Play the kids for Europa [Poll added]

What strength team should we play in the final rounds of the Europa League?


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Dominos

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Yeah our greatest manager ever didn’t give two shits about this trophy and he won every trophy there is.

It’s a glorified bridesmaid trophy.
In Fergie's case we were still in other competitions whilst juggling the Europa League which is why we had to priorities.

If we had a 2 week break, then 3 matches to win a trophy, and then a 3 week break after, there's no way SAF wouldn't try to win it.
 

Bastian

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Full strength from quarters onwards. It's a 5 subs rule right?
 

morbidsaint

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For the next game, sure. But after that i want us to go in and try and win EL. We get easier seeding in the CL, and it is actually a trophy. And it will do these youngsters you talk about good to see the team, and maybe even be a part of winning a solid enough trophy. We could also use the boost of winning a trophy. It will do our club good.

Besides, this club goes on to try and win competitions they are a part of. By default.
 

Dominos

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We want to ingrain a winning and champion mentality into this squad, this will help achieve that.
As much as I want us to try win it, I don't buy this "trophies brings championshp mentality" mindset people have on here.

You only have to look at Van Gaal's FA cup winning side and Mourinho's league cup/Europa winning side to see there's not much reason to think trophies will act as a catalyst for further success, both those sides fell apart and we had to rebuild them.

If you look further afield, Birmingham league cup under Mcleish, Wigan FA cup under Martinez, Spurs league under Juande Ramos, Swansea league cup under Laudrup, Arsenal's recent FA cups under Wenger... They hardly reached great heights following their cup compeition success.
 

HarryRedCrumbs

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Rotate the squad but put out a team you think can win it..... where’s your sense of pride?
 

marktan

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Anyone who wants us to win this needs to accept that we'll struggle with burnout in the PL next season if we play our first team.

Really the only benefit of the EL is that it gets you CL, now that we have that it really doesn't matter at all.
 

Wayne's World

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We need to breed a winning mentality into these players and this competition is perfect for us to do that. Obviously play the kids against the LASK and they we have three games to win a European trophy. I don't get why people are saying we will burn out when the players will probably take another two weeks off after the Europa League is done.
 

DRM

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Anyone who wants us to win this needs to accept that we'll struggle with burnout in the PL next season if we play our first team.

Really the only benefit of the EL is that it gets you CL, now that we have that it really doesn't matter at all.
If we beat LASK playing the kids/reserve team then it's only another 3 games to win the thing. Plus we will then get an extra 2 weeks off. Would we really burn out with the extra 3 games?
 

pacifictheme

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Been looking forwards to this more than thr league campaign. Play the reserves v lask as they're dead and buried, then full strength after that.
 

VidaRed

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Winning the EL would be good for the players, they'll gain confidence in handling pressure and believe themselves to come out on top.
 

Acole9

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We should try to win it but be sensible and properly rotate when needed and not run players into the floor. The pressure is off now we've qualified for the Champions League though.
 

Brinky

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LASK aside, three games away from winning a European trophy, anything but full strength would be ridiculous, especially with ten day break until the quarter final.

Plus the lift and confidence from winning the trophy would outweigh any potential fatigue heading into the new season.
 

EwanI Ted

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If we beat LASK playing the kids/reserve team then it's only another 3 games to win the thing. Plus we will then get an extra 2 weeks off. Would we really burn out with the extra 3 games?
It’s about keeping players in training for another four weeks when they could be on the beach unwinding both physically and mentally. A big difference between the two.
 

Red00012

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I don’t get the 32% full strength all the way . Feck me have you not been watching the last few games . Next game is Wednesday Week the 1st team 11/12 he’s used so much should not be anywhere near the LASK game and I wouldn’t be using a lot of them for quarters either
 

Nou_Camp99

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2 week break now then the Europa league

Then probably another 2 week break at most then pre season starts.

I think it's naive beyond belief if you don't think we will suffer for this next April / May.

Don't go fully weakened but I'd give 4 or 5 of the big boys the summer off. We will need them next season badly.
 

90 + 5min

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Now that champions league is secured.

Don’t think we should bother with the Europa league. Yeah it’s another trophy, but we over used our starting 11 and they all need a break.

Would give some of the young and fringe players a go.
The first game. Absolute. But later, if players are fit enough, play those who are best at the moment and not suffering from fatigue. See it as a little pre-season.

Against LASK just play with:

Ighalo
Lingard - Chong - James
McTom - Fred
Williams - Fosu-Mensah - Bailly - Dalot
Romero
 

RedStarUnited

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Does The OP realise even if we play the kids, we cant just send other players on holiday right?
 

The Oracle

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It's the business end of the season, and a chance to win a major trophy.

Full strength team all the way (barring the LASK 2nd leg, as we are already 5-0 up).

There were 14 weeks between us playing LASK, and then restarting the season again against Tottenham.
How much time off do the player's need, how much of it is down to fitness?
 

Pav1878

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Rest until the semis. But gotta try to win it. Top seed in CL is also up for grabs
 

matherto

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All rounds are straight knockout, no two legged ties.
Ah yeah.

Same mentality applies then.

Play the kids for as long as we can conceivably get away with it but when we need to get down to serious business and win it then play a strong XI. I want a trophy.
 

saivet

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If we beat LASK playing the kids/reserve team then it's only another 3 games to win the thing. Plus we will then get an extra 2 weeks off. Would we really burn out with the extra 3 games?
It's not just the extra 3 games, but the players will need to be in training and won't be able to switch off mentally. There's a lot less pressure now, but I think we should be wary of any impacts as next season will be more packed than a normal season too.
 

RazorOz

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What is meant to the benefit of playing the kids? You have to field players from your 25 man declared squad, so we couldn't just send the first team on holiday regardless. It's 3 games, given we could play any team in the LASK game and go through, I can't see any reason not to go for it from that perspective.
 

sewey89

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3 games to win the second biggest European trophy. We get 2 weeks rest and those games will be in place of pre season friendlies. We then get another 3-4 weeks off after it. Why would we not try and win it?!
 

RyRy11

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If we start without a preseason then our opponents will have a pretty big fitness advantage against us in our first few games.
Europa is our preseason.. throw in a game or two a week before the season starts and we’ll be fine
 

kidbob

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What is this shit? We have two weeks off, almost three because of our first leg result. Rest the whole team for three days, go back to training, play the youngsters in the second leg and then go for winning the tournament. Our players are tired but it doesn't mean they have become geriatrics. We have a real chance of winning this tournament which is important for the winning culture here so let's do it.
 

bondsname

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We should take the Europa League seriously and try to win it with a "weakened" team, but not necessarily the u23's.

Romero
TFM Bailly Maguire Williams
Fred Mctominay
Mata/Lingard Pereira James
Martial/Rashford/Greenwood/

If we go with that we have an amazing bench and I reckon Fred and McTominay should be enough to handle most of the Europa League teams.
 

charlenefan

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Realistically we shouldn't need to call on any of the big guns till the SF so I'd probably go for something like this for the next two ties

---------------Romero---------------
Dalot--Bailly--Lindelof--TFM
---McTominay---Fred---
Mata-------Lingard-------James
-----------------Ighalo-----------------

(Probably rotate the back 4 in the QF bringing AWB, Maguire and Williams in)

And then play the first choice XI for the SF and hopefully Final
 

Bojan11

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Europa is our preseason.. throw in a game or two a week before the season starts and we’ll be fine
It’s not a preseason because if we make three or four signings it’s not really great to integrate them into the team with them playing very little. New signings can’t play in the Europa.

Let’s say we sign Sancho. His last domestic game was 27th June. He’s going to need more than a game to get match fit before September. He would have not played a single game for two months.
 

lysglimt

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Send the first team players on vacation until after the Linz-game. After that - play a weakened side in the quarter-finals, and play our strongest side in the last 2 games - and send them on 2 weeks vacation afterwards
 

RyRy11

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It’s not a preseason because if we make three or four signings it’s not really great to integrate them into the team with them playing very little. New signings can’t play in the Europa.

Let’s say we sign Sancho. His last domestic game was 27th June. He’s going to need more than a game to get match fit before September. He would have not played a single game for two months.
Guess you wouldn’t give them a full 90 at the start of the season then.. That’s the idea of having options on the bench
 

MadDogg

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I don’t get the 32% full strength all the way . Feck me have you not been watching the last few games . Next game is Wednesday Week the 1st team 11/12 he’s used so much should not be anywhere near the LASK game and I wouldn’t be using a lot of them for quarters either
Obviously LASK shouldn't be included in this. There is no option in the poll for rest the starting 11 for LASK and then go full strength from the quarters, but I'm sure that's what everyone who is voting for 'all the way' means. So really the only difference between the two main options in the poll is whether we put the strongest team out for the quarterfinal.

Rest them against LASK. They get two weeks break, then play three games in the following two weeks (if we get to the final). Then they get three weeks off.
 

Red00012

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Obviously LASK shouldn't be included in this. There is no option in the poll for rest the starting 11 for LASK and then go full strength from the quarters, but I'm sure that's what everyone who is voting for 'all the way' means. So really the only difference between the two main options in the poll is whether we put the strongest team out for the quarterfinal.

Rest them against LASK. They get two weeks break, then play three games in the following two weeks (if we get to the final). Then they get three weeks off.
There’s an option for full strength for a semis onwards which makes the most sense .
 

USREDEVIL

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Players are damn tired. And the next season will be here soon. Play lots of usual subs and if we get to the semis, then yes bring in some of the starters. Pre-semi/final players:

Romero
Dalot - Bailly (is he fit) TFM Williams
McTom - Mata - Fred
Greenwood - Ighalo - James

Subs: Rashford, Lingard, Pogba, Bruno, AWB, Lindelof, DeGea

Edit: looks like Bailly is out so i dont know who, Lindelof looks really tired.
 
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Tel074

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Now that champions league is secured.

Don’t think we should bother with the Europa league. Yeah it’s another trophy, but we over used our starting 11 and they all need a break.

Would give some of the young and fringe players a go.

They had a 3 month lock down break ffs . It's a good trophy to win so let's try and win it
 

Mark Pawelek

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The poll is a bit silly. It needed a 5th choice [ Play kids against LASK. Play seniors in other ties to win the cup ]. Ole should certainly play the kids in the first (home) game - the second tie against LASK. Because we're 5-0 up already and the 'kids' (mostly U23s) only lost 1-2 away against Astana in Kazakhstan. In fact: the worst performers that night were mostly our seniors.

But after LASK it's a different game. Ole will play the first 11 for the other matches to win the cup.
 
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