It's quite amusing the amount of people firmly saying yes we should, many of whom are the very same people who said they hoped we would finish bottom of our Champions League group so as not to suffer the 'distraction' of Europa League football in the second half of the season. Nonetheless, let me play Devil's advocate for a moment. Let me put two scenarios to you.
We finish on a high, finishing 5th in the table. We win the FA Cup but it's not enough to attract top talent to the club because we have no Champions League football. Like many English clubs in the competition, we struggle with the shorter rest periods between games, players get tired faster, we suffer injuries and we finish the season once more outside of the top four. That following Summer we're unable to attract top talent, our best players get pissed off with no Champions League football and leave for pastures new. In two seasons time we once more fail to finish in the top four.
or
We finish poorly, Spurs and Saints over take us and we finish 7th in the table. We win the FA Cup but it's not enough to attract top talent to the club because we have no Champions League football. Next season, our only commitments are the domestic leagues and Cups. No long distance traveling, no players getting home at 6 a.m. and playing a match at midday two days later, so our players stay fresh. Injuries are few and minor. We stay fresher and fitter longer through the season and we put a title challenge in again. We don't win it but we end the season in the top four. That Summer we're able to attract top talent to the club and loose no more of our best players. The following season we put another title challenge in. The year after that we win it.
It's all very well saying we should focus on next season but what about long term planning? In the season after next (2016-17), the Premier League will be worth £10.2 million a game but how many games are we going to get if we're a perennial also-ran compared to if we're putting our second title challenge in in three years? The Champions League is worth £40m+ for qualification alone so how long can we afford to be out of that? In a perfect world we compete for the Europa League and put a title challenge in, finishing in the top four next season but what if we don't? What if we struggle like we have in the past? Is one season outside of Europe not better for us in the long run? There's still the League and FA Cup trophies to win so we could end up putting a title challenge in
and winning a trophy. Is that not worth one season less European experience for the players, one season without European Football for the fans? Like I said, I'm playing Devil's advocate.
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