A pathway to Europe

We desperately need to get back into the Europa.

Besides the 4th place finish, our best seasons were whilst we were in the Europa, which goes against people saying it damages league form. Success breeds success.

Playing in Europe gets the crowd going (the atmosphere v Fiorentina is the best I've ever experienced at Goodison, including the derbies, despite the fact we lost), gives the players confidence and attracts new and better players. There is also money attached, and even if it is not massive, we can't afford to turn our noses up at anything.

Like the FA Cup, The Europa league has been diminished by the media and the cash available for league spaces in the Premier League. I think it is still a great competition. The knockout stages always have big European clubs playing and I for one am desperate to get back to watching them at Goodison. I haven't missed a home game in Europe since 1985.

What's the point of qualifying for Europe? We are only going to embarrrass ourselves as usual with no chance of winning it... better off not qualifying again until we have a decent squad.

I think the Europa has got a bad press for two quite different reasons.

Firstly, some clubs object to the pressure of too many group games, à la Spurs who whined on and on because 'Arry didn't like the distraction from his team's surge up the league. I get it but frankly it's a bit rich from a club who have done relatively little and spent a great deal, all for a good last 18 months, so maybe they should be careful what they wish for... ie, no distractions cos they fail to qualify for anything.

The second issue with the competition is the "second best" situation when third-placed non-Champions Leaguers "drop" into the Europa. Well, embarrassing it may be for some, it makes the last 32 a top class competition and all the more interesting.

We need the competition. It does help attract players. It does give hugely valuable experience to younger players and, whilst not a money earner unless you get to quarter finals, it does give low-key TV exposure and helps the marketing effort etc. if clubs priced tickets more realistically, it would also see younger fans watching European football for the first time and that has to be a good thing.

There is a real chance now of getting there via the FA Cup. The way the quarter-final draw has gone, there must be a sound chance of Spurs or Chelsea reaching the final and should we do something amazing just getting to the final would likely mean qualification, regardless of whether we win or not... unless that "rule" has been changed from previous years?

Thanks Phil Neville, kiss of death!

I could hear the groans from follow Evertonians once he opened his mouth. Whilst we all of course secretly yearn for it, we try not to put a jinx on it by talking about it....

Phil please.... shhhhhh.... don't let everyone know what we're planning; just do it, but quietly, pleaseeeeeeee.

Richard, were you at St Mary's back in the 60s?

Richard (635) - OK. But it's there for us to go get right now. If we do, doesn't it indicate we have a "decent squad"?

Do the defeated finalists qualify if the winners qualify for Europe via another route, or will the place fall to the next in the league?

Chris, defeated finalists get it in the fa cup (if the winners already have another route). It's the carling cup place that falls to the league should the winners already have a place.

Very very early to start shouting on about Europe and getting to the final. The game against Sunderland will not be easy and O'Neill will be looking to get as far as possible with his side in his first season in charge.

I wish Neville would shut up sometimes and especially stop stating the obvious. Lets just get past Sunderland first. In the previous 9 years we've only made the QF once, so our recent FA Cup pedigree is not exactly anything to write home about. Just do the talking on the pitch when the time comes.

(Also if Moyes is 'so ambitious it's unbelievable' then lets see some positive attacking football when we play teams like Wigan, QPR, Stoke etc!)

Does the euro place for the FA cup go back to the semi's too?

ie, if we win the quarter, and the other teams in the semi's are liverpool, chelsea, spurs (who will likely all get into europe through league placings), does that mean we can lose a semi and still get the place?

No Jeremy it doesn't.

A big ask.

No pienaar either so a lot of weight on drenthe's shoulders. I think we will get edge past sunderland but not sure we will go any further than that.

I have this terrifying feeling that the RS will win the domestic cup double.

I can even foresee them doing this and then somehow justifying a place in the CL which will then subsequently be granted!

The latter comment may sound like utter paranoia but who would have predicted what happened the season after they fluked the CL?

Now ordinarily, Cardiff City would be my choice to win this one, every time. But imagine the Europa Cup implications for us if we were to meet the RS in the FA Cup final with them having already won the Carling Cup!

We need European football like a hole in the head. Up to a few weeks ago, I was concerned about being dragged into a relegation dogfight with inability to score goals... Thankfully it looks like we will finish comfortably mid-table.

The finances are a mess, another tough summer... will there be more money raised by sales than purchases? With a reduced squad and our usual poor start next season, two games most weeks up to Christmas could result in relegation next season; we're better off out of it.

Just wish the players would stop these 'sound bites' from the Club, they are embarrassing.