Football 16-17

[Wooderson]

11 hours ago, thetime said:

José Mourinho is lucky in the sense that he masks a lot of his bad management and decisions by winning trophies" - John Aldridge.

 

It's high-wire stuff. If you win as expected on Wednesday you'll have had a better season than anyone but Chelsea without ever playing (even looking!) anything like the same standard as the other top sides.

If you lose. Oh dear oh dear.

[Wooderson]

Eastsie the standard of the league in general is pisspoor. It needs to improve. That includes Utd of course. League is better when they're better.

[zahidf]

1 hour ago, Wooderson said:

It's high-wire stuff. If you win as expected on Wednesday you'll have had a better season than anyone but Chelsea without ever playing (even looking!) anything like the same standard as the other top sides.

If you lose. Oh dear oh dear.

Nah. The League cup is a rubbish achievement: one step up from the charity shield

Europa is slighly better but nowhere near as hard as getting top 4 this year. Arsenal with 75 points had 4 more points than last year! id say if they win weds, Utd had the 5th best season this year, behind this years top 4 

[thetime]

5 minutes ago, zahidf said:

Nah. The League cup is a rubbish achievement: one step up from the charity shield

Europa is slighly better but nowhere near as hard as getting top 4 this year. Arsenal with 75 points had 4 more points than last year! id say if they win weds, Utd had the 5th best season this year, behind this years top 4 

So you think winning 2 trophies and a champions league spot is a better season than 4th with no trophy? Which only gives you a qualifying spot for champions league. Explain?

 

[mjsell]

1 hour ago, Wooderson said:

Eastsie the standard of the league in general is pisspoor. It needs to improve. That includes Utd of course. League is better when they're better.

Why?

[zahidf]

10 minutes ago, thetime said:

So you think winning 2 trophies and a champions league spot is a better season than 4th with no trophy? Which only gives you a qualifying spot for champions league. Explain?

 

Doesnt winning Europa only give you a qualifying spot anyway?

Id say overall, coming 4th is better than coming 6th, even with one credible trophy (Sorry, not having the League cup paraded as a massive achievement)!

[ThomThomDrum]

11 minutes ago, thetime said:

So you think winning 2 trophies and a champions league spot is a better season than 4th with no trophy? Which only gives you a qualifying spot for champions league. Explain?

 

It defo looks better on paper but thats about it............

It for sure doesnt make Utd better than Spurs, City, Liverpool or the Gunners. 

[mjsell]

4 minutes ago, zahidf said:

Doesnt winning Europa only give you a qualifying spot anyway?

Id say overall, coming 4th is better than coming 6th, even with one credible trophy (Sorry, not having the League cup paraded as a massive achievement)!

No its automatic qualification if the winners of The CL also qualify in their domestic league.

Sweeping statements without knowing facts. I feel like I've seen this before...

Edited May 22, 2017 by mjsell

[Wooderson]

It makes their achievement better. Far better in fact.

As for people not wanting a strong Utd in the league, you've no understanding of how footie works.

[Wooderson]

Not to rag on Utd fans   but up until this season (past couple months in particular) the Europa league trophy has been maligned and belittled. Didnt some Chelsea players throw their medals away when Rafa won it?

It offers a better route to the CL than 4th in every respect. Teams should take it very seriously.

[thetime]

11 minutes ago, ThomThomDrum said:

It defo looks better on paper but thats about it............

It for sure doesnt make Utd better than Spurs, City, Liverpool or the Gunners. 

Totally agree about better teams, it's a better season though. It's about winning trophies isn't it? When you think Utd (if they win Europa)will have the same end result as spurs and city, just 2 trophies more. 

 

[thetime]

9 minutes ago, Wooderson said:

Not to rag on Utd fans   but up until this season (past couple months in particular) the Europa league trophy has been maligned and belittled. Didnt some Chelsea players throw their medals away when Rafa won it?

It offers a better route to the CL than 4th in every respect. Teams should take it very seriously.

You would of imagined if the big carrott wasn't dangled, Utd wouldn't of taken as seriously through the season. The teams they put out would of been somewhat different that's for sure.

[TheGayTent]

28 minutes ago, zahidf said:

Doesnt winning Europa only give you a qualifying spot anyway?

Id say overall, coming 4th is better than coming 6th, even with one credible trophy (Sorry, not having the League cup paraded as a massive achievement)!

Assume you're a teenager or younger and support a team on the tele because of previous successes...

[eFestivals]

20 minutes ago, thetime said:

It's about winning trophies isn't it?

not if you're an Arsenal fan, it's not.

Or some of them, anyway.

[pink_triangle]

1 hour ago, zahidf said:

 

Id say overall, coming 4th is better than coming 6th, even with one credible trophy (Sorry, not having the League cup paraded as a massive achievement)!

In terms of which is the best sporting achievement then there is a debate to be had. From a fan experience its pretty clear cut, you would always take 2 trophies and 6th instead of 4th.  

[Lad]

9 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

In terms of which is the best sporting achievement then there is a debate to be had. From a fan experience its pretty clear cut, you would always take 2 trophies and 6th instead of 4th.  

Correct unless they start open top bus tours for getting fourth.Obviously fourth place celebrations are for bad wools and people who never go.

[mjsell]

1 hour ago, Wooderson said:

Not to rag on Utd fans   but up until this season (past couple months in particular) the Europa league trophy has been maligned and belittled. Didnt some Chelsea players throw their medals away when Rafa won it?

It offers a better route to the CL than 4th in every respect. Teams should take it very seriously.

Taking the United argument out of it, the Europa league has definitely risen in stature over the past few seasons here, pretty much solely down to the inclusion of the CL spot for the winners. Its one of the few successes Uefa have been a part of.

Other European countries have always valued it higher than we do here though, potentially because it allows teams that either realistically are never going to challenge for their domestic title, or teams that generally dont have much competition for their domestic titles, to win a major European trophy. Having a larger number of teams who are seen as potential title winners means that more often than not those teams saw it as more of a drain on resources considering the rewards.

Edited May 22, 2017 by mjsell

[Wooderson]

I agree that having a CL place for the winner changes the complexion of the tournament somewhat. If Utd fans (amongst others) hadnt been so dismissive of it in the past the trophy would have merit in and of itself however. Never won it in their storied history? Hmm.

[The Nal]

4 minutes ago, Wooderson said:

I agree that having a CL place for the winner changes the complexion of the tournament somewhat. If Utd fans (amongst others) hadnt been so dismissive of it in the past the trophy would have merit in and of itself however. Never won it in their storied history? Hmm.

Never won the Championship or League 1 either!

Still have to win it. Ajax are no pushovers. Even if they're all kids. 

Edited May 22, 2017 by The Nal

[Wooderson]

Just now, The Nal said:

Never won the Championship or League 1 either!

When have you competed in those tournaments again...

[The Nal]

3 minutes ago, Wooderson said:

When have you competed in those tournaments again...

Exactly the point. Kinda like getting relegated and then bragging about having never won the 2nd tier league.

Its a path to the CL. Won't be doing a big song and dance about a win on Wednesday. 

[Wooderson]

Its for that reason most will hope you lose.

[TheGayTent]

2 minutes ago, The Nal said:

Never won the Championship or League 1 either!

Names are bollocks, the league is the same - 74/75

[TheGayTent]

Just now, Wooderson said:

Its for that reason most will hope you lose.

Feels odd keep agreeing with you. 

[The Nal]

8 minutes ago, Wooderson said:

Its for that reason most will hope you lose.

Because if it was the CL final most people would be hoping otherwise