ending group stages and probably further.

So; top 4, CL and the FA Cup trophy > No top 4, CL and a European Cup trophy

Super weird—especially given our limited amount of non-domestic silverware, but to each his own, I guess.

[jayramfootball]

Whilst there is some money to be won, I'd prefer us to play our 2nd string team or even our academy team in the Europey league. It's a pretty useless competition. Btter to keep players fresh for the league and FA Cup.

How is the FA Cup worth more than the Europa?

The Europa is a European comp where we've never won in the modern era and its a ticket to the CL.

I place far more importance on the FA Cup.
I understand the EL can offer some decent prize money but it's Division 2 of Europe no matter how much they try and dress it up. It's not a major achievement to win it.
Getting top 4 is our ticket to the CL. I'd rather our players and managment team focused on that fully.

............. but until we're in the CL then you can't say the FA Cup gives us more, it doesn't.

If you think the Europa doesn't give us anything then watch if we win the Final, Arsenal fans will be going ape, you face good competition in the latter stages.

Everyone was celebrating when we beat Milan away previously and Napoli last year.

No, I absolutely can say with certainty that an FA Cup win means more.
My opinion, of course.
I am not that interested in 2nd division European competition.

[jayramfootball]

Whilst there is some money to be won, I'd prefer us to play our 2nd string team or even our academy team in the Europey league. It's a pretty useless competition. Btter to keep players fresh for the league and FA Cup.

Lol wtf

Was pretty clear.
I don't place any footballing value on the EL. It's just about money, so can be useful, but our academy team will make it out the never ending group stages and probably further.

So; top 4, CL and the FA Cup trophy > No top 4, CL and a European Cup trophy

Super weird—especially given our limited amount of non-domestic silverware, but to each his own, I guess.

Your equation misses the point I made.
Of course I would take a EL win, even though I would not see it as a big achievement. However, I think keeping players fresh to give us a better chance of getting into the top 4 is more important.
FA Cup is slightly different. For footballing reasons I prefer it even to the CL and I place way way more importance on the FA Cup compared to a second rate European competition.