England

Tom Oldfield

Fulham defender Brede Hangeland claimed recently that the prospect of European football, in the newly-formed Europa League, would benefit the Cottagers’ league form next season. He argued that establishing a rhythm with success in different competitions could take Fulham to the next level under Roy Hodgson.

But is there any truth in this assessment? Are there a lot of advantages to finishing in a European qualification spot?

Certainly, Manchester United have benefited from strong European form and it has often been said that a winning run in the Champions League has kept morale high. The big win on a European night in front of a packed Old Trafford is just about as good as it gets for a professional footballer. Also, the struggles endured by Aston Villa can be traced back to, if not blamed on, Martin O’Neill’s decision to field a reserve team in the UEFA Cup. Playing regularly helps to build a strong bond.

Similarly, playing in different competitions in different countries can be refreshing. If league form has become rocky, there is a lot to be said for the chance to put that to one side and focus on a European fixture. And winning becomes a habit. String together victories in the league, domestic cup competitions and then in Europe too and watch the season take off.

However, much of this is highly optimistic and probably fails to cover the norm. After all, there is a marked difference in quality between Manchester United and the sides finishing in sixth or seventh. Plus, English clubs have hardly set the world alight in the UEFA Cup, often preferring to send out second string line-ups to rest the star names for more pressing league commitments. What message does this send out about the significance of European competitions? Hardly a good one.

And, most critically, the clubs that qualify for the tournament rarely have big squads. This is the reason that clubs such as Wigan, or Portsmouth the previous season, have not appeared too distraught about missing the cut for European qualification. Numerous Portsmouth supporters even expressed relief that there would be no UEFA Cup distractions to tackle in the 2008/09 campaign. In the end, it was just as well as Pompey narrowly avoided the drop. Creeping into Europe might have seen the club heading for the Championship.

If there is a core group of players on which the outcome of a season is largely dependant, then clearly dealing with additional fixtures is a worrying issue. Fulham may well find this to their cost. Can the likes of Danny Murphy manage to play on a Sunday, a Thursday and then a Sunday again? Surely, the same consistent level of performance cannot be maintained. If a manager can afford to rotate, European competitions can be big time attractions. But if he cannot then problems are almost inevitable and there have been painful losers as a result.

Ipswich, under former boss George Burley, took the Premier League by storm in 2000/01. The Tractor Boys finished fifth and secured a spot in the UEFA Cup, only narrowly missing out on a Champions League berth. The supporters rejoiced and made the most of some special nights but, 12 months later, the club were heading back to the Championship with their tail between their legs. The squad appeared to have been unable to cope with the strain of challenging in an extra competition and the knock on effect was devastating. Perhaps it is wrong to place too much blame on the amount of European football on the club’s plate but it must have been a factor in Ipswich’s relegation.

And this heartbreak represents the harsh penalties of the other side of the picture painted by Hangeland. Yes, playing in the Europa League offers the chance to build momentum – this cannot be denied – but this can go both ways. Success ensures morale will skyrocket, defeats just add to the despair. And the fatigue factor of travelling all over Europe, often facing real minnows, cannot be underestimated. If one club has the majority of the week to prepare while the other racks up air miles and battles through another 90 minutes, there can be no doubt over which team will be fresher at the weekend.

Fulham pipped Tottenham, Wigan and West Ham to seventh spot but, as we have established, few tears have been shed. Wigan, whose former manager Steve Bruce has just completed a switch to Sunderland, seemed to be doing everything possible to avoid qualification with some of the displays and the Hammers are a team in transition, making the Europa League an unnecessary distraction at this point. Tottenham’s squad could surely handle the extra games with ease but it will do the club no harm to wait another year while the squad develops.

The Europa League promises to get off to an intriguing start but it remains to be seen whether Hangeland has a point or not. Will Fulham prosper or wilt in the face of European football? Much will depend on how Hodgson shuffles his pack but, unfortunately, the smart money is on the club’s league form slipping in the pursuit of Europa League glory. Seventh place is looking increasingly like a poisoned chalice.

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