January Transfer Window

[Juanito]

I like the other Doue playing in the French league

That’s his brother! He can also play defensive midfielder. I’m in

[Toddacelli]

Don't listen to them.

If we get mickey mouse Europe, then fine, as long as it doesn't inhibit any Premier League performance for it. (Which will be difficult)

We probably don't need reminding that clubs (with considerably more resources and squad depth than us) making Europa finals have consequently suffered in the league.

What’s the stats on this? Not being argumentative - genuinely interested.

For teams who have made European football, what has been the impact to their league position compared to the season before?

Is there a trend?

Also, is there some way to see what type of signings they make over the next few years and if their position improves over the next few years after the initial drop (if there is one).

I would suspect that even if there is a couple of positions drop that same season, that recruitment might show more experienced European players being signed (experienced playing European football, not experienced European footballers), which might even improve league position over the next few years. Not always - but if done well.

I just can’t help but think of some of the players we’ve been linked to and lost out to other teams. Players who have picked the likes of Forest, Leeds and Palace over us.

But do we have data that says I’m full of shit?

[Kerryblueboy]

If it was the conference league the standard is very average I would use it to blood players and give squad players game time yeah we would need 4/5 more but it’s very manageable and the extra income would be great

[Paddockoldie]

I'm sure getting into Europe impacted on Martinez's team. You need a quality squad, which is backed up when you look at the top 4 being in the CL every year

[Bluedylan1]

Moyes has managed to get a decent but unremarkable West Ham team into Europe by finishing 6th. The following season he got them to the Europa League semi-final and finished 7th in the league, and the season after that they finished 14th in the league and won the Conference League.

If we had an arc anywhere near that, I think we'd all be pretty delighted.

I think if we did make any sort of Europe this season, we would have to bring a good few players in but that's fine. As others have said Europa/Conference are absolutely perfect for developing young players, and you don't have to do all that much to qualify or at least get to the playoff.

I understand people's natural caution and trepidation but the manager, the owners and the players would all love to get Europe and it's exactly what we should be aiming for ASAP.

[Bumble]

Our fans love to overthink things and come up with all kinds of narratives in their heads like some kind of VR Championship Manager game.

Just win football matches and what will be will be. We have a board and manager whose job it is to navigate our way through the fixture list. We as fans just need to embrace it all and try to enjoy it.

[biziclop]

The trouble with the "qualifying for Europe hinders domestic performance" theory is that the data doesn't quite support it.

Yes, many teams fall back the year after reaching the Europa places but the key word there is "reaching". We crashed hard the year after we came 4th and you can hardly blame that on the large amounts of extra games we had to play in Europe. Instead what happened was what statistically is likely to happen if you reach an outstanding result: you won't achieve it on your next attempt. That's why it was an outstanding result.

So yeah, if we reach Europe this season we're likely to not do as well next season but probably not because of Europe.

[superpull]

Moyes has managed to get a decent but unremarkable West Ham team into Europe by finishing 6th. The following season he got them to the Europa League semi-final and finished 7th in the league, and the season after that they finished 14th in the league and won the Conference League.

If we had an arc anywhere near that, I think we'd all be pretty delighted.

I think if we did make any sort of Europe this season, we would have to bring a good few players in but that's fine. As others have said Europa/Conference are absolutely perfect for developing young players, and you don't have to do all that much to qualify or at least get to the playoff.

I understand people's natural caution and trepidation but the manager, the owners and the players would all love to get Europe and it's exactly what we should be aiming for ASAP.

I think, much like West Ham, there'd be calls for him to be sacked if we finished 14th after two top 10 finishes. Even with a conference League win.

In the right here and now, however, I'd love that to be the next 3 years (as long as we kicked on in year 4 and don't actually follow West Hams example)

[UnsyisaRhino]

Our fans love to overthink things and come up with all kinds of narratives in their heads like some kind of VR Championship Manager game.

Just win football matches and what will be will be. We have a board and manager whose job it is to navigate our way through the fixture list. We as fans just need to embrace it all and try to enjoy it.

More games + tiny disfunction squad that needs lots of work = potential problem isnt a complex narrative.

You could apply your second paragraph to literally any discussion on here.

[TheRam]

Two full backs

One centre mid, or an attacking mid

Two wide players

Striker to back up Barry

I don’t think the squad is that small, or needs a huge amount of work doing to it.

If we do qualify for europe that in itself would tell us we have a very good base to build from.

[UnsyisaRhino]

Two full backs

One centre mid, or an attacking mid

Two wide players

Striker to back up Barry

I don’t think the squad is that small, or needs a huge amount of work doing to it.

If we do qualify for europe that in itself would tell us we have a very good base to build from.

Honestly, my opinion on the squad changes week after week as we see moyes gets more and more out of players I thought we'd need to replace or had written off entirely.

If he gets Patterson playing then anything is possible.

[kramer]

Two full backs

One centre mid, or an attacking mid

Two wide players

Striker to back up Barry

I don’t think the squad is that small, or needs a huge amount of work doing to it.

If we do qualify for europe that in itself would tell us we have a very good base to build from.

This is a perfect-sized wishlist for next summer.

Things can always change for unexpected reasons but I’m really happy with the squad building so far. Good age profiles except for a couple of necessary tone-setters / mentors, not overpaying, not trying to do too much at once.

First time I’ve felt reasonably optimistic in a long time.

Really hope Moyes can go out with a signature trophy or two. FA Cup plus one of the two smaller European ones.

[Bluedylan1]

I think, much like West Ham, there'd be calls for him to be sacked if we finished 14th after two top 10 finishes. Even with a conference League win.

In the right here and now, however, I'd love that to be the next 3 years (as long as we kicked on in year 4 and don't actually follow West Hams example)

Yeah I think that's fair.

And much as I love him, I think it would be quite reasonable to change manager after that. He'd have achieved his brief of making us a European side again, and then we could make a more ambitious appointment.

[Evertonfc15]

The trouble with the "qualifying for Europe hinders domestic performance" theory is that the data doesn't quite support it.

Yes, many teams fall back the year after reaching the Europa places but the key word there is "reaching". We crashed hard the year after we came 4th and you can hardly blame that on the large amounts of extra games we had to play in Europe. Instead what happened was what statistically is likely to happen if you reach an outstanding result: you won't achieve it on your next attempt. That's why it was an outstanding result.

So yeah, if we reach Europe this season we're likely to not do as well next season but probably not because of Europe.

cant agree with that mate its exactly because of europe with the extra games every thursday that takes its physical and mental toll on the players - which effects their performance in the prem
IF we were to add to the squad in january and next summer and we have a much stronger in depth squad - our performances in the prem may then not suffer position wise and we could maintain our top half of the table momentum with a stronger squad

[Goaljira]

Its not simply a case of 'after therefore becsuse of'.

If a team does well then its players have done well. This results in the fairly regular occurrence that the team overperforming expectations gets their best players taken by the bigger clubs which are then irreplaceable. Or if they keep them they get international call ups, which also means more games and more risks of injury.