How would you rank our CL Group Stage exits?

[Maciej]

Benfica A, 2005/06
Basel A, 2011/12
Wolfsburg A, 2015/16
RB Leipzig A, 2020/21

I think Basel was totally unexpected, Benfica hurt a lot (I remember how Ronaldo couldn't take it) and Leipzig was... hmm... expected? We knew we could expect the worst.

 

[Chabon]

Benfica felt, wrongly, like the end of an era. Basel didn’t, but in retrospect absolutely was.

The other two were completely predictable.

 

[SuperiorXI]

This one was predictable

 

[Bojan11]

Benfica felt like Fergies time was coming to a end and he was looking a bit lost especially with Chelsea dominating the league. But once again he proved the doubters wrong.

 

[VidaRed]

More than these the porto one still pisses me off, we were robbed then. We would have probably won it too that year.

 

[Red Star One]

Nothing really shocking about this one, back in the day I’d be furious, now following defeat in Istanbul I was fully expecting us to come short. It really is painful, but I’m anyhow numbed knowing the ambition with Glazers and Ole is just not there. Our manager can bottle group stage after 9 points from 3 games and still go around smiling. What else to feel if not a slight regret that I might have hoped we take success seriously.

 

[croadyman]

More than these the porto one still pisses me off, we were robbed then. We would have probably won it too that year.

That was the next round

 

[croadyman]

Nothing really shocking about this one, back in the day I’d be furious, now following defeat in Istanbul I was fully expecting us to come short. It really is painful, but I’m anyhow numbed knowing the ambition with Glazers and Ole is just not there. Our manager can bottle group stage after 9 points from 3 games and still go around smiling. What else to feel if not a slight regret that I might have hoped we take success seriously.

Yeah Ole knows that he will be as safe as houses for the rest of the season

 

[RedDevilCanuck]

Benfica hurt but we had 2 of the best young players in the world.

This is the worst.

PSG are not great. Leipzig are a marketing firm team and Istanbul have washed up players or Turkish players.

Although lets bring back Rafael please.

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

They are all pathetic as each other.

Manchester United should not be getting knocked out at the group stage.

 

[cyril C]

Benfica A, 2005/06
Basel A, 2011/12
Wolfsburg A, 2015/16
RB Leipzig A, 2020/21

I think Basel was totally unexpected, Benfica hurt a lot (I remember how Ronaldo couldn't take it) and Leipzig was... hmm... expected? We knew we could expect the worst.

Yes Benifica was totally unexpected. But so was Basel and Wolsburg when we were supposed to be in easy groups? We just dropped too many points early on and were forced to play to win. Right after the draw, people would normally expect Leipzig is a tough group, possibly worst in all. Right after 2 wins, some idiot post a thread stating we can't lose. Complacency is a bad thing, both in the manager and the players. I remember right after the Leipzig win, Ole spoke in press conference about how many tricks in his locker, 532, 4231, diamond and so on. We felt flat straight afterwards in the Arsenal defeat. Stop bragging about wins and start preparing players before each game, is probably what we need.

 

[Wayne's World]

That Basel one hurt, remember watching that as young lad in the pub and I was as disappointed after it. Benfica exit seemed like the end of Sir Alex at the time but gladly it got so much better after that

Wasn't too surprised with this one and the Wolfsburg one to be fair

 

[Lay]

Nick Powell came on against Wolfsburg right?

 

[el3mel]

Basel was the worst of them, considering we were in the final the year before and were still considered a class team.

Wolfsburg one didn't hurt at all, we were papering over cracks the entire group. We were absolutely pathetic in all matches.

 

[Amir]

I wasn't expecting anything big from us in Europe in 2015/16 or this season, so being knocked out in the group stages doesn't hurt much. Would have happened in the next stage anyway.

Under Fergie it was different, because you always thought we were in with a chance. in 2005/06 we just weren't very good for part half of the season, but the recovery after that started Fergie's next great team. The 2011/12 hurt more, because we started the season so well and being knocked out in the group stage just felt silly. Never should have happened. Fergie was partly to blame as well, as he had the tendency to use the group stage in order to rest players from the very first match.

No one even mentions the fact we were also knocked out in the group stage in 1994/95... Maybe because it was so new, we were green and the foreign player rule hampered us.

 

[Web of Bissaka]

What are you guys saying, it's heritage