We're ManchesteROFL United, we do what we want

[Stranded]

I read that the winners of the UEFA Thursday Plate will qualify for the Champions League.

If they had any dignity, Man United or Spurs would recuse themselves and let the Champions of Malta….or ….. Luxembourg have their place in the later round.

We're shite but battered 4th placed Bilbao 7-1(agg), Spurs beat 3rd placed Frankfurt over two legs. I'd suggest the quality of the other European leagues is poor

It's more likely a case (as it was when Eintracht won it in '22), that both teams knew their seasons had gone to crap so prioritised the only route into Europe next season over everything else.

Once it became clear neither were getting into the top half, or in danger of going down, then all focus is on that.

[Sutekh]

I read that the winners of the UEFA Thursday Plate will qualify for the Champions League.

If they had any dignity, Man United or Spurs would recuse themselves and let the Champions of Malta….or ….. Luxembourg have their place in the later round.

We're shite but battered 4th placed Bilbao 7-1(agg), Spurs beat 3rd placed Frankfurt over two legs. I'd suggest the quality of the other European leagues is poor

Could also argue that given all 3 relegation places have been confirmed for a while, both Utd and Spurs have taken their eye off the league and putting all their eggs in the EL basket.

Funny thing is, who would be sat in the relegation places currently if Ipswich and or Leicester had actually been good in the PL this season?

[Sutekh]

Err, every country gets a place in the CL except Liechtenstein (doesn't have its own league, their teams play in the Swiss league) and Russia (banned).

Even Gibraltar gets a place and they've only got 6 teams.

Smaller clubs from “lesser” leagues all have to go through the qualifying rounds whereas the Europa winners get a place straight in the league stage whereas I think if clubs are going to be parachuted into the CL they should be at least forced into the awkwardness of the qualifying stages and one of the lesser clubs given that league spot automatically.

But then the whole CL is a bloated gravy train just for the big boys otherwise why not just have the league stage with EVERY nation’s champion club and the necessary qualifying being held for all the non champions that they want to lever in?

[From Despair To Where?]

So they just enter the competition at an earlier stage?

You said, and I quote

so many smaller countries aren’t even allowed to have their champions in the CL in the first place

Which is clearly wrong.

[Hendo]

We're shite but battered 4th placed Bilbao 7-1(agg), Spurs beat 3rd placed Frankfurt over two legs. I'd suggest the quality of the other European leagues is poor

Could also argue that given all 3 relegation places have been confirmed for a while, both Utd and Spurs have taken their eye off the league and putting all their eggs in the EL basket.

Funny thing is, who would be sat in the relegation places currently if Ipswich and or Leicester had actually been good in the PL this season?

And if that had been the case, then maybe Spurs and Utd would've put more effort into the league and not focused on EL.

[Sutekh]

Could also argue that given all 3 relegation places have been confirmed for a while, both Utd and Spurs have taken their eye off the league and putting all their eggs in the EL basket.

Funny thing is, who would be sat in the relegation places currently if Ipswich and or Leicester had actually been good in the PL this season?

And if that had been the case, then maybe Spurs and Utd would've put more effort into the league and not focused on EL.

Sadly not something we’ll ever know. If they were in the relegation places though no doubt we’d all be hearing the argument for a closed shop Premier League with no relegation suddenly being promoted everywhere.

[Silver Fox]

I'm sure* all the United fans who bleated on about Liverpool getting a CL spot after finishing 5th (2005?) will be suitably circumspect about this turn of events should they win the final

[Sutekh]

I'm sure* all the United fans who bleated on about Liverpool getting a CL spot after finishing 5th (2005?) will be suitably circumspect about this turn of events should they win the final

2005? You mean there was some bleating on about it the year they had won the CL and so were holders? Tw@ts! Big difference between 5th and 17th

[LUX]

Why let facts get in the way of a good uninformed rant?

It‘s not uninformed. I said *later* rounds. Maybe not all that seriously. But, yeah, if England gets another place, why not Bournemouth?

Surprised you ( and others) think United/ Spurs should compete in the Champions League, after their embarrassing League seasons. Only justification so far on here is “ oh, they weren’ t trying in the League”.

[Royal Rother]

Why let facts get in the way of a good uninformed rant?

It‘s not uninformed. I said *later* rounds. Maybe not all that seriously. But, yeah, if England gets another place, why not Bournemouth?

Surprised you ( and others) think United/ Spurs should compete in the Champions League, after their embarrassing League seasons. Only justification so far on here is “ oh, they weren’ t trying in the League”.

Huh? I’m confused. One of us has got the wrong end of the stick here!

[Royal Rother]

Why let facts get in the way of a good uninformed rant?

It‘s not uninformed. I said *later* rounds. Maybe not all that seriously. But, yeah, if England gets another place, why not Bournemouth?

Surprised you ( and others) think United/ Spurs should compete in the Champions League, after their embarrassing League seasons. Only justification so far on here is “ oh, they weren’ t trying in the League”.

Huh? I’m confused. One of us has got the wrong end of the stick here!

[BRO_BOT]

I'm sure* all the United fans who bleated on about Liverpool getting a CL spot after finishing 5th (2005?) will be suitably circumspect about this turn of events should they win the final

Was it the rules at the time that the current holders got in automatically?

Defo used to be the case (assuming based on Forest v LFC in the 80s)

Or did they lobby for it and change the qualification? (can't rem)

[BRO_BOT]

The defending champions were Liverpool and as they did not qualify by their league position, UEFA gave them special dispensation and allowed them to defend their title from the first qualifying round of the competition.

Typical scousers!

Although they have a good case for it they shouldn't have been allowed in (those are the rules)

However, it should have been the rules so prolly the right decision in the end

[Sutekh]

The defending champions were Liverpool and as they did not qualify by their league position, UEFA gave them special dispensation and allowed them to defend their title from the first qualifying round of the competition.

Typical scousers!

Although they have a good case for it they shouldn't have been allowed in (those are the rules)

However, it should have been the rules so prolly the right decision in the end

Believe that as a result UEFA have now amended the rules so that the holders will always qualify.

[Orion1871]

[Sutekh]

[Winston Biscuit]

in exactly 5 months of Premier League football, Man Utd have picked up 17 points and won 4 games. Those 4 league wins were against Southampton, Leicester, Ipswich & Fulham.

Its genuinely staggering just how bad they have been. I like Amorim and wanted to see him do well, and would like to see what he can do if given a summer transfer window (especially if they sell Bruno for £££ and have decent money to spend). but it would be hard to argue against if they did let him go.

[genome]

Spurs beat United 4 (four) times this season

[From Despair To Where?]

Garnacho now making statements that strongly suggest he wants out.

[katweslowski]

Its genuinely staggering just how bad they have been. I like Amorim and wanted to see him do well, and would like to see what he can do if given a summer transfer window (especially if they sell Bruno for £££ and have decent money to spend). but it would be hard to argue against if they did let him go.

Agree with all of this. Firstly, I really like Amorim - he just seems so genuine and humble. I like how he is very pragmatic about things - I think he will be sacked unfortunately as the club will feel forced to do something and he's the easy option to get the chop.

To describe Man United as poor, is just a big understatement. Abysmal, inept, dire, appalling. I was watching last night and can't remember a single shot from them (I was very drunk but remember saying to my partner about it). Tottenham didn't look great, but they did look VERY organised, and VERY in control. Their defense and team structure just looked really confident and well set up.