West Ham’s dreams of a first major trophy since 1980 are still alive
Is this really being considered a major trophy 
Major enough I’d say for most of Europe.
Not ESL type teams but anyone underneath, probably yeah.
Come on it’s a joke trophy made up to make more games and more profit.
Europa league I can accept as major but this is lower than the league cup ffs.
To clubs like West Ham and Spurs? Absolutely.
There’s 15 teams at least in the PL who wouldn’t turn there nose up at that.
Granted maybe not till you get to the QFs would it interest you fully but once your there. . .
I mean football is about fan days and for West Ham fans now what’s not to like.
I mean teams have homecomings on win promotion from any League why not enjoy this.
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It was a major trophy when Mourinho won it last year 
It is what it is. It’s a major trophy to that level of team. The prize is a place in the Europa League - which for a West Ham team currently sat in 15th is obviously a lot more than they were thinking they’d get out of this season.
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It will be interesting to see what happens to Moyes if they win it because most of my mates can’t stand his style of football and wanted him out last season.
Winning it would obviously an achievement although for a lot of their supporters, it’s just papering over the cracks.
But it would also be harsh to sack a manager whose last game is winning a European trophy, even if it is Mickey Mouse competition.
A cup should never be an overriding reason for keeping a manager.
West Ham is a Potter size club job.
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Fair but I consider major trophies based on their status not based on the relative stature of the club.
Otherwise we’d be calling the EFL trophy a major trophy as well, to certain clubs in league 2 it would be.
Don’t agree with the elite clubs fans slagging off this cup. Its not for us. If we end up in it it means we have had a terrible season.
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I get to see it from both angles as a Rovers fan.
Last season was utterly incredible in terms of Europe. We won 5/8 of our qualifying games and that includes all 4 home games including a 1-0 against Fenercavos. A team with 20+ times our resources.
The ECL group stage itself was a little disappointing but we had a league win to console us.
You can’t tell me this competition is meaningless, I’ve lived what it means to be part of it and it absolutely wasn’t.
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The only way to turn the Europa League into a credible European competition again was to create a third competition that let teams that had no business being in the EL be a competitive team in a European competition.
The EL had:
Juventus, United, Arsenal, Roma, Leverkusen, Barcelona, Leipzig in it at stages this season and that’s so big teams playing in it. The last 4 is 4 good teams.
Fiorentina, Basel, West Ham and AZ are 4 teams that you’d expect to be competing in a 3rd tier European competition and I bet fans of the clubs are absolutely loving the experience.
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No idea how AZ haven’t scored tonight, they’ve had a bunch of chances and balls across the face of goal just needing an outstretched leg but the player half a yard short.
West Ham not been at it.
Finally a goal.
and it’s West Ham scoring.
Ricey to leave a West Ham legend after captaining them to a first trophy since 1980.
What a send off
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https://twitter.com/fbawaydays/status/1659323606315270144?s=46&t=eJpgg6uHWRsStnASv-OePg
West Ham fans tonight:
what a guy
Be very surprised if West Ham win tonight. Italiano a much better coach than Moyes and think Moyes is too tepid to be a true success in these types of games.
West Ham have been very poor through much of the tournament and lot of that sits on Moyes and his failure to be a little more expressive and adventurous. Players got a lot of pressure on them too.
@Phoebica probably agree with me that Fiorentina should really win tonight.
Really hope Fiorentina win tonight. I will say this though, it’s good seeing established clubs with strong fanbases having something to win.
This has a genuine feel of a very relevant competition for these clubs.
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I think it’s proven itself to be a very good idea from UEFA. Got a good final here and on paper the Europa League final had two established teams too despite the disgusting mess it was.
I’d say that the Conference League has allowed the Europa League to have a generally better quality of team in it and make it a more reputable competition.
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