I actually don’t think many Utd fans are bothered about losing out on the CL. Admittedly I don’t know what Utd fans are saying in the Utd forum on here so maybe I’m completely wrong but in this forum it seems to barely get mentioned. It’s almost as if, and I know I’m going out on a limb here, Utd fans care more about us not winning the league.
With the problems on and off the pitch Utd have had recently I would have thought a return to elite level European football was the number 1 priority. It seems to be for Ed, Ole and the players But not so much for the fans.
I’m glad you said “putting aside the horrors of the virus” because it is possible to do that and talk about football and how/when it might restart. There is a well developed narrative that if you want the current season finished it means you don’t care about anyone and are basically evil incarnate. You can only care about the elderly, people with underlying health issues and humanity in general if you want the season voided. In which case, amongst others, West Ham fans must be angels.
I do think that after this is over we will all realise how important football is to us. It’s only been a couple of weeks and yet it feels like an eternity already. As someone said it’s the most important of the least important things. Stay safe.
Okay, with the caveat that this is only football, this United fan is
very bothered about losing out on the CL. It's the biggest cup competition out there, United have a rich history on that stage, and there are financial penalties to not qualifying. Don't forget that it was United who pioneered English involvement in the CL's historical equivalent, the European Cup. So no, given a choice (and I can't speak for others, of course), I'd choose the option of United qualifying for the CL and being able to continue our progress in the EL and Liverpool being crowned champions.
I've read the back and forth about whether the season should be allowed to finish in some way, and honestly it all seems to be conjecture at this point, so I haven't really involved myself in that discussion. All I'll say is that with every passing day, a resumption of the current season is looking more and more unlikely, and that hurts us as much as it hurts you (okay, maybe not quite as much, given the thirty year wait). I don't think wanting the season to be finished is "evil incarnate"; I just think it's a little myopic and unrealistic. But some of the celebrity Liverpool fans in the media have shamed themselves in that it seems to be their entire focus during this crisis, to ensure that ending Liverpool's wait for the title is somehow more important than anything else.
Do I think it's fair if Liverpool miss out? No, I don't. Your team deserves the title, and would almost certainly have won it, so at least you'll always know you were the "moral winners," which always seems to matter a lot to Liverpool fans in general and has been sufficient comfort for them in the past.
Football has always been a big part of my life, and I adore Manchester United, but I'd give up all our silverware throughout history to ensure my family and friends don't die from this. My nephew is in healthcare and contracted the virus and thankfully seems to have recovered. But I know and love many vulnerable people, as do we all, and football is great and has enriched our lives as fans, but yes. I'm glad we agree on priorities, all banter and rivalry aside.
You too; be safe, be well.
