Villarreal - Manchester United | EL Final Build-up Thread

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I can see where people are coming from when they claim this is minor silverware and wanting to be in the KO of CL instead I would too but the club is a final that is only 24 hours away so I don’t get the negativity. Yes it’s not the level we want to be at but it’s a final and we should be excited and expecting to win it.
Also this squad needs silverware and getting used to that winning mentality so I’m looking forward to this.
 
always_hoping said:
It was platform towards domestic success. Champions league proved to be a step up in the early 90s and the foreign player rule certainly didn't help. 97 and 98 was two years that United was more that capable of winning that competition but was left with plenty of what ifs after the exits to Monaco and Dortmund.
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Domestic success I would wholeheartedly agree on
 
So many teams have used UEL success to launch attacks on UCL. I hope this gives us some inspiration for the future. I worry that Ole may never be a top manager but this will certainly allay my fears
 
The UEFA Cup is minor silverware...?
FFS there is no such thing as 'minor silverware'.
The vast majority of clubs throughout Europe never even get close to domestic or European silverware in their entire history.
All I'd say is, Rotterdam 1991.....One of the absolutely most incredible days ever of being a red, 'minor silverware' my arse.....:devil::devil:
 
Anytime you win a European trophy and competition it's a massive thing. We're not talking about the league cup ffs but the second biggest club prize in European football. Just like with our typical cup draws domestically, we had a difficult draws in both the CL and EL in order to get to the end and have a chance to win.

The lads have had almost a week off to prepare and should have good energy for tomorrow knowing it's the last match of the season before holiday break. I suspect we are going to have a lot of the ball and Villareal will try to hit us on break with their two strikers.
 
Some petty fecks on this forum. It’s a European Trophy. Fine it’s not the CL, but it’s still a major trophy.

One last push before the summer. Bruno and Cavani 2-0 is my prediction.
 
SAFMUTD said:
Never said I wasn't interested in the game, I said it's a lose lose situation to be in this tournament. Anyway I don't think we are getting any where, have a nice one pal.
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How on earth could it be that? As glamorous and prestigious as the CL? Not close, but winning the EL is much better than for example getting knocked out in the last 16 in the CL

Even if you think the trophy itself is completely worthless then ending up in pot 1 in next years CL is a pretty big thing
 
Just remembered we will need to play City or Chelsea in the Super Cup next season, if we win. Ew.
 
VidaRed said:
In a knockout we can beat anyone.
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Well yeah, I'm sure we can beat them. I just hate having to play that in an already busy start of the season, especially post-Euros.
 
Bobcat said:
How on earth could it be that? As glamorous and prestigious as the CL? Not close, but winning the EL is much better than for example getting knocked out in the last 16 in the CL

Even if you think the trophy itself is completely worthless then ending up in pot 1 in next years CL is a pretty big thing
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I don't know man, I just don't fancy it. Don't want to get too much into it since I don't want to put negativity into the game. But I just don't feel excited about it, neither did when we won it a few years back.
 
‘Minor Trophy’. After the league and Champions League it’s surely the 3rd best trophy to win as a top flight English team?

I’d rather win it than the FA or League Cup.
 
I see nothing to be negative about. Concern about Maguire's fitness rightly creates some doubt, but this is an important trophy which every supporter should be thrilled to see us lift.
 
Good luck to the lads tonight.
I don't get some of the negativity. It's a Cup Final in Europe for Christ's sake.
Get behind the team.
We,ve not exactly been prolific in winning trophies since Sir Alex left have we ?

As for team selection, I hope Tuanzebe starts instead of Bailly and Greenwood on the right instead of Rashford.
Hard on Rashford but I think it just gives the team a better balance and Rashford can come in on the left with 20 minutes to go and run them ragged !
Such a shame Harry Maguire wont make it.
Come on you Reds !!
 
always_hoping said:
He prioritize regularly for the early rounds of the domestic cups when United was challenging for PL and CL. He rarely if ever did that for a European knock out tie. And Ferguson knows better than most what a trophy especially a European one can do for the confidence of a group of players. The cup winners cup success in 1991 although a "secondary" trophy it gave the platform towards future success.
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You're right in a way, but the tie against Bilbao wasn't an early round. It was the knockout stage of a European tie, but the Europa League obviously didn't mean as much as our title run-in, and that was the priority.
 
I won't be posting for a bit now. Either;

a) we win and I'll be here after the final whistle to pester everyone and watch all the post match vids in good spirits.

Or

b) we lose and I'll be away from the Caf for a while I would imagine.
 
I’m really hoping we win; I’m looking forward to seeing the line up. They’re not mugs, 2-1 Loses against Barca and RM in their league.. it’ll be close..
 
Unpopular opinion : Carling Cup > Quarters in CL.

Knockout in CL means nothing, absolutely nothing apart from dick measuring among fans. There's no glory in it. CL knock out means jackshit after 5 years, trophies are forever. Ideally you do best in all 4 competitions, but that doesnt happen. I'll always take silverware over some knockout round in CL or something.

And a European Cup is a huge deal. Downplaying it sounds dumb when your club has not won a trophy for the last few years. Its befitting for clubs who challenge for PL and CL every year, not a club like ours who have not even regularly qualified for CL in last few seasons. Past glory means nothing. Its like if I refuse to do a min-wage job to survive because I had a better job before. Its mind-less self-harming elitism. Its all about the present.
 
Downplaying the significance of the Europa cup seems to be an emotional fail-safe for a portion of our fans, in the event we loose.

Can't blame them with the level of inconsistency we've had in the past. But I feel positive about this game.
 
I'm excited about the final. We haven't won anything in a while, and winning in finals always helps with confidence, regardless of the trophy. A lot of our players haven't won anything with us, would be great for them as well. And this is Ole's first final, I'm sure he'll want to win it.

I also don't get the point of UCL > EL. It sure is better if you win it. But is getting KO'd in the round of 16 or 8 really better than winning the EL? I don't think so. It's the same thinking as a top 4 trophy - doesn't matter if you are 2nd or 4th unless you win the league. For a young team who has not won a lot, surely a cup final and a victory would do wonders for their confidence?

I'd be a lot more confident with Maguire at the back, but hopefully our defence manages to have a good game.
 
I’m very excited, not too nervous actually. Not in the way that I’m super confident we will win, but we have Champions League secured and we’ve already won the Europa League once before so it’s not the the end of the world if we lose. I am confident no matter the result we will continue to improve next season so for me it doesn’t feel like a make or break game, just a Europa league final that I can sit back and enjoy.
 
The ecstasy of winning won’t be as strong as the pain of losing but that’s always as good a reason as any to win.

Huge for Ole too. This trophy will feel as good in his hands as the three he lifted in 99. As someone who’s never believed he’s the right man to take us forward and thrown my fair share of naysaying his way, I’ll be close to tears for him if gets us over this line.
 
SAFMUTD said:
I don't know man, I just don't fancy it. Don't want to get too much into it since I don't want to put negativity into the game. But I just don't feel excited about it, neither did when we won it a few years back.
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Wow. So it's the league or the European Cup.. or nothing?

The first season I went to watch them, I saw us get relegated. I thought the odd F.A.Cup win might be the pinnacle and European finals were a dream.

It doesn't matter how much success I've been fortunate to see since then, I savour every big match, every final, every trophy. There's only a few every season and we can win one... other club's fans would love to be where we are.

Hope you watch it, hope we win, hope you embrace it.
 
Holly cow! I moved to Gdańsk almost a year ago and have just got a ticket from freakin resellers!! I am the happiest man in the world, or at least Gdańsk! :devil::devil::devil:
 
Really looking forward to it, a cup final is a cup final! I don't want to jinx anything but I have a very good feeling about tonight!
 
Bobcat said:
How on earth could it be that? As glamorous and prestigious as the CL? Not close, but winning the EL is much better than for example getting knocked out in the last 16 in the CL

Even if you think the trophy itself is completely worthless then ending up in pot 1 in next years CL is a pretty big thing
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There's been more of a buzz for this final than there has been for the CL final thus far. Probably due to the lack of glamour names in the other final but even still, it shows how big this game is in the context of our season at least.
 
I don't get the negativity - yes, it's not the Big Ears, but it's still European silverware. Will be gutted if we lose.
 
I always want Utd to play a weak team in this competition and get knocked out in the early rounds. But now we are in the final , I can’t wait. Every fan wants their team to be in a final and win a cup. That’s what football is about. The media and money people have blown up being in the top 4 has the priority. But ask any Liverpool fan where they would rather be today. The answer is very simple.
COME ON UNITED!
 
Suedesi said:
I don't get the negativity - yes, it's not the Big Ears, but it's still European silverware. Will be gutted if we lose.
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Some wankers just want to moan about everything. It's a major trophy and a huge deal for our team.
 
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