Time to **** off the Europa League

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Ferguson can afford to pick and choose his battles.

Not long ago, we put great emphasis on winning the Europa League.

It cost us in two league campaigns, IMO, cost us a genuine title challenge last season.

Mancini admitted it himself, going into the draw away at Birmingham, that we could still have a say in the title race.

Nobody has even referenced that the Europa League is probably harder to win this year than ever, due to the teams left.

Typical of you cabal'ites to ignore the difficult questions ... ;)

What team would you pick for Thursday bearing in mind we do actually have to turn up and field a team ?

I'd go: Pants, Zab, Savic, Kolo, Kolarov, Johnson, Nasri, De Jong, Milner, Pizarro, Dzeko.

Good enough for me.

 

[coulsonblue]

Ferguson can afford to pick and choose his battles.

Not long ago, we put great emphasis on winning the Europa League.

It cost us in two league campaigns, IMO, cost us a genuine title challenge last season.

Mancini admitted it himself, going into the draw away at Birmingham, that we could still have a say in the title race.

Nobody has even referenced that the Europa League is probably harder to win this year than ever, due to the teams left.

Typical of you cabal'ites to ignore the difficult questions ... ;)

What team would you pick for Thursday bearing in mind we do actually have to turn up and field a team ?

I'd go: Pants, Zab, Savic, Kolo, Kolarov, Johnson, Nasri, De Jong, Milner, Pizarro, Dzeko.

Good enough for me.

I'd go with that team. I don't think anybody is bothered about the europa.

Clearly, it would be easier for us to leave the players who will play in the premierleague game at home, and if

 

[Scareye]

Ferguson can afford to pick and choose his battles.

Not long ago, we put great emphasis on winning the Europa League.

It cost us in two league campaigns, IMO, cost us a genuine title challenge last season.

Mancini admitted it himself, going into the draw away at Birmingham, that we could still have a say in the title race.

Nobody has even referenced that the Europa League is probably harder to win this year than ever, due to the teams left.

Typical of you cabal'ites to ignore the difficult questions ... ;)

What team would you pick for Thursday bearing in mind we do actually have to turn up and field a team ?

I'd go: Pants, Zab, Savic, Kolo, Kolarov, Johnson, Nasri, De Jong, Milner, Pizarro, Dzeko.

Good enough for me.

Actually when you put it like that , it's still a very good line up!!

 

[Didsbury Dave]

We may disagree on a few things this week, mate, but absolutely this.

For those then saying we would then be putting all our eggs into one basket...it's the only fucking basket that counts.

It didn't have to be like this. We were in a Carling Cup semi-final, with a Championship side to face in the final, and Mancini tossed it off.

As he did in the FA Cup when he decided to drop Hart and Clichy when United were at their absolute lowest, having been dumped out by Basel and lost to Blackburn.

Couldnt agree more, Tolm. The selections for those trophies anger me when I see things like Vinny limping off, or hear talk of tiredness. They crossed my mind when I saw Savic and Kolo at centre half at Swansea.

The "eggs in one basket" crap is just that - crap. Every egg we remove from the big basket is an extra egg in Fergie's omelette.

Not my greatest metaphor but it'll do.

It might not be your greatest but it made me laugh!

I disagree with what you are saying though.

We have a big enough squad to progress in this playing a mixture of players.

I wouldnt class any of our squad as reserves,they are all internationals.

Mancini cocked up last week not by playing Kompany but by bringing on Lescott for him.S urely any manager with a brain would think my number one defender is injured, the last thing I want is for my number 2 to get injured. Savic should have come on.

I do agree that he fucked up in the CC though with a championship side waiting.

We could easily exit this and still win nothing and that would be a major disappointment after the season we have had. If that happens, In a few years time neutrals will look back and think Liverpool had a better season than us!

In his early years Taggert survived by winning cups. Fa and Cup Winners.

I was happy as a pig in shit last year when we won the cup and I would be again if we win the Europa which with the sides in it is much better than the FA Cup in my opinion.

I know the squad are all internationals but there are definite first and second choice players. Let me expand then, I'd play the same sort of side as the early rounds of the Carling cup.

I have to disagree that The Europa only would be a successful season. It's all about the title this year for momentum, and confidence, reasons. If we don't win that we become the underachieving big-spenders. Or rather, win it and we shed that tag for good.

 

[allan harper]

Ferguson can afford to pick and choose his battles.

Not long ago, we put great emphasis on winning the Europa League.

It cost us in two league campaigns, IMO, cost us a genuine title challenge last season.

Mancini admitted it himself, going into the draw away at Birmingham, that we could still have a say in the title race.

Nobody has even referenced that the Europa League is probably harder to win this year than ever, due to the teams left.

Typical of you cabal'ites to ignore the difficult questions ... ;)

What team would you pick for Thursday bearing in mind we do actually have to turn up and field a team ?

I'd go: Pants, Zab, Savic, Kolo, Kolarov, Johnson, Nasri, De Jong, Milner, Pizarro, Dzeko.

Good enough for me.

I'd play de Jong up front with Nasri, stick pants at centre half and Natalie Pike in goal so I can look at her arse for 45 minutes. I couldn't careless about the Europa cup.

 

[Anonymous]

I'd go: Pants, Zab, Savic, Kolo, Kolarov, Johnson, Nasri, De Jong, Milner, Pizarro, Dzeko.

Good enough for me.

Zaba can't play because he's injured and playing the three Balkans in the same team is tantamount to throwing the game - so I guess if we want out it makes perfect sense! :)

Seriously though, I think it's too late. I think the decision was taken when we went out of both domestic cups that we'd field close to full strength sides in the Europa league. Had we not lost at Swansea I dare say we wouldn't be having this conversation so for my money we shouldn't worry about the EL, but worry about fixing our away form in the PL ...

Another question - if we were talking about the CL would you see it differently ?

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Typical of you cabal'ites to ignore the difficult questions ... ;)

What team would you pick for Thursday bearing in mind we do actually have to turn up and field a team ?

I'd go: Pants, Zab, Savic, Kolo, Kolarov, Johnson, Nasri, De Jong, Milner, Pizarro, Dzeko.

Good enough for me.

Actually when you put it like that , it's still a very good line up!!

Course it is!

We have a world class squad, so we should use it.

When I talk about tossing it off, I mean to the point where we just see if we can win it with the next tier of playing staff down.

Certainly not risking Hart, Micah, Komps and Clichy.

And certainly not Silva, Mario, Yaya or Aguero.

-- Wed Mar 14, 2012 12:32 pm --

I'd go: Pants, Zab, Savic, Kolo, Kolarov, Johnson, Nasri, De Jong, Milner, Pizarro, Dzeko.

Good enough for me.

Zaba can't play because he's injured and playing the three Balkans in the same team is tantamount to throwing the game - so I guess if we want out it makes perfect sense! :)

Seriously though, I think it's too late. I think the decision was taken when we went out of both domestic cups that we'd field close to full strength sides in the Europa league. Had we not lost at Swansea I dare say we wouldn't be having this conversation so for my money we shouldn't worry about the EL, but worry about fixing our away form in the PL ...

Another question - if we were talking about the CL would you see it differently ?

Zaba is pretty much back to fitness. Training as norm.

In answer to the latter part of your question...that's a tough one.

Personally, I would still edge my bets in Europe, taking into consideration the likes of Bayern, Real, Barca.

As opposed to a long-established two-horse race with the vermin.

 

[hgblue]

I'd love to see us win the Europa, and would hate for us not to try and win any game or any trophy we can.

I think we need to find a happy medium between the 'sack it off' and 'go all out' approaches. I've not given up on the League by a longshot, but I accept that United are now favourites, so it would be a consolation to have another trophy in the cabinet at the end of the season, even though it would still represent a huge disappointment to miss out on the title. I remember how little thought I gave to United winning the League last season, because I was so happy seeing us win the FA Cup, and I think something similar could happen if we were to win the Europa. If we were to put all our eggs in one basket and then still go on to lose out on the title, it would be devastating for all involved at City, and be a major blow to the momentum we're building as a club.

 

[robbieh]

The problem with this is that unlike the CC we have played strong teams in this competition. The CC we played the likes of Scapuzzi, hargreaves etc

With the FA cup the draw played a big part. I think that it was viewed by us as a negative for whichever team went through.

In terms of international profile EL shits all over the FA Cup. In Spain Bilbao is in meltdown for the game tomorrow. People camping outside the stadium for two days, and this is a team in the final of the Copa del rey.

So for my money the Premier and a Euro competition were the goals this year.

In all reality we are odds on not to win the Premier. If we throw the EL we will in all likelihood end up trophyless this season which will be a crying shame/ total disaster depending on your psychological profile.

We also have precedents of teams throwing cup games, Villa spring to mind, which lead to a downturn in league form. United with possibly a worse squad than this year, made the CL final in 2011 and still won the league.I believe we have a better squad than they did/have.

If we throw it and lose the league anyway there will be some currently saying the EL is an irrelevance who will no doubt say we should have givin it a go.

So a complicated decision as it is, I should think that Mancini, the players and the owners will want to win this trophy. And so do I.

 

[Anonymous]

In answer to the latter part of your question...that's a tough one.

Personally, I would still edge my bets in Europe, taking into consideration the likes of Bayern, Real, Barca.

As opposed to a long-established two-horse race with the vermin.

Pretty simple for me - our squad is deep enough for us to win a domestic OR European trophy and the Premier League. There's no excuse for fucking off one competition in the manner in which you're suggesting because ultimately it reflects a lack of belief in the players available and a lack of winning mentality - which considering our only major injury is Kompany, isn't really good enough.