That 4-3 barely counts to be honest, it was the Ronaldo standing ovation game and they were 6-2 up on aggregate after an hour and everyone knew it was over. The last 30 minutes played out like an exhibition game, Becks scored one of his most famous goals, where none of the Madrid defenders could be arsed with trying to tackle him. Also was treated as a mini audition for him. It was a very memorable game though.
Manchester United to face Real Sociedad in the last 32 of the Europa League
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Interesting stat. Without a doubt Ole has no luck when it comes to cup draws.
Our cup runs last season were favourable. Should have won a trophy. As people pointed we just kept crashing out the moment we faced anyone formidable
He scored a brilliant free kick and scored a far post sliding tap in. The goal where he took it past 2 or 3 players and put it in the top corner was 2 or 3 years before that.
Yeah I went and watched the highlights after I posted that. It’s been a while, apparently those years are blurring in to one for me! Tell you what though, the number of legends on the pitch in that game was something else. Made me realise that I’ll probably never enjoy football as much as I once did.
Football was so much more dramatic and entertaining, and the amount of exciting players was staggering compared to today.
And I've found this one.
Imagine him reading out an Italian team's squad
Dos, tres, cuatro times...
I'm not having that, we never gave up in those days and when Beckham made it 4-3 on the night, there was genuine belief inside the stadium we could get another 2 goals we made chances aswell, Madrid were bricking it, I always remember our current manager heading over from 6 yards out and still believe to this day if he put it in we would of got another goal. It definitely wasnt an exhibition match.
Anyway back on point we do have a really poor record against Spanish sides but I would still be confident of beating sociedad as long as we take the Europa seriously.
Those that was saying that wasn't paying attention.
Got Chelsea away and won before getting the hardest possible semi final draw in the league cup. Wolves away in the FA Cup was as tricky of FA Cup tie to get and got Arsenal, Chelsea away the previous year. Sevilla in the Europa league semi final was the short straw draw also and it was still a game United could or should have won, a formidable Sevilla keeper was a big reason why they didn't win.
It's difficult because you're classing a draw like Wolves as being tricky. No disrespect to Sevilla but that's also not some unlucky draw in the semifinal of a european tournament. They are exactly the right amount of difficulty you'd expect at that stage. Our league cup run last year was Rochdale, Colchester, Chelsea and City. FA cup run was Wolves, Tranmere, Derby, Norwich and then we lost to Chelsea. Our Europa run Brugge, LASK, Coppenhagen and then we lost to Sevilla
Of course Wolves away in a cup competition is tricky. Same applies to City, Liverpool etc if they drew them.
Sevilla are the Europa league specialists and proved their worth further by beating inter in the final.
The only semi finalists that beat United and didn't go on to win the cup was Chelsea whom allowed themselves to lose to Arsenal but in fairness that was when Arteta was having his little purple patch.
An interesting point which I've never thought about but which is absolutely true. Lamentable, that.
Reckon every single generation has said this about the current and past generations.
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but we were having our own purple patch and lost to all those teams. I don't know about Europa league specialists or overinflating Wolves as a formidable opponent. These are precisely the kind of teams to be beating if you're to be a trophy contender. One could cite some mitigating circumstance to explain why a loss to even midgetland isn't bad but at the end of the day those aren't ties that are classified as unlucky late tournament draws
No Oles purple patch was meant to be when he was caretaker manager.
Got easier semi final draws in the past including 2017 when United last won the Europa league and United under Jose was far from convincing in that semi final. Celta somehow missing a sitter late on. The fine margins as Ole mentions about a lot.
So far this season United have got arguably the hardest possible CL group draw. Chelsea for example finishing 4th and behind United in the league last season got a much more straight forward group.
Now its the La Liga leaders for United in Europa league. If United overcome Everton away in league cup my money will be on United drawing City in the semi finals once more.
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And now they have lost against Levante too.
Facing Atletico Madrid tomorrow if people watch to watch.
Sociedad 3rd - Atletico 1st place, should be a good one.
Sociedad 3rd - Atletico 1st place, should be a good one.
I’d throw the Europa this year. Pointless competition unless we’re reliant on it to back-door the Champions League.
With the squad we have now, we should set our sights higher. Not that winning a trophy isn’t nice but the Thursday night games in an already packed season will be a real disadvantage
With the squad we have now, we should set our sights higher. Not that winning a trophy isn’t nice but the Thursday night games in an already packed season will be a real disadvantage
Aye, can’t say I’m too arsed with this tie. Maybe keep a foot in the door with Europa + FA if/until still realistically in with a title shout.
Can we even play them now?
Some talk that their home leg will be played in a neutral country because filthy Brits can’t enter Spain.
I would be playing
GK - Henderson, RB - Williams, LB - Telles, CB - Bailly, CB - Tuanzebe, CM - Matic, CM - Van de Beek, AMC - Hannibal, AMR - Amad, AML - Greenwood
ST - Martial
Not having to play competitive European games could be a massive advantage for us in this strange, condensed season. I know we're dealing with 'what if's' here but just imagine if we beat Everton and Liverpool take points off City....we could be going into the European fixtures still bang in contention. Even with City's ridiculously bloated squad, will they be able to cope with high-intensity games coming so thick and fast?
GK - Henderson, RB - Williams, LB - Telles, CB - Bailly, CB - Tuanzebe, CM - Matic, CM - Van de Beek, AMC - Hannibal, AMR - Amad, AML - Greenwood
ST - Martial
Not having to play competitive European games could be a massive advantage for us in this strange, condensed season. I know we're dealing with 'what if's' here but just imagine if we beat Everton and Liverpool take points off City....we could be going into the European fixtures still bang in contention. Even with City's ridiculously bloated squad, will they be able to cope with high-intensity games coming so thick and fast?
When you say bloated squad they're not that flooded with quality are they?
Laporte not getting in regularly is big, but not sure there's many others of that great quality who don't get in are there?
Pretty much forgotten about this.
Play the kids (if we can play at all). Focus on the league.
Play the kids (if we can play at all). Focus on the league.
We will put out a much stronger side than that. Would be amazed if Hannibal got minutes let alone started.
Henderson
AWB - Axel - Maguire - Telles
McTominay - VdB
James - Bruno - Rashford
Martial
AWB - Axel - Maguire - Telles
McTominay - VdB
James - Bruno - Rashford
Martial
It’ll be closer to that.
Agreed, so far whenever presented with the choice to heavily rotate and rest most of the first team, Ole decided to put out a strong team. Throwing games or at least risking that doesn't seem to be something he likes.
I've never been too fussed about the EL. But this season more than most, I feel as though our focus should be squarely on the league.
The EL is a Losers Cup for teams that lose in the group stages of the CL, or lose the FA Cup final, or lose the League Cup final, or finish 5th in the PL.
I get that it's a trophy and I'd be pleased for the players if they won it. But its bar for entry is so low that I can barely take it seriously.
The EL is a Losers Cup for teams that lose in the group stages of the CL, or lose the FA Cup final, or lose the League Cup final, or finish 5th in the PL.
I get that it's a trophy and I'd be pleased for the players if they won it. But its bar for entry is so low that I can barely take it seriously.
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Currently, 6th in La liga
Still want to chuck this competition. Treat it like the League Cup and give the fringe players and the youth guys chances and if we happen to find ourselves in the semis then go for it.
I think it’s a shit idea anyway that finishing 3rd in the CL group puts you in EL. I’d rather just go out of Europe altogether. Being essentially relegated to the EL is a pretty shit feeling.
I think it’s a shit idea anyway that finishing 3rd in the CL group puts you in EL. I’d rather just go out of Europe altogether. Being essentially relegated to the EL is a pretty shit feeling.
I’d swap Martial and Greenwood if that was the team as I’d trust Greenwood up top more than Martial.
I think the way forward in this comp is to have a pretty strong base and give our attacking players more of a breather. I think the back 5 should be something like this:
Henderson
Tuanzebe Lindelof Maguire Telles
Maguire always tends to play and I think the consistency helps him - he could get a rest if a tie is put to bed etc.
Lindelof just on the basis I want Bailly in the league week in week out
I think AWB needs some rotation, and not sure Tuanzebe is ready to start at CB, he could develop into a RB to be completely honest
Add to that Matic, and then rotate the forwards. I do think we should be involving Shoretire, Hannibal, Hughill and obviously Diallo on the bench - probably not all at once, but for instance taking Hannibal to Spain and then potentially having Hughill or Shoretire on the bench at OT.
Henderson
Tuanzebe Lindelof Maguire Telles
Maguire always tends to play and I think the consistency helps him - he could get a rest if a tie is put to bed etc.
Lindelof just on the basis I want Bailly in the league week in week out
I think AWB needs some rotation, and not sure Tuanzebe is ready to start at CB, he could develop into a RB to be completely honest
Add to that Matic, and then rotate the forwards. I do think we should be involving Shoretire, Hannibal, Hughill and obviously Diallo on the bench - probably not all at once, but for instance taking Hannibal to Spain and then potentially having Hughill or Shoretire on the bench at OT.
Do we think this favours us or doesn't really make any difference at all
The away leg of Manchester United’s UEFA Europa League round-of-32 tie against Real Sociedad will now take place at Juventus's Allianz Stadium in Turin, it has been confirmed.
From man.utd
From man.utd
Is that Oyarzabal guy any good?
I've always enjoyed the Europa, I suppose because of the odd ties it tends to throw up, playing teams you'd rarely get a chance to come up against.
I also dont think we can afford to sniff at any competition with how erratic we are at the moment. Ole's done many good things but is yet to instill a real winning mentality in this young squad.
With a bit of luck in the injury department and some clever rotation I think we can take a run at this while maintaining a title challenge, and I think that's what we should be doing.
I also dont think we can afford to sniff at any competition with how erratic we are at the moment. Ole's done many good things but is yet to instill a real winning mentality in this young squad.
With a bit of luck in the injury department and some clever rotation I think we can take a run at this while maintaining a title challenge, and I think that's what we should be doing.
You're just getting old.
Sounds good. Can pop in to Ronaldo and ask him to come back
It should help us a bit because they must travelling too.
But some journalists aren't happy
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