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Mourinho, 'resting players' for Palace game



Iggle Piggle

Iggle Piggle

Well-known member
Sep 3, 2010
5,334
Football seems to view resting players differently depending on the circumstances. It’s fine to play the reserves in the FA Cup if you are Arsenal but you get fined if you put the reserves out in the Checkatrade trophy, 12 clubs got fined. I’ve no issue with this example (or the Huddersfield one for that matter but kept my thoughts to myself as I preferred to see that Huddersfield dinlow being called out), surely that’s the point of having a 25 man squad? I’m sure the EPL will make the rules up as they go along with this one.

As for other sports, In rugby union, Saracens rested half the team against Wasps last week having secured a play off place in advance, Munster used to regularly rest players ahead of Heineken cup ties. NFL teams regularly rest players if they secure a Home play off advantage. Every sport does it. Why do some people get wound up about in football?
 




Beanstalk

Beanstalk

Well-known member
Apr 5, 2017
2,542
London
T soprano said:
Can't see Hull beating Spurs on last day anyway
I'm sure the special one would be up in arms if a team fielded a weakened side if United were relying on that team to beat a team that wanted that team to beat the other team so that team wouldn't let the other team have an easy game
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Spurs did lose to both Southampton and Newcastle after losing out on the league last year. Could be a similar situation this year having already pretty much guaranteed a top two finish.

Saying that, Manure reserves should really have enough quality to beat Palace. Slim chance but could be interesting for them up the road!
 


Garry Nelson's Left Foot

Garry Nelson's Left Foot

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
13,126
tokyo
Man utd's squad is massive with very little to differentiate between the individual players so unless they play actual reserves(i.e the U 23 team) then the team they put out will be pretty decent. It's pretty funny that Man utd and Mourinho are now at the point that they have to prioritise a competition that hasn't been on their radar for decades and has been treated as an irrelevance by all the English teams that compete in it. Still, it's the only way they can make the Champions League next season so like a faded film star under an inch of make up and the softest of soft lighting they are desperately trying to convince that they are still special.
 


Knocky's Nose

Knocky's Nose

Mon nez est en Valenciennes..
May 7, 2017
4,137
Eastbourne
Manchester United absolutely must win the Europa League, and even if they were playing Chelsea he'd put out a second string team. Champions League football is the make or break for the world's players looking to sign for a new club, so it's not just the financial element at play here.

Going by recent form, Palace will get their point at the "Theatre of Draws" anyway.
 


Pavilionaire

Pavilionaire

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
30,583
This happens in other sports - Saracens fielded an all-reserve side vs Wasps last weekend so they could rest their 1st XV before tomorrow's European Cup Final vs Clermont.

It's also worth noting that you've usually got a better shot of beating the big boys after they've returned from a European tie. I daresay one of the relegation candidates have had the rub of the green in that department; I'd much rather play Man Utd after they've played away on a Thursday in, say, Tblisi than on a Monday night after 8/9 days rest from the previous weekend.
 




Bold Seagull

Bold Seagull

strong and stable with me, or...
Mar 18, 2010
29,797
Hove
Garry Nelson's Left Foot said:
It's pretty funny that Man utd and Mourinho are now at the point that they have to prioritise a competition that hasn't been on their radar for decades and has been treated as an irrelevance by all the English teams that compete in it.
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The winners have only qualified to the Champions League since 2014/15. I think now that there are effectively 6 or 7 teams competing regularly for the top 4in the PL, any of those teams in the Europa League will be taking it very seriously from now on. If MU do win it, then it could be Everton and Arsenal in it next season, and I suspect they'll follow in treating it has a high priority. Anyone below in it will likely still be more concerned with their PL status.
 


pornomagboy

pornomagboy

wake me up before you gogo who needs potter when
May 16, 2006
6,015
peacehaven
surly United should get an fa fine and be under investigation like uddersdield

Sent from my SM-G928F using Tapatalk
 


Se20

Se20

Banned
Oct 3, 2012
3,981
If we need a point , no way Jose will put out a reserve team.
 




hans kraay fan club

hans kraay fan club

The voice of reason.
Helpful Moderator
Mar 16, 2005
61,338
Chandlers Ford
Mackenzie said:
Don't blame him, Man Untied share price will plummet if they don't make the "Champions" League. It's money driven, not sport.
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Whilst I'm uneasy about the resting thing, I think 'money driven, not sport' is a little unfair in this instance.

Either fourth place OR the Europa League gives them their goal of CL football next year. Surely trying to get there via WINNING a EUROPEAN COMPETITION is more valiant a 'sporting' effort, than finishing 'third losers' in the domestic league?
 
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G

Greg Bobkin

Silver Seagull
May 22, 2012
14,850
Sort of related to this – each finalist getting less than one-fifth of the seats for the final is a bit pathetic. Especially when 'Last year's final at Basel's St Jakob-Park, which has a capacity of 35,000, saw Liverpool and Sevilla allocated 10,236 tickets each.'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39894023
 


Mackenzie

Mackenzie

Old Brightonian
Nov 7, 2003
33,545
East Wales
hans kraay fan club said:
Whilst I'm uneasy about the resting thing, I think 'money driven, not sport' is a little unfair in this instance.

Either fourth place OR the Europa League gives them their goal of CL football next year. Surely trying to get there via WINNING a EUROPEAN COMPETITION is more valiant a 'sporting' effort, than finishing 'third losers' in the domestic league?
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Yes, a cup is a cup, but when your grip on fourth place is tenuous the pragmatic manager puts his eggs in the Europa Cup basket.

I truly believe it is THAT cynical.
 




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