Man Utd trying not to win on Sunday?

Not sure United are good enough to pick and choose when they win games

Agree with OP. Really can't see United being motivated to winning this one.

May 6, 2014 -- 10:12PM, Biscuit1979 wrote:

Not sure United are good enough to pick and choose when they win games

They're so bad that if they try and lose they will probably win.

half the players wont be there next season anyway so why should they care about the Europa

They need the Europa because they're not gonna finish in the top 4 again so winning the cup is the only way into the Champions League.

from what i have witnessed I thought they have been trying not to win all season.

AND Sunderland and WBA will not cross the half way line tomorrow night.it will be a c row, c row,game in more ways than one.

Man Utd should be wanting Europa League football so that the youngsters particularly get European experience.

They have a big enough squad to cope don't see why they wouldn't want to qualify for it,ridiculous thread imo.

Benfica and Sevilla are playing in this years final and they are quality teams as some English clubs have found out this year.

erm , so the final match of 3 or 4 club legends and rather than try to go out on a high they are going to lose on purpose , so that whatever players coming in July  , after they've gone , won't have the chance to qualify for a competition that gives the winners a CL place 

Seriously though , i doubt Man United or any big club will enthuse much over the Europa League , but this stuff about teams preferring to finish lower to avoid it is a bit silly .

Man Utd should be wanting Europa League football so that the youngsters particularly get European experience.


Agree that this is certainly a valid point.There are others, it is easier to keep a larger squad of players happy if they have more games to play, and if they buy 5/6 new players they are going to need matches to help them gel together, which will only benefit them in the PL as well.

Against this is that if they don't qualify for the Europa, they may well be in a stronger position (like Liverpool this year) of being able to concentrate on the league, without the midweek hangover. They can run (at least for one season) a smaller squad, letting go the older players and those that don't meet the grade without needing to replace all the players they get rid of in one go or needing to hang onto fringe players that would otherwise be shipped out. Alternatively they may well try and play midweek overseas friendlies, with sponsorship and showing them on MUTV for £5 a pop or whatever it is, they should recoup a large amount of the money they will miss out on from the CL.

i'd imagine 4th place is an absolute must for next season for the Glazers' cash flow, even though they will say the new manager will be given time. That is by no means certain with the current squad even if they get Van Gaal. Thursday night games and trips abroad only make that goal less likely. I don't think Man U will be going for the league next season at all.

i think the league is unrealistic, 4th by no means

May 6, 2014 -- 11:07PM, throwthetellyoutawindow wrote:

Man Utd should be wanting Europa League football so that the youngsters particularly get European experience.They have a big enough squad to cope don't see why they wouldn't want to qualify for it,ridiculous thread imo.Benfica and Sevilla are playing in this years final and they are quality teams as some English clubs have found out this year.

To put in a proper effort with the Europa and not have it affect your chances of the top four you'd have to have a squad the size of Man City's, x2. playing mainly kids won't get you through, and would incur the wrath of UEFA too.

Benfica are in the final, but that's because they failed in a poor CL group, so they're hardly an elite euro side. Sevilla haven't beat anyone decent to get to the final. no big side wants to be in the Europa. I'd go as far as to say Everton and Spurs wouldn't want the Europa either.

May 7, 2014 -- 12:12AM, tobermory wrote:

erm , so the final match of 3 or 4 club legends and rather than try to go out on a high they are going to lose on purpose , so that whatever players coming in July  , after they've gone , won't have the chance to qualify for a competition that gives the winners a CL place  Seriously though , i doubt Man United or any big club will enthuse much over the Europa League , but this stuff about teams preferring to finish lower to avoid it is a bit silly .

that match was last night against Hull, they won 3-1

and this thing about winning the comp gives them a CL place. so that's all they have to do then, is just win the thing? as good as in the CL then

May 7, 2014 -- 12:12AM, tobermory wrote:

erm , so the final match of 3 or 4 club legends and rather than try to go out on a high they are going to lose on purpose , so that whatever players coming in July  , after they've gone , won't have the chance to qualify for a competition that gives the winners a CL place  Seriously though , i doubt Man United or any big club will enthuse much over the Europa League , but this stuff about teams preferring to finish lower to avoid it is a bit silly .

I'd also say Fergie's last game last season, against a WBA on the beach, 5-5.

They'll be top 4 next season lads, don't worry about that. They're probably going to win at minimum 13 games at home, it is a great foundation. Think they'll finish above Liverpool next season, especially with Suarez going and the inevitable decline of Gerard due to age. Sterling just off Sturridge should make a great strike partnership with Coutinho in the mix as well, but behind that there isn't much. They'll be the ones to drop out of the 4, the bookmakers have it that way as well... and that is without even getting into the scarring effect of the last few weeks. Liverpool should have won the league in 09', and went to pieces after that season as well. There is even more depth in the league now.

defo better season for Utd nxt season...they'll target 5th place for guaranteed Europa league spot and the League Cup

From what i hear the plan to play friendly games during the week(all over the world) next year to make money (glazier plans).they expect to make millions doing so,that sounds like they have no interest what so ever in playing in the europa league.

I'd go as far as to say Everton and Spurs wouldn't want the Europa either

Everton fans seem to think they could win it with a couple of signings and are looking forward to it.

benfica are in the final (for a second year running) because they are a solid team, but also they play in a league where you can rest half your team and still win 2/3-0 at home to a lot of teams

If Spurs hadn't been in it this year they would probably have got 6 to 10 points more, maybe not enough for fourth, but it could have been close. Some of their worst results came after Thursday night games.

Spurs have been so shabby this season, whatever the points total they accrue, it wouldn't have matteredon way or the other probably.

Last season though that stupid and pointless competition killed us stone dead.

Spurs record after playing on a Thursday is :- Played 12, Won 5, Drawn 1 Lost 6. So more than half their League defeats have occurred in the twelve games after playing on a Thursday. I think that's pretty significant.

Not sure how are EPL teams can look down their nose at the Europa League. Sevilla got to the final whilst almost chasing down 4th place from Bilbao...it may have cost them in the end or could argue it gave them momentum, because they were miles from 4th when they started their run.

I can understand relegation threatened teams giving it a swerve but not the top teams.

Spurs got 2 points per game from the matches not following Europa, and just 16 points from the 12 games after Europa, including two defeats by Arsenal. If they had maintained 2 points per game they would have 8 more points, and may have taken 2 or 3 points from Arsenal, which may or may not have got fourth place, but it could have been very close. So maybe all Spurs fans should be wanting Utd to win and Spurs to loose on Sunday.

everton for definite are delighted to be in it. 4 or 5 years since they've had a crack at europe

most spurs fans are fed up with all the thursday/sunday cobblers having been in it 6 years out of the last 8 but people do seem to lose all sense of perspective though when a likely 6th place finish is seen as a disaster. went 15 years without a top 6 finish between 1990 and 2005

People saying that they don't want Europa League football are just butthurt fans, the club would absolutely love to be in it.

neill d 07 May 14 15:35 
They'll be top 4 next season lads, don't worry about that. They're probably going to win at minimum 13 games at home, it is a great foundation.




All depends on who they sign because the current United squad is nowhere near good enough. At least half a dozen decent signings are required for them to get back into the top 4.

Theyl bid for messi imo