We all wanted Champions League but it's not so bad that we end up in the Europa League. I mean, Spurs and Manchester United got to the final this year, so at least there is a chance we can win this one. And that isn't to say we couldn't win the Champions League, but the odds are significantly less.
And this isn't me saying we're going to win the Europa League, so don't bookmark the page and come back when we're knocked out. I'm really saying it's three seasons in a row with European football. It's not all bad and considering where we were, it's bloody impressive.
But I can't write this post and not mention the referring decisions that cost us Champions League football. The Rogers goal should have stood and they shouldn't have had a penalty. A cynical person might have a hardened view on why this happened, I just wonder why we get given a referee with so little experience.
I also wonder why VAR didn't step in. And I know you'll think I'm really looking for a conspiracy when I write that, but it's all down to money. Everything comes down to money in the end and if we accept that, why has money influenced the need to have another referee and why do we get a referee who all of a sudden makes decisions that are seemingly quite bizarre.
I'm a big fan of raising the flag or blowing the whistle if you are 100% sure. To be 100% sure, something has to clearly happen. For both the instances I'm talking about, the referee could not have been 100% sure the incident happened, because the cameras showed us after, they didn't. So why blow the whistle and not wait for VAR?
I can't believe I'm going to write this next part but if we accept that the game is all about money these days and we don't have an explanation for why the referee blew his whistle, what would be the easiest explanation to explain, even if we didn't like it?
Onwards and upwards
Anyway, it's done and we have to move on. We have European football and a summer to enjoy. There will be some ups and downs and by that I mean, we're going to see players come and players leave.
The ups will be good and the downs wont be so great. The downs mean that players are going to be leaving? Why, you ask. The reason is because the game is all about money these days. I wrote that above.
The surprising part is that even though we know things need to change, the changes made feel like it's just about protecting the League and the wealthy, not about what is really good for the game. A proper salary cap, on the actual players is what is needed, not a cap on the Clubs.
This isn't the place for this argument, but the system is rigged right now and until things change, it's always going to be tough. Watch what happens next season!
That said, this post is about creating something new for Joe. There is another post coming on what we can expect. But to be in a position to play next season, we have to accept we're going to lose players we don't really want to lose, because they are the most valuable for us.
More on that next week and a solution on how the game can be saved! Until then, rest up!