Should ETH go full strength in the Europa or prioritise training time and freshness?

Bastian

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I know I may be a bit on the mad side of this issue, wanting wholesale changes whereby the first XI doesn't even travel to Europa League matches but stays behind in Manchester just focusing on training getting to grips with ETH's style of play, but at the very least I'd like Varane and Ronaldo to be solely used in the League prior to the World Cup, ensuring Ronaldo's freshness and mitigating as best as possible Varane's injury proneness. I'd probably say the same about Shaw, he picks up injuries every season.

If we're not buying two centre backs (which we're hardly going to do) we will really have to have Varane available all the time, which is a big ask given last season. And if we're not buying a bona fide striker, we cannot possibly rely on Martial or Rashford to come up with the goods in the league, but they might well work themselves into some form with sub appearances in the league and starts in the Europa League and Cup games before the season breaks for the World Cup.

Going all out in both competitions will obviously minimise training time with travel and recovery time and increase the chances of injuries.

Thoughts?
 
Yes, 2-3 players should be left out of the Europa squad list in 1st half of season, and probably only chip in at semi or final. CR and Varane are definitely on this list.
 
We have not won any silverware in the past 4 seasons. So ETH needs to build some momentum for going into the more critical 2nd season -- otherwise, you lose key players or those remaining are disgruntled or the BOM doesn't trust ETH as much and will not release more $$ for the 2nd Summer transfer window etc.

The EL is one avenue to get into the CL. And I suspect he will take the same approach as we did in the past -- make sure we get to the Finals and win this time. Play the players he trusts -- and not use the EL to gamble or as a training ground exercise. If he develops trust in a couple of academy kids then ok.

I also think this summer tour will be an eye-opener for ETH.

When he sees United fans packing the stadiums in Bangkok or the MCG on a 'training' summer tour; fans greeting them at the airport or hotels like they are the Beatles or BTS, this will change his perspective of United.

He thinks it's basically step up from Ajax ('they are the biggest club in Holland afterall'); just like Utrecht was a step up to Ajax for him. But he will not see the global reach of United and nor the size of the club, on a universal scale until a few weeks' time.

His thought bubble or quiet conversation with van der Gaag: Wtf! Thousands of miles away from OT and its this many supporters? Dorothy, Michael, we are in Kansas Amsterdam anymore.

I am sure this will impact this thing and increase the pressure on himself -- and alter his approach into needing to accelerate his 3/4years plan.
 
Hopefully we'll have a big enough squad that we can rotate and get through the group stages comfortably.

After Christmas unless we're very firmly embedded in the top 4, like Chelsea were last season, I'd expect winning it to become our top priority both for the silverware and a route into the CL group stages the following season.
 
cyril C said:
Yes, 2-3 players should be left out of the Europa squad list in 1st half of season, and probably only chip in at semi or final. CR and Varane are definitely on this list.
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I keep forgetting -- they will have 5 subs for both league and European matches next seen. So what is full strength? Clearly, we won't be ab;e to buy everyone that's required to play the ideal ETH way. So he will supplement the teams with academy players. He can shuffle them around for both domestic and European matches.

So with 5 potential subs, what's full strength anymore?
 
In my opinion, you should deal intensively with tactics, fitness and mentality! Of course, the EL or a national cup success would be great. But it is important to build up the team, to lay the foundation for a successful future and to aim for the top 4.
 
At later stages, full strength, probably from QF onwards (unless a good team is drawn in the 32/16 stages).
 
Given that 3 or 4 teams will again be vying for that 4th spot, EL might be our best bet to play in UCL again.

Also, it will be a great place to try different tactics. So yeah, for me, experiment if needed in group stages or R32. But thereon, play the best XI.
 
We should be able to get out the groups with a rotated squad. Then increase the strength of our starting 11.

Winning Europa puts you in pot 1 for the CL. It’s far better than finishing 2nd/3rd/4th.
 
sglowrider said:
I keep forgetting -- they will have 5 subs for both league and European matches next seen. So what is full strength? Clearly, we won't be ab;e to buy everyone that's required to play the ideal ETH way. So he will supplement the teams with academy players. He can shuffle them around for both domestic and European matches.

So with 5 potential subs, what's full strength anymore?
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This is a very good point. Five subs makes rest and rotation a lot easier (albeit potentially at the expense of losing momentum in game) so you can take risks with dropping somebody to the bench more, as there’s more opportunity to make changes if needed.
 
We have a big enough squad. Should be fine. Again ole managed it, not sure why people want to set the bar so dramatically lower for ETH Vs what ole achieved, forget about what was actually expected of ole
 
A chance for young and squad players. We should focus on getting decent results in the league.
 
We should take EL seriously especially from the knock-out stage onwards. Winning a trophy would be massive for us and ETH in his first season. Also he has a good european record with Ajax.
In the group stage there is obviously room for rotating and trying new things.
 
We need to cultivate a winning mentality, I really don't get this annual conversation especially when around March or April 99% of our players are accused by fans of downing tools or not caring about winning.
 
I expect us to go mostly full strength. I don't mind either ways, but it's a competition we should be winning, and is a good route to CL football next season.
 
We need to win the Europa because personally I have never been more certain of us not finishing in the top 4. I predicted 4th at best last summer with the arrivals of Varane, Ronaldo and Sancho and that was believing Pogba and Cavani would be on it also.

Even if we get FDJ and Antony we’ll be in a top 6 race at best for me so I think we need to take all the cups seriously and try to end the 5 year trophy drought and bring some kind of winning mentality back to the club.
 
We shouldn't really need to be full strength until the knock out stages.

Our squad SHOULD be talented enough with a few changes each round to make it through.

I'd definitely be resting Ronaldo and keeping him for the PL.
 
Whilst I understand the point about sending a weaker squad to the EL, I think ETH goes full strength and pushes to win it. A trophy in his first season and guaranteed CL the season after is too big a prize to pass up!
 
I think he'll see it as an opportunity for silverware and CL qualification both of which will strengthen his arm considerably for next season when Ronaldo will need replacing at likely great expense. So I expect him to take it seriously yes

Personally id sack it off, it causes too much disruption to the domestic fixtures and I'd prefer to see training time to implement his style ASAP
 
I think he should prioritise it over the two domestic cup competitions. I'm sure he'll actually appreciate the games at first, giving him a chance to look at different players in proper matches.
 
I suspect that this summer we are going to see a lot of players leaving with possibly not many replacements. We could easily be looking at 10-12 leaving and 4-5 joining. If I were ETH I would concentrate on getting a strong first 11 for the premier league and then experimenting with the Europa League team. As has been said before CR7 and Varane should be nowhere near it.
A number of players such as Rashford, Martial and Amad have a lot to prove this season and should be at least attempting to prove it in the Europa league and not the premier league.
As the OP suggested time on the training pitch and implementing systems is badly needed and should be prioritised.
 
He should use it as a way to get games into backup and rotational players. It could be the most attainable trophy going next season.

So, blitz the first 3 group games, ease through the last 3. Depending on the draws for the KO rounds he might still be able to field 3/4 backup options in some of those games.
 
We can rotate and still win UEL games, but this is more of a discussion for when we know our squad after the transfer window.
 
James35 said:
We need to win the Europa because personally I have never been more certain of us not finishing in the top 4. I predicted 4th at best last summer with the arrivals of Varane, Ronaldo and Sancho and that was believing Pogba and Cavani would be on it also.

Even if we get FDJ and Antony we’ll be in a top 6 race at best for me so I think we need to take all the cups seriously and try to end the 5 year trophy drought and bring some kind of winning mentality back to the club.
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I see Antony a lower transfer priority considering that we have quite a few albeit young options. I would rather have a Timber that offers us someonr who can bring the ball upfield (when teams man-mark FDJ) or play RB.
We also need a striker to lighten the load off Ronaldo. Some one who will pressure the opposition's central defenders and defensive midfielders.
 
Wanting to win every competition should be the aim over anything else.

Would expect a few changes for the cup competitions but realistically why would ETH make whole sale changes for the Europa when it's a major European competition, which we will be one of the favourites for?!
 
He will go full strength with some rotation against weaker opponents

Top4 battle is fiercer than ever so that CL place prize is worth a lot
 
Sunny Jim said:
No disrespect to the OP how are we supposed to know? I think it depends on squad and transfers which are still to be concluded.
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Of course it will depend on how the team eventually looks. But I suggested three names there that are players we need to preserve, both in terms of freshness and keeping them fit.

I know most people think "we fight for everything" and yes, of course you do. But you also have to be realistic and prioritise. We're not United under SAF when the league was between two clubs. People were calling for Ole to play his strongest side when half the team was crawling and we were in 3 competitions. It's just not realistic to go full strength in everything, let alone when you are learning to play football all over again.

You cannot bank on an EL win any more than you can bank on a top 4 place. If we are to genuinely become a high intensity pressing side, we'll need all the training time possible, and I would just always prioritise the league over anything else.
 
Man Utd aren't good enough anymore to marginalise the Europa League as a competition, they have to take it seriously.
 
I hope his aim is to win the Europa. He’s a champions league proven manager and if he’s the guy we hope he is in terms of training regimen and style of play, there’s no reason with good additions that we wouldn’t be one of the favourites.
This season he should be looking at restoring us to top four and one cup trophy win.
 
I don't see him going with the 'Weak team' or 'Strong team' mentallity as that suggests he looks at things game by game. No doubt he will be planning playing time and rotation 3,4,5 weeks out. FA Cup and League cup, Weakened teams, Europa, I don't think so

I would think he sees that City, Liverpool and Spurs are propbably good bets for top 3 again this year leaving only one door via automatic league qualification. Utd have propbably a better chance of qualification via the EL than the league.

Plus there is the softer issues of building momentum and a winning mentality, I don't see him going weak in the Europa.
 
The league should always be your bread and butter. I'd rather finish in top 4 and not win the EL, than finish 6th again and have a good run in the EL (even win it).

Yes I get that winning it would get you in CL, just like finishing in the top 4, however, finishing in the top 4 would indicate that we are progressing as a team and moving up closer to our ambitions of winning the league.
 
I would expect he may play some experimental teams in the formative stages. Both in order to understand his squad and to protect some key players. We should back them to be good enough to beat the average side at that stage

But I think as it progresses we should take it seriously. I'm not sure why it gets disrespected. I do in the sense that UEFA do their best to demean their own competition by letting CL failures in. But it's not a particularly easy competition to win and it does come with significant reward. It's probably of more value to us in that sense than a domestic trophy.
 
Maybe rotate the squad in the group stage and after that fully go for it.

Although I think winning the group is extra good so maybe best going for it.
 
The smart thing to do is to stay in it as long as possible with enough rotation to stay as high up in the league. Ultimately it's a better cup than say the League Cup so I would want us to win it again if possible. I'd take it over top 4.
 
I don't know, will ETH go full strength in the Europa or prioritise training time and freshness?

Well, there's only one way to find out, let's wait until the season starts and then we'll know.

Edit: fecking hell, the thread title changed as soon as I posted this :lol:
 
JPRouve said:
We need to cultivate a winning mentality, I really don't get this annual conversation especially when around March or April 99% of our players are accused by fans of downing tools or not caring about winning.
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Also we are 6 years without a trophy and we are turning our noses up to a tournament we are going to be favorites in.
 
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