Team for the Europa League

[dabeast]

In the SAF years, because our squad sizes were smaller, we would play youngsters in the League Cup. We often lost, but no one cared and many of those youngsters became stars. Since then we have accumulated many "squad" players who are not MUQ but need to be match-fit, so we play them in the non-primary competitions. As a result, our youngsters seem untested but these squad, non-MUQ, players seem essential to our squad.

They are actually getting in the way of Man United's primary channel - Academy youngsters flowering. It is that channel, of playing Academy players in the non-primary competitions, that gave us our Class of '92 and the identity that makes all of us love United.

Celebrity managers like Mourinho who are much more interested in their own reputations and see a bad result in non-primary competitions as a threat, play the non-MUQ squad players in non-primary competitions.

However, Ole looks like he buys (at least some of) our philosophy.

As fans, I hope we all can give him the support to sometimes lose games in the non-primary competitions like the League Cup and the Europa League so we can win in the long-term.

 

[Bestietom]

Let's go all out and win it again.

 

[Chillosophy]

I agree with what Mourinho said in the Sky studio, we should focus on winning this competition again.

 

[Red00012]

Are fixtures already determined based on your seeding? As in do we know the exact dates of the home games?

 

[joedirt87]

Hope Ole rotates for Europa League, and really all the cup games. It's the best chance to get the squad guys and youngsters involved. If we advance cool, if not that is fine for me also. The focus needs to be on the premier league and getting the most out of those starters every week in terms of fitness and performance. If you told me that we could guarantee top 4 by sacking all cup games this season I would do it in a second.

 

[Water Melon]

Winning the EL is probably a tad easier route to CL rather than getting in top 4 in the prem. We need CL next season, so the prem and EL would be my top priorities, while FA and Carling Cups are secondary.

 

[R'hllor]

2nd game in PL and at the end we looked a bit to tired. Picking a PL first XI in EL matches will be one of dumbest decisions ever. Some could die at the end of year.

 

[LVGWay]

Seeing ‘James’ in United lineups is confusing. For a second I always think we’ve got James Rodriguez, then you realise it’s actually dross from the Championship

 

[Bestietom]

Just play best side, but give some players a rest when playing against lower teams. We may need to win this to get into Champions League.

 

[Baneofthegame]

Assuming we are rotating:

Romero
Young
Tuanzebe
Smalling/Jones
Dalot
Fred
Matic
Gomes
Chong
Sanchez (if he’s still here)
Greenwood

 

[charlenefan]

Having given this some thought if we assume our go to XI in the PL will be

-------------De Gea-------------
AWB---Lindelof---Maguire---Shaw
----McTominay----Pogba----
???----------Lingard--------Rashford
-------------Martial-------------

Then I can see the Europa League being mostly comprised by the following

----------De Gea/Romero----------
AWB---Tuanzebe---Maguire---Young
--------Matic--------Pogba--------
Mata--------Andreas--------James
----------Rashford/Martial----------

Essentially I highly doubt they'll be wholesale changes;

GK - They dont really need resting do they so I can see De Gea playing a significant part but then I could also see Romero just playing all the games

AWB - Need's the European experience
Tuanzebe - As above and will solidify his position as 3rd choice CB. Lindelof really doesn't need to play in the EL
Maguire - Like AWB needs the European experience
Young - Like Lindelof, I see no reason why Shaw needs to play in the EL

Matic - Looks nailed on for the EL at the moment
Pogba - In the early games at least I expect him to play and help us qualify

Mata - Like Matic looks nailed on for EL duty
Andreas & James - I can see these two rotating quite a bit in the league from week to week so I'd expect them both to start in the EL

Rashford/Martial - I expect whoever isn't starting to be on the bench

I definitely don't envision pre-season like XI's where Gomes, Chong and Greenwood are all starting

 

[Nialinho]

When is the draw guys?

 

[charlenefan]

When is the draw guys?

30th August

 

[AaronRedDevil]

So many under 18s are gonna be first team for United this season . Hope United take the EL seriously. It will be the only way they get into the CL.

 

[Devil may care]

Tricky selection for Ole as this might be our best bet of making the CL.