Preliminary UEFA Cup Qualification (Inter-Toto Cup)

Member Name: jay_snooch

Product:	Inter-Toto Cup
Date:	06/08/01 (616 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Possible UEFA Cup Football, Financial Rewards

Disadvantages: Players Can Get Burnt Out Later In The Season, Can Spoil A Players Summer Holidays

The reason The Inter-Toto Cup is thought of as a joke is because of its name. I mean why on earth would some one give a competition such a stupid name.

The Inter-Toto should be called 'Preliminary UEFA Cup Qualification', because at the end of the day that is what it is, plain and simple.

Nobody makes fun of the teams competing in the preliminary rounds of the Champions League, so why do people mock clubs trying to qualify for one of the best club competition in Europe ?

Last season teams like Newcastle United, Leeds and Chelsea sent letters to UEFA asking to be put in the hat for the Inter-Toto, the reason being if you want to attract the best players, make the big money and be taken seriously you have to be playing in Europe.

People who were laughing at Newcastle last season are now laughing on the other side of there face's. I'm not saying we are going to qualify but we have a much better chance than the like's of Sunderland, Leicester and Tottenham.

Much is made of the fact that players could get 'burnt-out' later in the season. Well it is a valid point and people can back it up with evidence, it happened to West Ham and Bradford a few years ago. But the fact of the matter is, the reason West Ham and Bradford struggled is because there squad were not strong enough to cope, they didn’t have adequate back up if a player was feeling burnt out.

I feel Newcastle, unlike WestHam and Bradford a few years ago, do have a strong enough squad to cope with any player feeling fatigued later on in the season.

And all I will say to any player who complains to the Manager or chairman about cutting there summer holidays short is, it is your own fault for not being good enough to qualify last season.

I have heard people say that playing competitive games in July and early August will increase the risk of major injury, well we lost our former left back Mark Robinson for 6 mon
ths after some no talent no brain third division clogger decided to make a name for him self by taking Robinson out from behind with a shocking challenge. And what about Alan Shearer breaking his leg during a friendly with Chelsea.

Playing games in the Inter-Toto will improve players match-fitness and make them stronger than those players playing in run of the mill pre-season friendly's.

About a month ago Sunderland’s player don hutchinson was asked on a local T.V show weather he regretted Sunderland not entering the Inter-Toto last season. His answer was to say we would prefer to qualify the 'proper way'. How arrogant, ignorant and stupid can you get, if there is a chance to qualify for any European competition than you take it.

That really got to me, him saying they would rather qualify the proper way, well I will ask Mr Hutchinson this, when was the last time Sunderland qualified for Europe the proper way, well I can tell you it was in the 70's. Needless to say they got knocked out in the second round.

I will end this by saying so far the Inter-Toto has been a huge success to Newcastle United, we have won all four games comprehensively scoring 11 goals along the
way. Players like Lua Lua and Ameobi will be gaining valuable experience playing against foreign defences. And another big plus point is we have been playing all these Inter-Toto Cup games without the likes of Dyer, Cort, Lee, Acuna and Shearer. I am not saying we will qualify, that would be stupid, but if we do manage to win our final the financial rewards could be huge and we could also prosper on the playing front as playing in Europe does attract the best players.

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