Europa League Draw

Maccabi Tel-Aviv v Panathinaikos
Atletico Madrid v Guimaraes
Shamrock Rovers v Partizan Belgrade
FC Metalist Kharkiv v Sochaux
Besiktas v Alania Vladikavkaz
Rosenborg v AEK
Vorskla v Dinamo Bucuresti
Bursaspor v Anderlecht
Roma v Slovan Bratislava
Olympiacos Volou v PSG
Legia Warsaw v Spartak Moscow
Ekranas v Hapoel Tel-Aviv
PAOK v Karpaty Lviv
Trabzonspor v Athletic Bilbao
Hearts v Tottenham
Maribor v Rangers
Steaua Bucuresti v CSKA Sofia
FC Nordsjaelland v Sporting
Dnipro v Fulham
Lokomotiv Moscow v Spartak Trnava
Sion v Celtic
Slask Wroclaw v Rapid Bucuresti
Litex Lovetch v Dynamo Kiev
Lazio v Rabotnicki Kometal
Nacional v Birmingham
PSV v SV Ried
FC Thun v Stoke
Aalesund v AZ
Vaslui v Sparta Prague
Omonia Nicosia v SV Red Bull Salzburg
Zestafoni v Club Brugge
Hannover v Sevilla
HJK v Schalke 04
Dinamo Tbilisi v AEK Athens
Rennes v Crvena Zvezda
Gaz Metan v FK Austria Vienna
Braga v Young Boys
Standard Liege v Helsingborgs
Ties to be played August 18 and 25

Gotta fancy Spurs to wipe the floor with Hearts first team or second.

Celtic have a difficult away trip but should prevail overall at home.

Birmingham will do well to progress, if they even want to?

Stoke should have no trouble dispensing off FC Thun.

Fulham the same as above.

And Rangers on paper should take care of Maribor who on a par with a league two side but with Rangers who knows!!

Our teams have in general gotten good draws here.

Tinpot competition that all could probably do without.
For that competition to be worth anything it has to revert to knockout as it's just a cup for second rate teams not good enough to get near CL.

There's alot of very good teams in the Europa league, good enough for the champions league but unfortunately there are only so many places for the big sides.

Thanks for your positive input once again.

Sorry, but it's just another tournament ruined by UEFA in order to maximise revenue. Some good teams in it (lots of rubbish ones too) but it's very difficult to get excited about it or even feign interest in.

super_realist wrote:Sorry, but it's just another tournament ruined by UEFA in order to maximise revenue. Some good teams in it (lots of rubbish ones too) but it's very difficult to get excited about it or even feign interest in.

I think it's quite an interesting tournament, often you get to see some of the hidden gems playing in it. I think once you get to the knockout stages it is a much more interesting tournament.

super_realist wrote:Sorry, but it's just another tournament ruined by UEFA in order to maximise revenue. Some good teams in it (lots of rubbish ones too) but it's very difficult to get excited about it or even feign interest in.

Do you really have to see the very worst in everything?

I don't think it's a bad competition myself. I'd rate winning the Europa League a better achievement than bagging the F.A Cup.

Where they went wrong was giving it that ridiculous name. What was wrong with the UEFA Cup?

super_realist wrote:Sorry, but it's just another tournament ruined by UEFA in order to maximise revenue. Some good teams in it (lots of rubbish ones too) but it's very difficult to get excited about it or even feign interest in.

You dont seem to be interested in anything except ripping football, scottish football in paticular.

The thing that annoys me about this cup is that at every turn losing team's from the CL get a consolation spot, personally I don't think that's right

User Name wrote:

super_realist wrote:Sorry, but it's just another tournament ruined by UEFA in order to maximise revenue. Some good teams in it (lots of rubbish ones too) but it's very difficult to get excited about it or even feign interest in.

You dont seem to be interested in anything except ripping football, scottish football in paticular.

Scottish football doesnt exactly merit credit so "ripping" it is pretty well justified.

Such is your high standing in the European game, it doesn't deserve credit.

you wouild think britsh teams should go through there

Pretty solid draw for the Brits, barring Hearts, who dependant on how seriously Tottenham take it could be in for a belting.

I like the Europa league but I think the format has too many games at present, and I much preferred a straight knock out with a few less teams to keep the quality up and the competition shorter. Maybe then the bigger sides will view it less as a booby prize and more like a decent Euro trophy.