FA Cup or Top 4 this season?

[BarryWinks]

You read threads like this and you recognize why managers fail here mostly. We have fans who don't seem to realize the club is not a state-funded entity and need sustenance through playing in Champions league and all the benefits it brings - player recruitment and more European income for one.

To answer the question - Top 4 for me. To get that next level of development we need to start playing in the elite competition. That is where we should be if possible every season.

The domestic cups should be a chance to try our fringe and academy players. Unfortunately we don't seem to ever do that, which means we don't give minutes to fringe players, don't develop our youths, and exhaust our first reamers leading to loss of form, fatigue and injuries. We need to start prioritizing, it is what the likes of Klopp and Pep did until they had teams good enough to challenge on all fronts.

 

[90 + 5min]

The FA Cup. It is all about history and what it means winning it. Especially now when we play against ManCity.

 

[Swedish_Plumber]

If it meant denying city the treble I’d miss out on top 4 for a trophy.

 

[SirScholes]

If you’re saying FA Cup you are an example of what’s wrong in the current world

instant but short term success

champions league is easily more important for our club if we are to move forward

 

[Withnail]

Spoiler

That's exactly how I feel

 

[FujiVice]

Sadly this is one of those questions where if we arent good enough to win 3 games out of 4 against the fixtures we have coming up, we arent good enough to beat City.

 

[Hernandez - BFA]

FA Cup

 

[Rood]

Top 4 (if we don't get this then it means a horrific end to the season and getting pipped by the Scousers)

and Real beat City

 

[joedirt87]

This made perfect sense when we were actually competing for the league, utter nonsense now.

If it was win the league or the FA Cup then we all know what we’d chose. We should be aiming for both, a Cup win along with League success. We get Top4, get knocked out into the Europa, lose in a Semi or Quarters then scrape Top4 - rinse & repeat.

The mindset needs to stop, we’re in the building phase. They’ve won a League Cup ffs! We can’t keep writing off seasons & expect a few signings to change the underachieving mentality.

How can we build if a manager gets sacked every 2-3 seasons. Winning trophies has not saved our last couple managers, but if they had more consistent league finishes I don't think we would be up to the 5th manager in a decade post Fergie.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Top 4 (if we don't get this then it means a horrific end to the season and getting pipped by the Scousers)

and Real beat City

Not allowed. Decision needs to be made based on current uncertainty re CL.

 

[Bastian]

Not allowed. Decision needs to be made based on current uncertainty re CL.

Will 5th get CL if City win the CL?

 

[Withnail]

It's a close one but a CL place is more important to our long-term success and will affect which players we can sign.

 

[Barthez]

FA CUP without a shadow of doubt as it’ll mean so much with it being City as well. The 2 domestic cups and 5th place would be an amazing season from where we were last year.

 

[Revan]

Top 4. Easier to sign players if we are in UCL.

The only two trophies that matter a lot are the UCL and the league. Europa and FA Cup are second tier trophies, good to win but it is a bonus, not something that defines if the season was good or bad (and the League Cup is a third rate trophy).

 

[AbusementPark]

Top 4, United fans have been bashing Arsenal fans for bottling the league and then we do similar to Liverpool and champions league.
Plus the extra income and attracting new players to the club is worth it.

 

[Loony BoB]

I'd prefer the Champions League. It'll be more important in the long run, and I want the long run for our club. I obviously prefer both, though, and there's no reason for us to favour one over the other, so this is all kind of pointless to pick one or the other.

 

[Cloud7]

Top 4. I genuinely don't hold the FA cup in any higher regard than the league cup and we already got that this season.

Plus I am so so so fed up of the Europa League. If we can't get CL then I would much rather we not be in Europe at all.

 

[AFC NimbleThumb]

How can we build if a manager gets sacked every 2-3 seasons. Winning trophies has not saved our last couple managers, but if they had more consistent league finishes I don't think we would be up to the 5th manager in a decade post Fergie.

If a manager finished 4th getting knocked out of the Cups in the Quarters for 3/4 years straight they aren’t keeping their job either though. Consistently finishing 4th in the League isn’t good enough to keep a job here. We should be doing both.

I’m not arguing the FA Cup should keep a manager in a job but finishing 4th to qualify for a competition that the majority of the current squad have proven woefully unsuitable for won’t either.

Back when we ruled the world Fergie could write off cups cause he had years of proven ability in them behind him, those days are long gone. Look at the recent winners/finalists of the League/FA Cup, you’ll see a lot of our rivals & not enough of us.

 

[Offside]

You read threads like this and you recognize why managers fail here mostly. We have fans who don't seem to realize the club is not a state-funded entity and need sustenance through playing in Champions league and all the benefits it brings - player recruitment and more European income for one.

To answer the question - Top 4 for me. To get that next level of development we need to start playing in the elite competition. That is where we should be if possible every season.

The domestic cups should be a chance to try our fringe and academy players. Unfortunately we don't seem to ever do that, which means we don't give minutes to fringe players, don't develop our youths, and exhaust our first reamers leading to loss of form, fatigue and injuries. We need to start prioritizing, it is what the likes of Klopp and Pep did until they had teams good enough to challenge on all fronts.

what utter bollocks. We’ve broken transfer records without CL football, bought next to nobody with it and everything in between and got nowhere. Football is about trophies.

 

[sullydnl]

Instinct is to say the FA Cup, but the thought of enduring another season of Europa League football.....

I'm 100% sure the club themselves would prefer top four but I think most fans would prefer a trophy.

 

[Rood]

Not allowed. Decision needs to be made based on current uncertainty re CL.

It's a horrible decision to make

I'd also need to know who gets that Top4 place if it's not us because if it's the Scousers then that's horrific

Probably I'm still edging towards Top4 because I guaranteed @Annihilate Now! and @Vault Dweller that Top 4 was in the bag !

 

[CM]

Top 4. Losing out on 4th to Liverpool after the season they've had would be a sickener, and let's be honest we're not beating City. I'm not sure I can get up for another season of Europa League, the last 3 times we've been knocked out of it were painful and the Thursday-Sunday schedule definitely doesn't help league form. Champions League is where we need to be.

We just need to hope Real Madrid do a job on City in the second leg so they don't do the treble.

 

[RoadTrip]

The only scenario I would be wanting us to win the FA Cup more than top 4 is if it prevented City from winning the treble.

 

[Speedicut75]

Unequivocally TOP 4.

 

[BorisManUtd]

If we get top 4, along with Carabao Cup already won, I'll consider it a good season. If we don't finish in top 4 and then win Fa Cup, that win will be great joy as it's another trophy and win against top City team but will still feel gutted about missing on top 4 as I don't think it's a good enough season without finishing at least in top 4.

 

[McGrathsipan]

Imagine the mood in camp if we finish 5th and then go to Wembley to play city!

Top four please

 

[adexkola]

I'd rather win the FA Cup.

Nothing to do with City actually. Don't care about them winning a treble, we did that already.

ETH winning 2 trophies in his first season is a decent one even if we just miss out on CL qualification. Reload next season, and go all out for the league.

Plus the CL is a glorified cup competition with music

Ideally we win the FA cup and finish 4th.

 

[Mwooyo]

If it means preventing city from winning the treble then It's definitely the FA Cup. Whats the use of top 4 if they win the treble...we definitely aren't wining the champions league next season

 

[KiD MoYeS]

FA Cup. Fourth isn't a trophy.

 

[Judas]

If you’re saying FA Cup you are an example of what’s wrong in the current world

instant but short term success

champions league is easily more important for our club if we are to move forward

to me it's the exact opposite. It's the top 4 trophy crowd which are worse. We've done fine in the market with CL football, numerous times, and we will this summer, owner situation depending.

Man Utd doesn't die if we don't get top 4 this season.

 

[BorisManUtd]

I want top 4 not because of CL football (where I'd say we've been irrelevant ever since 2011 final) but to avoid playing Europa yet again.

 

[Wilt]

FA cup = no treble

 

[fatmanWazza]

FA Cup for me. I'd take a trophy over top 4. We have enough pull in the transfer market (yet) to be able to afford/entice our top transfer targets even without the CL.

 

[Neil_Buchanan]

Fa cup for sure

 

[BarryWinks]

what utter bollocks. We’ve broken transfer records without CL football, bought next to nobody with it and everything in between and got nowhere. Football is about trophies.

And what has that gotten us? Players who would rather not be at the club and who down tools at the first huddle, paying through our noses for the likes of Anthony out of desperation.

We need sustainable success. We need to remain in the champions league, get playing in there regularly, get players who see playing for us as a chance to play at the highest stage (usually good players think like that). Maybe because I'm not British but like @Revan said, the FA cup is a second rate trophy to me. I was hoping we lost in the earlier round as it became obvious ETH was going to keep playing pur strongest players, which coupled with rigorous EL travels mean we were always going to burn out at the later stages of the season - a fact we are seeing now.

 

[Todd]

Top 4 by a wide margin.

Being out of Champions League for two seasons in a row would be a huge blow. It'd make it much more difficult for us to sign a top striker this summer, which is something that is absolutely critical for the club to do.

 

[KeanoMagicHat]

Beating peak Man City in a FA Cup final at Wembley > 4th place ‘trophy’ any day of the week.

 

[JackRowley]

To me the season is now in danger of ending in worst nightmare, City win treble, and we lose out on top four to Liverpool on GD.

 

[NLunited]

Top four. FA cup is amazing, but playing CL has precedence: financially and it will make it easier to get our transfer targets.

 

[SAFMUTD]

FA Cup, specially since its against City and it's potentially stopping their treble. Also top 4 and UCL next year is mainly for revenue as we dont have a chance in hell of actually winning it.