English clubs in UEFA cup

[StuartD]

After Bolton chucking it last year, as they deemed Premier league survival more important, more English clubs are fielding weakened Teams in the UEFA cup. I can see O’ Neils reasons but I would not be happy as a fan Also why even bother going in for the Intertoto in the first place. Surely by starting there season in June would have a bigger effect on there league campaign Football is dying with the cash in it these days. We have teams in with a chance of European glory and they don't bother because they might cash in by coming 4th in a different competition or last year even finishing 17th in a competition. My team may have been better to give up on the UEFA cup last year and we would probably have won the league and guaranteed £10 million from the champions league but as a fan I would not have swapped the UEFA final for anything. I would be interested to hear Villa fans that have spent money to go to Moscow views.

As for Spurs, do they honestly see the league cup as a bigger competition? By winning it they just get back to the UEFA cup again. What do you Spurs fans think?

Is it time for UEFA to hammer clubs that make a mockery of the completion? UEFA have changed the format of the UEFA cup for next year, but will it make any difference if clubs don’t take it seriously

 

[EchtLoon]

Bolton fan, and couldn't agree more. I travelled to Madrid, but it was for the Dons game and not the Bolton one, however a lot of unhappy fans who felt they'd waster their moeny over there, and in a competition that they won;t get into too often, and had a genuine chance of winning.

It was made worse by the game that followed away at Wigan (which sadly I was at) where despite playing against ten men for 85 minutes, still resulted in a 1-0 loss. That extra rest certainly helped the survival chances

What it looked like was that players such as Kev Davies and Gavin McCann had had their possibly only chance of European glory whipped from under them, possibly as well the last chace they'll even have to play in Europe - and played like they were totally pissed off.

I can sort of understand O'Neill because they are going for Champs League next season, have a bit of an injury crisis and are starting to struggle in the league; but for any other club, especially a club like Bolton where silverware in their history is almost non-existent, it's unfathomable and unforgiveable.

 

[shanker]

The Eufa Cup will disappear as did the Cup Winners' Cup. No disrespect to Rangers but last years' final wasn't exactly a thriller. Look at the teams left this year.
The future is a European League with Celtic and Rangers in it!

 

[USER1999]

I love it. The clubs fight hard to get into a European placing, and then don't bother in the actual comp. Who is to say that if Villa get into the CL they will bother then either? Totally pointless.

 

[Dodger]

It is a total waste of time now,when my team reached the final in Seville it seems the comp still meant something to all teams that were in it,Liverpool and Blackburn who were beaten both had full strength teams and no talk of fielding weakened ones was ever mentioned,likewise Rangers always fielded full strength last year and that maybe cost them the league but I for one would rather win in Europe than win the league but it is different for our 2 teams as next years gives us the opportunity to win the league if we don't this year.
I can't understand Spurs as winning on sunday gets them...back into europe but really I think that the players were rested with staying in the league in mind.
Bring back the Cup winners cup and help restore the Fa Cup in both Scotland and England to mean more than it does just now by giving the winners a Champ league qualifying spot?
Dont really know what the answer is but suffice to say I havn't watched 1 uefa cup game this year as they have little appeal....neither did I watch 1 last year but that was for another reason!!

Villa...now wouldn't it be funny if they finished in 4th spot and Arsenal finished 5th and won the Champ League??
They would be dropped back into the Europa Cup if this happened and Arsenal would go into the Champ League and I for one would in the words of Keegan 'Love it' if that happened!!