I couldn't care less about Champions League qualification, I want a trophy.
Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur | Europa League final build-up thread (May 21st)
- Thread starter rio's upper lip
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Nik (@Rood) and Imran (@Annihilate Now!) discuss United's fantastic win away against Athletic Club in the semi-final of the Europa League.
They also pick out the positives of United's 4-3 loss away at Brentford, and Nik reviews a day out at Old Trafford watching Manchester United Women qualify for the Champions League.
I haven’t felt this confident about a cup final since the days of Fergie. Everything is coming together at the right time it seems. I 5ink Spurs should be very worried.
To be honest I've switched to lean on we should start Ugarte and leave Mount to be an impact sub. Both Garnacho and Mount on the bench gives us lots of options on how to change the game, while with Ugarte and Case then it gives us lots of protection and I'd be confident that at worst, it'll be a tight game. More important to finish strongly in the final.
I don't think it's a case of it not working, but Ugarte in particular needs resting. He had a big range between the level he can play at, and his poor performances tend to be when he's recently just played 90 minutes.
regardless of the fact that this trophy means champions league qualification, getting UCL is more important than say if we were choosing between that and a league cup trophy. Most top targets wont give a feck if you just won a league cup. They will care about playing on the biggest club stage in europe. Putting too much emphasis on a trophy is what led to people getting amnesia and wanting to keep EtH around for longer.
Yeah but that's the thing, I'm not sitting here as a fan worrying about summer transfer targets and being an attractive option. We are not going to win the Champions League next season, if we are in it. I want to be celebrating another cup on May 21st.
0-3, 3-4 & 0-1. Eleven goals in three games so predicting a high scoring final. 3-2 United. Last beat Spurs in a final in 2009, 4-1 on pens.
Same.
I don't think we're ready to do anything in the Champions League yet, and haven't done for a long time, so I haven't cared about being in it for a while now. We're usually there just to make up the numbers and be humbled.
The trophy itself is the most important thing, and then having a good transfer window in the summer, which we can do without CL footy because there are so many press resistant players out there that don't have to go for silly amounts of money.
We just have to use our scouts and identify these talents.
I don't care about actually playing in UCL next year, no, but I sure as feck want the money for transfers that comes with it.
the problem is if we dont attract top options, it makes it harder to become league champion level that we all want to see. You either have to offer more money than others, are scout just that much better to find the true up and coming options that are willing to come here. Kind of getting sick and tired of people just saying oh we aren't going to win it next season so why worry about being in it. The reason you need to be in it is to attract the top talents. By attracting top talents you can build a better squad. By building better squads you consistently compete at the highest level. And by competing consistently at the highest levels we get back to having a chance to win it every year, like the good old days that people wish for.
This is such a sad outlook.
so we cant do anything in the champions league and will just be there for numbers, but clubs like club brugge, feyenoord, psv, heck even lille arent really a super top team can make the round of 16? Id take being in the knockout stages and just having a shot. I dont think any of those teams are some juggernaut that we wouldnt have a chance of matching. Shit even brest and celtic made it out of the first stage to get to the knockouts. Do people really think if we get some good matches we wont be able to have a shot of that at least?
Nothing wrong with that mindset. Being in the CL just isn't the be all and end all to me right now, and hasn't been for a while.
I feel like the general sentiment is that, if we miss out, thus missing out on the money it brings, it will cost us, but I think if we had a lower budget and, because of that, had to be smarter with our transfers and general scouting, we could build a better team than our usual route of splashing the cash.
I'm not saying I don't want to be in the competition either, but I just don't think its as important for us to be in it right now as others think it is.
IMO, this game sets our direction for the next 5 years.
Sure but it's a sad reality. I want to win Europa to win the trophy, and secondary I want the access to more cash that we desperately need. UCL wise I'd be happy with just making it out of groups as I don't think we are anywhere close to contending. Doesn't mean I won't relish those games though of courseThis is such a sad outlook.
I have a good feeling about this game
Fair enough, just the way you worded it, felt endemic of football in 2025.
Thought Son was a possible
I think we’re betting finishing the game with Shaw. I’d leave Garnacho on the bench, his fresh legs coming on with 30 minutes to go (plus possibly extra time) could be the key to winning it.
Onana
Mazraoui Maguire De Ligt Yoro Doegu
Casemiro Ugarte
Amad Hojlund Bruno
Having a lot of options coming from the bench is key, the players finishing the game are arguably more important than the players starting it. Shaw, Mainoo, Mount, Garnacho all can come on and the team won’t be any weaker at all.
id like to see both strategies. Getting a big name CF or something with the UCL exposure, then adding the rest with smart scouting/transfers. In most cases id rather have a scouting department that actually does their job and sign 2 30million players vs 1 60 million player.
Amad definitely as he was already an established first teamer. Mount while I think he was a great signing and the type of attacking CM we needed, at present I don’t mind if he comes on as a sub and then start easing him into the first team next season.
It's gonna be interesting because while we are playing Tottenham the refs won't let us play like we're in the PL. PL refs would definitely let us play more physically with each other, but this game will be reffed differently which is probably better for us.
Their high line should be meat and drink to Amad and Hojlund. We should have loads of opportunities against them
We have a lot to improve as a team but compared to them we have extra edge with the clutch players like Bruno and amad. Unless these players have a bad day together, we will beat them. That is if we avoid playing the combo of lindelof and maguire in defense. I like the idea of playing Shaw as a left wing back and amad on the other side so that it becomes a flexible back 3 or 4 as the game demands. Maguire, yoro and mazraoui at the back; Case with Bruno with mount, Nacho and hojlund up front.
Start with a practical approach like we did with arsenal and city this season. Spurs are vulnerable in the counter we know that.
Start with a practical approach like we did with arsenal and city this season. Spurs are vulnerable in the counter we know that.
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Caf favourite Carl Anka brought up an interesting possibility for the cup final with Amad at wing back but without being overly offensive and still having ways to change the game on the bench.
Would basically be this, solidifying the center of the pitch with energy and quality and experience. Then we have Shaw and Garnacho who would be the main subs to change the game, along with Mainoo. Possibly Dalot and De Ligt too. Nice to see options we can go with.
Would basically be this, solidifying the center of the pitch with energy and quality and experience. Then we have Shaw and Garnacho who would be the main subs to change the game, along with Mainoo. Possibly Dalot and De Ligt too. Nice to see options we can go with.
Onana
Mazraoui Maguire Yoro
Amad Ugarte Casemiro Dorgu
Mount Bruno
Hojlund
Mazraoui Maguire Yoro
Amad Ugarte Casemiro Dorgu
Mount Bruno
Hojlund
The 1-0 our bench was Jack Fletcher, Tyler Fredricson, Harry Amass, Jack Moorhouse, Elyh Harrison, Chido Obi, Ayden Heaven, Victor Lindelof and Sekou Kone.
Honestly just think Spurs have had a bit of the rub of the green this year with us.
We will beat them, we have European pedigree and in cup finals, it's always historically the team who has the better history and pedigree edges it. Spurs never look like challenging Liverpool in their UCL final 6 years ago. They will always be bottlers.
Spurs play so well against us. They carve us open with their trademark under lap against our center backs time and again. I haven't watched any of their other games and struggle to understand why they are having as bad a season as us.
If we manage to win this, our league position seems to be going in the opposite direction of the quality of cup wins.
League Cup + 3rd
FA Cup + 8th
Europa League + 15th??
Let's hope next year will not be Champions League + relegation at this rate.
League Cup + 3rd
FA Cup + 8th
Europa League + 15th??
Let's hope next year will not be Champions League + relegation at this rate.
No it doesn’t.
Agreed. We’ve finally got game changes on the bench. However I think I’d opt for starting players like Amad and Mount. They deserve it and it would be good if we could start the game well and go a few goals up. Rather than be chasing a game and bring players on
Last 2 against spurs 1-0 Garna should have like 5-6 goals in the cup 4-3 catalogue of keepers errors. We not too far out. Fingers crossed
I like the idea of Mount and Amad starting, but a lot of it hinges on the next few games leading up to the final. If they continue to progress well then I think there's a good chance for both to start. I could definitely see Garnacho as the one to come off the bench first depending on the situation. And I don't know if De Ligt will be healthy enough to start but I think he'll be the better choice than Maguire to start against Spurs
Injuries to Romero, Van de Ven and Vicario. They are a far better side with those available than their league position.
They should be favourites in my opinion.
I'm not feeling too confident. I know Spurs have struggled just as much as we have, but not confident.
If de Ligt is fit I think we'll go in to the game something like:
Onana
Dorgu Maz de Ligt Yoro Shaw
Casemiro Bruno
Amad Garnacho
Rasmus
Ugarte has struggled in recent weeks, we've looked better at the back when de Ligt has played in my opinion and he has more pace than Maguire and unless Mount continues his form from mid week, I think Garnacho will start ahead of him
If de Ligt is fit I think we'll go in to the game something like:
Onana
Dorgu Maz de Ligt Yoro Shaw
Casemiro Bruno
Amad Garnacho
Rasmus
Ugarte has struggled in recent weeks, we've looked better at the back when de Ligt has played in my opinion and he has more pace than Maguire and unless Mount continues his form from mid week, I think Garnacho will start ahead of him
If memory serves, we've never played against Tottenham in any cup final. We've played them in an FA Cup semi, a Cup Winners Cup tie, but never in a final. We have a good record against London teams in Europe, beating Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham. League form counts for nothing in a one-off game so I have to think we'll beat them. That's my two bob's worth. Totally unscientific; just a gut feeling.
Even though they've already beaten us 3 times this season!
I think this is the most likely lineup. Not sure if we have other options for Mazraoui, but I can't think of any.