Absolutely. I have to congratulate Chelsea. If it was us playing last night, with the chance for the only trophy left in the season for us, I would have been over the moon to have won it!
So are you a Rafa fan now?
EVEN Liverpool. Apparently beggars can be choosers.
So, the super cup next year then?
Don't want to read the whole thread, but are people really saying that? That's one stupid thing to say. Going out in the group stages was embarrassing, but winning a competition never is, no matter how you got there. That doesn't make sense at all.
United campaign in champions league was embarrassing, not in Europa.
I meant in terms of players staying the course. I don't rate him highly as a player at all, but he has stuck it out and during our successful period we've had some very talented players who werent always known to be class before they came and who have stuck with us. Mata, and Oscar look similar in that respect, and whilst Hazard is clearly a top talent, he would be the only one I would watch in the future in terms of staying if we go through a rough patch.
Did you really throw Ferreira in everyone's face as the sign of stability?
I agree with your general point though. The reason that Chelsea have been successful despite the managerial circus is because they have been able to keep the core of the squad together. The chopping and churning in the squad has been kept to minimal, and longevity breeds success.
Europa is equivalent to the COC of Europe. You still have to go out and win it. Congratulations!
Our last 16 tie was in Bucharest and quarters were in Russia, I was very concerned how we would cope with that, but somehow we did fine. Our fitness levels must have bene better than that of Spurs and Liveprool who both seemed to suffer after thursday nights away.
Interesting stat: Chelsea have won as many European club trophies in the past 12 months as German football has won in the past 15 years
Or it could be that no one wanted to pay a fees for him and the accompanying wages. He may someone who is happy to train and earn a fat paycheck.
Your squad isn't the biggest either. It is quite an achievement.
The problem is that bigger teams hardly ever win it. By big I mean the known top 3-4 in the top leagues.Interesting stat: Chelsea have won as many European club trophies in the past 12 months as German football has won in the past 15 years
Did I imagine John Obi Mikel saying that the Europa League was a bag of cock only recently?
Nonetheless, you always enjoy your team winning a trophy, be it the League or Euro Cup.
Nonsense, Bilbao had to play league games on the weekend as well and for sure had neither the individual quality nor the squad depths United had. Yeah, injuries were a problem last season, still United should have done better. And your rival for the league title had to play those thursday night games as well.
It is much the same as the League Cup. Once you get to the semis you want that trophy. Team selections often reflect that.
Except that in the league cup you arent travelling as far. I prefer to stay in the league cup early stages more than the EL early stages but would rather win the EL than the League cup if you get to the semis.
I didn't watch the trophy being presented, knew he was going to do that. My son said Terry was wearing a suit at the start of the match, is that right? Did he have his shin pads on like last time?Hazard and Ba in suits....Terry in full kit.
You couldnt make it up
It's not though. Above the league cup for sure, but give me a FA Cup over a Uefa cup any day.
This is a refreshing attitude. The reason I support the underdog in these competitions is because it usually means a hell of a lot more to Benfica, Porto, Bilbao, Rangers, Alaves or any other second-tier club to win a UEFA/Europa than it does to many of the spoiled supporters of the first-tier clubs. Similarly any club which prioritises a 8th-place league finish and wimping out of the Europa over a 10th-place league finish and a challenge at the Europa has simply forgotten the point of the game. It also undermines the fans who would no doubt relish the once-in-a-generation chance of a European title as opposed to receiving an extra £750k for finishing one spot higher in the table. Until the Champions League becomes less bloated and protectionist, this situation will continue.
Stop talking rot. Big clubs don't want to win it because big clubs don't want to be in it. We have the right for Champions League football as long as we finish in a high enough league position, which we do consistently.
In 10 years or so no one is going to remember if you finished 5th or 8th, people however will remember all the European finals from that period of time. I vividly remember all CL and Europa League (previously UEFA Cup) finals since I started watching football in mid to late 90s. For the likes of Zenit, Shakhtar or Sevilla winning this competition was the best achievement in their history. While it has lost some glamour since 90s simply because these days most top clubs enter Champions League whereas then you had the runners-up from top league playing in UEFA Cup, it's still an important and valuable trophy to play for. Sides like Middlesbrough and Fulham probably also look back at their UEFA Cup campaigns with nostalgia.
It's important for lesser clubs. Simple fact is, big clubs don't want to be in it. Would I have liked United to have won the Europa League this season? Not particularly, because it would have meant we either didn't qualify for the champions league or got knocked out at the group stage.
But we were knocked out so why not try and win it? We got worked in Europe last year, surely winning the Europa would have been better than a trophy less season topped by a last second league defeat.
I know we take the piss out of the Liverpool fans by singing 'Thursday nights channel 5', but that's just banter to the scouse scum. When we were knocked down into the EL, I would have liked us to win it. It's a European trophy and it's a trophy we've never won. It would have given us the full set as we've won everything else.
You mean most PL teams, and even the PL teams try and qualify for it.
But you were in it. No one is saying the goal for United before the season should be to win the EL. Of course not, because you have to fail to be in it. If you weren't good enough for the CL or the CL knock out rounds in one season, it's embarrassing to say, we don't care about it. It's one of two european competitions you can win each year, that's not a lot of opportunities and winning trophies is what football should be about.
