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Writer: pompeyrug 
Date:Monday March 31 2008
Time: 4:00PM
UK time is: 22:06:15
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'Arry on uefa cup qualification...
...'am I bothered' is what he has basically said!
Harry Redknapp has told The Sun that winning the FA cup would 'mean a lot' to him but he does not really care about European competition, at least in the form of the uefa cup - a competition which does seemed to have lost its appeal: 'winning The FA Cup means a lot to me. Whether we get into Europe as a result, I wouldn't care.
'Qualifying for Europe is a feather in your cap and it's great for the players. But being in The Uefa Cup doesn't help you to attract players.
'It seems to me all the teams who get into that competition want to get out of it as soon as they can.
'I saw Palermo beat West Ham last year and they were fantastic. I thought they would go on to win the cup. But in the next round they put out 11 reserves against Newcastle and didn't even bother'.
I can see where Redknapp is coming from, and do agree to an extent but I cannot help but feel this is one of his 'I will play it down' moments in a way? My own thinking is that although the best players want to play in the champions league the uefa cup would still be a draw to new players, and will be a carrot to tempt those already here to stay.
European competitions have lost their appeal, the champions league is a format that no longer caters for each countries number one, but the elite from each country and is basically about the money these days - but then again is this not the case for football in general? The uefa cup is far less lucrative financial until you reach the latter stages and its format allows basically anyone to gain entry these days, so it does have its drawbacks.
But would I be disappointed to see Pompey in the uefa cup? Hell no would I, Pompey in European competition, and hopefully as FA cup winners would be fantastic! How seriously we would take it if we made it, well only time would tell…
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Your Comments
I reckon we should do alright in Uefa cup games, the hard thing about is when you get drawn against teams like bayern munich and then you dont stand much of a chance
pompeysno.9
Rug, any European qualification is good especially for a club like Pompey. However we still have to get there first so lets see how things go.
bluedr
on our day we can beat anyone anywhere... i just think that the process of actually getting to the last 32 - which i think is after the 'group stages' - if a farse in the uefa cup these days, these 'extra' and quite francly pointless games detract from the competition, but i for one will be delighted if we can be in the uefa cup next season and think we could - if we want to - go far.
pompeyrug
without doubt, im not thinking that 'we will' make it, as we do not know this yet do we - i clearly hope that we do and will love it, it'll be another dream fulfiled that i didnt think was possible... so fingers crossed!
pompeyrug
Let's hope that any European adventure doesn't suffer the fate of the Anglo Italian cup.
UKTony
i hope we do get in, there is something special about european games.
pompeysno.9
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taddy_Trumbleton -we can beat anyone with this younster in our side, I sa him in person when I was on holiday he is going to be a legend for us. He is a pompey fan too!
pompeysno.9
We want European qualification please!! We have not done it before and it will be a great achievement. Two years in the UEFA and then we will be ready for the real thing.
eastneydave
european qualification? yes, it would act as another draw to the club, but still, top players want good training facilities, and we STILL dont have them. It would be nice to see pompey playing in europe...if we can get there...and becasue of our curent position, i wuld be dissopointed if we didnt get into europe, HOWEVEVER, that is more becuase i would be dissopointed if we didnt win the FA cup, more than not getting into europe...
pompeycarpet
I just hope that a European adventure does not cost us dear like it did to Ipswich ansd Norwich, it would be great, but i would hate us to struggle next season because of it.
Even Bolton are struggling this year because of all their committments.
Owenspompey
if you think Pompey fans have got cup fever, then wait until we get into Europe...
The Rabbi
I remember Bari, that does seem like a lifetime ago doesnt it, we werent very good then.
Owenspompey
one slight problem we would have being in euro cup competitions at this moment is the depth of our squad ... we would have added pressure (fitness, mentalitity) to cope with the already bulging fixture list of so many prem clubs ... of course if we go on and win then I will be there every step of the way!!! ask yourself which is best: 1) knocked out early of uefa cup but finish league in the uefa cup spot again or 2) get to the final stages of uefa cup (QF, SF, RU, WINNERS) but finish below euro qualification spots (8th-20th)???
pompey--pessimist
The squad will have to be added to and that bloody squad rotation will have to apply to certain games.
I would not want to struggle in the Premiership for the sake of a couple of games in Europe, i would rather go to Hong Kong again, that was a trip to remember, and we brought our first trophy of the season back.
Owenspompey
Europe is exciting, but a large squad is needed to make sure we can still compete in the domestic cups, but I think if we sign 3 good players and give youngsters a chance we can progress far.
pompeysno.9
i wouldnt mind adopting the arsenal tactic of having a cup team and a league team... ni think with a few additions, we could almost do that now...well...maybe with a lot of addtions...
pompeycarpet
The UEFA Cup Final is at Fenerbahce's stadium next season for those who want to book ahead. It might be a good idea to get a season ticket to assure yourself of a ticket. For those really optomistic Pompey folk the Champions league final is in Rome and the World Club Final is in Tokyo. I thank you.
The Rabbi
Surely will win the fa cup so it will be uefa cup next season. Should do alright i think cos you can defend.
welshboy78
steady on lads we have a certain few matches to win first...
jbaker
HR is right, Europe is not that important as a competition. It's importance is to the African and European players we have; most of whom want to play in Europe and will go to a club with that ambition.That is the only reason we need to be in Europe. There is more to be gained financially and from Portsmouth FC viewpoint by playing in Asia and America than in the UEFA Cup. Also the strain on a relatively small squad is far less. Portsmouth FC aren't really ready for Europe yet and we need to focus on the EPL and defending the Cup next year. We don't want to become another Bolton.
frattonaussie
Welcome back FA .. hope your fishing days are over ;) - I've held the view most of the season that although I want Pompey to progress the thought of playing XYZ Moscow Spartak in mid July doesn't really appeal to me and can't see why (apart from the latter rounds) why the UEFA cup would really appeal to any player. The FA Cup yes, the top five/six in the Prem (being the best stage in world football) yes, even to play for a top ten Premier league side yes... but would anybody (other than the Yak) just sign for a club just because they qualified for the UEFA cup.. or are they signing for the potential of winning of it ?
Chix
Most players don'r care if they win the UEFA cup or not. They want to play in Europe so they are on show to big European clubs and they hope they get "head hunted" by one of them, thus lifting their bargaining power for a bigger pay packet from the club they are with or a new club.
frattonaussie
i dont know if anyone else can add to this, but prior to the united game at old trafford the word that i got was that we had been invitted to join this summers amsterdam tournament, which is a really big one to be part of and i would say very lucrative too...
pompeyrug
Chix, I'd rather be playing Spartak Moscow than Wigan personally. Even if just to experience the thrill of european football. The anglo Italian cup didn't really send the same sort of shivers down my spine all those years ago. Whats the chance of Eastney Dave doing a nice piece on that long since departed competition. I actually went to Upton park for Charlton v Pompey in the preliminary round which must rate as one of the most lacklustre matches I've ever seen. a 3-1 win in front of about 2500 fans.
The Rabbi
The priority is winning the cup. Europe is a double edged blessing.
storagematt
i probaby have toi agree with FA about motivation for the players. but for "us fans" - the uefa cup can only really showboat our club, which to be perfectly honest, doesnt quite have the same facilities as other more...infuential...european teams.
pompeycarpet
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