Would you throw away the Bayern match?

[Sir Erik ten Hag]

Apart from the fact that we are unlikely to win it, even victory would be costly too if the other match doesn’t end up the way we want. We’d suffer Europa League and have the schedule destroys our fitness like last year.

This year we have been very bad with injuries, imagine throwing Europa League on top of it?

While if we throw that match, we’d crash out of Europe. But we will also escape the Europa League, which will seriously hamper our league campaign.

 

[JagUTD]

Throwing matches is for Spurs and arsonists. We are neither.

 

[Sir Erik ten Hag]

Throwing matches is for Spurs and arsonists. We are neither.

Both of them are better than us on the table and performance-wise though.

 

[JagUTD]

Both of them are better than us on the table and performance-wise though.

While we can still qualify, however slim the chances are the this team shouldn't be throwing anything.

If we can somehow find a way to deal with Bayern's biggest threat, Onana, then who knows. Gala and Copenhagen are more than capable of playing out a draw as well.

 

[Irwin99]

Doubt very much EtH would see it that way, he seemed pretty annoyed about the Sevilla debacle last year and we could have won it. It's a trophy and there's no obligation to play the big players anyway.

 

[Valar Morghulis]

Nope I wouldn't try not to win. Truthfully, the Champions League is just not our level, heck does anyone think we'd even win the Europa. I don't, but that is at least a competition we can somewhat realistically be competitive in and progress to the latter stages in, with a bit of luck.

The attitude of treating the Europa League like we're above it, particularly after so many years of us proving that we aren't cut out to compete in the Champions League. Is just so weird to me at this point. Of course I want United to have another shot at winning a trophy, they better bust their asses against Bayern to win.

 

[IRELANDUNITED]

What an awful question. No.

 

[tentan]

No. But play a weak team in the knockout stages if we do get into EL.

 

[Sir Erik ten Hag]

No. But play a weak team in the knockout stages if we do get into EL.

You know full well that will NOT happen right?

 

[Baneofthegame]

Absolutely not, instills the wrong message.

 

[Sir Matt]

Another way of asking this: would you start Onana against Bayern?

 

[Dex_Utd]

Never. If we win against Bayern we have more than a slim chance of going through. The probability of draw in the other game should be at least 30% to 40%, no reason we shouldn't try to win our game.

 

[Ted Lasso]

The best way for United to return to the storied days of success is by not going down such masochistic paths of thinking. We have to be winners and fight til the very last gasp when there is still a chance.

 

[NoPace]

No. 1/3 chance of a draw in the Galatarasay-Copenhagen game (1/4 normally, slight bump for even-ish teams and Copenhagen at home only needing a draw due to owning the GD tiebreaker if they draw again like in their first matchup), and Bayern will presumably rest a few starters as they play 7th place Frankfurt on Saturday and 3rd place Stuttgart 5 days after ours.

We're at home against Bournemouth before the game. If we have to rest a guy or 2, it should be then, though really that's just Mainoo being protected from the Gavi overuse treatment (and maybe starting Reguilon instead of Shaw?) as we don't really have any undroppable starters. Maybe a rare Bruno off the bench game against Bournemouth if you really wanna get crazy and start Hannibal as a #10 or even just toss Rashford up top and play 4-4-2 for one game since Bournemouth press pretty hard for a side that would be fine with finishing 17th, so might as well go a bit longer than usual and build up less slowly.

 

[Nickelodeon]

Why? A draw in Copenhagen-Galatasaray isn’t that improbable.

 

[wolvored]

We wont beat Bayern anyway, so its a moot point. We will finish bottom, so no Europa anyway.

 

[Jules_T]

Both of them are better than us on the table and performance-wise though.

 

[always_hoping]

No. Knock out stages of the Europa league isn't until mid February. Who knows where United will be by then and if as good as out of the top 4 race having a 2nd competition with the opportunity of reaching CL could be useful.

We wont beat Bayern anyway, so its a moot point. We will finish bottom, so no Europa anyway.

A draw against Bayern and Copenhagen beating Galatasary will mean Europa league knock football next February

 

[fallengt]

Just play onana. He'll find a way

 

[Dannn411]

We're not that good.

 

[Yakuza_devils]

No. In fact we have great chance to win because BM already qualified comfortably and I don't think they will risks going 100% with us. If we play with more guts and intensity (and dropped Onana) we have great chance to win.

I think Gala vs Copen will be a draw. Finger crossed.

 

[frostbite]

No.

 

[SmashedHombre]

Well, we've already thrown away all our other CL games this season so I don't see why we'd stop now.

 

[prateik]

We wont need to.. just let Ten Hag manage and we are finishing bottom.

 

[gregwar]

Nah. Throw everything at the Bayern match in the hope we go through.

If we get beat, whatever. I can't be arsed with the Europa League, but if we're well off top 4 and it's a way in to the European Cup - why not? We've nothing else to play for except maybe the FA Cup.

 

[Wibble]

The idea of throwing a game is ludicrous.

 

[Skills]

We wont need to.. just let Ten Hag manage and we are finishing bottom.

Yup. That Bayern match will end up a 5+ goal loss anyway.

 

[NewGlory]

Throwing matches is for Spurs and arsonists. We are neither.

This. No matter how down, we are United. We don't throw games away. At least not intentionally

 

[Sky1981]

I thought it's the game and nights we're waiting for? The big European Night?

Bring it on Bayern / Barca / Madrid and stuff?

 

[TheGame]

Embarrassing thread. Chance of going through albeit very slim and a so called fan wants to throw the game. Have a word with yourself.

 

[tenpoless]

Mike Arteta redcafe account.

 

[zenith]

Surely should not consider throwing it but won't mind at all if we are knocked out of Europe altogether. It's better than being embarrassed by clown goal keeping and humiliation by an opponent that shows us our place.

Not to mention, absolutely hate europa league.

 

[Utd heap]

We have a decent chance of going through and the club will want Europa if not regardless. I think we'll win.

 

[RaddyRed]

I really don't understand the hate for the EL. I'm desperate for some form of European football after Christmas.

 

[Raoul]

I think we go through.

 

[Utd heap]

I really don't understand the hate for the EL. I'm desperate for some form of European football after Christmas.

People think it sounds cool to hate it. In some seasons it does get in the way - but not this year, we will be gutted to not have a form of european football post xmas.

 

[RedBanker]

No need to throw it. Onana has already bigger plans made.

 

[Redfrog]

« Don’t worry boys, you can throw that away, get trounced, no problem. Anyway we are just a circus and you get millions to be a laughing stock. »

No wonders we are in shambles for 10 years now. The whole ethos of the club needs to change drastically.

 

[Captmfla]

Bayern will throw away the match. Man utd will still most likely qualify for Europa unless Gala and Copen draw.

It won't matter to the Bayern players so they won't work hard. United will win with high probability.

 

[Wing Attack Plan R]

Always fight on when there's any hope.

That said, I hate the Europa League, what it does to our league schedule, and how it decimates our squad through injuries. I would rather respectfully decline to play the EL if we fall into it.