Given that it looks like Leeds and Chelsea will qualify for 'proper' Europe the scramble for the Intertoto place seems to be between us, Villa and Leicester. Personally I think this much derided tournament would be well worth entering, after all what's the use in a pre-season tournament against the likes of Exeter and Plymouth when we could be sharpening our skills against European opposition, with - at the end of it - a place in a grown-up Euro competition.

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2001

Answers

It's possibly a bit of a two edged sword....I remember West Ham a couple of years ago playing in the two bob and making a blinding start to the premiership, the quickly petered out and fell away....

You're right though....proper competitive football is surely better than the crappy pre-seasons we've been putting ourselves through...

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2001

Pinched this from Nufc.com. Why do France's third team have to go into the Inter-two bob? What about Uefa and CL? If we do face France's third team that'll be a tough match, whoever they are.

Via the Intertoto Cup Eight teams have applied to become England's sole representative, coming in at the third round stage (having another team in an earlier round was rejected by the FA). The team that finishes highest and hasn't qualified for Europe by any other means starts with a two- legged tie on 14th and 21st of July. In order of current position: Pos / Team
Played Points
4. Leeds 34 59
6. Chelsea 34 54
7. Villa 35 50
12.Leicester 35 45
13. Newcastle 33 43
14.West Ham 35 39
16.Everton 35 38
18.Coventry 35 33

If one assumes that the first three teams qualify by other means, a win over Leicester next week would go a long way to putting us into this dreadful competition..... Were we to qualify, we would play the winners of: R1 Cyprus 1st team v Croatia's 2nd team R2 winners of R1 v France 3rd team R3 winners of R2 v Newcastle Other games: R4 Two legs - 25th July & 1st Aug R5 Two legs - 7th Aug & 21st Aug R5 consists of three matches, and the winners of all three enter the UEFA Cup at the First Round stage (Mid September).

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2001

Given previous pre-season friendlies I think Exeter and Plymouth will be testing fixtures.

The Inter Totum is a long winded dodgy set of games against dodgy opposition. My fear is that some of our best players will get a bad tackle or just plain knack themselves and leave next season looking like this one.

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2001