Didn't realise there was no thread. Posting below are the pots from https://twitter.com/UefaRankings?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author West Ham and Liverpool in pot 1. Brighton in pot 3. It's a nice looking set of teams. Pot 2 has some tough sides in, whilst 3 and 4 have some long journeys. You certainly want to avoid a midweek trip to Azebaijan, Moldova, or Israel. Brighton lucking out that they are alongside the longest journeys probably, despite having sides from pots 1 and 2 to worry about. Though I imagine they quite fancy a trip to Rome or Amsterdam! I reckon all 3 English sides should be qualifying for the knockout round. Rangers should be confident also. Aberdeen will probably enjoy their trips... Draw is tomorrow afternoon.
BBC Scotland are showing 2nd leg of Aberdeen v Hacken ( 2-2 ) Live at 7.45 , hopefully a decent watch .
Aberdeen currently 2-0 down at half time with Hacken's number 37 scoring 2 good goals & sending the 30 odd away fans wild . Not sure who Aberdeen's number 5 is but he's crap , they've had a couple of good chances but for poor finishing .
Been a couple surprises tonight so a few changes to the pots compared to the earlier projection. Would take anyone from pot 1. Ignoring Liverpool/west ham as we can't have them anyway, rangers is probably the only team I'd want to avoid in an ideal scenario. Something about playing in Scotland would just feel disappointingly mundane Sporting, olympiacos or betis from pot 2 would be nice. I'd settle for either of the French teams if I had to though. As for pot 4, it wouldn't really feel like a proper European campaign if we don't play (and probably lose to) some random team I've never heard of, so any of the polish, Serbian, swedish or Cypriot teams would be my pick. Can't believe that I'm getting excited over a draw FFS. I feel like a child
Always baffles me that people turn their noses up at European football. Pot 3 a good place to be for Brighton. If this is a one off European campaign, at least you'll get two fairly reputable European opponents to enjoy and Qarabag aside a couple of good away trips too. Pot 4 should give you a 'minnow' of sorts too which is fun. I'll be watching the draw in envy but pleased for Brighton fans. Also no reason Brighton can't do well in this. I think pretty much every English club that has participated in Europe in the last 10 years has made at least a QF - our league is so strong that I doubt any of the teams in the top 2 pots will be relishing playing Brighton.
Marseille, Athens, and Amsterdam. Travelling Brighton fans are going to have plenty of fun. Full draw below. Liverpool have a straightforward group by looks of it. Travel wise it is very straightforward, Austria, Belgium, France. No tough journeys is best you can hope for with these competitions at this stage. West Ham should be able to qualify for the knockouts but it won't be easy. Olympiacos and Freiburg are no mugs. Fourth side is Serbia, which will be a tricky away game. Rangers same as above, though would fancy them less to qualify tbh.
All great holiday destinations. Might even still book trips to them when I inevitably fail to get tickets for the matches
Yeah, those are 3 you can go and enjoy the trip with a bunch of other Brighton fans for sure - ticket or not. Marseille and Athens will still be decent weather wise too. Amsterdam is Amsterdam.
Marseille and Athens will be feisty affairs you'd imagine but otherwise three good away trips against three fairly reputable teams. West Ham will be fine. Liverpool presumably have little history against those teams so some new faces and away trips for the fans. All relatively close journeys from England and comfortably progressing from the group which is the main thing. Rangers will have it slightly tougher but can probably take comfort in the likelihood of having European football after Christmas. Potentially finish top 2 but should finish 3rd at the very least. Three nice away trips too.
Playing a Tony Bloom team with one of the Mac Allister brothers... Are we sure this is European comp?! Nice to draw some new sides. Not the worst trips... Seriously though, they called Alexis' brother Kevin?!
Great draw for Brighton in respect of having decent trips and also getting to play some genuinely big European names in Ajax and Marseille in particular. Could be a tricky group to get out of though. Rangers could struggle a bit. Betis and Sparta Prague are no mugs and they look a bit weak this season.
Baptism of fire for the Seagulls but guess they won't care too much being the underdogs. Liverpool will be happy to not have any long trips abroad. Frieburg have done well in Germany so will be a test for West Ham alongside the Greeks.
