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Preparing for Europe... last summer

I

indymackem

Goalkeeper
As the first trickle of 'they'll be overstretched and struggle to survive' hot takes start to roll in, I'm increasingly convinced this was no accident and that KLD/Ghisolfi were genuinely aiming ludicrously high from the start.

We have 14 players with European experience, the vast majority in the Champions League, and it simply can't be a coincidence.

We could name a full XI and three subs of players with European experience (well aware not all will be here next season).

Ellborg - EL

Geertruida - CL, EL, ECL
Mukiele - CL, EL
Alderete - CL, EL
Reinildo - CL, EL

Sadiki - CL, EL, ECL
Xhaka - CL, EL

Talbi - CL, ECL
Le Fee - EL
Angulo - EL, ECL

Brobbey - CL, EL, ECL

Plus...
Isidor - CL, EL
Adingra - CL, EL
Traore - CL, EL, ECL

14 of our 17 signings this season came with European experience. Even Masuaku! The only three who didn't? Diarra, Roefs, Ta Bi.

I have no idea how this will all play out, but I am fully confident we won't be over-awed by the big occasions when they arrive. These lads have already been there. It's not new for them.

Anyway, to conclude, I think the maddest part about qualifying for Europe is that... we actually meant to.
 

A beautiful poster broke it down in December:

woodlebert said:
Xhaka has played 32 CL games and 63 Europa League games
Sadiki 16 Europa and 2 Conference league
Mukiele 35 CL, 7 EL
Le Fee, 9 EL
Reinildo, 25 CL, 6 EL
Alderete, 10 EL
Talbi, 11 CL, Conference 1
Traore, 15 CL, 32 EL, 9 Conf.
Geertruida, 14 CL, 18 EL, 12 Conf.
Brobbey, 11 CL, 22 EL, 4 Conf.
Adingra, 17 EL
Masuaku, 11 CL, 15 EL, 3 Conf.
Guiu, 3 CL, 7 Conf.

Apologies if the formatting is a bit ugly but you get the idea
Click to expand...
 
indymackem said:
As the first trickle of 'they'll be overstretched and struggle to survive' hot takes start to roll in, I'm increasingly convinced this was no accident and that KLD/Ghisolfi were genuinely aiming ludicrously high from the start.

We have 14 players with European experience, the vast majority in the Champions League, and it simply can't be a coincidence.

We could name a full XI and three subs of players with European experience (well aware not all will be here next season).

Ellborg - EL

Geertruida - CL, EL, ECL
Mukiele - CL, EL
Alderete - CL, EL
Reinildo - CL, EL

Sadiki - CL, EL, ECL
Xhaka - CL, EL

Talbi - CL, ECL
Le Fee - EL
Angulo - EL, ECL

Brobbey - CL, EL, ECL

Plus...
Isidor - CL, EL
Adingra - CL, EL
Traore - CL, EL, ECL

14 of our 17 signings this season came with European experience. Even Masuaku! The only three who didn't? Diarra, Roefs, Ta Bi.

I have no idea how this will all play out, but I am fully confident we won't be over-awed by the big occasions when they arrive. These lads have already been there. It's not new for them.

Anyway, to conclude, I think the maddest part about qualifying for Europe is that... we actually meant to.
Click to expand...
This is a very very good point.

People and pundits just saying ‘oh, they’ll struggle in Europe’ seem to be basing it on the assumption that none of the overseas lads had much European experience.

The vast majority do, and I reckon the vast majority of our incomings will too.

I think we’ll be fine.
 
We were definitely aiming for Top 10. Granit Xhaka wasn’t coming here to finish 17th. Europe was probably a stretch.
SAFC Wilks said:
This is a very very good point.

People and pundits just saying ‘oh, they’ll struggle in Europe’ seem to be basing it on the assumption that none of the overseas lads had much European experience.

The vast majority do, and I reckon the vast majority of our incomings will too.

I think we’ll be fine.
Click to expand...
Don’t mind people writing Sunderland off. It suits us. What I hate is lazy journalism. Why was it inevitable a team with Mukiele, Xhaka, Reinildo, Alderte, Brobbey was going to struggle this season? Why is it inevitable we will struggle next season? It’s just laziness.
 
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indymackem said:
Ooof, my apologies. Great minds. I just keep finding 'new' ways to appreciate what we've done. Just class man.
Click to expand...
Was just adding further detail. It’s a great spot from you and I think was clearly a deliberate ploy last summer to bring in as much experience of high pressure matches as possible

I had assumed with a relegation battle in mind but you never know..
SAFC Wilks said:
This is a very very good point.

People and pundits just saying ‘oh, they’ll struggle in Europe’ seem to be basing it on the assumption that none of the overseas lads had much European experience.

The vast majority do, and I reckon the vast majority of our incomings will too.

I think we’ll be fine.
Click to expand...
We were also signing club captains, international players and so on. Players with experience of leadership even at a young age

Top recruitment last summer. Will be hard to equal the hit rate this time around
 
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