Would you rather WIN A TROPHY, or FINISH in the top 4?

The REAL trophy you get by winning the Champions League Final, to which you get by finishing up in the table.

Anyway, I have to say the question can be understood in 2 different ways.

1) Trophies or 4th spot FOREVA. Of course i would pick trophies, I don't want to go collecting fourth spots for the next 20 years, that is just absurd.

2) Trophies or 4th spot NOW. I would say 4th spot. Trophies will eventually come if LFC can reposition itself as a title contender in the EPL and the UCL. But that has to me done first.

I did say both but finishing 4th doesnt guarentee you will win the CL... Anyway i dont like the CL, it was better when only the Champions of each country got in it...

Of course in saying that im not saying i dont want to be in it, just saying like 

That's the problem. That kinda implies we'll only get the chance to win FA Cup and League Cup (and possibly Europa League) for 20 years but it is not the case.

Who is to say after 2 years of FA Cup and League Cup successes, we won't finish higher or even win the league the season after that?

It is indeed possible, but I think the causality would rather go otherwise (although it's all probabilities) My logic goes this way: 4th spot means more sex-appeal for the club (), letting us challenge for world-class players, like we should. It also means more income from Champions League participation (and even more if we win it, why not I mean Chelsea's there and they're not exactly a magnificent team).

Trophies mean glory, respect, etc (?) shiny stuff to put in some shelve, but In the long term it don't think it will give us any kind of drive to win other things, like the League title.

Of course we could win trophies and then the league, there's no reason for that not happening, but I think as far as gambling, getting 4th spot first is a safer call.

IMO i would rather win one trophy a season...as we still manage to enter a European competition (albeit the Europa league).

My reason for this is that it will weed out the players who simply cannot cope with playing twice a week, week in week out. The early stages of the cup competitions can be used for bringing through reserve/youth players and getting them used to life in the 1st team, leaving the main 1st team squad to progress through the early stages of European competitions.

Cup Win=Europa League=Better Players=More chance of finishing in the top 4.

Rome wasn't built in a day lads.

Trophies.

I had 3 days out at Wembley this year, and while we only came away with a trophy on one of those days, they are memories I will take with me to the grave.

I don't ever recall rejoicing at the years we finished 2nd, 3rd or 4th in the league. The two latter of which don't even guarantee you a group stage spot.

But again thats just my personnel opinion. In terms of the football club and the long term scale of things, perhaps Top 4 is the more attractive proposition.

If I was either offered a trophy a season forever or a top 4 finish forever, I'd take the trophy no doubt. Next season though, I'd prefer champions league just to get back up on the big stage, for the revenue, for the players it attracts, and the stability it brings. After that, both please. I also think that FSG will spend massively in the future, providing we have CL under our belts. I mean a massive net spend as well.

 

Both

My sentiments exactly but then again I'm a greedy c**t

I'd rather win trophies.  That includes the Premier League trophy.

It's the lifeblood of the club.  If you finish second, third or fourth that should never be a reason to celebrate.  That's the sign of a sh*t club, not a club wanting to be the best.

EXACTLY right, it's why we exist,  YNWA

I think there is some confusion in the thread and title of the post.

The question is A trophy or finish in the top 4.

The Poll is trophies.

Well to be honest, I'd rather have finished in the top four than winning the Carling Cup, wouldn't you?

The afters are very different aren't they.

CL football, more pull for better players, more revenue for, better players and a stadium,

Where as We have a trophy, we still have to qualify for the Europa League, little pull for top players, not as much revenue for top players, no where near enough money to think about a new stadium.

A top 4 finish also means our form has improved by a dramatic amount, and the woodwork is free from dents.

Premier League needs a podium system so managers and captains
can hold aloft the might 3rd place trophy.

Its the F***ing future.

Don't even joke with that, I could seriously see it happen one day!

And I refuse to compromise and make a choice in this poll!

I can't control the future, and will simply continue to hope we win every competition we enter.

Well if you finish in the Top 4 consistently, you're more likely to win trophies in the long run. I think this is proven by the fact that the FA Cup winners generally (but not always) are regulars in the Champions League or have been in it in the few seasons before.

I'd rather see some more topics with depth and substance than this regurgitated sh*te again.

It's a bit of a misleading way to frame the debate isn't it?  (I'm not blaming the thread-starter, by the way, this kind of discussion comes up all the time amongst supporters.)  What I mean is that no one wants a place in the top four in and of itself.  It's not trophy-worthy to finish 2nd, 3rd, or 4th--nor should it be--and I don't think anyone thinks otherwise.  No, those who suggest that getting into the top 4 might be a higher priority than bringing home the Carling Cup (full disclosure, I'm one of them) do so, I think, for two reasons. 

First, the duh reason.  It gives you a shot at getting into the Champions League, which of course is a massive trophy to win (a sidebar to the whole trophy vs. top 4 debate: it must be acknowledged that not all trophies are esteemed equally).  Add to that the fact that Champions League football is a great source of revenue and a key factor in recruiting top players and I think it becomes fairly clear fairly quickly that the knock-on effects of getting into the Champions League positions are huge.  Huger than bagging another Carling Cup?  For me it is, yes.

Second, and just as significantly, getting in amongst the top four provides a platform for future league success.  Not just in terms of generating greater revenue or attracting better players but also in terms of building a sense of momentum and progress, cultivating a winning mentality and generally just providing a platform for future success in the league.  Ask yourselves, when was the last time a club finished outside the top four one year and went on to win the league the next?  It's a nearly impossible feat these days and it underscores why getting back into the top four is so important.  If we ever hope to reclaim the league title we need to be up at the business end of the table and the sooner we get there, the sooner we get our hands on title number 19.

Another way of posing this question is imagine yourself an Arsenal fan for a moment if that's not to hard to stomach..........
No trophies, silverwear, honours, history, nada  since 2005...oh except a regular top 4 finish.

Top four is just about money. Granted its required but in the long term meaningless when in 30 years time you count up the honours.

Now as a liverpool fan think what We have won since 2005? Would you swap that history for theirs?

I honestly think silverware is more attractive than finishing in the top four, but for obvious financial reasons the owners of any club would prefer a top 4 finish. I think the glamour of winning a cup competition has gone through the window for most of the big clubs apart from the fans which is unfortunate.

Short termism I'd just rather be playing Champions League football as that helps you attract the class of player to mount a title challenge and whilst Ive been fortunate enough to see us win a few league titles, I'd love to see us win a few more.

Bigger question would be this.

Domestic Cups (Carling/FA)

Champions League Trophy

League Trophy.


If it was me ( only my opinion of course) I would rate them

Champions of Europe
Champion of UK
FA Cup Champion
Carling Cup Champion


So while we as a club exist to win trophies my belief is that the 5 (European Champions Trophies) are the best of the bunch, however in order to add that 6th one we need to be in the top 4.

We should always aim to win the league and cup competitions are a bonus.
I would love us to be in the champions league after next season though, if only for the boost it would give us to be able to kick on the following season.

I'd rather win trophies.  That includes the Premier League trophy.

It's the lifeblood of the club.  If you finish second, third or fourth that should never be a reason to celebrate.  That's the sign of a sh*t club, not a club wanting to be the best.

So would i as a fan we want the glory of winning cups and leagues. But i voted for top four over any cup (other than Champions league and the league trophy which itself comes in the top four). For the owners they see the club as an investment and see the progress of the club in relative terms to other teams. Fourth places helps make their investment profitable and allow further investment into the club. Unfortunately we are own not by football owners but by investors and we can only spend what we earn and therefore CL is more important for the long term health of the club. Everybody knows the proud history of A villa or N forest and the trophies and titles they won but do their past glories mean anything today? (aside from their own support).
For me realism is important and we need realistic expectations. Of course that does not mean we dont go for the cups with full focus but rather 4th place should be the minimum. Likewise minor trophies should not be the be all and end all of our club even if they do reflect nicely on our overall statistics because of the economic realities we live in i.e we have no sugar candy owner, nor a massive stadium, and our present squad is probably the sixth best in the league. No offence to those who consider coming second is the same as finishing last but to me finishing between first to fourth allows the team to grow and pull away from the competition and we are in danger of falling too far behind. Therefore a little realism will do no harm to us all.

Yes, but it should have an interest of being Kings of Europe.

Top 4 gives that chance (2005 anybody?) FA Cup/League Cup doesn't.

Top 4 for me.

This

The two are not mutually exclusive.  Finishing top 4 regularly is generally a sign of being a better team overall, than one that wins the Carling Cup for example.  To add to this you cannot win the two major trophies without being top 4 - so therefore top 4 first, then winning the trophies that really matter.

Woo 4th. Oh wait. . . What? Ha ha. F**k off!

EVERYTHING BABY !

Woo 4th. Oh wait. . . What? Ha ha. F**k off!

exactly. Hasn't tonight just proven to FSG that "top 4" is not a prize? Not a trophy. For Spurs tonight... it actually means nothing!!

We cannot just aim for top 4!