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Didnt Porstmouth get the european place last season for losing the FA cup final but couldnt play because of their finances?

To find us in the postion we're in is remarkable when you consider that we gave the top 5 a half season head start?

yea i think that was the case with pompey. it's all explained here though

http://www.talksport.co.uk/magazine/feat...ively-explained

and yes i agree. nobody would have thought we would be so close to the other top teams. great work by kenny and his staff and also by the players who have responded brilliantly.

yea because they went into administration.

id rather we did get into europa, its another trophy we can go in to win. also itd give kenny the chance to throw in some younsgters with experienced squad members.

altho, its not the be all and end all if we didnt, it was just nice to go to a saturday game yday and not having to worry about work on a monday.

we should try and finish 4th but finishing 5th would be awful its just a distraction we don't need theres no money in the EL. so unless we are going to just use all the youngsters then it is actually useless on every level waste of energy. we'd have an outside chance of the title if we're playing weekend to weekend next season, but thursday, sunday makes it impossible to maintain a real challenge domestically witch is what we all want

We don't have an outside chance of winning the title unless we buy 5+ players who ae a mix of world class and very good. Top 4 is what we have a chance of if we miss out on europa.

I detest the Europa Cup and Cup Winners Cup. Although its quality has improved tremendously over the last 2 years with teams like Porto, Villareal etc, it is just such a major distraction for us. Playing on Thursday and then playing on Sunday and playing catch up is a real pain. Plus if you play away in far places like Russia, Hungary or Greece, the travelling creates fatigue and it is evident on the field.

But playing in Europe attracts players Europa Cup or Champions League.

But just once, i would like to see us missing out on it to give the players the focus and a real clean shot at the title.

Under Kenny we have had 26 points from 12 games. That maps out to 82.3 pts over 38 games.

Man United have 73 points from 34 games. That maps out to 81.6 pts over 38 games.

Since Kenny joined (all 14 EPL games) we're 3rd on form behind Man U and Chelsea. However, if one reduces that to the last 12 games (giving Kenny a week's grace in his new position), his 26 points (8-2-2) is second only to Chelsea's 29 (who've lost only once over the period [to us], while the scum have 25). We've also scored in every game, and kept the most clean sheets for the period. Dirk Kuyt's gone from nothing man to being one goal away from his highest ever EPL tally in a season, and the squad has transformed from one-man-band SG into a side that threatens to leave him on the bench!

So tell me: who's the man?

There are three Europa League slots available for English teams next season and Birmingham, as the Carling Cup winners, have already claimed one. One other has been earmarked for whoever wins the FA Cup and the third for the team that finishes fifth in the Premier League.

The FA Cup will be won by either Manchester City or Stoke. City, however, want to qualify for the Champions League rather than the Europa League and will do so if they finish in the top four. If they do then Stoke can lose the cup final and still qualify for the Europa League as runners-up.

But if City finish fifth then Stoke will have to win the FA Cup to qualify for Europe as if City lift the famous trophy they will go into the Europa League through the FA Cup, which takes priority. Therefore the FA Cup qualification slot would be deemed as filled by the winners, fifth place becomes irrelevant - and the door for the final Europa League place opens for the team in sixth, currently Liverpool.

This has created two potential problems. The first is that if Stoke lose the FA Cup final then losing their Premier League fixture with City, which has been rescheduled for three days later, would help them qualify for Europe as it would boost their opponents’ chances of staying in the top four.
Also, Liverpool face the team currently in fifth - Tottenham - the day after the FA Cup final and know that if they lose that game the three points will boost Spurs’ chances of pushing City out of the top four and therefore turning sixth place into a Euro slot. But that will not be an issue if Stoke have already won the cup