I like the way the Champion's League is currently formatted. The only change I want to see at the moment is that teams falling out at the group stage go home, with no parachute in to the Europa League.

Agreed....it's like getting two bites of the cherry :yep:

Yep and it seems so unfair to the teams in it already. To suddenly have Inter or United or whatever underperforming giant fails to cut it in the group stage suddenly be thrown a lifeline as the biggest fish in the smallest pond pollutes the sporting nature of the competition, in my view.


The people running and broadcasting the EL like it because big names mean more money. But from a sporting point of view I'd like to see this changed. Lose and go home.

If I lived in a country where 1-4 of the top football team was directly qualified to CL then I also would like the way it is today.

But live and have family in countries where only the winner can go through many matches before they can be a part of this CL or EL.

Then you see things a little different-That is if you aren't a big fan of the teams who has qualified to CL.

Markus

Those minority TOON fans who reckon the 12th place finish was down to Bruce and not the appointment of his assistant Graeme Jones want to come to accept the fact he has just been picked to help coach the England national side at the forthcoming Euro 2020 Championships.

This game is live on Youtube if you want to watch it.

Villarreal vs Manchester United | UEFA Europa League Final 2020-21 | Live stream

I'm watching the game on one of our commercial channel.

Markus

Come on you Yellow Submarine!

Half time.
Villarreal 1-0 Manchester United :haha:

We all live in a yellow submarine.

Result 1-1 after been investigated by VAR.

In these cases VAR is a great thing.

Markus

Villarreal 1-1 Manchester United
Villarreal win 11-10 penalties.

A poor game but excellent penalty taking until the last one. :haha:

:haha:

I didn't want Villareal to win as much as I wanted United to lose. Too bad for De Gea, but he's on his way out anyway. This just cements it I reckon. He makes too much to be a number two, and it's difficult to ignore his decline in the past two or three seasons. With Henderson appearing to be winning the keeper battle I'd wager De Gea is departing, but most likely on loan due to his massive wage packet. He could be a full transfer, but United would need to sell at a discount to get another side to absorb that contract.

Epic shootout. I couldn't watch the match, but was following it on a live text feed and when they reached the tenth taker you knew keepers were next, and it was no shock that one of them missed. Credit to Villareal for getting it done. I'm not too keen on Emery, but this was his fourth EL title. That's really good.

On the other hand I would have been fine with United winning. I don't rate Solksjaer, I think he is out of his depth at United. He's done better than I would have thought, but him staying there is best from my point of view lol and winning the EL would have boosted his chances to remain in charge.

Woodward was a disaster, one of the worst sporting executives I've seen, and at the same time I had hoped he could continue there for years to come. His departure is the real downside to the Super League haha. All I can say is it was way past time for this move, but without the SL mess he'd probably remain. So United in a way lucked in to getting rid of him by making poor decisions. Keep him in marketing if you must, but he needs to be as far away from transfers and contracts as possible. Well, that's what I'd say were I a United supporter, which clearly, I am not.

United are in the Champion's League anyway, so no great disaster here, but some silverware always helps to paper over the cracks, and I think this makes it four years without any for them.

I heard Rashford say in an interview that they were so close to being the finished article, well to be that article they'd need to buy the whole Man City team because the current United team can't even beat a second tier Spain side. :haha:
11 individuals does not make a team Solskjaer, Pogba, Rashford, Fernandes and a few others disappeared when they were needed most, Cavani was in defence as much as he was up front and that just shows how weak United's team is. 4 players are required at United, a central defender, a central midfielder, a winger and a striker, and that little lot is not going to be cheap. oh and Solskjaer, make sure at least two of them are leaders because those pansies you've got at present will win you nothing. :haha: