I wrote a 2,000 + word email for subscribers about the Europa League today, including a 25-1 outright selection and three match previews. I spoke about one team that I suspect might have booked the wrong training facilities, turning up at Stalag 13 instead of the Ritz ! Another who seem sure to tire badly due to the training they have done and a third where I believe one team has very questionable motivation for the match.

I cannot reproduce any of those on here today, but doubtless there will be a snippet or two on our Twitter page later in the day and I can at least start you off with the first part of today's notes........

Europa League:

The last ten runnings of the Europa League/ UEFA Cup have seen seven winners from the Iberian Peninsula, five Spanish winners and two Portugese, they also supplied four losing finalists between them and all four semi finalists last year, the other three winners came from Eastern Europe, with two Russian winners and one from the Ukraine.

The Eastern teams are at a disadvantage early, coming off their winter break, but once we are in mid/late March, the pendulum swings the other way and they are fresher and at their peak, when others are beginning to tire.

This says as much about how these countries view the competition than anything else, they always show it respect and want to do well. Italian teams have a terrible record and since it was renamed the Europa League, only one has got past the Round of 32 and they lost in the Round of 16.

There are three Serie A teams left in the competition, Lazio, Napoli and Inter, but all have other major objectives for the season and I would offer a word of caution about all of them, not to say that they cannot win/ progress, just that I doubt that they are overly bothered.

The final is in Amsterdam this year and we can expect Ajax to be very motivated, but they might well have to see off Chelsea in the round of 16..

Atletico Madrid and Levante are the only two Spanish teams remaining and are drawn to face each other in the Round of 16, Atletico are looking to win for the third time in four years and given their league position, 12 points behind Barcelona and 11 clear of the fourth placed team, they already look assured of a Champions League spot for next season and I see no reason why they will not again be fully focused and this looks a decent draw for them, they have to be favourites IMO and 8.0 is a perfectly fair price, although a little skinny for my liking in a 32 runner race.

But I do have a 25-1 + selection that I am very keen on.

To read the rest of this post and all clubgowi output, subscribe to the daily newsletter service.

There is a very special, limited time offer to sign up at the moment, but it is a bit hush, hush, which is why I have hidden this right down at the bottom of this post, email me at info@clubgowi.com for details.

Good Luck.