If Manchester United don’t have a Europa winner’s parade then what is the point?
Should Manchester United only celebrate winning the sodding Treble? And the idea of a Champions League qualification play-off is mooted by an Orient fan.
Send your thoughts to theeditor@football365.com.
What’s the point?
In the mailbox, Moses mentioned United don’t have parades for anything but Premier league and Champions league triumphs. What is the point of this self-imposed misery? The europa league is hardly a minor achievement if they do win, why not have a parade? Because you’re above that?
If you can’t enjoy the journey to the top of football there really is no point. If the prem/champions league is the minimum why even have parades then? You should be winning trebles etc.. Treating football like a business where you can only celebrate hitting these benchmarks is just sad. Supporting a football club is not something you must do, why volunteer yourself for this and then treat victories like they’re actually not a good thing.
Maybe I’d understand if it’s below expectations, like if City won the europa league, but United have now been utterly wank (by their lofty standards) for half of the current millenium. I hate United but still think their fans should enjoy a win, also hate Leeds but the parade they had for promotion looked great. I recently was at a Panachaiki (Patras) game where they managed to secure survival in the Greek second tier, hardly the zenith of football but all the locals who’ve watched their team continuously worsen over the past 20 years were having a great time (They’ve since been relegated for financial reasons but oh well). I’ve seen others point out they would be mocked for having a parade, who cares? Maybe this has only really risen with social media, but I cannot think of anything more insecure than not celebrating in case Ty from AFTV calls you a loser.
Also agree totally with Lee (LFC) about Ratcliffe’s self made nonsense and what he forgot to include is when these massive corporations buyout struggling companies, they typically take out big loans, the debt from which is then saddled onto the struggling company they now own so said struggling company also has to pay off the loan used to buy them, as well as a variety of fees from their new owners (Which they avoid tax on!). Recent victims of this are the American institution of Hooters. So it’s not quite the self made noble story some would have you believe.
C, Greece
Play-offs
I’m an Orient fan, and we’ve just made it to the L1 playoff final after penalties — and a first leg game in which we benefited from an outrageous offside. It’s been tense and heart-stopping but utterly wonderful.
The night before, Sunderland got through to the Champo final with a last minute off the shoulder header that kissed the crossbar and bounced in. The utter joy in Sunderland was a sight to behold. Of course for Coventry fans — or Stockport for that matter, it’s agony, but the point I wanna make is that the playoffs are pure sporting drama — agony and ecstasy.
There’s a lot of talk about how boring the PL season has been — with some truth, to be fair – and it made me wonder whether they’ve considered a playoff for the final CL spot (s)? so Top 4 get into the CL and then 5-8 play off? It would certainly liven things up. One of the joys of the playoffs is that a team can be way off it and still nip in to the final place.Stockport were 10 points better off than us (and it showed, quite often) and yet we’re the ones going to wembley. It’s not fair — but it is drama!!
Dan, London
Late offsides and how to fix them
I was fortunate enough to have an e-mail published in March’s mailbox about pet peeves, one of which was offside flags being given late for VAR to have the final say. At the time, I wrote:
Who’s going to admit culpability when a player inevitably gets injured in a “phase of play” that should never have been allowed to continue because an offside wasn’t given in time?
And now, here we are with Taiwo Awoniyi (who I wish a speedy recovery, and I’m sure everyone else does as well). I sit by a fellow season ticket holder in the Holte End who loses his shit every match when the assistant referee puts the flag up for offside about 2 minutes too late and I remind him every time that “it’s not his/her fault, they’re just doing what they’ve been told to do”.
No amount of evidence or argument will convince me that this rule is a good one – it’s absolutely pointless and basically says VAR has the final say. If that’s the case, we might as well do away with assistant referees altogether because the only other thing they have to do is flag for fouls or direct which way a throw in is given, with most of those decisions resulting in said assistant referee either not giving it at all or looking blankly at the actual referee waiting for them to give it! (Obviously not a serious suggestion.)
The fix for this is really very, very simple. If the player is blatantly offside by a considerable visual distance then let the assistant referee put their flag up as they will 99.99% be correct (if they’re not, demote them). If the player is “close” to being offside to the point where it’s not visually easy to spot, THEN delay the raising of the flag so that VAR can check and confirm afterwards. Yes, players may still get injured this way but it will be a hell of a lot less than the decisions where they are miles ahead of the last defender. This makes perfect sense to me and I’d be interested to hear what other readers/commenters think?
Jeff G, West Brom Villan (And whilst we’re at it, keep VAR checks to 30 seconds otherwise the ref’s original call stands as it’s not “clear and obvious”. You could even pipe the Countdown music out in the stadiums whilst the check is taking place.)
PSA for Liverpool fans
Dear Liverpool fans,
I know David Ornstein has written his latest intoxicating bit of fan fiction erotica, this time about young Florian, but you have to understand it is all fantasy. Designed to titilate.
When he writes about flirty glances, lip biting looks over the shoulder and ‘representatives’ meeting, he doesn’t mean it literally. It’s because he knows you have a humiliation kink and wants you to get all excited about the prospect only to have the rest of league laugh at you when it doesn’t happen.
If you’re into that, no shame, no judgement. But just make sure you consent to this latest flagellation.
TM
READ MORE: Six Leverkusen standouts reassigned post-Alonso to Real Madrid with Liverpool given two signings
Lee’s response to Lee’s response to Lee
Lee,
You normally write quite sensible and balanced emails, but….
No, I did not write “in to support Ratcliffe”.
If you took the time to read what I said (rather than scan and bristle that someone else was called Lee), nowhere did I say anything to defend him.
In fact, to quote what I actually said: “I’m NOT going to defend Sir Jim…”
I’ve emphasized the ‘not’ this time as it appears you missed it first time round
I also said I have no idea if he’ll turn the finances round, clearly expressing doubt (I didn’t elaborate further as all the facts you felt the need to highlight are well publicised and the cause for my doubt).
I’m not sure why you took such exception to that and felt the need to ‘educate’ me.
The remainder of your letter seems to focus on the fact that
(i) he’s not self-made – well he didn’t inherit it and wasn’t given it, so he got it from somewhere and whether through fair means or foul is irrelevant – although by your argument no-one who had support from parents, completed an apprenticeship etc is “self-made” either, so I can only assume that you grew up in a cardboard box, got up before you went to bed and licked the road clean for breakfast
(ii) he has a questionable track record, which quite frankly is not disputed, but your long lecture is completely irrelevant to the email I sent – neither you nor I know if he will turn the club around
The point of my email was simply to highlight out how lazy it is to criticize someone trying to put out a blaze that others started and instead perhaps we should focus on the people who lit the fire and are continually pouring petrol on said flames.
I do however agree 100% with you that he will be an excellent bullet shield for the Glazers – as you have just demonstrated with your email.
Fundamentally I think what really got your goat was that I simply signed off as “Lee” as if that somehow stole your mantel.
Would you prefer I signed off as “Lee – the less angry scouser” because yes, I am from the same part of the world as you.
Love and hugs
Lee 😊 x
(p.s. hopefully you get the road reference and appreciate it is said in good humour)
Lee,
No self-made billionaires?
Jay-Z (born in The Projects) would disagree
Nick ✌
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Goodbye to a real one
Just read that Jamie Vardy is playing his final game for Leicester this weekend, his 500th for the club, needing one more goal for 200.
I’m a Liverpool supporter, and I remember some of his momentous goals against us, especially one he had no right to score from miles out.
I really hope he scores this weekend, and just one, to reach the iconic total on his historic appearance. In my eyes, he had no right to play top-flight football, let alone for so long and being one of the most feared strikers around. Players like him are so rare in the modern age, but he’s a legend of the modern game and fully deserves all the praise and adulation that comes his way.
Fair play Mr Vardy!! Have a WKD on me.
Rob, Hove
Do any males actually watch women’s football?
In most sports, the women’s version is often on some kind of parity with the male equivalent – and can often be more entertaining than the male equivalent, but does anybody really think women’s football stands comparison the male game?
I have no problem with women wanting to play competitively, but what little I have watched is so woeful – you can watch better players in pretty much any pub league on any given Sunday. Are there actually any male fans of the women’s game on Football 365?
Thanks
ATG
It’s not time to make a change, just relax, take it easy
Phil
I believe a teenage Eidur Gudjohnssen came on for his father during an Iceland match.
It’s 8 am so can’t be bothered to google it atm…
Ben