Match Day Thread FC Midtjylland V Saints. Europa League Play Off 2nd Leg 27/08/15 ko 19:45

Not the best result tonight lads, but it does give you a better chance of finishing above Liverool and Spurs, maybe even challenging for top 4?

 

We couldn't keep Cork. His contract was running out and he wanted to go. How could we had made him stay?

 

Oh well! The positive bit is hopefully less Sunday games. Living near Derby, Sunday games are a real downer for me. I like a day to recover from the travelling before work

 

He was taken to Denmark because they hoped he'd be fit, but obviously not fit enough to risk. He might as well sit on the bench as not as he was there. I doubt he was taking up anyone's spot.

 

There's more chance of Bournemouth challenging for the top 4 - at least they can score goals.

 

Same. I was happy that we got tougher draws in the qualifying stages because I needed to be convinced that a European campaign was worthwhile; if we stormed through a couple solid sides en route to the group stage, I was behind the effort. But if we were going to hit a wall tactically and with our talent, now was the time...we have an awful lot to sort out, and the last thing we need is the extra grind of constant midweek fixtures.

 

Transition year for us this year. We will finish around 9-13.

 

I think that's the point. We could quite easily have had just 4 or 5 people on the bench with no detriment to our chances, so Ron made up the numbers with Sadio, who was probably not going to get on under any circumstances.

 

What Fran? A sensible answer?

That makes perfect sense; gave him every possible chance as late as possible.

 

If we struggled at this stage, we would probably have struggled more in the group stage...may turn out to be a good thing in the end.

 

I don't think that's blatantly obvious at all. I think it's just blatantly obvious that one of the key ones is injured, one of them hasn't joined yet, and the rest haven't immediately gelled.

 

I do hope you're being sarcastic.

 

you were aware that we offered him a very good new deal and he chose to leave?

 

We've been playing direct and long for a while now, sadly. It is just not the right way to go.

 

We couldn't fully populate our bench as it was, probably thought putting an injured Mane on the bench would stop him nipping up to Manchester.
An inability to populate a bench at this stage of the season shows how light we are

 

I still think you have enough to compete at a level close to last year

 

We have a superb academy set up, just beneath the first team. Why not use one of them? Better than having an injured Mane.

 

Not intentionally mate. I know you have been raped over the last two years but think you have bought well to replace. It will take a few games to bed new players in (again), but nobody has looked much good so far (city apart) and I think/hope you will come good again in the next few weeks.

 

But how many were actually in Denmark?