West Ham

[Sam_Brown]

Good game this.

[PeteM]

Dramatic finish! One hell of a way for Rice (and maybe Moyes) to leave this summer too.

[Betelgeuse]

The way the media are going on about it, you'd think they'd won the Champions League. it's a tin pot competition for mid table teams. I enjoyed the game but it's hardly a prestigious competition.

[RubiconCSL]

I guess we can all have our own thoughts on this, that's the beauty of the beautiful game and thankfully we can generally agree amicably on here to disagree.

I think that the game has got to a stage where without a filthy rich sugar daddy (generally with wealth from dubious sources), it is almost impossible to break into the top 6, let alone the top 4. As such, for the rest of the near-mortals, I feel this IS a good competition to win and I personally get the fervor at WHU about winning silverware after such a long time. It also guarantees them european football next year and gets them into the competition at the next level. To me, they are a biggish club, so having had nothing to celebrate for half a century, I get it.

The way the media are going on about it, you'd think they'd won the Champions League. it's a tin pot competition for mid table teams. I enjoyed the game but it's hardly a prestigious competition.

[Pompeymack]

I guess we can all have our own thoughts on this, that's the beauty of the beautiful game and thankfully we can generally agree amicably on here to disagree.

I think that the game has got to a stage where without a filthy rich sugar daddy (generally with wealth from dubious sources), it is almost impossible to break into the top 6, let alone the top 4. As such, for the rest of the near-mortals, I feel this IS a good competition to win and I personally get the fervor at WHU about winning silverware after such a long time. It also guarantees them european football next year and gets them into the competition at the next level. To me, they are a biggish club, so having had nothing to celebrate for half a century, I get it.

The way the media are going on about it, you'd think they'd won the Champions League. it's a tin pot competition for mid table teams. I enjoyed the game but it's hardly a prestigious competition.

Spot on.

[PeteM]

I guess we can all have our own thoughts on this, that's the beauty of the beautiful game and thankfully we can generally agree amicably on here to disagree.

I think that the game has got to a stage where without a filthy rich sugar daddy (generally with wealth from dubious sources), it is almost impossible to break into the top 6, let alone the top 4. As such, for the rest of the near-mortals, I feel this IS a good competition to win and I personally get the fervor at WHU about winning silverware after such a long time. It also guarantees them european football next year and gets them into the competition at the next level. To me, they are a biggish club, so having had nothing to celebrate for half a century, I get it.

The way the media are going on about it, you'd think they'd won the Champions League. it's a tin pot competition for mid table teams. I enjoyed the game but it's hardly a prestigious competition.

Totally agree

[NSRailings]

I guess we can all have our own thoughts on this, that's the beauty of the beautiful game and thankfully we can generally agree amicably on here to disagree.

I think that the game has got to a stage where without a filthy rich sugar daddy (generally with wealth from dubious sources), it is almost impossible to break into the top 6, let alone the top 4. As such, for the rest of the near-mortals, I feel this IS a good competition to win and I personally get the fervor at WHU about winning silverware after such a long time. It also guarantees them european football next year and gets them into the competition at the next level. To me, they are a biggish club, so having had nothing to celebrate for half a century, I get it.

True. I guess it's similar to the EFL Trophy giving lower league teams a chance to play at Wembley. However I wonder whether teams get fined for fielding understrength teams in the ECL.

[RubiconCSL]

I'm not sure any teams in it would want to. If my assertion that a top 6 is effectively out of reach, then unless you are in a relegation battle, you are surely going to prioritize a european competition (and the revenue it brings) over fighting for one or two positions higher in the league. I'm sure WHU fans are far happier with finishing safe in the league (although lower than the previous season) and winning a trophy over a higher league position and no silverware. Of course, if they had lost the final and got relegated because they threw everything at the ECL, then maybe it would feel different for them. But in the throws of the season, I'd certainly prioritize the ECL, whilst keeping a keen eye on not falling too low in the league - in fact, pretty much what Moyes must have been doing and, in the end, got the balance just right.

I guess we can all have our own thoughts on this, that's the beauty of the beautiful game and thankfully we can generally agree amicably on here to disagree.

I think that the game has got to a stage where without a filthy rich sugar daddy (generally with wealth from dubious sources), it is almost impossible to break into the top 6, let alone the top 4. As such, for the rest of the near-mortals, I feel this IS a good competition to win and I personally get the fervor at WHU about winning silverware after such a long time. It also guarantees them european football next year and gets them into the competition at the next level. To me, they are a biggish club, so having had nothing to celebrate for half a century, I get it.

True. I guess it's similar to the EFL Trophy giving lower league teams a chance to play at Wembley. However I wonder whether teams get fined for fielding understrength teams in the ECL.

[Blue Walter]

Not many of us took the JPT seriously until Wembley loomed. I certainly didn't and the only game that I have attended in this trophy was the final at Wembley. As Rubi says the ECL is a competition for the not so well offs and it is good that clubs are given a chance to compete in European competition.

Unfortunately money is now, more than ever, taking the sport out of sport with these mega rich clubs making it an elitist and closed competition. Clubs winning our top league, like Leicester did, will become almost impossible with money coming from abroad flooding an echelon of clubs. I actually wonder sometimes if
football would be better off in this country if these top mega rich clubs do sod off and form their own grubby league where only the very top clubs compete. Not allowing them to compete in the FA Cup or any of the traditional competitions leaving the real life clubs going back to basics.

[Betelgeuse]

It has about as much value as us winning the tin pot trophy. If they'd won the Europa cup then that is something to celebrate. They effectively won the Plate.

[NSRailings]

I'm not sure any teams in it would want to. If my assertion that a top 6 is effectively out of reach, then unless you are in a relegation battle, you are surely going to prioritize a european competition (and the revenue it brings) over fighting for one or two positions higher in the league. I'm sure WHU fans are far happier with finishing safe in the league (although lower than the previous season) and winning a trophy over a higher league position and no silverware. Of course, if they had lost the final and got relegated because they threw everything at the ECL, then maybe it would feel different for them. But in the throws of the season, I'd certainly prioritize the ECL, whilst keeping a keen eye on not falling too low in the league - in fact, pretty much what Moyes must have been doing and, in the end, got the balance just right.

I guess we can all have our own thoughts on this, that's the beauty of the beautiful game and thankfully we can generally agree amicably on here to disagree.

I think that the game has got to a stage where without a filthy rich sugar daddy (generally with wealth from dubious sources), it is almost impossible to break into the top 6, let alone the top 4. As such, for the rest of the near-mortals, I feel this IS a good competition to win and I personally get the fervor at WHU about winning silverware after such a long time. It also guarantees them european football next year and gets them into the competition at the next level. To me, they are a biggish club, so having had nothing to celebrate for half a century, I get it.

True. I guess it's similar to the EFL Trophy giving lower league teams a chance to play at Wembley. However I wonder whether teams get fined for fielding understrength teams in the ECL.

Yes, the ECL won't have a problem being taken seriously. Whereas clubs are practically forced to take the EFL Trophy seriously. And then they brought in the under23's for higher clubs.

[BlueinPLtwenty]

I enjoyed the EFL Trophy Final and the games against Exeter. Are we a bit blase because compared to these other Teams we have been more successful historically. West Ham have never won the League title neither have Bolton let alone poor Plymouth Argyle whose city is the largest city in England not to have their Team play in the top Football League.

[past memories]

I guess we can all have our own thoughts on this, that's the beauty of the beautiful game and thankfully we can generally agree amicably on here to disagree.

I think that the game has got to a stage where without a filthy rich sugar daddy (generally with wealth from dubious sources), it is almost impossible to break into the top 6, let alone the top 4. As such, for the rest of the near-mortals, I feel this IS a good competition to win and I personally get the fervor at WHU about winning silverware after such a long time. It also guarantees them european football next year and gets them into the competition at the next level. To me, they are a biggish club, so having had nothing to celebrate for half a century, I get it.

The way the media are going on about it, you'd think they'd won the Champions League. it's a tin pot competition for mid table teams. I enjoyed the game but it's hardly a prestigious competition.

I wouldn`t be too sure about them being allowed to play next season, UEFA might think diffrent after the supporters antics.