Article by Graeme ClarkEveryone likes a conspiracy theory so how about this one to start the New Year.
Imagine the scene, David Moyes convenes a meeting of all his training, coaching and backroom staff and announces that unless they– Manchester United Football Club – achieve qualification for the Champions League next season everyone in the room, without exception, will be looking for a new job in May.
He asks what can be done and the room goes silent until one bright spark at the rear pipes up with “Finish in the top Four!” Moyes scowls quietly. “Look what happened to Spurs two years ago – they finished fourth and still didn´t get into the Champions League”.
“Finish third then?” the guy at the back says –somewhat sheepishly, knowing full well they have no chance of that happening. “No,” roars Moyes doing his unconvincing best to impersonate old Red Nose “with Arsenal, Chelsea and City all playing the way they are, there is no way we can catch them even if we win every game against everyone else.”
He calms down slightly, pausing for effect. “We have to win the Champions League itself – even if it means putting out a weaker team in the Premiership, even if it means losing every other damn game we play this season. We have 18 games to go in the League, only 7 in the Champions League. If we have to wrap Robin and Wayne in cotton wall for weekend after weekend and just let them play on a Tuesday or Wednesday then that is what we will have to do.”
"Get me the list of European referee´s!", Moyes shouts, pulling out a big cheque book as he starts to fill in names and numbers. The room again becomes silent as everyone lets the words sink in. Surely he cannot be serious, they are all thinking, surely he cannot be contemplating throwing in the towel in the Premiership and prioritise the Champions League to the exclusion of all else. But this is exactly the case. Following defeat at the weekend Manchester United´s only realistic hope of getting qualification for next season´s Champions League is to win it this season. And that will scare the living daylights out of all Spurs, Everton and Liverpool fans everywhere. Even if we finish fourth we are not guaranteed a place in the competition. Even if any of us win the FA Cup we are only allocated a spot in the Europa League.
But wait, there is hope for us in the Lillywhite corner. We are still in that very same Europa League. And with games against Dnipro and then probably Benfica, we are in with a reasonable chance of getting into the last eight, and then who knows? And, due to a recent rule change, the winner of this year´s Europa League will, for the first time ever, get an entry into the Champions League. So, we like United do not need to finish in the top three or four. All we need do is win the one competition where we currently have a 100% record this season.
There are 18 Premiership games to go, but only 9 for us in the Europa. Keep on winning, even keep on winning with the occasional draw and we are there.
Okay it´s not much of a conspiracy theory, but stranger things have happened.
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Sorry fella you're dreaming. From this year a 4th place finish will get you into the CL quals regardless of who wins the trophy as they saw how unfair it was in Spurs so someone else like Chelsea will probably benefit in the future once again
ReplyDeleteAs for winners of Europa going into CL that is from 2014/2015 season not this one......
That rule change isn't this year but still, I can see merit in the idea. Especially as an FA Cup run will ruin some teams - going out early might acto help
ReplyDeletewinner of the EL won't get CL this year. That rule comes into effect from 2015.
ReplyDeleteIn your article you state than Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal have the top three spots sewn up, in which case the point made before that about finishing fourth not being guaranteed qualification is irrelevant, as the other three English CL finished 1, 2, 3 in the prem! Plus it's from 2015 that the Europa winner qualifies for the CL!
ReplyDeleteNice idea...but nah
ReplyDelete