Would you prefer to win the Premier League or the Champions League first?

[TheLord]

The Champions League has a bigger global appeal and a competitive that we have never been too good with, relative to our domestic dominance. Champions League anyday for me.

 

[Gums]

@Siorac I should also have said that winning the CL in the same season as you’ve already won the league feels great because you’ve won the league. Which makes the subsequent double or treble feel pretty amazing. I don’t have any experience of winning the CL in a season where you’ve been second best domestically but that must surely feel a little hollow?

I agree with this. Probably because we are the only English team to have won the CL (starting 92/93) in the same season as we won the league, we are the only ones to have really felt that way.

Liverpool finished
5th in 04/05 and
2nd in 18/19

Chelsea finished
6th in 11/12 and
4th in 20/21

We won the league in both 98/99 and 07/08.
It’s a unique achievement for a PL team and their supporters.

Astonishingly, only five teams have managed to win the league that qualified them for the CL and win the league the season of their CL victory:

Juve in 95/96
United in 07/08
Inter in 09/10
Barca in 10/11
Bayern in 19/20

Real Madrid is not one of those teams.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

I agree with this. Probably because we are the only English team to have won the CL (starting 92/93) in the same season as we won the league, we are the only ones to have really felt that way.

Liverpool finished
5th in 04/05 and
2nd in 18/19

Chelsea finished
6th in 11/12 and
4th in 20/21

We won the league in both 98/99 and 07/08.
It’s a unique achievement for a PL team and their supporters.

Astonishingly, only five teams have managed to win the league that qualified them for the CL and win the league the season of their CL victory:

Juve in 95/96
United in 07/08
Inter in 09/10
Barca in 10/11
Bayern in 19/20

Real Madrid is not one of those teams.

Real Madrid won the league in 2016-2017 and last season unless you meant the season prior for some reason.

 

[Gums]

I meant the season prior to the CL winning season. Basically winning the league to qualify, then winning the league and the CL in the next season.

 

[colombianmancunian]

CL. We have surprisingly only 3 of them. Would love another one.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I meant the season prior to the CL winning season. Basically winning the league to qualify, then winning the league and the CL in the next season.

To be honest I wasn’t even thinking about the season prior. To me, winning the CL without winning the domestic league in the same season takes the gloss off the achievement. When Liverpool won under Benitez they were so far off the pace at home they were putting out weakened teams in the last week or two of their league fixtures.

 

[ForeverRed1]

Premier league is your bread and butter.

 

[Gums]

To be honest I wasn’t even thinking about the season prior. To me, winning the CL without winning the domestic league in the same season takes the gloss off the achievement. When Liverpool won under Benitez they were so far off the pace at home they were putting out weakened teams in the last week or two of their league fixtures.

I wasn’t either but somebody else mentioned how important they thought it was, so I just added it for the sake of completeness.

At the end of the day, I think weaker teams have a better chance at winning the CL than winning the PL. So, PL remains my clear preference.

 

[Lentwood]

Its a bit of a daft question really....

However, I have always said that the Champions League is less meritous if you dont also win your domestic league. Its a cup competition and therefore there's a healthy dose of luck and circumstance in winning it. I think you can only really claim to be 'the best team in Europe' if you win both.

That being said, I do appreciate that being a football fan is about having fun and fans enjoy winning trophies and a big day/night out watching these special games live or with friends....so not knocking the idea that its 'special' to win it

 

[golden_blunder]

Cl by far. Although the league is great since I hate our rivals so much

I really don’t get the thinking of CL first.

we need to be the best in our own backyard first and break the stranglehold of City

 

[Paul_Scholes18]

I really don’t get the thinking of CL first.

we need to be the best in our own backyard first and break the stranglehold of City

Yes that is what I said if Liverpool or City win the league that is pain, but I prefer to win CL.

 

[pacifictheme]

I actually don’t know how many times I’ve watched United win the league. A lot anyway. Every one felt sweeter than the CL wins. Which get bundled in with all the other cups we won in my memory. A cup final is a great day out but nothing compares to the sense of achievement of that moment when you finally cross the line, after a long and gruelling league campaign.

The fact we have a better chance of winning the CL in the foreseeable future is why winning the league would feel sweeter.

I am with you. Loved every league win and nothing else comes close. Champions league is a bonus on top of winning the league for me.

 

[Puskas_007]

Premier League - get our trophy back...

 

[RedDevilRoshi]

There is no right or wrong answer here. I only went for the CL as we haven't won that competition since 08 but equally bringing the premier league title back home will feel just as good. Personally don't mind which won we win first.

 

[sunama]

Decisions. Decisions.
At this point, any trophy would be a god send. Bear in mind that while the Glazers are here, I don't see us winning the EPL or CL.

 

[Hound Dog]

CL is always the last piece of jigsaw, as in the case of Chelsea (few years ago), and City (now). In principle you always have to priortise your squad for CL QF/SF, hence sacrificing your domestic run.

If you are already 5-6 points ahead, so be it. But if you are struggling for 4th, then I doubt it, particularly when the manager can't even rotate squad for lesser FA games. Apart from Chelsea, I can't recall any mid-table team winning the Champions League to qualify.

Liverpool 2005.

Also, Real at the turn of the century.

 

[jm99]

Individually I'd prefer to win the champions league, but given our current position, and the strength of the Premier league, we'd be looking at needing a 90 point plus season to win the Premier league which would be a serious sign that we were back as a club. Look at napoli this year in the champions league, if they reach the final, their route could potentially be frankfurt, Milan, inter and then finally one of city or Madrid in the final. Now that's a tough final game, but the other 3 I'd back us to win already as a club. Now it's rare for a run to the final to be so comparatively easy, but I'd feel a 90 point plus premier league season which would be necessary to win the current league, would be a bigger statement regarding the progress we'd made

 

[wangyu]

The Sevilla game today showed that it is all about Europe, even the Europa League. I wish Utd would not shit the bed each season in Europe, fecking underachievers in Europe.

 

[SuperiorXI]

Put it this way: you can't be champions of Europe if you're not champions of England.

 

[Wilt]

After tonight’s result this thread needs to be closed UFN.

 

[James35]

Definitely the league for me although I can’t see us winning either for years to come.

 

[ShinjiNinja26]

I’d settle for the Europa League right now.

 

[Siorac]

After tonight’s result this thread needs to be closed UFN.

Yeah we're light years away from winning or challenging for either.

 

[el3mel]

Maybe wait till we can actually win the Europe League first ?

 

[MVBDX]

I get both sides of the argument, and I think there's no clear cut answer.

If you're basically a midtable club that happens to win the CL, it definitely feels like you're not the best.

If you win the league, but see your side far from Europe's best, it also feels... not very good, like a flat track bully, as you can win it by being consistent against poor sides, not the biggest games.

Ideally, you'd want both titles together, but if you had to pick one, I'd sort it like this:

0. win both (RM in 17&22, United in 99&08)
1. win CL + close title race (RM in 14&16, Pool in 19)
2. win the league + deep run in CL (RM in 12, United in 09&11, City in 21&22)
3. win CL + bad finish in the league (RM in 98, Pool in 05, Chelsea in 12) (the latter two finished 30 pts below the champions)
4. win the league + feeling nowhere near Europe's best (RM in 07&08, Barca in current season) (Liga win in 07 is one of the most memorable title wins, yet in the bigger picture, it felt that RM were weak, far from Europe's elite)

 

[frostbite]

At this point, we don't seem very close to either PL or CL.

 

[RoyH1]

The Premier league. Meat and potatoes before we move on to the gourmet stuff.

 

[DRJosh]

Premier League.

Winning CL on atrocious league form reminds me of Chelsea

 

[Cooked Hen]

CL 100% for me since we only have 3.

 

[j65454]

United will win the league next year. They are on the up.

Arsenal will be one season wonders. Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea are all poor and Man City will be bogged down in financial fair play drama.