Europa league group stage draw thread

It's tomorrow, 12pm.

 

Hope we get Real Madrid or Barca

 

There's already a CL thread done by some drunken Scottish twat.

 

Who cares, it a a pointless cup, like the milk cup.

Hope we get knocked out 1st round

 

Daft attitude.

 

League is more important, as its getting harder to win with more clubs in the mix, look at your lot, got to final, lost and finished 8th, was it worth it?

 

Yes mate it was, I watch footy for those moments. Sometimes it hurts when you lose but I'm not going to turn into one of these modern day footy fans that thinks 4th is the holy grail. Think back to the doubles and even trebles you've won they are the real marks of success, when you've owned every competition.

If we finish 8th again but win a trophy I'd be happier than 4th and no pot.

 

Thats ture, but 8th and no pot, that hurts. Its the travl time to places you cant spell or ay is the problem, playing a game in France or Germany is fine, but to go to yaggistan to play gabbizzx FC in -20c temp is no fun at all.

 

I think Jose will be really cheesed off if the Europa Cup disrupted his quest for the league.

But having said that, I think he'll still put sides that can win matches. He'll use it to blood some of his players who are unfamiliar with European teams. We will see how seriously he takes it with his first selection. If he goes with lots of his bench or reserves then we will know that he couldn't give a damn.

 

I can see that happening, use the reserves to play the away games at least.

 

You can't play a weak team unless you want to be knocked out, yes put some younger lads in for experience but not too many. It might be the 2nd tier of Euro footy but there are some good teams in there who take it seriously. The snobby attitude towards this comp only comes from the PL.

 

Yes its snobby, I agree, UTD should be in the CL not the Euro milk cup. But the money on offer is nothing to getting a top 4 place in the PL.
Its all money now and not football.

 

Funnily, the big clubs in the CL are saying even that money is not enough. This morning, the big clubs and UEFA are coming together to discuss this. the reason: the huge disparity between the income received by PL and the other comps and league including the CL. The revenues from the CL are clearly being affected by matches with and between "unattractive" clubs. Who the **** knows or even heard about Ludogorets and who cares? They want 4 guaranteed places for PL, Spain, Germany and Italy.

Nowadays United are not going into top 4 for the revenue. Although thats nice and the GGs will certainly grab that. It is more of the prestige and the brand (sponsorships etc). As a big club United need to be competing in the CL and against other so called big sides.

STOP PRESS: 4 places in the CL for the 4 big leagues now agreed
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37194666

 

I wouldn't have thought so tbh - Mourinho has always been able to focus on two competitions at once and I think he'd relish the opportunity to create a bit of history by becoming the 1st Utd manager to win the EL. Particularly given that the EL now gives a CL place as well as the trophy - makes it better to win the EL and come 8th than to win nowt and come 4th.

He's more likely to blood players in the LC and FAC imo

 

In fact, with the extra revenue from matches and the prize money, it's arguably more lucrative to win the EL and come 5th than it would be to be knocked out of all cups at the 1st stage and win the league. The extra PL money from winning the league isn't huge, and the gate money from all the EL matches has a fair chance to outweigh it.

Although I would still expect Mourinho to prioritise the league, not do an LVG and pretend a cup makes up for a league failure.

 

And that is key, too many excuses are made in the modern game. players are tired after midweek games, we need a Winter break etc. There's no reason with the resources available that a big club cannot compete on all fronts during the season.

 

I read somewhere that the winner of the CL gets £40m whereas the bottom club in the PL this year will get £97m.

 

A no brainer of course

EL/8th = CL plus trophy

Nowt/4th = qualification match for CL plus no trophy.

 

A bit less gap than that but you are right that the bottom Pl club will earn more than the CL winners.