Realistically how far can we go in Europe these days?

Barker96

Well-Known Member
Looking at the financial gulf between us and the big leagues in Europe these days it makes achieving any inroads into the later stages of European football a very tall ask for us.

However comparing the squad with last year we have improved massively to the point where I believe we could give anyone in Europe a game on our day. Last season's squad had guys like Ejaria, Coulibaly, Middleton, Lafferty, Grezda & even Dorrans featuring in the games against Spartak Moscow and Villarreal - where we more than managed to hold our own.

That Villarreal team we drew with twice last season managed to reach the last 8 of the competition. Is it possible that with a few big performances and a decent draw we could do the same?

Is making a run into the latter stages of the Europa League more within in our reach than we think?
 
I think it’s a lot harder now there’s the prize of CL entry for the winner, unlucky not to get out the groups last season so I’d like to see us getting to last 16 or quarters with favourable draws. Hopefully it’s CL next season where getting to groups would be best we could hope for imo
 
Our seeding is the hindrance to getting out of the group stages. I might be wrong but Im sure if we qualify we will be in pot 4 again, which means 3 teams in our group have a higher co-efficient than us every single year. To qualify , we are having to punch above our weight time and time again.

Can we do it though? If we keep Morelos and we do get to the group stages, I have a feeling we will get out of it this year. It's then down to favourable draws and home form.

Beat Spartak at home last season and we'd have been through in all honesty.
 
Our seeding is the hindrance to getting out of the group stages. I might be wrong but Im sure if we qualify we will be in pot 4 again, which means 3 teams in our group have a higher co-efficient than us every single year. To qualify , we are having to punch above our weight time and time again.

Can we do it though? If we keep Morelos and we do get to the group stages, I have a feeling we will get out of it this year. It's then down to favourable draws and home form.

Beat Spartak at home last season and we'd have been through in all honesty.

That linesman in Moscow did for us.
No doubt we'd have won that with a 2 goal lead at half time.
 
Should we qualify (confident we will) get a decent group I dont see why we shouldn't be looking to qualify beyond Christmas! I fancy us to beat anyone at the moment, were unlucky last year
 
With a bit of luck we could get out the group if it's a good draw but realistically the group stages of the CL or EL is our level in the modern football world.
 
It's basically the luck of the draw.

Because of our seeding and coefficient we are at the mercy of that, we could easily have been handed an unfavorable draw in that last qualifier due to it.
 
Getting to the group stages again would be a fine achievement. Getting out of the group would confirm real progress from last season, as if it were needed. Then the CL dropouts would be parachuted in and only a really kind draw would see us progress further. Think by that time we would be poring all our efforts into 55.
 
It depends on how arsed the Champions league table drop outs are about the competition.

We should make the group stages and getting to the knockouts this year has to be a target.
 
Looking at the financial gulf between us and the big leagues in Europe these days it makes achieving any inroads into the later stages of European football a very tall ask for us.

However comparing the squad with last year we have improved massively to the point where I believe we could give anyone in Europe a game on our day. Last season's squad had guys like Ejaria, Coulibaly, Middleton, Lafferty, Grezda & even Dorrans featuring in the games against Spartak Moscow and Villarreal - where we more than managed to hold our own.

That Villarreal team we drew with twice last season managed to reach the last 8 of the competition. Is it possible that with a few big performances and a decent draw we could do the same?

Is making a run into the latter stages of the Europa League more within in our reach than we think?

Still to make it to the group stages, never mind qualify from that.

We also couldn't beat the fourth best team in Austria in a must-win game.

To quote Taylor Swift, we need to calm down.
 
Group stages given a bit of luck should be achievable the odd game after Xmas would be our limit I’m afraid.
But who knows in two or three years hopefully with year on year improvements we could be later round participants every year.
 
Group stages given a bit of luck should be achievable the odd game after Xmas would be our limit I’m afraid.
But who knows in two or three years hopefully with year on year improvements we could be later round participants every year.
If you look at the teams who make the last 8, it's not out of the question for that to happen occasionally with the luck of the draw on our side
 
RO16/QF of Europa league is the peak imo. Salzburg have proven that with a good coach/team and a bit of luck you can get further despite the growing gap financially between the big leagues and others but its getting harder and harder.
 
We could still get to a semi or a final of the Europa League with the right draw. I'm basing this on some of the teams to have gotten that far recently. Look at our 2008 run. We'd still have a chance against Greek, German, Portuguese and an Italian side like Fiorentina imo.

The seeding is the killer.
 
I’d be confident we could go beyond the group this year. If we maintain the current standards the squad will all push each other to be the best they can be. We now look like we’ll punish teams who make mistakes and that makes all the difference in Europe.
 
Despite what some say on here we have an extremely difficult tie ahead of us.Should we qualify we have done really well.I don't think we will go any further than that but I'll l sit back and enjoy the ride if we do.
 
Last 32/16 is doable imo if we have a lucky draw. We need to get past Legia which could be difficult.
 
Think we could go all the way to the final but if we only made the groups that would be another decent run for the manager and the squad. 100/1 to win it fantastic odds.

it might be the most difficult but its the one competition bent scottish officials cannae cheat us out of.
 
We have a tougher qualifying campaign this season compared to last but I honestly feel this current squad would have got out last years group and into the knockouts.

The goal is group stages and anything further is a big bonus but it all depends on the group draw. We would be pot 4 so it will be difficult and until the co efficient improves its going to be a nightmare each season trying to get into the groups.
 
When you look at the teams who've won it recently our chances are slim its CL sides that are winning it recently like Chelsea Atletico Man United Sevilla etc but Slavia Prague made the semis last year and I think we would at least give them a run over two legs
 
Being a pot 4 side it’s always difficult but you can guarantee one thing al the teams in pot 1-2-3 won’t want us. Saying tht a reckon after last year, another group stage or europa league is ok the nownfor us. Till we’re vack wining leagues getting more money behind us then we can maybe get to last 16 maybe a quarter final of europa league. Small steps!
 
The only think stopping our progress is playing dross every week in the spl. Our players need to be tested every week to be on the top of our game in Europe. Playing 10 men behind the ball is no preparation.
 
I'd like to see us go as far as we can. For me Groups is a minimum these days, barring an extremely unlucky draw (e.g. Frankfurt, Ajax). It's so crucial to our rebuild and title hopes from a financial perspective.

With the focus on the league, either a good showing in the Groups with some wins, or a scrape through the groups to the first knock out round would satisfy me. It's all about the away trips and the clubs we get to bring to Ibrox since we should be getting the likes of top 4 teams in the big leagues here for a showing.

My bank balance wishes we'd get pumped out early, costing me a bomb to follow us this season.
 
We should have qualified from the group last year

I think if we get there this year we will get out of the group as long as the draw isn't really terrible for us
 
Groups would be the minimum for me. With the odd appearance in the last 32/16 every few years. Our seeding can only improve which should help us a lot too
 
I think just getting to the groups considering the number of games we play is a huge huge achievement. Anything after that depends on the draw and a bit of luck. Sadly I think the days of any Scottish team in the CL group stages is past

I disagree.

Funny as it was, Celtic should have easily beaten Cluj midweek. They got a 1-1 draw away. Winning at the Piggery should have been a formality.

Slavia Prague would have been a difficult tie for them but it wouldn’t have been impossible.

You also have to remember that the only reason the co-efficient is so poor right now and that the Scottish champions have to face 4 CL qualifiers is because of our absence from the top flight. Now that we are back, the co-efficient will improve.
 
Our strongest 11 playing at the top of their game, we'd be capable of beating any EL team over two legs if we carry a little luck or they have an off day.
 
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