The Race For The Top Four

[Deutsch Wolf]

One to keep an eye on: Leicester will take a Europa League spot if they win the Conference League (they are currently hovering around favourites depending which bookie you use, alongside Roma and Marseille). 6th would then take the Conference spot and 7th would get nothing - all assuming one of the top six wins the FA Cup.

Of course West Ham could further disrupt it all by winning the Europa League and taking a Champions League spot, but I very much doubt it.

 

[Johnny75]

One to keep an eye on: Leicester will take a Europa League spot if they win the Conference League (they are currently hovering around favourites depending which bookie you use, alongside Roma and Marseille). 6th would then take the Conference spot and 7th would get nothing - all assuming one of the top six wins the FA Cup.

Of course West Ham could further disrupt it all by winning the Europa League and taking a Champions League spot, but I very much doubt it.

I thought the winners of the cups didn't affect the numbers in each country as they are 3 extra places?

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Pretty sure each country can only have a maximum of 7 teams across the competitions. Although UEFA do regularly change their mind!

 

[lemonjelly]

No team have won more Premier League games in 2022 than Wolves

Bodes well for the form discussion. God I really hope we get 4 points from the next 2 games. greedy I know!

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

With three competitions that would be potentially restricting.

Say one country with a four team allocation wins all 3 Competitions in the same season. That would imply that only the top four would make Europe! Champions + Champions League winner + Europa League Winner + second into champions league, Third plus Conference League winner into Europa, 4th into conference. And that would be assuming that the two cup competitions were won by the top four as well, or then it gets really murky.

 

[darlowolf64]

"The winner will gain a place in the following season's UEFA Europa League group stage if they have not qualified for the UEFA Champions League via their domestic competition."

UEFA Europa Conference League: What is it? How does it work? Why was it introduced? | UEFA Conference League 2023/24

Follow all the latest UEFA Conference League 2024/2025 news from the official UEFA.com site. Includes latest news stories, videos, match reports and much more.

www.uefa.com

Doesn't say anything about a Country losing any of their places

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Premier League Clubs in Europe & Qualification Explained for UEFA competitions

For an explanation of how Premier League clubs qualify for UEFA competitions in season 2022/23 and which clubs will feature, visit the official website of the Premier League.

www.premierleague.com

Says seven maximum here (but UEFA might fudge it if they have to)

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

That was with two competitions rather than three though. I suspect they might have to bump it up to a minimum of eight or nine.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Nah, includes the Conference League on the PL link.

I don't think Leicester will win it anyway

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Some decent teams still in. Basel, Feyenoord, Alkmaar, LASK, PSV Eindhoven, Stade Rennais, Marseille

 

[Mild 'n' Scratchins]

Bet 365
Arsenal 11/8
Man Utd 13/8
Spurs 11/4
West Ham 14/1
Wolves 20/1

The bookies know that when push comes to shove, VAR will fuck us over. Hope they, and me, are proven wrong.

 

[Mild 'n' Scratchins]

I couldn't possibly curse us by placing a bet on us finishing top 4.

I'm really, really hoping we can turn Arsenal over this week. We owe them one for the way they celebrated and generally acted like arseholes the other week and I reckon the players will be fired up for this one. We need Raul to turn up, though. I'd almost be tempted to play Hwang through the middle and to give Raul a rest ready for West Ham, but zero chance of Bruno doing that.

I bet Raul scores against Arsenal. It's written after what happened there last season and because he's being written off by many, again! Our number 9, give the ball to him, in a decent position in or around the box, and he will score! I do like a bit of ad-libbing.

 

[Tony Towner]

So theoretically we could finish 6th and miss out on Europe if Spurs, Arsenal or West Ham were to finish lower and win the FA Cup and Leicester win the Conference League

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I'm pondering the permutations and will try and give where I think it is at...give me a few minutes.

 

[Tony Towner]

In that event Top 4 CL, 5th Conference, Cup winner and Leicester Europa.
Even more hypothetical, 5th could miss out if Utd win the CL and finish outside the qualifying places.
Top 3 and Utd CL
4th Conference League, Cup winner and Leicester Europa

 

[Kenny]

So many ways for us to be fookin annoyed in May!!

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Right.

Let's start with the first certainty. The Conference League place is actually supposed to go to the winners of the League Cup. We know the final is Liverpool v Chelsea. When the winner qualifies for a higher ranked competition then the place will drop to a lower league position. Liverpool are going to make the Champions League places surely, and you would be staggered if Chelsea didn't at least make Europa League considering their current points total.

So assuming that, the current position would be Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, and the fourth place finisher into to the Champions League, fifth into the Europa League, FA Cup winner into the Europa league, sixth into the Conference League. All Europa and Conference positions would be directly into the group stages I believe, but I need to research that.

Let's next consider the Champions League. Liverpool City Chelsea and Manchester United are all in there. If any of the first three win it then they will almost certainly qualify by league position, so it shouldn't make any difference. United winning it if they didn't make fourth place becomes a fly in the ointment as there would be five teams in the Champions League and therefore only one in the Europa and the Conference can only ever be one team for England because of the high coefficient guaranteeing extra places in the higher competitions. So we don't want United to win the Champions League unless they also finish fourth (if we finished fifth right behind them).

FA Cup. We really could do with a Manchester City or Liverpool winning this. Or Chelsea would be okay. Ideally any Champions League qualifier winning it, bar Manchester United, West Ham or Spurs if we are trying to beat them to fourth. So let's hope they all lose in the cup.

Europa League. We absolutely do not want West Ham winning this competition. That would see them getting a Champions League spot, which hugely restricts our chances of getting in.

Conference. We equally don't want Leicester winning this competition. Automatic Europa League spot.

That's all I have for now. Obviously will add to it as the race continues like I did three years ago, as it is stuff I find interesting.

 

[BillyDee]

5th place Europa League spot is pre-qualifying I believe.

Edit: No, I'm wrong both Europa are group stage. Conference is play off.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Not next year. Two English clubs direct into the groups and no team into qualifying, because of the Conference League now.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

FA Cup: United and Arsenal are gone which is handy (shame we messed our own bit of this up!).

Chelsea have Luton, City have Peterborough and Liverpool have Norwich. All should be in the last eight and we want one of these to win it, so that's all good.

Spurs have a tricky tie away at Boro who are in decent form. West Ham could well get knocked out at Southampton, but we don't want Saints robbing a spot by winning the cup either. Everton have as good as a bye at home to Boreham Wood - they can have their win there but get knocked out in the next round please.