Europa Conference League 22-23

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Diogenes
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Re: Europa Conference League 22-23

Post by Diogenes »

The Straw wrote: Tue Feb 07, 2023 10:59 pm A lot of our fans need to be very careful about their arrogance regarding this competition and the teams in it. Nice, for example, look a quality outfit and went to Marseille and beat them 3-1 at the velodrome this weekend. They have Moffi up front who many fans wanted us to sign in January. We all know football is about momentum and they have a load of it. Same with Lazio. A massive club who are currently 4th in Serie A.
100-% correct. There are some very good teams heading towards the final 16, many of whom are in the top 4 or 6 of their national league. Braga, Villarreal, Lazio, Dnipro, Istanbul Basaksehir, Lech, AZ Alkmaar. Nice and Fiorentina are dangerous as well. This cup is no walk over.
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bubbles1966
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Re: Europa Conference League 22-23

Post by bubbles1966 »

Think you've got your legs the wrong way around, Yorkie.

First game we hit the woodwork three times (?) and probably deserved a draw on the balance of play.

Cresswell's red killed us in the second game.

They were beatable.
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Centre Half
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Re: Europa Conference League 22-23

Post by Centre Half »

YorksHammer wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 8:52 am We also "could" have beaten them had Moyes started our best right back at the time in Coufal over Johnson, and Benrahma over Lanzini who offered very little in the second leg. We had 11 players on the pitch for the whole of the second leg, blaming the defeat solely on Cresswell's - admittedly brainless - red card in the first leg masks that we didn't show our best in the second leg either.

But, its by the by now. Like I said, one game at a time here, we're as likely to get turned over by Dnipro-1 as we are to thrash Lazio at the moment.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves. There will be 16 clubs in the knockout draw and, like us, the other 15 will have all earned their spot there. Any of them will be a challenge.
Cresswell got sent off in the second leg away.

The Lyon red was the first leg.

Still can’t believe he did the same bloody thing twice.
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Re: Europa Conference League 22-23

Post by hammers92 »

YorksHammer wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 8:52 am We had 11 players on the pitch for the whole of the second leg, blaming the defeat solely on Cresswell's - admittedly brainless - red card in the first leg masks that we didn't show our best in the second leg either.
He definitely got sent off in the 2nd leg leaving us with 10 players. :crylol:
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Re: Europa Conference League 22-23

Post by bubbles1966 »

The thing is that the experience in the previous ties against both Seville and Lyon was that we learned from the first legs and got the better of them in the rematches.

But for the red, i think it's entirely possible we would have repeated the act.

I've been watching this club 50 years and have never been so annoyed with a single player as I was Cresswell. Doing it once, okay....but doing it twice in such close succession.
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Re: Europa Conference League 22-23

Post by YorksHammer »

hammers92 wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 9:00 am He definitely got sent off in the 2nd leg leaving us with 10 players. :crylol:
God yes, still too early for me! Either way, swap first and second leg over - we lost that game through a poor first leg performance as much as the second one.
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Re: Europa Conference League 22-23

Post by Albie Beck »

stu1 wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 8:51 am ...
Seems utter madness to treat any European last 16 game with such distain no matter who we face. If we don’t sell out then that’s pretty embarrassing imo.
And that's probably what the club is banking on...
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Re: Europa Conference League 22-23

Post by Aztec Hammer »

Frankfurt were the best side we played in the competition but we definitely could have beat them.

We were so sloppy in that first leg, letting in a stupid goal from kick off, a few incorrect selection and tactical decisions and then either wasting or being really unlucky with a couple of chances.

First 15 minutes of the second leg, we looked comfortable and capable of controlling the game and swinging it back our way, then Cresswell did his encore and ruined it.

The players knew we could and should have won that competition. You could see it in their actions and some of their interviews after. I think the hangover of that game is still lingering.

There are decent sides in every Euro competition, but we are favourites in this one for a reason. Our squad is surely the most valuable by a distance. We've got the best player in the tournament. A few other really good ones. Enough solid/decent ones. Not winning this would be hugely gutting.

Villarreal, Lazio and Fiorentina, followed by Nice and AZ are the best of the other teams. I've seen the first three quite a bit this season. Their best isn't as good as our best.
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Re: Europa Conference League 22-23

Post by Crouchend_Hammer »

Aztec Hammer wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 11:06 am Frankfurt were the best side we played in the competition but we definitely could have beat them.

We were so sloppy in that first leg, letting in a stupid goal from kick off, a few incorrect selection and tactical decisions and then either wasting or being really unlucky with a couple of chances.

First 15 minutes of the second leg, we looked comfortable and capable of controlling the game and swinging it back our way, then Cresswell did his encore and ruined it.

The players knew we could and should have won that competition. You could see it in their actions and some of their interviews after. I think the hangover of that game is still lingering.
Yep, pretty much bang on

A club our size will never get as good a chance of winning the Europa League (and thus qualification for Champions League) as we did last season

The 'big' regular Champions League entrants who dropped down to it were knocked out by other teams

Most crucially, there were none of the 'big six' English teams in the knockout stages - which is very unusual

In essence, to win it last year we only had to beat teams below our level or on the same level (give or take), which is unusual

Take this season for example. Arsenal, Man U, Barca, Juventus are all in the knockout stages and other seasoned champions league campaingers like Sevilla, Shaktar, Leverkusen, Ajax also there

I am not saying it was 'easy' to win it last year, but the way the draw opened up was an unbelievable opportunity - culminating by having to play Rangers in the final
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Re: Europa Conference League 22-23

Post by rigoberts song »

As a long suffering fan of 50 years we'd have found a way of screwing it up
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Re: Europa Conference League 22-23

Post by steveyrockstar »

Absolutely, and our opportunity to win the Conference League this year is even greater.

Tbh, with our appalling league form this year, I've actually been less worried about relegation than I have about how it might impact our chances of winning this trophy!
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Re: Europa Conference League 22-23

Post by sutts07 »

Aztec Hammer wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 11:06 am Frankfurt were the best side we played in the competition but we definitely could have beat them.
I thought Sevilla were better to be honest. Frankfurt were organised and efficient, that was enough over two legs due to our own errors/nerves.
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Re: Europa Conference League 22-23

Post by EastleighHammer16 »

We were in complete control of that 2nd leg until Cresswell got sent off. The first leg we played pretty rubbish but still should have won the game after hitting the woodwork multiple times. Does feel like a wasted opportunity.

This tournament is ours to be won. If we take every game seriously and don’t underestimate anyone (we haven’t so far) we can win this. Last season we started brilliant and got worse as the season went on. This season we started awful and have picked up a bit recently (albeit a small sample size) hopefully we are going in reverse and will be in flying form by the time the quarters/semis are played. If we are in them of course!
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Albie Beck
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Re: Europa Conference League 22-23

Post by Albie Beck »

EastleighHammer16 wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 1:44 pm This tournament is ours to be won. If we take every game seriously and don’t underestimate anyone (we haven’t so far) we can win this.
Just resurrected this thread from p4...

I haven't been following this season's EL closely. Have I understood right - Man U and Barca are playing off in the EL R16, so the loser drops down to the ECL? That could change the expectations slightly, if correct.
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Re: Europa Conference League 22-23

Post by szola »

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Re: Europa Conference League 22-23

Post by szola »

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022%E2%8 ... nce_League
Preliminary knockout round
(16 teams)
8 group runners-up from the group stage
8 group third-placed teams from Europa League group stage
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Re: Europa Conference League 22-23

Post by Albie Beck »

D'oh! Sorry - thanks szola - the drop-down already happened.

I'm going to have a lay down...
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Re: Europa Conference League 22-23

Post by szola »

So no more teams are added, and we are amongst the seeded teams

VIllarreal, Lazio, Fiorentina best on paper.

Basel, Dnipro, Nice, AZ, İstanbul Başakşehir the teams who could easily surprise, imo.
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Re: Europa Conference League 22-23

Post by faubert93 »

Just had a look at the ticket sales for the Europa R16 Home Leg......

...someone seriously over estimated how many punters would snap up the tickets at £61!

Goign to be 20% full.
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Re: Europa Conference League 22-23

Post by Aztec Hammer »

faubert93 wrote: Wed Feb 15, 2023 3:46 pm Just had a look at the ticket sales for the Europa R16 Home Leg......

...someone seriously over estimated how many punters would snap up the tickets at £61!

Goign to be 20% full.
This time last year, I wouldn't have dreamed of not going to the European games.

But this one is a pisstake. It was the perfect spot (and perfect competition, you could argue) to do a decent thing for the fans. Obviously they had no intention to do that.

I love West Ham in any European football but the Conference League ain't the Europa League and fans have spent a lot of money on the club over the last couple of years.

Pricing for this one left a bad taste for me.
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