*** Official Viktoria Plzen v Heart of Midlothian Match Thread - 1st Leg, KO 6pm BST

[brownkg]

A wee tour of Seville to get in the mood and a tune which we know some words to

[Ricardo Quaresma]

On 27/04/2024 at 20:23, Jamboross said:

Previously I could see the argument with preferring us to be in the Conference League due to the potential easier wins but the change in format makes Europa League substantially more appealing in that regard. With the old format, assuming we were in Pot 4, we would only play Pot 1, 2 & 3 teams limiting our chance to pick up points as they are mostly all much better than us. The new format means we'd also play two teams from Pot 4 - a Riejka, a Budapest or a Lugano type team - tough games, of course, but winnable. 

 

Add to that the extra 2 games over the Conference, the higher prize pot, TV money and reputation boost and it's a no brainer for me. Conference will still be great fun but I'll be hoping for the easiest draw possible in the playoff! 

 

Agree, provided recruitment between now and then means the vast majority of us regard the state of the squad can be described as 'Armed To The Teeth'

[Ricardo Quaresma]

^^^^ 'as able to be', not 'can be'

 

Forgive my slight incoherence, hic!

 

 

[Super_Hans]

This was from the Swiss Football data twitter page last week. Predicted pots where they have us in the Conference League. Will be a few changes yet but gives an idea of who we'd be up against.

 

[RustyRightPeg]

3 minutes ago, Super_Hans said:

This was from the Swiss Football data twitter page last week. Predicted pots where they have us in the Conference League. Will be a few changes yet but gives an idea of who we'd be up against.

 

 

Fairly intimidating 😅

 

Marseille

Athens

Sofia

Besiktas

Us

Backa Topola

 

We'd see how Ultra our Ultra's are if we drew all them 😆

 

[King prawn]

San Sebastián or Sevilla would be good - shame that Valencia couldn’t keep up as I’m moving there at the end of the month a stone’s throw away from the ground. 

[Daveandal]

Gent

Cluj 

Djurgarden

Klaksvik

Lincoln Red Imps

Petroclub

 

We're coming top 😁😁😁😁

 

There are so many movable pieces at the moment. But its going to be great over the next few months as we see it whittled down to who we could get in the play off and then the league of whichever comp we are in.

 

Hibs on the other hand might have the excitement of a trip to Buckie.

[Jambo dans les Pyrenees]

31 minutes ago, Super_Hans said:

This was from the Swiss Football data twitter page last week. Predicted pots where they have us in the Conference League. Will be a few changes yet but gives an idea of who we'd be up against.

 

 

Marseille

Real Betis

Djurgarden

Klaksvik

Lincoln Red Imps

Borac Banja Luka

 

We’re through to the last 32 play off and even more Wonga.

[tartofmidlothian]

20 hours ago, Daveandal said:

Looking at this season and last season when we got Zurich... it's not impossible to get a winnable tie. 

We'd probably get a few tankings but the prestige of playing in it would be fantastic.

 

Maybe mentioned elsewhere in this thread, but I just saw there are eight league stage games in the EL and six in the ECL, so making it through the EL playoffs would guarantee us Europe until the end of January. 

 

We'd get drubbed and finish last, but

[FionaHmfc]

Updated potential pots 

[AndrewB]

5 minutes ago, FionaHmfc said:

Updated potential pots 

So The New Saints and Shamrock Rovers have got better coefficients than us. Seems if you’re in every season, maybe win 1 game v other diddies, then you can boost the numbers.

Edited May 6, 2024 by AndrewB
“Us” not “is“

[Daveandal]

5 minutes ago, AndrewB said:

So The New Saints and Shamrock Rovers have got better coefficients than us. Seems if you’re in every season, maybe win 1 game v other diddies, then you can boost the numbers.

 

Basically yes. But I'd be amazed if the New Saints made it through. There is a chance we might be a pot 4 Conference team.

[Hmfc1965]

7 minutes ago, AndrewB said:

So The New Saints and Shamrock Rovers have got better coefficients than us. Seems if you’re in every season, maybe win 1 game v other diddies, then you can boost the numbers.

I wondered about that.

It seems crackers.

[periodictabledancer]

7 minutes ago, AndrewB said:

So The New Saints and Shamrock Rovers have got better coefficients than us. Seems if you’re in every season, maybe win 1 game v other diddies, then you can boost the numbers.

I thought same - they are total mince. But them's the breaks.  If we get them it'll have to be moved to Wrexham as their ground is a joke. 

[ramrod]

Is it still a 4 team group in the  Conference League,  giving 3 games at home and 3 away?

Bit confusing withe there being 6 pots  

[August Landmesser]

10 hours ago, RustyRightPeg said:

 

Fairly intimidating 😅

 

Marseille

Athens

Sofia

Besiktas

Us

Backa Topola

 

We'd see how Ultra our Ultra's are if we drew all them 😆

 

our Ultras have crossed the Bridge of Doom and survived, those trips won't scare them a jot

[milky_26]

4 minutes ago, ramrod said:

Is it still a 4 team group in the  Conference League,  giving 3 games at home and 3 away?

Bit confusing withe there being 6 pots  

no, we will get drawn against 6 different teams, i assume one from each pot. we will play 3 at home and 3 away. then all teams are in the same single league

 

from uefa website

 

The biggest change is to the group stage, which will become a single 36-team League stage. Each side faces six different teams (three at home, three away). The top eight overall advance directly to the round of 16; sides finishing from ninth to 24th will contest the knockout round play-offs, with the victors going through to the last 16. From then on it is a straight knockout.

[Flimsy]

5 minutes ago, ramrod said:

Is it still a 4 team group in the  Conference League,  giving 3 games at home and 3 away?

Bit confusing withe there being 6 pots  

No it's one 36 team group and we would play one team from each pot.

[JimmyCant]

9 minutes ago, ramrod said:

Is it still a 4 team group in the  Conference League,  giving 3 games at home and 3 away?

Bit confusing withe there being 6 pots  

No it’s one big league table play 1 team from each pot including your own. The top 24 in the big table out of 36 will progress. I saw a projection which suggested 7 points would likely progress. So 2 wins from the diddy clubs and a point sneaked from somewhere else could be enough

[ramrod]

Thanks lads, exciting stuff 👍

[WorldChampions1902]

We have a better than evens chance of progressing beyond the league stage. If we do, it will be even more lucrative. Exciting times!

[Jambo dans les Pyrenees]

9 minutes ago, WorldChampions1902 said:

We have a better than evens chance of progressing beyond the league stage. If we do, it will be even more lucrative. Exciting times!

 

[Lovecraft]

57 minutes ago, milky_26 said:

no, we will get drawn against 6 different teams, i assume one from each pot. we will play 3 at home and 3 away. then all teams are in the same single league

 

from uefa website

 

The biggest change is to the group stage, which will become a single 36-team League stage. Each side faces six different teams (three at home, three away). The top eight overall advance directly to the round of 16; sides finishing from ninth to 24th will contest the knockout round play-offs, with the victors going through to the last 16. From then on it is a straight knockout.

How do they work out which games you play at home?

 

With it being OOFA, I'm guessing the tops seeds will get the best chances to go through.

 

 

[Lovecraft]

24 minutes ago, WorldChampions1902 said:

We have a better than evens chance of progressing beyond the league stage. If we do, it will be even more lucrative. Exciting times!

Looking at the teams in the Europa... we'd get ragdolled by pretty much all of them.  Some massive clubs in there.

 

 

[Ricardo Quaresma]

18 minutes ago, Lovecraft said:

How do they work out which games you play at home?

 

With it being OOFA, I'm guessing the tops seeds will get the best chances to go through.

 

Sure there was a graphic / video of the process mate; check the UEFA website, definitely seen it 👍

[FarmerTweedy]

2 hours ago, FionaHmfc said:

Updated potential pots 

We'd absolutely pump Manure I reckon! 😃

[FarmerTweedy]

2 hours ago, AndrewB said:

So The New Saints and Shamrock Rovers have got better coefficients than us. Seems if you’re in every season, maybe win 1 game v other diddies, then you can boost the numbers.

Yep, being in Europe every season, even if you don't make the group stage, is really important. If you're knocked out of qualifying, you get 1 point if you go out in Q1, 1.5 in Q2, 2 in Q3, and 2.5 in the qualifying playoff round (where us and the vermin went out this season).  Five straight years of that would give us 12.5, which would have us in pot 3 on that prediction posted by Fiona, some group stage wins could boost it further!  

[FionaHmfc]

1 hour ago, Lovecraft said:

How do they work out which games you play at home?

 

With it being OOFA, I'm guessing the tops seeds will get the best chances to go through.

 

 

I’m pretty sure they just match the pots up. So for example pot 1 will all get drawn against pot 2, pot 3 etc, and whoever they get drawn against from each pot will be their home opponent. Then when it comes to pot 2’s draw for home ties against Pot 1 etc, whoever they get paired with in that draw will be their home tie. 
 

I could maybe be wrong as I’m just basing that off my football manager game and from what I can remember about my European draws with Hearts in it, but I’m sure that’s about how it works. 

[Der Kaiser]

Selfishly I'd like an English team away.

 

The downside to being a teacher is getting time off midweek is practically impossible (and no game dates in October break) so my best hope for an away trip is there and back in the same day....not sure if I'd enjoy doing that by plane.

 

(Wait.......Europa league playoff 8th August.....please be drawn away Hearts)

 

Edited May 6, 2024 by Der Kaiser

[Lovecraft]

15 minutes ago, FionaHmfc said:

I’m pretty sure they just match the pots up. So for example pot 1 will all get drawn against pot 2, pot 3 etc, and whoever they get drawn against from each pot will be their home opponent. Then when it comes to pot 2’s draw for home ties against Pot 1 etc, whoever they get paired with in that draw will be their home tie. 
 

I could maybe be wrong as I’m just basing that off my football manager game and from what I can remember about my European draws with Hearts in it, but I’m sure that’s about how it works. 

Cheers.  I had a spy online, but couldn't really see anything about how the venues are decided.

 

Seems like they are just using computers to do the draws this year, as it all gets too complicated.

 

 

[PTBCAL]

21 minutes ago, Der Kaiser said:

Selfishly I'd like an English team away.

 

The downside to being a teacher is getting time off midweek is practically impossible (and no game dates in October break) so my best hope for an away trip is there and back in the same day....not sure if I'd enjoy doing that by plane.

 

(Wait.......Europa league playoff 8th August.....please be drawn away Hearts)

 

Sorry I think we play 22/8 & 29/8

 

back at school mate 😞

[Super_Hans]

1 hour ago, Lovecraft said:

How do they work out which games you play at home?

 

With it being OOFA, I'm guessing the tops seeds will get the best chances to go through.

 

 

From Uefa-

The opponents of each team, as well as whether each match is played at home or away, are determined by means of a draw. Each team is drawn against one opponent from each of the six pots. For the purposes of the draw allocating whether each of those matches will be played at home or away, pots 1 and 2, pots 3 and 4, and pots 5 and 6 are paired and each team is drawn to play one opponent from each pairing of pots at home and the other away.

[Lovecraft]

23 minutes ago, Super_Hans said:

From Uefa-

The opponents of each team, as well as whether each match is played at home or away, are determined by means of a draw. Each team is drawn against one opponent from each of the six pots. For the purposes of the draw allocating whether each of those matches will be played at home or away, pots 1 and 2, pots 3 and 4, and pots 5 and 6 are paired and each team is drawn to play one opponent from each pairing of pots at home and the other away.

Nice one, cheers.

 

 

[RobNox]

On 05/05/2024 at 18:49, maybolejambo said:

So as it stand, we're the only confirmed club to be playing in the play-off round.  Another first for the famous!

[RobNox]

15 hours ago, Jambo dans les Pyrenees said:

 

Marseille

Real Betis

Djurgarden

Klaksvik

Lincoln Red Imps

Borac Banja Luka

 

We’re through to the last 32 play off and even more Wonga.

Is that actually a club?  Sounds more like some Eastern European forward line.

[RobNox]

5 hours ago, AndrewB said:

So The New Saints and Shamrock Rovers have got better coefficients than us. Seems if you’re in every season, maybe win 1 game v other diddies, then you can boost the numbers.

The thing is, with the new format, it doesn't matter what pot we end up in.  We'll be playing 1 team from every pot including our own.  It could work to our advantage if we end up in pot 5 and TNS and Shamrock Rovers are in pot 4, as it gives us a 1 in 3 chance of getting one of those 2 as our pot 4 opponents.  Far rather get one of then than Trabzonspor.

[RobNox]

2 hours ago, Super_Hans said:

From Uefa-

The opponents of each team, as well as whether each match is played at home or away, are determined by means of a draw. Each team is drawn against one opponent from each of the six pots. For the purposes of the draw allocating whether each of those matches will be played at home or away, pots 1 and 2, pots 3 and 4, and pots 5 and 6 are paired and each team is drawn to play one opponent from each pairing of pots at home and the other away.

Thanks for that.  So it means our home games will be against 1 team from pots 1 and 2, 1 from pots 3 and 4 and 1 from pots 5 and 6.  So if TNS and / or Shamrock Rovers end up in pot 4, we want one of them away and a home tie against a pot 3 team.  

[RobNox]

5 hours ago, JimmyCant said:

No it’s one big league table play 1 team from each pot including your own. The top 24 in the big table out of 36 will progress. I saw a projection which suggested 7 points would likely progress. So 2 wins from the diddy clubs and a point sneaked from somewhere else could be enough

There's definitely a good chance we could finish at least 24th, obviously luck of the draw will come into it.

 

By progressing, only the top 8 go straight into the round of 16, so if we do finish at least 24th, we'd progress to a play-off round between the 16 teams finishing from 9th to 24th for a chance to make the last 16.

 

I'm assuming there will be seeding in the play-off round, i.e. the teams finishing 9th-16th will be drawn against teams finishing 17th-24th.  On that basis, it will be a hard ask to go any further than the play-off round, but again luck of the draw and all that.

 

At least making the play-off round would give us an extra 2 fixtures and extra prize money, as well us further improving our coefficient ranking which will help us in our European campaign the season after next.

[HeartsandonlyHearts]

17 hours ago, Super_Hans said:

This was from the Swiss Football data twitter page last week. Predicted pots where they have us in the Conference League. Will be a few changes yet but gives an idea of who we'd be up against.

 

Danes

Rumanians

Bulgarians

Rumanians

Hearts

Borac Banja Luka (just for the name)

I don’t want to play in Italy or Greece.

Exciting times coming up.

[Watt-Zeefuik]

7 hours ago, FionaHmfc said:

Updated potential pots 

 

7 hours ago, AndrewB said:

So The New Saints and Shamrock Rovers have got better coefficients than us. Seems if you’re in every season, maybe win 1 game v other diddies, then you can boost the numbers.

 

Yep, our coefficient is a far cry from our ambitions. We're currently propped up by the Scotland national average, which is a bit embarrassing. Even if we only repeated this season's performance—not even making the group, I mean "league stage"—over five years we'd end up with a coefficient of 12.5. Aberdeen have 11.5. With a bit of endeavor and consistency we should have ours up over 15 or even 20 in a few years.

 

1 hour ago, RobNox said:

The thing is, with the new format, it doesn't matter what pot we end up in.  We'll be playing 1 team from every pot including our own.  It could work to our advantage if we end up in pot 5 and TNS and Shamrock Rovers are in pot 4, as it gives us a 1 in 3 chance of getting one of those 2 as our pot 4 opponents.  Far rather get one of then than Trabzonspor.

 

Yes, and they've made the pots and the luck of the draw matter less, which is pleasing. But it could make a huge difference in our playoff round opponent if we can get it up above 15 or so, which would put us in the seeded pot and give us a much better chance at a beatable opponent.

[DxB Hearts]

32 minutes ago, Watt-Zeefuik said:

Yep, our coefficient is a far cry from our ambitions. We're currently propped up by the Scotland national average, which is a bit embarrassing. Even if we only repeated this season's performance—not even making the group, I mean "league stage"—over five years we'd end up with a coefficient of 12.5. Aberdeen have 11.5. With a bit of endeavor and consistency we should have ours up over 15 or even 20 in a few years.

 

This is where we need to be and honestly why we should be, for the time being, aiming to be a conference league side. 

 

Looking at all the teams there, take away Utd, Marseilles, Olympiacos, PAOK, Hoffenheim and Real Betis and our progression is being able to not be afraid of the rest. Which is doable and achievable if we are consistently in these group stages.

[Ricardo Quaresma]

Back up again

 

[Ricardo Quaresma]

-

Edited May 7, 2024 by Ricardo Quaresma

[DxB Hearts]

13 minutes ago, Ricardo Quaresma said:

Back up again

 

 

I mean it looks much better but honestly does it even matter what pot your in? Still getting one team from each pot so it almost doesn't matter if you're pot 1 or 6?

 

Just luck of the draw really, unless I'm missing something?

[Ricardo Quaresma]

Sheeit, the one posted earlier is the latest, same as this one 👇

 

[Ricardo Quaresma]

22 minutes ago, DxB Hearts said:

I mean it looks much better but honestly does it even matter what pot your in? Still getting one team from each pot so it almost doesn't matter if you're pot 1 or 6?

 

Just luck of the draw really, unless I'm missing something?

 

The main thing would be hopefully that we wouldn't get the likes of Brighton in pot 3, with, say, Man U in pot 1; we don't want double risk of stinking english teams, they're stinking

 

I think a poster further back had an interesting angle about TNS & shamrock rovers, other than that, I'm too blasted for any sort of analytical stuff at this precise time

 

Edit: this pot predictor is updated regularly, I think, as league positions across Europe change, so I reckon we'll see a lot of the graphic, been going on since early January at least 👍

 

-

Edited May 7, 2024 by Ricardo Quaresma

[Super_Hans]

6 hours ago, RobNox said:

Thanks for that.  So it means our home games will be against 1 team from pots 1 and 2, 1 from pots 3 and 4 and 1 from pots 5 and 6.  So if TNS and / or Shamrock Rovers end up in pot 4, we want one of them away and a home tie against a pot 3 team.  

Yeah, I think so. Thats the way I've read it anyway.

[Bender]

Latest update to the projected pot. 
 

 

[FionaHmfc]

3 minutes ago, Bender said:

Latest update to the projected pot. 
 

 

I’m just really hoping PAOK can win their league and get out of these projected pots. Really, really cba with another away trip to there. Place was a dump 😂 

[Bender]

4 minutes ago, FionaHmfc said:

I’m just really hoping PAOK can win their league and get out of these projected pots. Really, really cba with another away trip to there. Place was a dump 😂 

I’m definitely in the ‘Central Europe’ camp here when it comes to potential trips. Preferably not eastern or south eastern like Greece, Turkey or Georgia.