Does European Qualification matter this season ?

[worcesterhibby]

With ther Foley money incoming we are already seeing better quality players being bought and some of our lesser players leaving. All in all it looks like it's probably too late to make a push for third this season and in reality, our main aim at the moment is to retain a top 6 place. But 5th or 6th or even 7th is probably our most likely finishing position. Assuming we don't qualify by winning the Scottish Cup.. I wonder if not qualifiying for Europe would be such a bad thing next season.

We are obviously going to have a team in transition, new and improved. I wonder of Sunday/ Thursday football every week would be a benefit, or if we wouldn't be better just concentrating on the league and really, really pushing for 3rd place. Yes it will mean income lost...but Foley seems to have the financial oommph to mean that shouldn't matter too much for one season.

Of course none of us would turn it down if we went on a brilliant run and came 3rd or more likely 4th.. or even won the cup. But I wonder if it would make our league campaign harder to next season. It certainly hasn't helped Aberdeen this season.. they played pretty decent stuff in Europe and put a lot into it energy wise, which you could see was lacking in many of the league games.

In the fullness of time we NEED to be able to compete in the SPFL and Europe.. but maybe next season is at least one season too soon.

[Not In The Know]

Yes it does. It means a rival doesn’t if we do.

[BS44]

With ther Foley money incoming we are already seeing better quality players being bought and some of our lesser players leaving. All in all it looks like it's probably too late to make a push for third this season and in reality, our main aim at the moment is to retain a top 6 place. But 5th or 6th or even 7th is probably our most likely finishing position. Assuming we don't qualify by winning the Scottish Cup.. I wonder if not qualifiying for Europe would be such a bad thing next season.

We are obviously going to have a team in transition, new and improved. I wonder of Sunday/ Thursday football every week would be a benefit, or if we wouldn't be better just concentrating on the league and really, really pushing for 3rd place. Yes it will mean income lost...but Foley seems to have the financial oommph to mean that shouldn't matter too much for one season.

Of course none of us would turn it down if we went on a brilliant run and came 3rd or more likely 4th.. or even won the cup. But I wonder if it would make our league campaign harder to next season. It certainly hasn't helped Aberdeen this season.. they played pretty decent stuff in Europe and put a lot into it energy wise, which you could see was lacking in many of the league games.

In the fullness of time we NEED to be able to compete in the SPFL and Europe.. but maybe next season is at least one season too soon.

Of course it matters.

[Trinity Hibee]

Likelihood is we’ll never progress far in Europe but the money it brings and the fact it can attract better players is the main reason we need it.

I think the automatic group stage ends for Scottish clubs from next season so looks like we’ve missed out on that guarantee unfortunately.

[Stuart93]

Eh?

It’s what we have to be striving for every season

It likely “doesn’t matter” cause hearts are running away with third.

It’s been a transition every summer now for a few years so what’s the difference

[Since452]

I think this is the last season that 3rd guarantees the group stages (i may be wrong). Knowing our luck we'll finish 3rd next season and fail to win the playoff. For me Europe isn't about the money and the players we could maybe attract, that's just an added bonus. It's more about the memories of travelling with your mates. Can't put a price on that.

I get the point about teams struggling in the league while in Europe. We did this very season. Qualifying for Europe will always be of huge importance for Hibs, it's in the very fabric of the club.

[Steve20]

In terms of money for the club, yeah it does.

But other than that, finishing 4th or 5th and getting in Europe just means not making the groups. There was no excuse not to put a team together that could challenge for 3rd, but we've failed AGAIN and Hearts have it in the bag before the end of January. Leaves us millions behind them in putting money into the team for next season already.

Filling our squad next season with 18-21 year old Bournemouth youth players isn't going to have us challenging either.

[Centre Hawf]

I get the sentiment behind the post, you do see for example the chat from fans of clubs in the Prem who miss out on Europe talk about the benefit of focusing on the league that season. But I think ultimately we're not, nor will likely ever, be in the position to think that way.

I also don't massively believe it is a big hinderance, assuming you only make it to the final qualifier you realistically only play an extra 4 or 6 games at the start of the season before the transfer window is even shut. It shouldn't impact your season. The groups I can maybe understand a bit more as it goes into Christmas.

[Winston Ingram]

Of course it does. As does a top 6 finish.

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

For me Europe isn't about the money and the players we could maybe attract, that's just an added bonus. It's more about the memories of travelling with your mates. Can't put a price on that.

Very much this.

[Hibernian Verse]

Yes because I want to get my passport out

[Broken Gnome]

I can see it from the view it might not be as vital as it could have been. Without Foley, the financial boost Hearts gain on us would be pretty difficult to deal with. With Foley, it's offset the blow of that and they won't have the competitive advantage they might have had.

[xbar81]

If we do get Europe via the league we will have to play a lot of qualifiers to get to the serious bit. We ain't getting 3rd that's for sure. 4th would be incredible..

[Smartie]

It should, but I can't see this summer being anything other than a continuation of our "spell of permanent transition" and European football based on our likely league position would be something that only offers an underprepared squad an opportunity to get it's erse skelped.

Maybe next year, this year it'll probably only provide us with more ammunition to hound out either this manager or the next one.

[LaMotta]

Yes of course! I'd quite like another couple of trips similar to Luzern and Villa thank you!

[xbar81]

As we head into the last round of fixtures we should have a clearer picture of what is realistic. Hearts may still lose Shankland in the next few days and therefore may hardly score any more goals this season (fingers crossed). The cup is still a wild card and sometimes beaten finalist get into Europe, is that still going?

[wookie70]

Hugely unlikely we catch 3rd but stranger things have happened. Win our game in hand and beat them twice and all of a sudden it is possible albeit highly unlikely. Finishing as high up the table as we can is the goal. Europe doesn't really matter our aim should always be to finish above as many of our rivals as possible

[VoltaireHibs]

If we do get Europe via the league we will have to play a lot of qualifiers to get to the serious bit. We ain't getting 3rd that's for sure. 4th would be incredible..

I think fourth is achievable. Mainly because no one outside of Hearts have found any real consistency. I'd be concerned about Aberdeen if they binned Robson and finally picked a decent manager. That aside I think we're 5 points off fourth as it stands. Plenty to play for.

A hamstring injury or transfer for Shankland would also be helpful.

And if we do clinch 4th there will be a few red faces on here. Mine will just be a gentle pink blush...

[Hibernian Verse]

As we head into the last round of fixtures we should have a clearer picture of what is realistic. Hearts may still lose Shankland in the next few days and therefore may hardly score any more goals this season (fingers crossed). The cup is still a wild card and sometimes beaten finalist get into Europe, is that still going?

No, and hasn't for about a decade. You have to win it.

[xbar81]

No, and hasn't for about a decade. You have to win it.

thanks.

[Smartie]

Yes of course! I'd quite like another couple of trips similar to Luzern and Villa thank you!

TBF - this sort of thing shouldn't be underestimated.

A chance for our fans to go on the piss in a different place is a reasonable reward for a decent season, even if the on field reward or financial gain doesn't really amount to much.

[Wilson]

Hugely unlikely we catch 3rd but stranger things have happened. Win our game in hand and beat them twice and all of a sudden it is possible albeit highly unlikely. Finishing as high up the table as we can is the goal. Europe doesn't really matter our aim should always be to finish above as many of our rivals as possible

The aim is third. I don't know why people shy away from stating that as the target. Third is realistic. It's attainable for a club our size. We might fail to get it but it is the aim.

Europe matters. Scottish football is nothing and nowhere. The money and status is in European competition. Nobody in world football cares about hibs. They care when we win big European nights against teams from their leagues. Our model needs us to be there. If we're to be an attractive proposition for big talent loan signings. If we want our players in the shop window for multi million pound moves, then of course Europe matters.

[overdrive]

I think this is the last season that 3rd guarantees the group stages (i may be wrong). Knowing our luck we'll finish 3rd next season and fail to win the playoff. For me Europe isn't about the money and the players we could maybe attract, that's just an added bonus. It's more about the memories of travelling with your mates. Can't put a price on that.

I get the point about teams struggling in the league while in Europe. We did this very season. Qualifying for Europe will always be of huge importance for Hibs, it's in the very fabric of the club.

Third doesn’t guarantee group stage football even now or the past few seasons. Winning the cup does. It is only because the winner of the cup has been Celtic or Rangers who had already qualified for a higher European entry (i.e. Champions League / CL qualifying) that has meant third place has guaranteed group stage football.

If Hearts finish third and we win the cup, we would get the group stage football.

[xbar81]

The aim is third. I don't know why people shy away from stating that as the target. Third is realistic. It's attainable for a club our size. We might fail to get it but it is the aim.

Europe matters. Scottish football is nothing and nowhere. The money and status is in European competition. Nobody in world football cares about hibs. They care when we win big European nights against teams from their leagues. Our model needs us to be there. If we're to be an attractive proposition for big talent loan signings. If we want our players in the shop window for multi million pound moves, then of course Europe matters.

pipe dream if you think we're getting anywhere near 3rd. If Hearts foouk it up then someone else will nab it.

[Gloucester Hibs]

Of course it matters, and with the Foley investment there’s no reason we shouldn’t be making it through a conference league playoff round (with a favourable draw).

[LaMotta]

TBF - this sort of thing shouldn't be underestimated.

A chance for our fans to go on the piss in a different place is a reasonable reward for a decent season, even if the on field reward or financial gain doesn't really amount to much.

:agree: High point of the season so far. ( Well Switzerland was). Hoping for a few more highs before May.

[xbar81]

:agree: High point of the season so far. ( Well Switzerland was). Hoping for a few more highs before May.

Don't think villa was in any doubt but it's good to draw an English team

[southern hibby]

Of course it does cause it means we’ve won the Scottish cup.

GGTTH

[BoomtownHibees]

Of course it does cause it means we’ve won the Scottish cup.

GGTTH

Or finished 4th/5th in the league

[xbar81]

so 5th is the one where we have to play about 4 games just to get into main bit?

[Stanton Spence]

Just come on here for the first time today and there’s some right toppers off threads and I don’t know what’s worse the “enjoy him while he’s here” or the Lennon still interested or this one 😂
Off course European qualification matters and more for the trip or trips for the fans etc than the money for me but also I’m sure the money helps the club

[Paulie Walnuts]

It most definitely matters.

[hibee-boys]

No offence to the OP but the question shouldn’t even be up for debate……qualifying for European football will always matter.

[Smartie]

No offence to the OP but the question shouldn’t even be up for debate……qualifying for European football will always matter.

I agree with the second part of this but I do think the OP has merit.

Will Lee Johnson be happy, looking back, that he got into Europe last season and had to juggle the run of games he had at the start of the season (the run that cost him his job) with the squad he had?

Do we expect our situation to be much better this summer?

European qualification is always our aim but it often does turn out to be a bit of a poisoned chalice so I think the discussion is fair game.

[TrinityHFC]

I agree with the second part of this but I do think the OP has merit.

Will Lee Johnson be happy, looking back, that he got into Europe last season and had to juggle the run of games he had at the start of the season (the run that cost him his job) with the squad he had?

Do we expect our situation to be much better this summer?

European qualification is always our aim but it often does turn out to be a bit of a poisoned chalice so I think the discussion is fair game.

Being prepared for it is a different question. Of course it matters. It is largely all we have to play for these days.

[JammyDoidger]

This is the last season that Third guarantees group stage football, so it's massively important, the thought of Hearts getting it twice, Aberdeen getting it once and us getting Brussels sprout as usual pisses me right off tbh.

[southern hibby]

Or finished 4th/5th in the league

Yeah I know that but I’m aiming for the group stages.

GGTTH

[worcesterhibby]

Ok ok I get the message, its important ! :greengrin

[overdrive]

so 5th is the one where we have to play about 4 games just to get into main bit?

5th doesn’t get into Europe unless a team finishing 4th or above wins the Cup.

4th is the one where you have to play loads of games. The team finishing 5th gets that spot if a higher placed team wins the cup.

[WhileTheChief..]

Doesn't matter about qualifying for Europe this season so that we can have a real go for it next season??

Erm, naw!