feck the FA CUP. No resting players for league games. Played a second XI for the semis. League is more important. Europa league is still there for a trophy.
Top 4 Race 19/20 | duffer: "We [Chelsea] are getting 3rd. Despite what the lunatics in here think, Man United are not all that."
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Tbh, I can see Wolves winning their next two (very winnable fixtures) and Chelsea dropping points against Liverpool which will set up a potential winner takes 4th shoot-out between them on the final day. How good would that be
Reckon Chelsea will rest players for the FA cup anyway, they are now in a shit position in the league, especially if we win tonight. We can still hurt Chelsea on the counter with our second string so we have to go for this tonight.
Even if we win today they are still in 4th with a easier run in than Leicester.
True but we thought they wouldn't drop points to West Ham and Sheff United. They will just be hoping they win all their remaining league games now.
Agree with this now.
But in same cases, players may need a rest - eg: at what point does a tired and leggy Matic become worse than a fully fit Fred or McT? Ditto AWB/Shaw for Williams?
The luxury we've had is we've not had a proper workout in a game for ages, probably Norwich in the cup. Villa game was a stroll, and that has to help the players legs.
Shaw I can see, AWB is still young and fit with no real injuries.
Anyone after Matic is obviously nowhere near, Fred lacks the maturity and vision of Matic, the same can be said for McT.
I genuinely feel until top 4 is done, the starting XI plays every game, rest players in the FA Cup, Matic can be rested the same with Shaw and a few others.
Against Chelsea play the youth, I don't think playing a fully strengthening XI for the FA Cup is worth it.
FA Cup Money http://www.thefa.com/competitions/thefacup/more/prize-fund
Top 4 is far more important than the FA Cup, if you win the final you get £3,600,000 + £1,800,000 (semi-final) + £720,000 (quarter) with no match-day revenue (no fans).
Breakdown of prize money for 2019/20 Champions League https://www.marca.com/en/football/international-football/2019/07/11/5d27616646163f138c8b45aa.html
- Reaching the group stages: 15 million euros
- Reaching the round of 16: 9.5 million euros
- Reaching the quarter-finals: 10.5 million euros
- Reaching the semi-finals: 12 million euros
- Reaching the final: 15 million euros
- Winning the final: 4 million euros
(Plus match day revenue) if a team wins every single game on their way to lifting the Champions League trophy, they will earn 82.2 million euros.
Adidas Sponsor: Goes down by approximately 30% if we don't finish in the CL spot 2 years in a row.
The FA Cup means nothing, the prize money is nothing either in terms of Uniteds revenue, Top 4 AND winning the Europa League are the ones that should be targeted.
Getting top 4, making it to the QF of the CL final nets United around 70M+ due to match day Revenue, the Adidas Deal not being cut, and the progression of the tournament, the FA Cup will only get you £6M so why even think about the FA Cup this season? yes its a trophy, but if fans want Sancho and other big players in the summer, then don't even consider the FA Cup.
Rest players after top 4 is done, then go and play a full strength team in the Europa League (it's worth noting in prize money, the Europa League is only worth approximately £14M) but United should be going for it with no other fixtures at that time.
Yeah, now I wished Leicester had won yesterday against Bournemouth. I'm confident we will win all our game so will still end up as third but would have been nice seeing Chelsea in Europa.
What Leicester need to do now is win against Sheffield and get a result against Tottenham. Chelsea are probably guarantied 3 points against Norwich and if Leicester get lucky Wolves beat Chelsea and they'll get through on goal difference.
Tbh, I can see Wolves winning their next two (very winnable fixtures) and Chelsea dropping points against Liverpool which will set up a potential winner takes 4th shoot-out between them on the final day. How good would that be
Yeah, Wolves are very much still in this. If Wolves win both of their games, and Chelsea even draw one, then Wolves v Chelsea becomes a decider for the Top 4.. (depending on what happens with Leicester and United).
Play the youth in the fa cup semis?
Feck of. Win a trophy
Feck of. Win a trophy
Good post and very informative, but if we beat Southampton and Crystal Palace I think we're very close to home and dry anyway. I wouldn't go as far as playing youth against Chelsea. I could see perhaps Williams, McTominay, Fred, and James starting for example. If we don't take maximum points from Southampton & Palace and have the luxury of making the most ideal substitutions, then maybe there would be more changes against Chelsea.
A million percent this. Win tonight and against Palace and I'd feel comfortable resting a couple against West Ham.
If we beat Southampton, Palace and West Ham (3 games we should be winning) then we will be secure in the top 4, if not even third place, come the final day of the season. This is a real chance for a stress free entry into the CL and a very respectable league finish.
Feck that, Win FA Cup, Europa League and finish 3rd. We are Man United, we aim for every trophy no matter what.
How about we calm down a bit? We’ve had a good run over the past few months but doesn’t we are back to our best. Consistency has long been a bane for us since Fergie left. Let’s see if we can fix that.
I dunno about that. Leicester could conceivably get 3-5 points from their last three games, and Chelsea could easily drop a bollock by losing to Liverpool and Wolves in his last two games. With their goal difference it's an additional buffer.
Despite it not being the result we wanted im glad we finally have clarity on the top 4, top 5 question.
On the debate of resting players if we really had to I would do it for the FA Cup game. Chelsea are dreadful at the minute so I would still fancy us beat them with some of our key men rested.
On the debate of resting players if we really had to I would do it for the FA Cup game. Chelsea are dreadful at the minute so I would still fancy us beat them with some of our key men rested.
How can the club ever strive to be back to the top when fielding a weakened team in the SEMI final of a tournament that they have worked so hard to get this far in.
This team are not ready to win the PL yet, but are ready to win the EL and FA Cup whilst finishing 3rd. I don’t get why you would want to field a weakened team when they are in the Semi final. Ridiculous.
With the Leicester result yesterday I would go as far as to say that I reckon united can even afford to lose one of their next 3 games and still only need a draw against Leicester at the most because it's hard to see Leicester beating both spurs and Sheffield United.
Ok genius explain how are players going to play 4 games between now and the West Ham when we have started the same team 4 games in a row. Technically 5. Pogba didn’t start at Spurs. You got to trust your players. They did a job earlier this season. You can’t keep playing the same XI between now and the end of the season.
Arguable.
They need to worry about Wolves. Could very easily be a case of Chelsea 63 and Wolves 61 before they meet on the final day.
Wolves will have 48h more rest and a game less in their legs compared to Chelsea who are in for two tough battles against United and Pool. Fancy Wolves to get a result there.
Beat teams by 60th minute and give players a rest.
Even if Chelsea draw against Liverpool, as long as Wolves beat them on the last day, they'll drop out of the cl spots on goal difference.
This has been a weird weekend. I'd have not had Villa to win, or Bournemouth or Sheff U if im being totally honest. Wouldn't have had Burnley to hold Lpool either. Therefore, it would not even be slightly surprising to see Soton hold Utd tonight.
Which would leave top 4/3rd right back in our hands. I just do not see Leicester winning another game, and if we can win tomorrow v Norwich we go 4 clear of them and 8 clear of Wolves. With 3 games left. Meaning Leicester have to win at least 1 and void defeat in at least another, and Wolves ideally win all 3 - while we lose at least 1 (i think?)
Which would leave top 4/3rd right back in our hands. I just do not see Leicester winning another game, and if we can win tomorrow v Norwich we go 4 clear of them and 8 clear of Wolves. With 3 games left. Meaning Leicester have to win at least 1 and void defeat in at least another, and Wolves ideally win all 3 - while we lose at least 1 (i think?)
With their limited capabilities they did do something. I mean we beat Chelsea twice, Man City and Spurs without Bruno or Pogbas help.
Definitely arguable. We lost to Palace, Newcastle, Burnley, West Ham and Bournemouth with the likes of Lingard, James, Andreas, Mctominay and Fred in our starting eleven.
Yeah in an ideal world. Not all games are going to play out the same way. Fatigue will come into play if it hasn’t already.
People saying there's no need to rest players for the FA Cup. No way do Chelsea play their first team given they're likely to be in even more need than us to win their remaining league games.
We can beat a weakened Chelsea team with a weakened team of our own.
We can beat a weakened Chelsea team with a weakened team of our own.
I do feel slight rotation could work. The challenge for Ole is which game does he rotate. It all depends on tonight's result IMO.
If we win tonight, we could potentially rest Shaw, Matic, Rashford for West Ham.
If we drop points, I reckon we will rotate V Chelsea. I do not see a problem in Mctominay / Fred, Bailly, Ighalo, Williams coming in for a game.
We have taken Martial off in every game this season, he should be fit.
Chelsea don't really have a first team like ours though do they?
Alot of their players are of similar quality.
E.g. Kovacic, Barkley, RLC, Kante, Jorginho, Mount - there is no real stand out player in comparison to United.
Agreed. The Liverpool game just 3 days after the fa cup match is a lot more important to their season. If you gave them an option of winning one of the two they'd choose that one without a doubt.
It’s a shame about the City decision or we would’ve had a very very slim chance of making CL. I would rather we achieved it on merit but we’ve come so close 
I've no idea what Chelsea's "best team" even looks like really. Maybe one of their supporters on here can tell us.
It’s a shame about the City decision or we would’ve had a very very slim chance of making CL. I would rather we achieved it on merit but we’ve come so close
That City CL decision is a big kick in the teeth for 5th place now so pressure has gone up a bit in my eyes.
Huge result tonight will be vital. Southampton playing well and from the next 3 games before Leicester, this is the toughest in my eyes.
It would be a crying shame if we see both Chelsea and Leicester lose this weekend and us not making some ground.
Huge result tonight will be vital. Southampton playing well and from the next 3 games before Leicester, this is the toughest in my eyes.
It would be a crying shame if we see both Chelsea and Leicester lose this weekend and us not making some ground.
To be fair we have had Chelsea's number this season even without needing pogba, greenwood or Fernandes, I think we could easily afford to rest such players along with shaw for williams as well
It’s a shame about the City decision or we would’ve had a very very slim chance of making CL. I would rather we achieved it on merit but we’ve come so close
I dont know why you think your team wouldn't have got champions league football on merit by finishing 5th when you would be replacing man city who are only where they are due to blood money and corruption.