The club’s proud history is steeped in unforgettable European nights on the grandest stage – not Thursday nights on Channel Five.
That being said, we are in the Europa League and let’s make the most of it.
United fans born and bred on Champions League clashes with Barcelona, Real Madrid and AC Milan have at least been handed a glamour tie in the shape of Ajax.
I see the competition as an opportunity. An opportunity that will reap handsome reward in the coming seasons for Sir Alex Ferguson’s talented, but still relatively inexperienced latest generation of players.
United were caught cold in the Champions League. There is no use complaining about it – their elimination at the group stages was of their own doing.
It was a shock. Ferguson does not expect to be waving goodbye to Europe’s elite before Christmas and neither does anyone else at Old Trafford.
But on this occasion the Champions League proved a step too far for a much-changed United squad to the one that reached three finals in the space of four years.
As impressive as they have been, it’s easy to forget that Phil Jones, Danny Welbeck, Ashley Young and Tom Cleverley are new to this arena. Chris Smalling, David de Gea and the Da Silva twins are still very young.
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In losing Paul Scholes, Edwin van der Sar, Gary Neville, John O’Shea and Wes Brown, United lost literally decades of European know-how. The type of know-how that holds onto leads at home against Basel and Benfica – results that proved so costly in the group stages.
Only time can replace that experience and the Europa League could be the ideal place to further school the young talent at Old Trafford.
Think of it like the League Cup and how important that has proved to giving players like Scholes, David Beckham and Darren Fletcher a valuable first taste of top flight football.
What Welbeck, Cleverley and Jones learn from this season’s Champions League and Europa League experience could prove invaluable when United are back among the elite next season.
Ferguson’s priority will rightly be the Premier League and fending off the challenges of City and Tottenham to win a 20th title.
But with United out of the FA Cup and Carling Cup, he can really give it a go in the one competition he has never won.
It won’t have been the trophy he set out to win at the start of the season, but who would turn down the chance of success in Europe in any guise?
Ferguson has made it clear that he wants to win at least one more European Cup before he retires.
He is never one to stand still and he will already be plotting his way back to another Champions League final in 2013.
And the unchartered waters of the Europa League might just be the unlikeliest of keys to that goal.
Should United go all out to win the Europa League or concentrate on the Premier League? Have your say.
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I am more interested in Pogba getting a few starts. He should play on Thursday [probably in a 3 man midfield] alongside Cleverley and Scholes/Carrick.
The 8 players mentioned by David Sadler should all play if fit, with the returning Nani making up a very young, exciting and vibrant starting eleven.
De Gea
Rafael Smalling Jones Fabio
Cleverley Scholes Pogba
Nani Welbeck Young
Yes let the B team play. I dont care about the Euro League but it could be good experience for the reserve team.
Born and bred on champions league games against barca and real. No born and bred winning nothing and getting relegated. the world didn't begin with the premier league and many of us are proud we stuck by the team through the bad days. Makes the good days sweeter and little blips like the Europa league easier to take.
SAF has said that he's playing his strongest side in Amsterdam and that makes sense since there's no game at the weekend. If he puts out a strong team in the away leg and brings a good victory back, then some of the younger players can be included for the home leg.
Having said that he'll play his strongest team I think he'll leave Rio and Evra out, plus possibly Giggs.
I agree there is a silver lining to being in this competition and our emerging generation. While like everyone else I was gutted we exited the Champions League there was also a sense this had a bit of fortune about it for the very reasons you state in the article. We don't just have a young team in the emergence we have a young squad. The intensity and spotlight on that youth that would have come with the CL might well have done more harm than good particularly given the challenge in the EPL now. This is a good competition to build from. Some folks were laughing at SAF's comment that United were close to Barca and RM in capability but I honestly believe that to be true. All areas of the team are in development (defense, midfield, attack) which is tricky. It is actually quite remarkable when you look back over the past 3 years how we've maintained competitive levels without marquee signings. Look at Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool and ask yourself do you see the depth of a new generation truly emerging. Not nearly so. I think we have something special in the making with this young squad and cross my fingers that this competition will enable them to gain the Europe experience that will set the stage for next year's CL.
"As impressive as they have been, it’s easy to forget that Phil Jones, Danny Welbeck, Ashley Young and Tom Cleverley are new to this arena. Chris Smalling, David de Gea and the Da Silva twins are still very young."
Ha ha....the famous "Utd youth team fergie fledgling conveyor belt that all play for free."...all signed from other clubs!
Jones...Blackburn
Young.....Villa....(aged 25-hardly a youth lol)
Smalling....Fulham
Da Silvas....Fluminese
De Gea...Atletico Madrid
Approx spent.....around 90m.
More self-perpetuated media myths.Keep it up.
Im impressed Wembley Evacuator, for a City fan you really do know alot about where we signed our players from, one could say your a general football fan and know that sort of informatio for most clubs.. however... i think its likely to just say the word bitter, and leave it at that. Concentrate on your own team :) think they need the help!