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The three best teams in Europe are on a different planet to England's Champions League contingent.
It would take a freakish set of circumstances for us to win the CL, whereas I could see us winning the league on merit at some point soon.
nobody thought we'd win it. This season, Chelsea were basically handed the trophy as soon as they signed Cesc Fabregas. This Summer, half the PL will probably spend serious money; I don't see how that's going to make things any easier for us.
Arguably though, the extra PL cash will help us catch up with Europe. On the other hand, money isn't really an issue for us because we already actually have a squad decent enough to win either trophy, if not both.
Once in the thing I fail to understand why any club would not go out of their way to win it. Given the PL status as best league in the world ever I find the general success of English clubs in this tournament to be laughable.
I have never seen it referred to as a "gateway-trophy for Champions League success" unless success is simply defined as qualification. Real CL success is still, and probably always will be, the preserve of a small elite group of really huge European clubs.
We're not even in this group.
regardless of how much they spend.
There are too many culturally ingrained impediments to reaching the heights that Barca, Real and Bayern have achieved in recent years.
long term, and it did not involve winning the Europa League.
Chelsea or even Liverpool to win it themselves. England's record in the European Cup/Champions League is actually rather good. Basically, we don't give ourselves enough credit.
Our/Wenger's turn next, is all I'm saying.
Yes and No.
There is of course more to it than simply the above.
All the big players in Europe have players of that ilk and class, and always will have. While we will hopefully continue to grow and strengthen so will the others.
Our performances in Europe would still suggest we are as far away from winning it as we have ever been, save for the bizarre year that was 2006 of course.
It's just a cup competition anyway; it's bound to be our turn soon.
Welbz. Bless him.