Europa league 16-17

[Dennism]

That include ourselves then who couldn't beat ladies & Gents over 2 games? Not even heard of them before this season.

Apart from 1 season under redknapp we're pretty awful in Europe considering the size and players at the club .
Just don't seem to handle Europe right. Not even made it to a Europa semi

Totally agree that we were really poor in Europe. We need to step up next season.

 

[Maxtremist]

Lastly we have always implied that we couldn't attract players because no-one wants to play in the Europa League. This is a picture of Pogba from last night.

For the most part, I get what you're saying and agree but I will be careful with this one. Not the best of examples because of the money and stature that Man Utd have. That's what's getting them to attract players. Sure, CL helps but Man Utd brought in Mkhitaryan, Pogba and Ibrahimovic this year and I think the two main factors for that were the money and the reputation. Not the Europa league.

Yes, our fan culture in England sees is as a massive step down/runners up prize and that is an issue. I mean remember when Fulham made it to the final and how big that was and how everyone cared then?

I think the biggest issue with the Europa league is how the Premier League handles it. First and foremost I hate Mourinho. But he did kinda show that you have to prioritise either going for the league or Europa. Last season we went for the league and the title. Same again this season, he went fully for Europa. Would drop and rest players in the league and play full strength in Europa. We don't have the luxury to have two fully realised squads that compete on multiple fronts yet so we have to play it smart. Our players didn't perform in Europe this season, something we have to fix and change about next season. I think a fully fit squad with some extra additions will help out a lot. You don't want to blame injuries for poor records in Europe or in the league but the timing of some of them to our key players did us no favours.

 

[DCSPUR]

I think we as fans have made a big mistake in the last 10 years by treating the Europa League with such distain.

I remember the last home game of the season when we first qualified via the league and the fans were singing all match about going on a European tour.

The Sevilla quarter final is remembered by many as the best athmosphere at the lane and we didn't even win.

After that point we seemed to all get disinterested and I think this rubbed off on the managers. How many time have our own fan base referred to it as "Micky Mouse" or lamented playing on a Thursday? It was quite refreshing to see Mourinho throw the league to win the thing (i appreciate the fact that it now leads to CL qualification has lots to do with this). A real winner. Sometimes I felt that the likes of Redknapp were scared to go deep in the competition as it would mean they would have to change focus.

Lastly we have always implied that we couldn't attract players because no-one wants to play in the Europa League. This is a picture of Pogba from last night.



I expect Manchester United fans are euphoric today and rightly so. I still am delighted with our own season, mainly because of the progress we have shown but the pressure to win something next season is going to be huge.

You serious with the Pogba comment?

 

[tiger666]

Lastly we have always implied that we couldn't attract players because no-one wants to play in the Europa League. This is a picture of Pogba from last night.

I'm not sure what you're trying to say there.

 

[bubble07]

I think we as fans have made a big mistake in the last 10 years by treating the Europa League with such distain.

I remember the last home game of the season when we first qualified via the league and the fans were singing all match about going on a European tour.

The Sevilla quarter final is remembered by many as the best athmosphere at the lane and we didn't even win.

After that point we seemed to all get disinterested and I think this rubbed off on the managers. How many time have our own fan base referred to it as "Micky Mouse" or lamented playing on a Thursday? It was quite refreshing to see Mourinho throw the league to win the thing (i appreciate the fact that it now leads to CL qualification has lots to do with this). A real winner. Sometimes I felt that the likes of Redknapp were scared to go deep in the competition as it would mean they would have to change focus.

Lastly we have always implied that we couldn't attract players because no-one wants to play in the Europa League. This is a picture of Pogba from last night.



I expect Manchester United fans are euphoric today and rightly so. I still am delighted with our own season, mainly because of the progress we have shown but the pressure to win something next season is going to be huge.

They are paying those two about half a million a week though

 

[Gbspurs]

My point is players are want to win things. Ledley said winning the league cup was his favourite moment.

I think fans are obsessed with this rhetoric that the only things players want is money and Pogba is held up as the poster boy for "overpaid" footballer yet look at how happy he is winning a Mickey mouse cup.

 

[archiewasking]

Fiery discussion on talksport last night. Liverpool supporter said they'd had a better season than Manure because they finished higher in the league.
Don't get me wrong, I loved the title chase and finishing second. But given that United finished with 2 pots and qualified for CL - the main reason for fighting for top 4 - I would venture that they had a better season overall than us as well. Really very sad we didn't go all out for the Europa.

 

[riggi]

Fiery discussion on talksport last night. Liverpool supporter said they'd had a better season than Manure because they finished higher in the league.
Don't get me wrong, I loved the title chase and finishing second. But given that United finished with 2 pots and qualified for CL - the main reason for fighting for top 4 - I would venture that they had a better season overall than us as well. Really very sad we didn't go all out for the Europa.

This argument will never be settled but for me, put aside the style of play, id probably swap with them right now.

 

[Shadydan]

If you want to push for Europa you need to sacrifice your form in the league which is a risk, I'd rather push for league and qualify for the CL via finishing top 4 than putting our eggs in the Europa basket. It's all well and good trying for the EL but there are no garantees that we would have won the trophy. Utd prioritised the EL at the detriment of their league form, no garantees that if we prioritised the EL we'd fare the same way.

 

[Ionman34]

Who outside our fan base remembers our side that won the 1999 League Cup ? I bet many more will remember this team even if it wins no trophy.

Cup finals live on in the memory because of the WAY they are won, same as how teams are remembered for the way they played. I could name more of the Keegan side that won nothing than I can of our own '99 team that won a trophy. All I remember of the 90's is that we were shite, but we had the odd gem to lift some of the clouds.
We won in '99, but all that is is a trophy tally.

Basically, those that are whining about lack of trophies in the now are just in it for the bragging rights, glory hounds. Desperate to Lord it over other fans. The brand of Football doesn't matter to them, just the trophy haul and the bragging rights.

I've met older generation fans of all the big London teams who used to go to WHL just to watch Spurs, if their own team was playing away, because they were a joy to watch.
I watch my old man's face light up when he talks about the '60's teams. He never talks about the trophies, never mentions them, but he talk for hours about the wonderful Football he watched.

The great Holland team of the '70's is still talked about to this day as the greatest side to never win anything.

Trophies might rubber stamp a great team, but the trophies aren't remembered, they're recorded. It is the team and the Football that is remembered long after they are gone.

 

[Ionman34]

I think we as fans have made a big mistake in the last 10 years by treating the Europa League with such distain.

I remember the last home game of the season when we first qualified via the league and the fans were singing all match about going on a European tour.

The Sevilla quarter final is remembered by many as the best athmosphere at the lane and we didn't even win.

After that point we seemed to all get disinterested and I think this rubbed off on the managers. How many time have our own fan base referred to it as "Micky Mouse" or lamented playing on a Thursday? It was quite refreshing to see Mourinho throw the league to win the thing (i appreciate the fact that it now leads to CL qualification has lots to do with this). A real winner. Sometimes I felt that the likes of Redknapp were scared to go deep in the competition as it would mean they would have to change focus.

Lastly we have always implied that we couldn't attract players because no-one wants to play in the Europa League. This is a picture of Pogba from last night.



I expect Manchester United fans are euphoric today and rightly so. I still am delighted with our own season, mainly because of the progress we have shown but the pressure to win something next season is going to be huge.

Don't forget there was no CL qualification via the Europa in Redknapps time, which would have been an influence as we were gunning for CL.
League advancement was more important for our long term plans. Top 4 gets you more Worldwide exposure than a Europa league win.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

If you want to push for Europa you need to sacrifice your form in the league which is a risk, I'd rather push for league and qualify for the CL via finishing top 4 than putting our eggs in the Europa basket. It's all well and good trying for the EL but there are no garantees that we would have won the trophy. Utd prioritised the EL at the detriment of their league form, no garantees that if we prioritised the EL we'd fare the same way.

A club with ManU's resources and depth of squad quality don't need to be making much of a sacrifice to challenge on both fronts. Mourinho's clever, but he's also an egotistical bullshitter. It was all about protecting his pride, if he didn't care about the league why was he turning up at places like Arsenal and trying to grind out results, why not just chuck his second string of super stars (like Martial, Rooney etc) out and tell them to make hay and don't worry if we lose 3-4 ever week. The truth is he did what he always does for tough games, set up the bus park, gilded it with massively expensive attacking options and tried to win games of that ilk like he always has. Thing is, this premiership isn't the same old premiership and it didn't work, so he started with the "we don't care about the league, the Europa cup is really what all the teams above us were dreaming of" bollocks.

I've read and heard some pundits this week claiming ManU played better football this year than the last three or so. You'd think they would having added three fucking great players worth about 150m to the other 350m they've spent in the last couple of years, but I'm fucked if I saw it. All I saw was a team that tried to shell (and failed often) every 1-0 lead they got (and often failed) and bus parked tougher games.

Mourinho's a clever guy and he knows how to win, he certainly knows how not to lose, and I'm sure he'll have ManU up around the top 4 again next year, but I've grown very weary of his continual bullshit, he's become a caricature of himself.

 

[slartibartfast]

This argument will never be settled but for me, put aside the style of play, id probably swap with them right now.

Thats the thing though, putting aside style of play.
I couldn't watch that shite.
If we spent that much money and paid those wages and then churned out that fkin pap... well I'd think we must have took AVB back.
Our cl performances were bad enough.
Agree though, putting style aside, I'd rather have the trophys than a runners up spot in the league.