Priorities

[milo]

It is just over the half way point in the season and we are still in all competitions (at least until tomorrow night). In what order should we prioritise them over the coming months?

 

[Cochise]

EL> League> League Cup> FA Cup

 

[braineclipse]

Very close between EL, PL and LC for me right now. FA-cup a fairly clear 4th.

Have to go fully for the League Cup being just two games from a final. Obviously can't down prioritize a final if we get there. So probably the one tournament that cannot be taken lightly at all at this point.

More balanced between the EL and PL with so much of the season left to go. Had we been 10 points off 4th it would be an easier prioritization, but we're not.

 

[Gutter Boy]

For me the important things this season are:

1) Silverware
2) EL qualification


So the best routes to those things at this point in time are:

1) LC
2) League
3) EL
4) FAC

 

[Modric THFC]

Building for next season. Don't care about results or where we finish in competitions.
Want the high pressing and high tempo passing working.

 

[chicken_badge]

The usual debate is CL qualification or silverware? And some people always miss the point of a debate and say "don't see why you can't have both!"

However that's not the question here so my priority is to try and get as close to that double aim as possible.

We have a very real chance of silverware in the League Cup. Sheff United over two legs really should not be a problem, we are better than Liverpool and have shown we can give Chelsea a match. I think we are therefore looking at prioritising this over the league for two matches at most. So that's number one for me.

Second is the league. Top four is an obsession but it's come back round now and we are a good position. I do not think Southampton will last, not that Allardyce team. United will. Liverpool and Everton aren't good enough to get back into the hunt. We are on the up, squad getting more settled and confident. Will be a straight fight between us and them again.

FA Cup is lowest priority at this stage.

Things will be clearer when we take the field for the EL again, League Cup done and the results of some big league games known. So this can wait in terms of priority... an ideal would be to going into the Fiorentina match with the league cup in the bag and us positioned in the top four with a win over Arsenal in the bag. Then it's less of a priority. If let's say we don't win the LC and the goons have steamrollered up to fourth then maybe we say let's go all or nothing - win a trophy and nail that CL qualification at the same time.

However, bar the FA Cup all these competitions are almost independent in terms of priorities. Only way I can see it being an issue is with transfers, eg Schneiderlin would be eligible for the EL but not domestic cups, opposite with, I don't know, Doumbia

 

[billyiddo]

The overriding priority, for me, has to be to develop the team and style of play over the remainder of the season - i hope we don't lose sight of that if we miss out at the final hurdle on any of the above...

That said, top 4 looks more and more acheivable as the season goes on and we keep ourselves close to the pack with hopefully a lot of room for improvement.

Immediate concern though is the league cup, one round from the final and a welcome piece of silverwear - give that a right good go and reassess the situation from there.

 

[DubaiSpur]

1) League Cup final at Wembley - I don`t particularly care what happens when we get there (relatively reasonable probability of us losing to Liverpool/Chelsea), but we have a young side still growing into their roles under Poch, and I'd like them to get a taste of playing at Wembley and contesting for trophies, whatever the result. It will hopefully allow us to begin acquiring a real winning mentality (trophy/competition wise) going forward. So, this for me, is absolutely vital atm: we simply have to get through to the final, and that means winning against a brutishly difficult Blades side.

2) Bedding in under Poch - next most important. Come what may, I won't judge Poch until next season's underway: it is thus important that he uses the goodwill engineered by the Chelsea win/LC run to implement his ideas more fully and build a squad more suited to his preferences. Results are secondary: I really only want to see evidence that we're picking up Poch's ideas and improving over time.

3) EL - Chance to get into the CL via an unconventional method, and we've got a couple of fun-looking ties against Fiorentina. We should experiment and try to play our way towards the final stages without putting in any amount of effort that would unacceptably harm our chances elsewhere: I.e, we should just take it as it comes and see where that gets us. Fairly low priority, but not a throwaway by any means.

4) FA Cup - We're in an awful lot of competitions atm, and will inevitably pick up injuries and fatigued players as the season wears on. Ergo, I just feel this is one competition too many this year (note: this year only).

 

[suffolkspur]

I think at this stage we really should do everything we can to go for the league cup and win our first piece of silverware under Poch. I think it's incredibly important for the players to have that taste of success which will allow them to develop confidence and belief and hopefully breed that winning mentality.

I think after that the top four is looking open with teams such as Utd, Arsenal and definetly Liverpool looking at times very vulnerable. If we can carry on picking up results in the league as we have done recently we have a very good chance of qualifying for champions league which i didn't think we would have much of a chance of at the start of the season.

 

[Eriktheviking]

It's all about winning things so imho getting to the League Cup Final is imperative, once there it is the performance on the day that determines it. After that I'd say PL, EL, FAC.

 

[milo]

1) League Cup final at Wembley - I don`t particularly care what happens when we get there (relatively reasonable probability of us losing to Liverpool/Chelsea), but we have a young side still growing into their roles under Poch, and I'd like them to get a taste of playing at Wembley and contesting for trophies, whatever the result. It will hopefully allow us to begin acquiring a real winning mentality (trophy/competition wise) going forward. So, this for me, is absolutely vital atm: we simply have to get through to the final, and that means winning against a brutishly difficult Blades side.

2) Bedding in under Poch - next most important. Come what may, I won't judge Poch until next season's underway: it is thus important that he uses the goodwill engineered by the Chelsea win/LC run to implement his ideas more fully and build a squad more suited to his preferences. Results are secondary: I really only want to see evidence that we're picking up Poch's ideas and improving over time.

3) EL - Chance to get into the CL via an unconventional method, and we've got a couple of fun-looking ties against Fiorentina. We should experiment and try to play our way towards the final stages without putting in any amount of effort that would unacceptably harm our chances elsewhere: I.e, we should just take it as it comes and see where that gets us. Fairly low priority, but not a throwaway by any means.

4) FA Cup - We're in an awful lot of competitions atm, and will inevitably pick up injuries and fatigued players as the season wears on. Ergo, I just feel this is one competition too many this year (note: this year only).

Where would you put league finish in your list of priorities DS?

 

[Baleforce]

the most important thing in my opinion, way ahead of everything else, is getting back in the CL, the fact that its still a possibility this season is a credit to everyone at the club, i think sneaking 4th (the top 3 are sown up i'd say) is currently more likely than us winning the EL but we need to do everything we can to stay in that as well

 

[DubaiSpur]

Where would you put league finish in your list of priorities DS?

Bottom, with a qualifier: as long as we finish in the top fourteen. I thought it tied in with the disregard for results in the 'Bedding in under Poch' point: I don't really care if we win or lose, as long as there are consistent displays of improvement in our play and evidence of a team buying into Poch's philosophy and coming out better for it.

Why, do you feel differently? I've tended to assume that on this point, your thinking isn't that different to mine.

 

[DubaiSpur]

the most important thing in my opinion, way ahead of everything else, is getting back in the CL, the fact that its still a possibility this season is a credit to everyone at the club, i think sneaking 4th (the top 3 are sown up i'd say) is currently more likely than us winning the EL but we need to do everything we can to stay in that as well

Out of curiosity, why? It's a valid opinion to have, but I'd have imagined that perfecting a long-term style of play would be more beneficial to us (in a Klopp-Dortmund sort of way) than just momentary qualification to the CL (with all the attendant pressures that would bring).

 

[milo]

Bottom, with a qualifier: as long as we finish in the top fourteen. I thought it tied in with the disregard for results in the 'Bedding in under Poch' point: I don't really care if we win or lose, as long as there are consistent displays of improvement in our play and evidence of a team buying into Poch's philosophy and coming out better for it.

Why, do you feel differently? I've tended to assume that on this point, your thinking isn't that different to mine.

Thanks. I thought that you had tied it in with the bedding in under Poch but I wanted to check I understood.

I think that my order would be:

LC > PL > EL > FAC

but it is a tough call. I have always been willing to give Poch the season to sort things out and still am but a top four finish would be a massive achievement that I find very enticing.

 

[markysimmo]

I'd love us to win a trophy, especially with the arseholes down the road winning the cup last year

 

[the dza]

Game to game, just play the strongest team we can and rotate accordingly. Priorities will change with results (if we lose a few in the league, they become less important). Or if we win well in the first leg of the semi final, then we obviously give players a break in the 2nd leg. But generally, we should be looking to keep winning imo. Certainly not binning off any games or the FA Cup.

 

[milo]

Game to game, just play the strongest team we can and rotate accordingly. Priorities will change with results (if we lose a few in the league, they become less important). Or if we win well in the first leg of the semi final, then we obviously give players a break in the 2nd leg. But generally, we should be looking to keep winning imo. Certainly not binning off any games or the FA Cup.

Come on, it is just a bit of fun. Put the league, Europe, league cup and FA cup in the order that you would prioritise them right now.

 

[the dza]

Come on, it is just a bit of fun. Put the league, Europe, league cup and FA cup in the order that you would prioritise them right now.

Ok, in that case, I'd go league cup as number 1, as it's the trophy we've got the best chance of winning.

I can't really seperate the rest right now -- we're a fair way from winning the FA Cup and there's a long way to go for top 4 and Europa League. So those comps we'd just have to rotate as best we can until it seems like we're in with a good shout of something.

But I kinda welched out of the question again haha...ok, ok. 1. league cup. 2. league. 3 Europa League. 4. FA Cup.

 

[Joesh]

I think writing off competitions is a bit dangerous, especially as Harry did with the EL, we have a decent squad to cope with the demands. The more games we get, the more chances players get to prove they have a future here which is also huge in building towards next season. Hopefully we'll get in to good winning positions where we can sub our top players early in games instead of risking games too much.

BTW, what is the story with winning the EL, does the spot from that come at the expense of whoever finishes 4th?