Europe v a domestic Cup

[LawSteelman]

For the last five years I've always been baffled by the argument from some 'Well fans that qualifying for the Europa League (qualifiers) is just as good if not better than doing well in the domestic Cups. You know, the tournaments that give us our best chance of winning silverware.

Well I ask now, after last night's humping of a strong Aberdeen and on the whole, a solid League Cup performance against lower league opposition, and Ross County, which has given us a trip to Hampden and presented us with a great chance of beating Rangers and reaching a Cup Final...can any Motherwell fan out there still say that they believe European qualification and a couple of matches at the start I'd a season which we always fail to make a scratch in, are a better occasion and achievement for our club than what happened last night and what we have potentially set ourselves up for???

I'm not fishing or goading here, I am genuinely interested in the views of those who value European qualification so highly that they would put it on the same level as, or above, a domestic Cup run.

[sieb1886]

Cup run all the way for me. Another reason for Brexit !

[WoodyG]

For the last five years I've always been baffled by the argument from some 'Well fans that qualifying for the Europa League (qualifiers) is just as good if not better than doing well in the domestic Cups. You know, the tournaments that give us our best chance of winning silverware.

Well I ask now, after last night's humping of a strong Aberdeen and on the whole, a solid League Cup performance against lower league opposition, and Ross County, which has given us a trip to Hampden and presented us with a great chance of beating Rangers and reaching a Cup Final...can any Motherwell fan out there still say that they believe European qualification and a couple of matches at the start I'd a season which we always fail to make a scratch in, are a better occasion and achievement for our club than what happened last night and what we have potentially set ourselves up for???

I'm not fishing or goading here, I am genuinely interested in the views of those who value European qualification so highly that they would put it on the same level as, or above, a domestic Cup run.

I want both and don't make a distinction between the two. Because for our club it marks a new level of attaintment and footballing experience for players and fans.

If Scotch clubs want to do better in Europe then the League should be aligned to the Euro start dates. It will be soon because as Scotch clubs fall down the rankings in Euroland there will be more qualifiers and our only BIG club left will want that changed too.

[wellin]

Cup success any time. European trip the likes of Nancy is an unforgettable experience but it will never come close to lifting the cup in 1991. We were regular qualifiers in McGhee's first stint and McCall's time. In the end I got totally p***** off at qualifying then being papped out by some p*** poor side from the back of beyond. The only European trip that concerns me now is the one where i get to lie on a beach in Spain. Just have a look at how the Scottish sides faired this year. It will never change. A complete waste of time as it probably ends up costing the club money to reach these places. Cup run for me.....

[LawSteelman]

Exactly, let's be brutally honest about Europe here and what it amounts to for us and clubs like us. It equates to two, possibly four glorified pre-season friendlies, mostly against some unheard of side from the @rse end of Europe which we only embarrass ourselves in AND lose money on. Obviously if we qualified for the Europa League group stages it would mean slightly more but overall Europe has proved nothing for us to get excited by and it's the same for every Scottish club outwith Celtic. Under McGhee (first time and around) and McCall we qualified several times and it was a major anti-climax each time.

Nope give me a Cup run any day of the week.

[steviex]

Couldnt give a flying fpuck if I never saw another European game ever again. I went to Dortmund had a great time but every participation in European football ever since has just between a vanity project. I rarely watch European football on TV as I have zero connection with any of it , much like football south of the border. I couldnt give a monkeys fpuck who wins the supposed "best league in the world" much of it is over hyped sh1te too.

[Handsome_Devil]

I want Motherwell to do as well as we can in every competition. Would I rather win silverware than merely qualify for something else? Of course. What I don't understand is anyone who wants compare the two of as a contest for no apparent reason other than having a moan. They are not mutually exclusive.

The Katowice and Dortmund games had Fir Park rocking...Aalesund was pretty decent, we made history in Wales and were a 50-50 handball decision from having a former European champion browning their trousers in Airdrie. If we'd beaten Panathinaikos 1-0 at home before losing anyway or overturned Odense, the atmosphere would have been as good as winning a home league cup quarter-final. Our problem is not that Europe is ****e but we are, usually, ****e in it.

Then there's the objectivity factor...winning a cup requires a good draw, moderate performances and one big day (Killie 2012 and Hearts 1998 are mega examples, there are no doubt others). There's no way that, objectively, favourable draws and one/two good or lucky matches should make a better season than finishing second with record points, record goals, record scorer and the league player of the year...I appreciate that's the way it is - because lifting shiny cups is what we all dream of - but just because we don't hit the A-prize, I really don't get why people are to desperate to dismiss the next in line which is doing well in the league, the reward for which is a chance in Europe.

[steviex]

I want Motherwell to do as well as we can in every competition. Would I rather win silverware than merely qualify for something else? Of course. What I don't understand is anyone who wants compare the two of as a contest for no apparent reason other than having a moan. They are not mutually exclusive.

The Katowice and Dortmund games had Fir Park rocking...Aalesund was pretty decent, we made history in Wales and were a 50-50 handball decision from having a former European champion browning their trousers in Airdrie. If we'd beaten Panathinaikos 1-0 at home before losing anyway or overturned Odense, the atmosphere would have been as good as winning a home league cup quarter-final. Our problem is not that Europe is ****e but we are, usually, ****e in it.

Then there's the objectivity factor...winning a cup requires a good draw, moderate performances and one big day (Killie 2012 and Hearts 1998 are mega examples, there are no doubt others). There's no way that, objectively, favourable draws and one/two good or lucky matches should make a better season than finishing second with record points, record goals, record scorer and the league player of the year...I appreciate that's the way it is - because lifting shiny cups is what we all dream of - but just because we don't hit the A-prize, I really don't get why people are to desperate to dismiss the next in line which is doing well in the league, the reward for which is a chance in Europe.

Maybe cos European football is utterly pointless for clubs like us. Its off the scale corrupt and its only there to serve the team from countries with big TV audiences. European football is an elitist closed club and its the same teams who get the baubles ... we have enough of that in our domestic game without wasting time on a bigger European version.

[Handsome_Devil]

Maybe cos European football is utterly pointless for clubs like us. Its off the scale corrupt and its only there to serve the team from countries with big TV audiences. European football is an elitist closed club and its the same teams who get the baubles ... we have enough of that in our domestic game without wasting time on a bigger European version.

We have won four trophies in 130 years...until a couple of years ago St Johnstone had won nothing, ever. Plenty of teams in Scotland n fact have won nothing ever and more than likely never will. If the attitude is 'it's pointless because we're outside the corrupt bubble and will never win anything so why bother', we'd barely have a league at all.