"I'd rather be out of Europe completely to concentrate on the league"

[Oranges038]

A bad team playing bad football and being 10 points from the top after 16 games with a negative goal difference winning the league ?
That never happened and won’t happen anytime soon.

It's a plot made for a Disney movie.

 

[Revan]

Fun part is that our complete exit from Europe will damage our hopes for CL next year. Because we will not score points for England which are needed to get that extra CL spot. Germany and Italy are in front now.

With Newcastle doing the same, and England having 8 teams (cause of WHU winning Conference League), each win counting less, at this stage it looks very unlikely that England will be in top 2 leagues. Thus, the fifth place won't send to UCL.

Not that we will get the fifth place either way.

 

[rcoobc]

With Newcastle doing the same, and England having 8 teams (cause of WHU winning Conference League), each win counting less, at this stage it looks very unlikely that England will be in top 2 leagues. Thus, the fifth place won't send to UCL.

Not that we will get the fifth place either way.

Don't think it's as bad as that. Liverpool will go far in the Europa League, maybe another English team too. Villa could win the conference league. City and Arsenal are England's best two clubs and are both still in the CL. It's entirely possible England will win all 3 cups (City, Liverpool, Villa).

But yeah, we won't finish 5th anyway

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I’d like to say that the notion that not competing in the Europa might mean we pick up a few more points in the league is clearly not far-fetched. And if those points are the difference between CL qualification, or another season of Thursday nights on Channel 5 then I really don’t see why so many think it’s ridiculous that this might be a preferred option.

 

[BenitoSTARR]

I’d like to say that the notion that not competing in the Europa might mean we pick up a few more points in the league is clearly not far-fetched. And if those points are the difference between CL qualification, or another season of Thursday nights on Channel 5 then I really don’t see why so many think it’s ridiculous that this might be a preferred option.

I think mentally and physically this may be one of the best things to happen to the club. New ownership model comes in. There is time to do in house analysis of players, staff and the squad without the stress and need to keep a large squad.

We’ve already seen DVB agree his loan elsewhere would we have been that proactive if we had Europa coming up? I’d argue not.

I hope that this gives the whole club a half of a season to get its collective shit together without worrying about European travel and knock out football constantly.

 

[Beachryan]

I think it's more about the likelihood of having a week between matches affording us more uninjured players and more time to see what this fabled system ETH has in his head is.

If we had a big, fit squad it would inherently be a bad thing because of limited minutes for both first teamers and young players, but with all our injuries that's kind of the least of our concerns. We played more matches than anyone last year, and it's showing this year. We need some rest, simply.

 

[Chumpsbechumps]

This is the perfect year now to make a decent stab at the FA cup. There won’t be any fixture pileup after this month, if anything we won’t have enough games.

No Europe will mean there shouldn’t be as much injury issues later on in season if we take it most will be back after a January of rest.

Two handy rounds in the fa cup in January could mean we only play one EPL team between 30th December and 1st February.

I wonder aswell if it allows us to offload more players then we may normally do in January.

I think not qualifying for CL, while not necessarily preferable, could allow us to take a longer term approach if there is a proper restructuring going on. The glazers pathetic top 4 target can mean we end up with stupid signings as they desperately waste our money to compensate for their incompetency.

 

[RedPed]

Probably one of the most backward statements in football. Fans moaning about the extra games playing in Europe....but wanting their teams to do everything in their power to get into Europe....to play extra games??

 

[JPRouve]

Probably one of the most backward statements in football. Fans moaning about the extra games playing in Europe....but wanting their teams to do everything in their power to get into Europe....to play extra games??

It's worse than that. That kind of statement and attitude are the root of loser mentality. The team, players and fans should always prefer to be as competitive as possible otherwise you just create a culture of not only accepting failure but justifying it. Even in US sports where there is an incentive in being bad due to the draft, "tanking" often destroys players development and only the landing of a generational talent can turn things around.

 

[fergiewherearethou]

Probably one of the most backward statements in football. Fans moaning about the extra games playing in Europe....but wanting their teams to do everything in their power to get into Europe....to play extra games??

Completely agree, for some fans, in order to avoid injuries for the following season, we should avoid finishing top 7 altogether, right?

We should accept that not the fixture congestion leads to injuries or tiredness, but most importantly, bad squad management, bad medical department, bad planning ahead, bad transfers, etc.

 

[RedPed]

It's worse than that. That kind of statement and attitude are the root of loser mentality. The team, players and fans should always prefer to be as competitive as possible otherwise you just create a culture of not only accepting failure but justifying it. Even in US sports where there is an incentive in being bad due to the draft, "tanking" often destroys players development and only the landing of a generational talent can turn things around.

Completely agree, for some fans, in order to avoid injuries for the following season, we should avoid finishing top 7 altogether, right?

We should accept that not the fixture congestion leads to injuries or tiredness, but most importantly, bad squad management, bad medical department, bad planning ahead, bad transfers, etc.

Yeah but then there are loads of fans on here who constantly disrespect the Europa League and scream out for rotation!, rotation!, rotation! But then they call the manager a failure if we finish 7th or something. I just don't get it.

We played more games than any other club in Europe last season and I think Liverpool played the maximum amount of club games possible in any given season a year or two back, if I remember rightly.

That's what elite clubs should be doing every year. I will never understand wanting to throw the Carabao Cup or sacking off the Europa League...or any other competition, for that matter. Just doesn't make any sense.

 

[rcoobc]

Yeah but then there are loads of fans on here who constantly disrespect the Europa League and scream out for rotation!, rotation!, rotation! But then they call the manager a failure if we finish 7th or something. I just don't get it.

We played more games than any other club in Europe last season and I think Liverpool played the maximum amount of club games possible in any given season a year or two back, if I remember rightly.

That's what elite clubs should be doing every year. I will never understand wanting to throw the Carabao Cup or sacking off the Europa League...or any other competition, for that matter. Just doesn't make any sense.

Thats where we're should be to be sure. It's not where we are though.

That said I think Europa League was our best chance of CL football next year. We're not finishing top 4 unless we buy 3 quality players in January

 

[fergiewherearethou]

Yeah but then there are loads of fans on here who constantly disrespect the Europa League and scream out for rotation!, rotation!, rotation! But then they call the manager a failure if we finish 7th or something. I just don't get it.

We played more games than any other club in Europe last season and I think Liverpool played the maximum amount of club games possible in any given season a year or two back, if I remember rightly.

That's what elite clubs should be doing every year. I will never understand wanting to throw the Carabao Cup or sacking off the Europa League...or any other competition, for that matter. Just doesn't make any sense.

Obviously, that's why the biggest clubs have large squads and it's up to the manager and staff to build a squad capable of sustaining many games per season.
If we were a small team wanting only to survive in the PL I would understand how a long cup run or an european qualification would affect the season, but for us playing the maximum amount of games should be normal.

Also looking at our season the EL would of been something to aim for, but that's gone as well.

 

[Denis79]

Yeah but then there are loads of fans on here who constantly disrespect the Europa League and scream out for rotation!, rotation!, rotation! But then they call the manager a failure if we finish 7th or something. I just don't get it.

We played more games than any other club in Europe last season and I think Liverpool played the maximum amount of club games possible in any given season a year or two back, if I remember rightly.

That's what elite clubs should be doing every year. I will never understand wanting to throw the Carabao Cup or sacking off the Europa League...or any other competition, for that matter. Just doesn't make any sense.

Especially when our level is too far off to even challenge in the PL and CL anyways. We are a club that can hope for a good run in a domestic cup or the Europa/Conference League.

 

[RedIan]

Not looking like we will have to worry about champions league next year. Thursday nights will be back.

 

[NZT-One]

That's what elite clubs should be doing every year. I will never understand wanting to throw the Carabao Cup or sacking off the Europa League...or any other competition, for that matter. Just doesn't make any sense.

First question would be how that applies to us right now?
Second thing would be that while your take is definitely understandable "in theory" or "in principle" but lets face it, that is mainly thin air. United right now isn't a top club. Acting as if we were at the wrong places doesn't really help. I would agree to you though - if people base their stance off say "lets reduce the load this year so we will be more rested next year", that sounds bullshit to me too. But I think that isn't the only reasoning, isn't it? Going out of competitions is only then a good thing, if the we are making use of the time that this generates for the team. Seasons like last year with that almost comical load will result in us not being able to evolve the team at all - because each and every minute between games is necessary for recovery. IF we use the time that going out of Europe gives us, then I think it will be worth hurting your principles.

 

[CM]

No Europa means one fewer opportunity to get embarrassed by Liverpool so fine with me.

I'd like to think we'd benefit from the extra rest/training time later in the season but that is contingent on us actually getting a clue in the first place.

 

[Redstain]

Probably one of the most backward statements in football. Fans moaning about the extra games playing in Europe....but wanting their teams to do everything in their power to get into Europe....to play extra games??

This its ridiculously contradictive. The team might as well just scrap going for a UCL spot all together and just focus on some other lower placed incentive.

 

[RedPed]

First question would be how that applies to us right now?
Second thing would be that while your take is definitely understandable "in theory" or "in principle" but lets face it, that is mainly thin air. United right now isn't a top club. Acting as if we were at the wrong places doesn't really help. I would agree to you though - if people base their stance off say "lets reduce the load this year so we will be more rested next year", that sounds bullshit to me too. But I think that isn't the only reasoning, isn't it? Going out of competitions is only then a good thing, if the we are making use of the time that this generates for the team. Seasons like last year with that almost comical load will result in us not being able to evolve the team at all - because each and every minute between games is necessary for recovery. IF we use the time that going out of Europe gives us, then I think it will be worth hurting your principles.

Completely agree....but it's the throwing of competitions or not going full strength to make that time is not acceptable.

 

[sourdough satellite]

There’s absolutely no point in us being in either Europa or Champions League, no chance we’d beat anyone decent over two legs.

Should we even bother trying qualify for those then? Maybe just stick to the FA and league Cup?