The performances of both manchester teams were to be honest poor. City were beaten and United only deserved a draw. City's chances are progressing are lower than 30%!!! I think United's prospects in Europe are gloomy this season. Three draws from a group that can be hardly be called difficult give an indication of United's form. I'd be very surprised if we go beyond the QFs i.e if we do not meet one of the giants in the first KO round. My expectations in Europe are low for this season. The team is clearly not the same without Rooney, Vidic, Cleverley but even with them we have lost that flair and form which is Manchester united. let us regroup and do the best we can in the league this season and prepare for a better season in Europe next year.
You will get in trouble with Sir Alex ferguson for being so negative/realistic... Have you seen the footage on bbc sport of him walking out of the press conference because a journalist suggested Man Utd were struggling in Europe.....You guys will be fine. ECL will be hard for any of the british teams this year
Depends what you think our expectations should be. I doubt any Utd fan expects us to get further than the semi finals, and then only with a favourable draw. The CL is so tough that sometimes even the best club in the world can get dumped out if they have a bad day, like Barca did in 2010.
Don't forget Real Madrid going out at the first knockout round three years on the trott. Getting out of the group is the minimum expectation, everything after that depends. Don't see any shame going out in the next round if its against a top club, would rather face Barcelona and the like over two legs than in the final anyhow. At least we wouldn't have to live with the indignity of the europa league.
It all depends on the draw, and how we play on the day. And of course the knockout stage doesn't start for three months, and we always improve around that period. Too early to say either way imo - people said the same thing about last year and we got to the final. And of course, the eight group winners look like being Bayern, Inter, Benfica, Real, Chelsea, Nicosia / Zenit and Barca. Only Bayern, Real and Barca would be expected to beat us out of those eight, so top four is still well within our reach even in our current form, particularly if City drop into the Europa as looks likely at this stage.
Whilst I don't believe our team is as good as Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich at present, I would still rate us as 4th best. Whilst we haven't played that well in Europe thus far, we are still unbeaten, and have only lost 1 game in all competitions, which isn't a disaster. European football can be funny at times, remember Barcelona losing at home to Rubin Kazan? Did that make them a bad team over night. We have also not been playing our strongest side in Europe, and come the knockout stages(assuming we avoid defeat at Basle) I'm sure the 11 best players will be on the pitch every game. Were not the favourites, but we have a chance, it's a knockout competition, at the end of the day. Look how far Schalke got, and even more flukey was Liverpool's success in 2005, they couldn't even make the top 4 in the league that season
United is currently in transition. the beatings by citeh didn't help. The uncertainty being shwon in Europe is typical of our season. I am just amazed that we are 2nd. Just shows the spirit but the form and flair are not there...yet.
