Do we have the potential to make the Europa League groups?

[Hibernia&Alba]

Not just ourselves, but also Hearts and Aberdeen. Rangers, if they get it right, obviously have that potential, having been in the Champions League groups in the past. But, if you look at the some of the unheard of teams from tiny countries who are in the Europa group stage, Scotland must be capable of that, if things are done properly. We currently have Celtic who are good enough for the Champions League groups, then a huge gap, meaning no other Scottish club can even get through the Europa League qualifiers. What needs to happen to enable clubs which on paper should be Europa League standard, to get there?

[zitelli62]

Summer football

[Souter96Mac]

Aberdeen weren't far away, the team that beat them are 3rd in their group. Don't think Scotland is too far away. Rangers will, unfortunately, continue to strengthen, and Im confident in our chances to hopefully get into Europe this season or the next

[Dashing Bob S]

I would exempt Hearts from that list. I don’t think they are in the group that includes us, the Huns and Dons. This may change in the future but I can’t see it. They are a bottom of the top six, top of the bottom six type of club.

[DH1875]

Summer football

Luck of the draw.

[Thecat23]

Scottish Football is miles behind the so called “unheard of teams.” Our standard in coaching from youth (not all) is brutal. We need better coaches, and we need to copy the likes of Belgium or Germany.

Most importantly we need to get rid of Doncaster and start again from top to bottom.

[Hibernia&Alba]

Scottish Football is miles behind the so called “unheard of teams.” Our standard in coaching from youth (not all) is brutal. We need better coaches, and we need to copy the likes of Belgium or Germany.

Most importantly we need to get rid of Doncaster and start again from top to bottom.

I hear you, TC, but Cyprus and Azerbaijan are getting teams in the Champions League groups. Surely we could get a couple of teams into Europe's second competition.....

[Lancs Harp]

Taking our own club as an example I dont see why not. As a Championship side we were unluckily knocked out by Brondby (I say unlucky after giving a disappointing goal away in the home defeat to the Danes). Brondy then went on to knock Hertha out in the next round to make it to the group stages. That could easily have been us. So yes IMO we certainly have the potential to make the group stages in the Europa League. Add to that, that IMO we getting better all the time.

[Steve20]

I would exempt Hearts from that list. I don’t think they are in the group that includes us, the Huns and Dons. This may change in the future but I can’t see it. They are a bottom of the top six, top of the bottom six type of club.

I would say it's Aberdeen that are not in the same group. They're a bit ahead of ourselves, Rangers and Hearts who would all be roughly about the same.

[Hibernia&Alba]

I would exempt Hearts from that list. I don’t think they are in the group that includes us, the Huns and Dons. This may change in the future but I can’t see it. They are a bottom of the top six, top of the bottom six type of club.

Hearts would exempt themselves from the list. It's Champions League or nothing for the Gorgie giants.

[Michael]

Taking our own club as an example I dont see why not. As a Championship side we were unluckily knocked out by Brondby (I say unlucky after giving a disappointing goal away in the home defeat to the Danes). Brondy then went on to knock Hertha out in the next round to make it to the group stages. That could easily have been us. So yes IMO we certainly have the potential to make the group stages in the Europa League. Add to that, that IMO we getting better all the time.

Brondby were actually knocked out in the final qualifying round by Panathinaikos. Just shows how long and difficult the road to the group stage is.

[Lancs Harp]

Brondby were actually knocked out in the final qualifying round by Panathinaikos. Just shows how long and difficult the road to the group stage is.

Apologies if thats correct, I didnt realise there were that many pre qualifiers.

[Hibernia&Alba]

Apologies if thats correct, I didnt realise there were that many pre qualifiers.

Is it four qualifying rounds?

[Keith_M]

Scottish Football is miles behind the so called “unheard of teams.” Our standard in coaching from youth (not all) is brutal. We need better coaches, and we need to copy the likes of Belgium or Germany.

Most importantly we need to get rid of Doncaster and start again from top to bottom.


When I lived in Vienna, in addition to Austrian Football, we used to get football on TV from all the surrounding countries, e.g. Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic.

The standard of most of the teams I saw was way above the average Scottish Premier club in terms of talent. The players just seem to be more skilled.

None of those countries have particularly large populations and, apart from Austria, none are particularly wealthy. It made me wonder what it is that they do differently to us in regards to teaching kids football.

[Lancs Harp]

Is it four qualifying rounds?

Yeah just checked, three qualifying rounds and a play off round, so effectively four qualifying rounds.

We started in the second Qround, Brondby beat Hertha in the next Q round and as Michael says then fell in the "play off" to Panathinaikos.

Panathinaikos then went on to finish bottom of a group won by Ajax.

[Thecat23]

When I lived in Vienna, in addition to Austrian Football, we used to get football on TV from all the surrounding countries, e.g. Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic.

The standard of most of the teams I saw was way above the average Scottish Premier club in terms of talent. The players just seem to be more skilled.

None of those countries have particularly large populations and, apart from Austria, none are particularly wealthy. It made me wonder what it is that they do differently to us in regards to teaching kids football.

I’d imagine they simply coach them better. Different methods as well, where we haven’t moved on since the dark ages. Nothing will change either until we fully invest in moving forward with a proper plan.

[Thecat23]

I hear you, TC, but Cyprus and Azerbaijan are getting teams in the Champions League groups. Surely we could get a couple of teams into Europe's second competition.....

I don’t think we are anywhere near good enough sadly.

[Green Man]

When I lived in Vienna, in addition to Austrian Football, we used to get football on TV from all the surrounding countries, e.g. Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic.

The standard of most of the teams I saw was way above the average Scottish Premier club in terms of talent. The players just seem to be more skilled.

None of those countries have particularly large populations and, apart from Austria, none are particularly wealthy. It made me wonder what it is that they do differently to us in regards to teaching kids football.

I went to a Sparta Prague game a few years ago and was struck by how much better the players’ technique was than in Scotland.

[NAE NOOKIE]

The early start certainly is a factor. Irrespective of any gulf in skills or tactics what Scottish clubs always brought to the table was an intensity to the game which was foreign to most clubs they faced, who usually came from leagues where the pace of the game was slower. That's probably the same now, but our clubs when they enter the competition are about two or three weeks into pre season training and cant reach the intensity they could if we were 5 or so games into the season proper. I would be very interested to see how our European results over the last 10 years looked if the games had been played in November rather than July .... I'm willing to bet they would be at least 30% better.

That leaves us having to match teams on technical ability and tactics alone, areas where we are lagging behind most European countries and that gives them an advantage they didn't have before the modern era. Addressing that situation is a long term project and doesn't bode well for our chances in the short term.

As for the original question ..... Yes Hibs are capable of making the group stages, but we would need a huge slice of luck in the draw and the games themselves along the way to navigate 4 qualifying rounds just to get there. We would also need to hold on to players like John McGinn, which is unlikely.

What we need to do is be more like the Germans ...... whose 3 clubs left in the Europa league currently prop up all three groups they are in after 2 matches :greengrin

[SChibs]

When I lived in Vienna, in addition to Austrian Football, we used to get football on TV from all the surrounding countries, e.g. Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic.

The standard of most of the teams I saw was way above the average Scottish Premier club in terms of talent. The players just seem to be more skilled.

None of those countries have particularly large populations and, apart from Austria, none are particularly wealthy. It made me wonder what it is that they do differently to us in regards to teaching kids football.

This is because Scottish players aren't technically gifted. Not sure if this is down to coaching or what.

Even look at our best player John mcginn. Yes there's technical ability there but 2 of his best attributes are his strength and his engine

[Stokesy's on fire]

All depends on the draw some jammy teams get to play Rangers!

[where'stheslope]

Defo down to standards of coaching, we have not long completed our training ground facilities, yet I was in Gothenburg Sweden in 1978 and their facilities were out of this world, from inside football pitches to plastic pitches outside and even in the local parks all the pitches had nets and corner flags in place all the time.
They had coaching galleries so the coaches could show past games on video screens and wall charts for team tactics ect. .
At the moment its really only Scottish Professional or Semi Professional teams that have some of these structures now, they've had them for 40 years and to my mind, that is why they are progressing and we are just treading water trying to catch up!!!!

[Haymaker]

There's a lot that's wrong. From facilities and coaching standards to players mentality.

[Sir David Gray]

We're miles away from that stage.

[lucky]

I can't see us qualifying for the group stages any time soon. I'd be happy to see us get through a couple of rounds as that would be progress initially

[LancsHibs]

We're gonna win it next season!

[number9dream]

When St Johnstone got pumped out this year Tommy Wright was saying that the teams they have faced recently (from Armenia & Lithuania) are technically superior. But he just seemed to accept that as a given, lamenting his players giving the opposition too much time on the ball, rather than saying anything about improving standards here.

We must need a radical change in coaching methods since there has been a big improvement in facilities and other nations, who are not spending great sums of money, are leaving us behind.

[Firestarter]

No. Not prepared enough.