FA Carling Premiership and Milk Cup thread 2024/25

[Devon Malcolm]

30 minutes ago, tiger_rick said:

Surely the highlight of United's season, this lad? He's bloody brilliant. He ripped us apart when he was on loan at Sunderland (was that last season?) and has such a great attitude as well as pace, skill and intelligence. First name on any United team sheet for years and years, you'd imagine.

I guess the question is whether he'll regress in his second season like every other young talent that's come through at United recently. 

[Carbomb]

1 hour ago, mim731 said:

I will say you guys are not selling me on the quality of the Europa League here. I haven't watched a minute of it this season, and can't see that changing based on what I'm reading. 

I've been wondering if it's also indicative of just how competitive across the board the PL is in recent seasons, and how "top-heavy" most other European leagues are. There are very few teams in it who, had they qualified, I don't think would have got quite far in it. Whereas with Spain, Italy, and Germany, you have an elite of three or so teams who compete regularly for the CL, then the quality/spending power drops, and the two lower competitions are up for grabs by teams from any league with a strong mid-table.

[Arch Stanton]

2 hours ago, Devon Malcolm said:

I guess the question is whether he'll regress in his second season like every other young talent that's come through at United recently. 

This is his second season as a first team squad member, that bald fraud Ten Hag just didn't fancy him much last year so he didn't play much. Even then, he was responsible for the best moment of the season with the winning goal against Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter final.

He's definitely been the highlight of our season, such an exciting player to watch. We've missed him so much the past couple of months when we've barely been able to score a goal. He seems to have a brilliant attitude and work ethic too.

[lanky316]

This is the first time we've not had teams "relegated" in Europe as well. So a team that came third/fourth in a league that may not have much depth - when it comes to the overall picture - are staying in the Champions League regardless. So while a team like, for example Leipzig who granted aren't having a particularly good season, have had their European campaign fall apart earlier they might have had a bit more joy moving down into the lower competition if they'd come third in the old format. With that and general depth here I'd expect that we'd probably see the latter stages of the Conference League and Europa to feature English teams going forwards and I'd not be surprised to see more all English finals.

[tiger_rick]

I think you have to look at United & Spurs league form too. They've both had dreadful seasons, recognised the value of the Europa League early on and really prioritised it. Too often, English teams don't because they're too worried about the affect it has on their league form and not the other way around. Our media are obsessed with it, they've been going on abut it with Villa all season. 

English teams play a style that suits European football now. They have a ridiculous financial advantage. If they prioritise the games, they should all be going a long way.

The Conference league is different. Personally, I don't think the top 4 European leagues should be qualifying for it. Makes a nonsense of a third-tier competition. 

[air_raid]

People criticizing the Europa now the Champions League drop outs aren't beefing it up is the exact opposite of how I feel. Incredibly galling to qualify for the second-tier trophy then see your chances of winning disappear at the hands of someone who had a tilt at the big one and failed. When you're out, you're out. Fuck off home.

[hallicks]

6 minutes ago, air_raid said:

People criticizing the Europa now the Champions League drop outs aren't beefing it up is the exact opposite of how I feel. Incredibly galling to qualify for the second-tier trophy then see your chances of winning disappear at the hands of someone who had a tilt at the big one and failed. When you're out, you're out. Fuck off home.

100% this. It was one of my biggest gripes with European football since they brought it in. A competition only teams that were originally in it can win? That’ll never catch on.

Regarding @tiger_rick‘s point about conference league qualification. Is there a team-based coefficient like there is for the league as a whole? So it’s still based on league position, but you only get in if you have little or no recent experience in Europe. So, let’s say Villa or Chelsea couldn’t go into it next season, but Fulham or Bournemouth could. 

[Carbomb]

2 hours ago, tiger_rick said:

The Conference league is different. Personally, I don't think the top 4 European leagues should be qualifying for it. Makes a nonsense of a third-tier competition. 

I still think they shouldn't have got rid of the Cup Winners' Cup. That was a proper third-tier competition.

[TheBurningRed]

I would love the Cup Winners Cup to come back. Back date it and stick Wigan in there. 

[Fog Dude]

2 hours ago, Carbomb said:

I still think they shouldn't have got rid of the Cup Winners' Cup. That was a proper third-tier competition.

It was officially the second-tier competition since the winners always used to face the previous season's European Cup winners in the Super Cup.

Hope nobody ruined Bacon's kid's day by pointing out that Arsenal's next European final is a fortnight tomorrow in the Women's Champions League. 

[air_raid]

18 minutes ago, Fog Dude said:

Hope nobody ruined Bacon's kid's day by pointing out that Arsenal's next European final is a fortnight tomorrow in the Women's Champions League. 

[SuperBacon]

1 hour ago, Fog Dude said:

Hope nobody ruined Bacon's kid's day by pointing out that Arsenal's next European final is a fortnight tomorrow in the Women's Champions League

[hallicks]

3 hours ago, Fog Dude said:

It was officially the second-tier competition since the winners always used to face the previous season's European Cup winners in the Super Cup.

Yeah that was sticking in my mind as well. Nothing to do with 1994, honest. 

[SuperBacon]

Sorry for linking to the hellcscape, but these scenes are something else.

Sorry to the Cov boys on here, was an absolute gutter.

[Devon Malcolm]

County losing on penalties is as inevitable as England losing on penalties but the complete opposite of absolutely hilarious. Should have turned it off after extra time.