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Motherwell Vs Stjarnan Fc


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Seems unlikely that St Johnstone or Inverness will finish above both us and Dundee Utd.

 

 

With 10 games left and league as shown below thats a pretty confident statement. I don't even think St Johnstone come into the reckoning. The possible finish scenario is not entirely something that we can rule out. Hopefully we can hit form during the run in and secure second or third place.

Current standings

Played Points

Celtic 28 75

Aberdeen 28 54

'Well 28 51

Utd 27 44

Caley 26 44

St J 27 35

 

Possible finish ( that we do not want to see!! )

Celtic

Aberdeen

Caley

Well

Utd ( Cup winners )

St J

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It baffles me how they can offer £10million per team who get through to the group stages of the Champions League yet won't cover the difference for smaller teams like us getting sent to the likes of Russia.

 

And it should be regional in the early rounds.

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and why would that have any relevance?

 

Erm, I dunno, maybe something to do with the fact we had to play them in Russia?

 

Steelboy suggested that the combined income from UEFA and the gate meant he thought we would have broke even.

 

The significant cost in chartering a return flight to Russia is what blew a hole in the budget and left the whole episode in deficit. However why you wanted me to clarify beggars belief.

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Do the cup runners-up still get a place in the europa league next season. Sure the rule was changed but can't remember if it starts this year or not?

 

IF we get into Europe starting in the First qualifying round might be for the best as it would allow us to get some competitive games in and gel a new squad if so before the league season starts. Also a trip to Gibraltar sounds good :drinks:.

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Cup winners - 2nd qualifying round

2nd place - 2nd qualifying round

3rd place - 1st qualifying round

 

If cup winners already in Europa League then 4th place gets the spot. It's only when the cup winner is in the champions league that the losing finalist gets the europa league spot.

 

Splstats describes the situation.

 

So, chances are we will be in europe from the get go.

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14 visits to Europe and you could argue we only seriously cashed in on one of them (Dortmund - am I right in thinking in the mid 90's we got £500k for televising the game at FP?). Law of averages suggest we're due a rub of the green with respect to a decent draw with a option of nice telly money.

 

Last year was a bit of a freak as there was few places in Europe that are more problematic, costly or further to get to. As for the rest, those sunny nights with a full East Stand and that certain makes going along that little bit more exciting.

 

I'd love us to be in a position where we hit the ground running and really have a chance. A hard pre-season akin to McGhee's where the whole squad showed up and looked lean and hungry to achieve is key. Lot to be said for being and thinking you're much fitter than the other guys when you don't have their resources or skill level, it's one mental edge we'd have.

 

I'll always wonder if Blackman had joined the team a few weeks before and bedded in if, we could have waved Odense goodbye.

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My first Motherwell game was against Third Lanark at Fir Park, before the new stand was built. Yes, the POD. It used to be new ! I had to wait until 1991 and the Cup win before I saw my team even qualify for Europe. That was after I saw us gubbed 6 and 8 nothing by Aberdeen and Morton in the 1970s and 80s.. And there are people here, moaning about revenues. Incredible.

 

Europe ? Bring it on !

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Exactly, I'm not going to tell my kids or grandkids about a cheque we got from UEFA,

 

I'll tell them about playing the Borussia Dortmund team that added one of our players and became European champions. Or going to watch us in Spain or Wales. The time we scored 8 goals...

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Just a wee thought....

 

Do we really need Europe?

 

It's good for the players and the fans alright but is it really good for the club as a whole? The tie with Kuban put things into perspective for me because there were reports that we made no money from it and maybe even came out making a loss. The point of these ties is to go as far as we can, give valuable experience to our players, give our fans something to look forward to and maybe earn a bit of money in the process. However, to make a loss because we got a crap draw makes me wonder if the money saved by not playing in Europe could be better spent elsewhere.

 

Any coincidence that our league performances have got better and better the more experience the team has had in Europe?

 

Players get better playing at that level and we have guys in our team now who have 10 - 15 matches of European football.

 

European and international football experience is hugely beneficial for players so if we want to do well at league level the more guys we have with that sort of experience the better.

 

Even if there are slight financial penalties for drawing a far flung team I think in terms of football it's very beneficial.

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If we qualify for Europe it means we will have finished higher up the league which means more prize money. We will have won more games which is good for fans and finally we will maybe increased the value of our players with regards to transfer fees. It's a win win win!

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Remember round about 1988 we won our first away game of the season. It was round about this time of year. Went up to dens on a cold Wednesday night. Won with a last minute Steve kirk goal. You'd have thought we'd won the league by the celebrations. European football was only something we could dream about in those days.

 

That's how much things have changed and that's why we should always be looking forward to and enjoying European nights. Cos there will be a time when it all goes away and it becomes a dream again.

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I agree.

 

But I do have to concede that your age and length of support can have a bearing on expectations too.

 

Some of the older posters have stood accused in the past of being more happy clappy because their length of service has afforded them a greater mix of highs and lows and arguably more perspective on how to view disappointments when they arise.

 

A younger 'Well fan who has known only top flight football, seen possibly three Cup Finals enjoyed a regular diet of top half finishes and European football will naturally have a different perspective.

 

There has been quite an evolution over my lifetime in terms of our club. I remember the 80's where the club had tough times, could have gone under, could have gone part-time but rebounded back. The years where we held on to our top flight status by our fingernails. Then we solidified. Towards the end of the decade arrived fanzines where people sent articles in wondering if they'd ever see their team in a Cup Final or Europe. Then we won the Cup and played in Europe. And so it has gone from there. That some can be appear to be so blase that they can brush off Motherwell making Europe again. Wow!

 

I say enjoy it. Embrace it. Savour it. Times change. Things happen. Some pish examples possibly but Killie, St Johnstone and Dunfermline were all in Europe, decades before Motherwell in fact, but 20/30 years down the line all three of them would spend time in the third tier of Scottish football.

 

I'd like to think we're better than that. But I aim to savour every possible minute of Europe, Cup Finals and golden times like we're currently enjoying because you just never know what's down the line.

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