Cant help but think after yet another injury, zero signings, the deadline landing on the day of a potential visit to istanbul and our perrenial lack of interest in the cups that we might just see Thursday a headache we dont need. Especially given that just by qualifying for the comp will see us play at least 10 more games after Thursday. That along with a messed up calendar could be seen as too much for us right now.

Aberdeen at 8 to 1 on the night looks tempting.

I for one will be gutted if we sacrifice europe but wouldnt be surprised in the slightest if we do.

No, I don't think so. The club know what this means to the fans. We'll win comfortably (I hope!).

Why will we play at least ten more games after Thursday?

If you include the PL, then yeah.

I wouldn't be too surprised if we lost the game on Thursday.

It only takes a few things to go their way to turn the tie on it's head, as we found with the penalty at Pittodrie.

fidelcastro wrote:Why will we play at least ten more games after Thursday?

If you include the PL, then yeah.

Istanbul x 2
Play off x 2
3 x home group stage games
3 x away group stage games

Equals 10

UpTheClaretsFCBK wrote:I wouldn't be too surprised if we lost the game on Thursday.

It only takes a few things to go their way to turn the tie on it's head, as we found with the penalty at Pittodrie.

I agree. Sometimes its easy to take games for granted when you are favourites. But Thursday at least reminded me that being favourites means fk all. And anything can happen. And regardless of our opinions on transfers etc its important to really get behind the team on matchday.

So what you mean is, we could POTENTIALLY play ten Europa League games after Thursday?

No chance that we will 'throw one in'. We havent done that since the days of Stan.

Possible we might lose, of course, but I've never seen a Dyche team lose for lack of trying.

I reckon we should have too much for Aberdeen; the next round will be a bigger test though.

fidelcastro wrote:So what you mean is, we could POTENTIALLY play ten Europa League games after Thursday?

Yes. thats exactly what I inferred by saying:

'Especially given that just by qualifying for the comp will see us play at least 10 more games after Thursday.'

Poor cast.

If you replace the word "will" with "could" then you're right!

Would be great to see a signing in before then, maybe presented before the game, get everyone up for it.

fidelcastro wrote:If you replace the word "will" with "could" then you're right!

Not realky. The clue is in just by qualifying.

We can eliminate the problems of the extra games and hassle by losing the tie this thursday. Plenty of excuses we can use too. New to the comp. Aberdeen more experience of europe. Big passionate away following. Injuries. Etc etc

Just imagining the team talk
' Alright lads I know this is the highest level a lot of you have played at and probably will ever play at but the Market has really got away from us' Swansea wanted £20m for Alfie Mawson but we only valued him £19.5m absolute crazy numbers on their end. And we really don't have the squad depth to compete on two front, so if you would be so kind as to go out and lose today that would be grand. But make it convincing keep it 0-1 1-2 we'll tell the fans about how you battled until the end against Scotland's Elite but just fell short and that the real challenge lies in the Premier League.'

UpTheClaretsFCBK wrote:Would be great to see a signing in before then, maybe presented before the game, get everyone up for it.

Absolutely.

Cricketfield, I saw on another thread, can't remember which, that you are looking to book flights for Istanbul on Thursday night, result dependant of course.
Have you been doing any research on the area ?
I notice there are 2 airports but Ataturk looks closest, about 15 mins taxi ride.
A few hotels near airport, Radisson, Hilton amongst others. Looks like sod all else in area.
I know it's tempting fate and all that but we need to plan with only a week between games, I'm sure some Aberdeen fans are doing similar.
Correct me if I'm wrong regarding airports and hotels as you're probably more travelled than myself.

Aclaret wrote:Cricketfield, I saw on another thread, can't remember which, that you are looking to book flights for Istanbul on Thursday night, result dependant of course.
Have you been doing any research on the area ?
I notice there are 2 airports but Ataturk looks closest, about 15 mins taxi ride.
A few hotels near airport, Radisson, Hilton amongst others. Looks like sod all else in area.
I know it's tempting fate and all that but we need to plan with only a week between games, I'm sure some Aberdeen fans are doing similar.
Correct me if I'm wrong regarding airports and hotels as you're probably more travelled than myself.

Indeed.

Ive seen a few options. But am limited by holiday days really. Ideally id do a week in turkey (or even if i was struggling on that front bulgaria or greece) and travel to istanbul for the game. You can get a week in izmir all inclusive for less than flights go istanbul and its only a 5 hour bus journey.

I think i would likely fly out wednesday night and fly home saturday or sunday. Ideally id like to see istanbul properly over a day or two but again may struggle due to limited time.

Forgive me as this European lark is all new to me. When we get past Aberdeen on Thursday is the away leg of the next round definitely the following Thursday?

Marty Dobson wrote:Forgive me as this European lark is all new to me. When we get past Aberdeen on Thursday is the away leg of the next round definitely the following Thursday?

During qualifiers yes. But i wouldnt bank on it not changing.

cricketfieldclarets wrote:Cant help but think after yet another injury, zero signings, the deadline landing on the day of a potential visit to istanbul and our perrenial lack of interest in the cups that we might just see Thursday a headache we dont need. Especially given that just by qualifying for the comp will see us play at least 10 more games after Thursday. That along with a messed up calendar could be seen as too much for us right now.

Aberdeen at 8 to 1 on the night looks tempting.

I for one will be gutted if we sacrifice europe but wouldnt be surprised in the slightest if we do.

Depends on the ref. We would have won 3 nil on Thursday if the ref had done his job correctly.

Re not trying re have been guilty at Stanley and v Lincoln of playing poorly againgst teams we should have hammered.
However Aberdeen managed little up front and our class will tell.I wish though we would attack with more purpose and not spend too long on ponderous build up play.
Dwight McNeil looked worth a bench place against Aberdeen.

I don't think we will, if we were going to then I'm sure Sean wouldn't have put out a full first team on Thursday. He had every excuse to field a weakened team but he didn't. Then yesterday he rested most of those players.

Sean knows that the lads are motivated for playing in Europe, it would set completely the wrong tone for the season to throw the second leg.

dibraidio wrote:I don't think we will, if we were going to then I'm sure Sean wouldn't have put out a full first team on Thursday. He had every excuse to field a weakened team but he didn't. Then yesterday he rested most of those players.

Sean knows that the lads are motivated for playing in Europe, it would set completely the wrong tone for the season to throw the second leg.

That was before brady and pope were added to the long term injury list. And when we had 2 weeks to get the 3 or 4 bodies in we needed at that point...

You're losing your nerve, cricketfield!

It's going to be a pleasant summer evening, a good atmosphere and a bit of European football at the Turf. Don't turn into one of those gloomy wusses, sucked into crying about pre-season and transfers. I'm looking forward to it, let's get behind whoever turns out for us and enjoy the occasion.

NottsClaret wrote:You're losing your nerve, cricketfield!

It's going to be a pleasant summer evening, a good atmosphere and a bit of European football at the Turf. Don't turn into one of those gloomy wusses, sucked into crying about pre-season and transfers. I'm looking forward to it, let's get behind whoever turns out for us and enjoy the occasion.

I like the optimism. And im an eternal optimist for all but burnley transfers

Maybe its because I am that desperate for us to do well in it that im so pessimistic about it...

Stop your fretting, I'm already looking for flights for the final.

I fully expect us to put out our strongest available side on Thursday night and progress. That said, I am nervous about our involvement in Europe and consider it a hinderance of our main objective to establish ourselves in the PL.

cricketfieldclarets wrote:I like the optimism. And im an eternal optimist for all but burnley transfers

Burnley injuries as well, apparently. Unless you know something about Brady's and Pope's that we don't.

I was talking to one of our senior directors at Manchester airport before travelling to Aberdeen and he was desperate for us to get knocked out.

Tall Paul wrote:Burnley injuries as well, apparently. Unless you know something about Brady's and Pope's that we don't.

Aye. Popes looks just a niggle.

I will guarantee that Pope doesnt play again in 2018. And will be lucky if he is fit this season.

I will also bet that Brady doesnt feature before October.

If we make no signings, it is vital that we don't progress on Europe. Our threadbare squad would condemn us to relegation. We will have to be very lucky with injuries anyway in what will be a very difficult season. I think the normal course of injuries and suspensions throughout the season will be enough to ensure championship football next season. I think many fans will find this unacceptable

I actually truly can't believe some of the posts on here. I am actually bloody mystified at the amount of negativity displayed by some alleged supporters. We should always and in every case go all out to win every game (competitive that is). It's Europe for goodness sake, a chance to take the Burnley name to a wider audience and be proud of it. The doom mongers who think all we should do is 'survive' in the PL whatever the cost to actually trying to win anything are beginning to really sound like Rovers fans.

Wake up! We are playing in Europe! What happens if we ever qualify for the Champions League - do we give it a swerve to make sure we stay in the PL?

Hope not! Watching our team in Istanbul in an actual European tie would be an incredible experience for our fantastic fans and I`m sure Dyche will instill enough determination in `em to get us there.

tybfc wrote:I was talking to one of our senior directors at Manchester airport before travelling to Aberdeen and he was desperate for us to get knocked out.

This is surely nonsense?

Houseboy, the reality is that we don't have the squad to cope with European football and the prem. We already throw in the domestic cups. Prem survival is priority

ashtonlongsider wrote:I fully expect us to put out our strongest available side on Thursday night and progress. That said, I am nervous about our involvement in Europe and consider it a hinderance of our main objective to establish ourselves in the PL.

Strongly disagree with your second point. The only thing thatg will put the mockers on our Premier League season will be not getting sufficient improvements/competition/cover/numbers in before the end of the transfer window. We need 1 of each at the very least...making 4.

Fact of the matter is we wont get beat of these at home, we should have won away

Istanbul is the tougher test, but we need players in before then

In 1970 we were relegated due to injuries and lack of quality cover, in 1976 same again, 1983 failure to invest in a talented young team got us relegated, in 2004 failure to invest in a promoted team got us relegated, 2019 failure to invest in a team with a strong base????

being in europe doesnt interest me too much, great accolade for the team to have finished high enough to qualify, and shows a huge improvement.
This competition wasnt thought too great not long ago, if europa was all united managed, it was seen as a bit of a flop.
we need one thing, continued premier league success. Terrible for pope, but that could have occured anytime, but we are almost about to start the league campaign without him, and additional games will take their toll on our squad.

Wile E Coyote wrote:being in europe doesnt interest me too much, great accolade for the team to have finished high enough to qualify, and shows a huge improvement.
This competition wasnt thought too great not long ago, if europa was all united managed, it was seen as a bit of a flop.
we need one thing, continued premier league success. Terrible for pope, but that could have occured anytime, but we are almost about to start the league campaign without him, and additional games will take their toll on our squad.

Oh how we mocked and LOVED it though when Rovers were knocked out of European competition by Trelleborgs (sp?) whilst Batty & Le Saux had handbags!!!! Let`s not do the same, eh!? If we are to go out, lets do it in the knockout stages with our heads held high.

While some fans thought Aberdeen was an incredible draw I thought it was a horrible draw for us and by the first leg I think you see why, they're a poor side but the kind of poor side we struggle against. I wouldn't be surprised if we lost and to be honest given the size of the squad I think it would be the best thing for us in the long run, paper thin squad with 3 years of Premier League income, shambolic.

KRBFC wrote:While some fans thought Aberdeen was an incredible draw I thought it was a horrible draw for us and by the first leg I think you see why, they're a poor side but the kind of poor side we struggle against. I wouldn't be surprised if we lost and to be honest given the size of the squad I think it would be the best thing for us in the long run, paper thin squad with 3 years of Premier League income, shambolic.

Very poor draw. They are a bad side, and we should have done better.

I think we will stuff em at home though.

the only one throwing one is Cricketfield. needs to try harder to produce better posts . this is just lazy

Spike wrote:the only one throwing one is Cricketfield. needs to try harder to produce better posts . this is just lazy

Well said spike

Up the claret

TJ x

I hope so.

I hope not, the lad has managed to twist my arm into attending, and sods law even with only 10k tickets sold mine were no longer available!

Steve1956 wrote:I hope so.

Honestly?

gtclaret wrote:Houseboy, the reality is that we don't have the squad to cope with European football and the prem. We already throw in the domestic cups. Prem survival is priority

No it isn't, not if you want your team to actually go out and try to win something that is possible, not the dream of doing a Leicester. In the current football economic environment we have probably gone as far as we are going to go in the league for the foreseeable so why not try to win something. I am not obsessed by the PL and want to see us try to do something realistic. I didn't start supporting Burnley all those years ago just to watch them become a business accruing a hefty bank balance. So many fans now talk about money this and money that, how much we have in the bank and what a rich club we are now, but to what end? We are not going to win the PL and we still, despite all our so-called wealth, cannot compete enough to play with the big boys. So we become a well established PL club for a few years, what then? We do a Stoke or a WBA and wind up back in the Championship anyway. In the meantime what? Just tread water in the PL playing the gallant also-rans. Meanwhile while we have the money to compete in other competitions NOW but we don't do because we want to tread that water like little heroes.
As good as it was last season there are no trophies for finishing 7th in the PL and the resulting qualification for Europe has got half our fans hoping we get knocked out. Just what do they want?

Dyched wrote:Honestly?

The Europa league is going to be a burden around our necks already lost Pope because of it,i prefer being in the Premier League mate.

gtclaret wrote:In 1970 we were relegated due to injuries and lack of quality cover, in 1976 same again, 1983 failure to invest in a talented young team got us relegated, in 2004 failure to invest in a promoted team got us relegated, 2019 failure to invest in a team with a strong base????

We didn't get relegated in 1970.