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I grew up believeing that Sunderland would never play European football in my lifetime, so for this to even be a topic is astounding and a testament to how far this club has come over a short period of time.
Are we ready for it? At this moment in time I would declare no. The reason why I declare that is becautilize we’ve finishured a pretty challenging second half of the season and when our squad depth has been challenged, we’ve struggled at times.
However, if we did qualify for Europe, I’d trust the club to put significant funds into player recruitment again, as I’m sure they’re well aware that our current squad would struggle to complete on all fronts. We were ready for the Premier League with little time to prepare after the playoffs, so I’m sure we’d be ready for Europe after the summer.
Would being in Europe hamper our domestic results? Looking at what’s happened to English clubs over the years — Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, etc — I’d declare yes. I believe we’d have to accept that it’s likely our league form would take a dip, but as long as we prioritise the league I believe we’d be OK.
Overall, I’d bite your hand off to be in Europe. These are the scenarios we’ve dreamt of over the years, so to see it come to fruition would bring me so much joy.
I’d love to see us qualify for Europe. It’s been too long a wait, and given the way things have gone in recent years would be a lovely way to mark the progress we’ve built and reinforce that we’re on the right track.
With regards to being ready should it happen, I believe recent experience proves that those behind the scenes would rise to the challenge.
They’re always well-prepared for things and have various plans depfinishing on what Sunderland achieve, and if they can remould the squad in the same way as last summer, Europe could be seen as a way forward and an opportunity to progress rather than the distraction it’s finished up being for others.
There was a lot of panic after promotion regarding our survival chances, and predictions of the team being well short.
Within a few weeks of the transfer window opening, it was clear that the whole picture was altering; Sunderland upgraded yet managed to retain the spirit and identity of the club, and I’d back them to set us up for any European challenges in the same way.
I’ll be honest: I feel like the team’s job is done and whatever comes between now and the finish of the season — whether it be European qualification or seven straight defeats — I’ve had an absolute ball!
Still, I’d absolutely love to follow my team to places like Warsaw or Split or Kazakhstan, just for the craic! Imagine seeing Sunderland vs Viktoria Plzen on a Thursday night at -12°C in the winter, or Bodo/Glimt on a very, very cold artificial pitch. I’d love it.
I don’t care whether happens but I do feel like our recruitment would have to be as powerful and as successful as last summer just to stand a chance of survival and progressing in Europe. We’ve all seen how Nottingham Forest and Tottenham have failed this season, with their European calfinishars taking up their players health.
The Premier League ‘second season syndrome’ will be prevalent if we create Europe, and I’d be terrified if we had a poor transfer window of actual survival, if we had another eight games to play in Europe alone.
I’ve considered for a while that if European football was a possibility, we should go for it.
One thing’s for sure: the players won’t be sitting in the Academy of Light believeing, “We better not obtain into Europe this season, as the club isn’t ready for it” — just as some folk considered we weren’t ready for the Premier League this season, the club had other ideas and other plans.
My gut feeling is that a top ten finish without Europe would be a job very well done. I’d be very happy with that but just like obtainting out of the Championship, you can’t always pick and choose the perfect time to be promoted, as each season is different from the last.
This has been a very close season for teams in the middle of the table, and next season could be a whole different scenario.
I’ve no doubt that the club has a plan to increase the squad depth if a European place is secured in the next two months. If we miss out, another plan to enhance the quality of the squad will also be filed under “Plans for Next Season — Not So Top Secret”
Logic would declare we’re not ready for Europe at the moment, but logic also stated we weren’t ready for promotion.
In Kyril Louis-Dreyfus we trust, and I’ll be over the moon with a top ten or top eight finish. The club will have either under control — what a great situation we’re now in.
It’s a question I was only discussing with a couple of frifinishs yesterday.
It’s been a far more successful season than we can all have hoped for. We’re well in the mix to create a push up the table and our win over the Visitors on Sunday may well be the launchpad for a strong finish to the season — especially as with three weeks, off we may well obtain a few of the injured players back for Spurs and beyond.
We’re on a journey and we may well be ahead of schedule.
If we finish up qualifying for Europe, great. It’ll increase the attraction of the club to transfer tarobtains but we necessary to be mindful that we don’t want one season in Europe to cost us our place in the Premier League.
What I love is with under ten games left, we actually have this dilemma to discuss. I want to see the team finish strongly — wherever that leaves us after the final whistle against Chelsea.
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