Coming to terms with Conference League football for Manchester United
When I first considered the potential of a lack of European football for Manchester United next season, I was a bit lost, to be honest, thinking about what I would do without it.
As time progressed, and we looked worse for wear on the pitch than I do on a Monday morning – after a weekend of destroying my body following United – it became a more realistic conversation and one I mulled over a lot.
Let us begin with pragmatism
Sadly, United are in tatters – again, ending a season with a lacklustre effort in Europe and a league campaign best not mentioned – if we could avoid it.
We threw away any chance of top four by our capitulation – time and time again – leaving sides like Villa and Spurs to stumble their way to the highly sought-after positions.
Frustratingly so, because top four was not only there for the taking – but a minimum target this season. It is also the competition that any footballer worth their salt wants to be playing in.
The allure of Old Trafford
The days of players signing for us simply because we are United – I feel, sadly, have been dwindling. What with off-the-pitch unrest, protests, hatred towards the owners and a football team misfiring every other season – it does not quite scream – “Come play for us, giants”!
Yes, I believe every footballer should and does want to play for us -because it’s United. But, being realistic, I’m not sure that is enough currently – unless we get our act together and start behaving like Manchester United again.
Europa or Conference League
The Europa League rests on beating those cheating banana wavers from Stockport, or we turn over the fountain frolicking Geordies, and both they and Chelsea wet the bed!
The Conference League rests on finishing 7th if we lose to the Berts, with our final option being finishing 8th – losing to them, and we put any destinations outside of England to the back of our minds for a solitary season.
As much as I can be selfish here, and we jokingly suggest that Conference League would be great, this is due to those of us with this attitude because we travel to every – or almost every – European away game.
New destinations, new countries, the potential of cheap beer and the continuance of our annual pilgrimages around the continent supporting our beloved club – that would, of course, be something devastating not to have.
At this point, I would like to add some context: I have been to ten of the last 12 European away games, and European away days are my absolute favourite games to go to! So, if we’re going to Borrusia Munchen Dagestan, I’ll likely be on a plane, or multiple planes, to be there.
However!
Given the context of the season, the utter rip-up-the-script job Ten Hag has this summer on his hands, and the fact we genuinely need to get our act together on the pitch next season, I’d not feel entirely dejected if we didn’t get Conference.
It would give the club a chance to build selectively, with sufficient breaks between league games and less stress on a squad that has more injuries claimed than the bubonic plague.
There’s also the matter of this being completely immaterial, of course – after we turn the blues over in Wembley!
UTFR!
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