Football Focus

[aquarius moon]

So let's hope that he can do as good a job as KJ.

[????]

There's only one Steve Lomas

[aquarius moon]

???? Wrote:

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> There's only one Steve Lomas

And there's only one BFS

:)

[maxxi]

aquarius moon Wrote:

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> ???? Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > There's only one Steve Lomas

>

>

> And there's only one BFS

>

> :)

and let's hope the latter goes the way of the former

[Alan Medic]

Well done WHU. Great result for the players and manager.

[maxxi]

very funny (don't pretend you don't know what I mean)

Great for the club, the players (who seem to have got some heart back) and the fans, and...

...and my "cognitive dissonance" has gone up to 11 - I feel like a vegan stuffing his face with bacon.

[Parkdrive]

Remember when United fans used to say the Arsenal were nothing without RVP? How ironic.

[Jah Lush]

Correct me if I'm wrong PD but Man Utd won two-nil didn't they? Perhaps you spoke too soon, eh? Keep your powder dry next time old bean. These statements do tend to come back and bite you on the Arse. Something I've learnt to do myself over the years.

All this Man Utd are doomed nonsense is a bit much really - BR take note - I think they're going through a similar period that Liverpool have been in recent years, who by the way, seem to be doing rather nicely at the moment but I suppose we can all enjoy a little schadenfreude whilst they do so but they'll be back. They are too big a club not too.

Let's hope it takes a while longer though, bit like Liverpool again. A finish outside of the top four would perhaps give their fans a healthy dose of realism.

[Otta]

Well said Jah. They will undoubtedly be back, but a year or two in the Europa League would be just the ticket for some of their more annoying fans. (and I certainly don't put the likes of RD in that bracket).

I hate when Liverpool play on a Sunday at the moment because it's all so tight it feels like they have a mountain to climb after Saturday's matches.

Good to hear Sturridge is back training and may make the bench tomorrow though.

[Alan Medic]

Is the Europa League optional?

[red devil]

I wish it was. Happy to finish 6th or lower if it's means missing out on Thurs/Sun matches... #poisoned chalice

[Mick Mac]

red devil Wrote:

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> I wish it was. Happy to finish 6th or lower if

> it's means missing out on Thurs/Sun matches...

> #poisoned chalice

I mean much as I quite like both MU and RD, it's quite shocking to hear a MU fan saying happy to finish 6th or lower.

Something not quite right there and I suspect rd is lowering his own expectations, publically.

Either that or he's drunk and morose.

[Alan Medic]

I think you missed the point Mick. RD I can safely say means that if MU don't finish in the top 4 he'd rather they finish low enough to avoid the Europa League, as I would.

[red devil]

What Meds said. In our current situation I just think the club would benefit long term if we don't end up in the Europa League next season. I think it's been a negative distraction to teams in the past, e.g. having to play games Thurs/Sun, so if we can't get into the CL I would prefer it if we just concentrated on the PL next season and the task of rebuilding...

[Mick Mac]

Alan Medic Wrote:

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> I think you missed the point Mick. RD I can safely

> say means that if MU don't finish in the top 4

> he'd rather they finish low enough to avoid the

> Europa League, as I would.

I understood that but sounded and still sounds rather defeatist, even if packaged as one step back for two forward. Would have been a ridiculous suggestion even a couple of months ago.

And I recall MUs cup winners cup win being a catalyst for Fergie success so demeaning the Europa League by implying that you are too good for it sounds a bit pompous.

[red devil]

No one is being defeatist Mick, I still hope that we get into the CL.

Notice I use the word hope, not expect...now that would be pompous.

[Jah Lush]

The UEFA Cup in its new format (Europa League) is a bloody hard trophy to win and only becomes interesting in the later stages. There are far too many games and far too many minnows from Nowheresville for my liking and it is a major gripe when teams from the Champions League drop into it because they weren't good enough in that competition. Playing Thursday and Sunday is also a pain in the arse.

There was nothing wrong with the old format of the UEFA Cup, a trophy Spurs have won twice before. It was a much more prestigious competition then. That said, I've mostly enjoyed our forays in it over the past few seasons as AVB took it far more seriously than Harry Redknapp ever did. It remains to be seen how Tim Sherwood will approach it but seeing as we're in it I'd like us to win it.

[Mick Mac]

It certainly has it's faults. But as a tv fan it's sometimes nice to watch a game on a thursday evening esp in the latter stages. Thursday used to be a footballing void.

[Alan Medic]

The Cup Winners Cup was an event for cup winners and the UEFA Cup for the top teams apart from the league champions. There is too much football live on tv as it is and the Europa League is the dregs. Someone makes money out of it is the only reason it exists.

[Jah Lush]

Aah...The Cup Winners Cup. We won that as well. :-)

[Mick Mac]

The cup winners cup was the third string European competition behind the UEFA Cup but MU/Fergie were once very pleased to be in it and win it.

As regards tv, the Europa is one of the few opportunities for those with terrestrial tv to see a live European game of football, so don't knock it.

[????]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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> Aah...The Cup Winners Cup. We won that as well.

> :-)

Even we won that

[maxxi]

Nonsense - the CWC was the 2nd most important Euro-Trophy after the EC - which is why the winners of those two competitions played for the Euro Super Cup - the winners of the UEFA cup didn't.

AND you had to have won a cup to get into the CWC but qualified for the UEFA by being a 'runner up' aka a loser.*

*The fact that The Irons also won the CWC but never the UEFA has had no bearing on this post.

[maxxi]

'Even'!? Remember Quids we won it at Wembley... against Germans... in the 60s... (we just called it a dress rehearsal)

[Mick Mac]

I think that's nonsense Maxxi. I'm talking the old European Cup format when the 2nd 3rd and 4th teams from the likes of Italy, Germany and Spain went into the UEFA.

The Cup winners cup came nowhere near that depth of quality.

It was so sh1t that even Rangers won it.