Manchester United's underrated CL Pedigree

Hi Folks,

I keep on hearing from some of my friends that MUFC actually underachieves in the Champions League and I have found a compilation of statistics I'd like to share with the rest of you to disprove and show actually how remarkable Manchester United's record in Europe is despite only 3 wins compared to the other big Europe Teams, not to mention the period in 70's and 80's where we saw no Europe action.

So below is a recap of some facts that not many people consider when talking about Manchester United's European record.

P.S. This is a thread for those who enjoy statistics

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Unbeaten Sides:

Consecutive Participation:

Winning Multiple trophies:

Biggest Wins:

Defence records:

Group Stage Records:

Consecutive Home Wins:

Longest undefeated away run:

Longest undefeated run:

Players with more than 100 CL appearances for one club:

Hat-tricks:

Oldest CL goal scorer:

Longevity scorers:

Discipline:

Managers:

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So we pretty much hold all the records, good research. Even though we do hold all these records I do feel we should have atleast another CL win under SAF, I suppose in any normal era we probably would have more, but that Barca team is unplayable at times, and could be the best club side ever, so no shame losing to them. I really feel we can beat any of the other teams in the competition, and I'd love for us to get another crack at Barca. Over 2 legs would be better, as for some reason I just feel we could knock them out if the second leg was at Old Trafford, like we did to Rijkards team

 

You do realise that those stats actually PROVE that United underachieve in Europe? To me achieving in Europe constitutes trophies and the fact that you have reached countless finals yet won so few trophies actually reflects worse on you.

 

Reached 6 finals and won 4 (including CWC). Hardly underachieving.

 

In what way? wait let me get this clear, your trying to say its better to get knocked out in the group stage than it is to get knocked out in a final? dont be fickle mate.

 

I agree with you, although I'd say that 2002 and 2004 were bigger missed chances that 2009 and 2011. We should have dealt with Leverkusen and Porto in those seasons and at least reached the final. But then that just shows how fickle the CL is and how difficult it is to win it consistently. I get the feeling someone, not necessarily us, will put Barca out over two legs this year. They've ridden their luck a bit in their past wins, against Chelsea in 2009 and Arsenal and Real in 2011, and teams rarely get lucky in the CL two years in a row.

That's just standard Liverpool logic mate. According to some Liverpool fans, it's better not to qualify than to lose to the best team in the world in the final

 

Man united are da fakin beastttttt!!!!!!!!

 

Another way of determining our recent good form in Europe is the UEFA coefficient values. This takes into account the results of many seasons and it shows how far ahead us and Barcelona have been over the last few years.

At the end of the day though, I'd rather be winning the CL rather than have the highest coefficient value but winning it is perhaps as hard as it has ever been.

 

I agree with the above, we haven't won it enough to be honest. One more time would have been a fair reflection.

I used to laugh at Liverpool fans who blethered on about No.1 ranked by UEFA like it meant something, let's not go down that route as you do not win anything for it.

 

I would personally prefer to of won it 5 times than 3 times - or is that just me being stupid?

 

Ur a rite daft basterd

 

The European cup is different to the Champions league.

 

Yeah we all know that... But

If they are that different how come the combined wins of 5 means that we get to keep the trophy? Surely they would be counted as separate in this case?

 

We all know it wasn't as difficult then as it is now. Set aside Liverpool, we all know they had to fight bloody hard to win the european cup back in the day(!), and look instead at who Villa and Forest beat to win (not Forest in '79 as they had to get past Liverpool, worthy on its own of the winning the trophy)

Villa beat;

Valur
Dynamo Berlin
Dynamo Kiev
Bayern Munich

Forest beat (1980);

Oster
Arges Pitesti
Dynamo Berlin
Ajax
Hamburg.


You don't meet a half decent team until the semi's at the earliest and you could even get the mighty Malmo in the final sometimes. It IS harder nowadays.

Not that I would like to take anything at all away from your five wins.

 

Ra, great research there

 

Rusholme - The teams that were good now aren't necessarily the teams that were good then, and vice-versa.

We have won the most prestigious European cup 5 times, whatever team or format it was is a pretty bad counter-argument. At the end of the day we won it 5 times beating the opposition that we were faced with. What more could we have done? Won it 10 times

 

Yeah i know its a bit pathetic to be honest.

But to be fair their not all like that.

 

I've tried this argument before. They will come back with "Yeah but they were Champions of their country"

Not taking into account that at the time football in countries like Finland, Turkey and Northern Ireland was mainly contested by semi professional teams...