Both Manchester clubs face being knocked out tonight – is the competition a distraction from the title race?
When both Manchester clubs sat down at the start of the season, each to plan their transfer targets and priorities- you can pretty much guarantee the Europa League was the last item in their thoughts.
Bungled Champions League campaigns for both clubs meant they fell through the trapdoor into UEFA’s B-list competition, alongside European heavyweights Metalist Kharkiv and Standard Liege.
Both are here now, but face elimination already, after suffering first leg defeats last week. Should they go all out to turn it around?
Of course there is pride at stake and a European trophy to be won, but right now both managers would be forgiven for thinking the competition is more hassle than it is worth.
Take Manchester City for instance. Last week they traveled to Portugal, where they lost 1-0 to Sporting Lisbon.
This was only the first bitter blow suffered; they lost captain Vincent Kompany to injury, and then lost 1-0 in the Premier League to newly promoted Swansea City, surrendering their position at the summit of the table to their red neighbours.
All credit to Swansea for their performance, but it is fair to say City would have stood a better chance of getting a point or all three out of the game if the squad not faced an exhausting and fruitless trip to Portugal only days earlier.
It didn’t seem possible at the start of the season that the club would go two games without scoring a goal, but that is their current predicament.
Manchester United have also suffered injuries to their personnel, with Antonio Valencia injuring a hamstring in United’s 2-0 win at Ajax last month.
Now after making such a ham-fisted job of the first leg, Sir Alex Ferguson is sending Rio Ferdinand into battle in Bilbao, when he would rather have left the injury-affected defender at home to give him a full week’s rest between Premier League games.
Regardless of the result in the heart of Basque country, United could find themselves facing a European hangover when they play relegation battlers Wolves on Sunday, similarly to the way City were sluggish against Swansea.
There is still time, with 10 games to go to correct mistakes in the title race, and hope the other slips up, but as the end of the season nears any points which are dropped will be even more pivotal.
Which is why, with the Premier League the priority for both teams, neither should shed a tear if they are eliminated tonight.
The main accomplishment has to be, give it their all, and hope no players suffer injury.
If one club qualifies and the other doesn’t while it may give supporters a reason to gloat in the short-term, it could leave them more fatigued as the title race reaches it’s climax.
Will you shed a tear if your club is knocked out tonight?
image: © nicksarebi
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
