As I understand it Man Utd and Southampton are already guaranteed the Europa League for finishing 5th & 6th. However if we win the FA Cup we'll qualify by that route instead and West Ham will take our league qualifying place as the next best placed team, if Palace win they'll qualify for the Europa League instead of West Ham. I think that's right, lol.

Thing is if you look at the table there is a dotted line after 4th for Champions league and a dotted line for the final three for relegation.

The other dotted line is after 5th, that says to me that only the 5th placed team gets in Europa along with the FA Cup winners.

There's an extra place for teams finishing higher in the league because Man City won the League Cup but have (almost certainly) qualified for the Champs League.

United will be in the Europa League next season, whether or not they win the FA Cup, because City won the League Cup, their place goes to the team who finishes 6th.

Thanks, It's confusing to say the least. I have also seen that if the team who wins the FA Cup is in 5th place their place goes to the 6th place team. If United win both matches and move back to 5th. Southampton take the 6th place from City winning the League cup. Do West Ham then get the slot for being 7th?

Yes, that's right. For a good while Palace would have got in as FA Cup runners up, but that's all changed as UEFA apparently said that they don't want cup runners-up in the Europa League anymore.

They do allow some leeway in other competitions, mind. Was looking at what football was on tv on Saturday and saw there was a Welsh Europa League playoff match on S4C.

Had assumed that maybe two teams had finished level on points, goal difference and goals scored, but no. The winner's of the league go into the Champions' League, the runner-up into the Europa League and then 3rd-6th have play offs for their 2nd and final Europa League spot.

Belgium has or had some funny play-off system too, haven't looked it up if it was still going this season.

I'd have thought that if they'd have allowed those, with teams coming 5th or 6th in the league possibly qualifying through the league at the expense of the teams finishing 3rd or 4th in Wales then why not still have the cup runners up in from this country? There's only 12 teams in Wales too, so that's bang on mid table. They're already diluting it with what they do there and probably some other countries.

Edit: Just checked and Belgium is still being mental, with 14th place in a 16 team league qualifying for Euorpa League playoffs - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015%E...e#League_table

So those game raising barstewards need us to win the FA Cup on Saturday to get into Europe.

The irony!

@england squad https://t.co/lAV8yn6Vt6

Looks like Rashford is going to be a part of the Euro's, a bit early for him I think.

Probably being set up for a fall.

What do you mean Ninny?

Hopefully he is not just the waterboy like Theo was under Sven in 2002 was it?

But the sports reports were saying Southampton had qualified for the Europa League even though they will finish 6th if United draw or win tomorrow, regardless of what happens in the FA Cup.

I already explained that we are in the EL 3rd. Qualifiers if we get beat in both matches.


Not sure that I understand what you are saying here, but it's as above - we are at worst in the EL 3rd. qualifying round 3 days after our final China match. Some might say it would be even better if we then got eliminated immediately...

Why? You quite often say that its good for the youngsters to be around the first team and get a feel for the set up. If he doesn't get a game then he's at least had the experience.

There is a significant difference between club level and international level, especially at tournaments, where a team might only get to play four matches before being eliminated.

Being around the first team for months, is good as you do have the potential to pick up things from senior players, quite how much someone can learn in about four weeks or less, I don't know.

So whilst being called up is good, and that he will be around more experienced players, I hope that he does get some game time, otherwise I just don't want to see him have the same fate that Theo seemingly did.

Its exactly the same. The experience he'll get is huge. Going to that level of tournament with your country is something 80-90% players will never get in their lifetimes. He'll travel, see the training set up, hotel set up, how the media from around the world work, watching top players. He's going out of his Utd comfort zone and mixing with other players.

Oh and Theo has hardly disappeared into obscurity.

Didn't you on some school exchange that was only 2 weeks to learn about other cultures and meet new people?

Well, big if,he makes the final 23 and plays a significant part in the Euros and doesn't do anything spectacular I expect the press to ask the question as to whether he's worth the hype in the way they often do.

There are enough scapegoats if it all goes pear shaped I don't want Rashford to be a part of that.

Fair enough, I see your points, and I understand them, perhaps I was a tad too quick to dismiss this importance.

I reckon he will be fine, as you say, there's plenty of potential scapegoats. Rooney who people will be happy to jump on, Hodgson, Vardy won't get much leeway etc... Rashford is well down the pecking order... Seems like a nice boy!

It always seems to be one of our players, if it is not Rooney, then previously it was Becks and Phil Neville, so who knows this year it might be Smalling!

Having a narrower pool of players for us might not be a good thing in that respect!

Just thinking of things, don't we usually have a managers press conference the day before a match?

Have I missed the one for tomorrow's match?

I jest, but it sure does feel a bit surreal to be having a match after everyone else!

I can't see us having one now especially seeing as it is pretty much a dead rubber game.

Yea, I think United have got far to much on their plate today to be worrying about press conferences full of journalists trying to wind up LVG about his future or having a dig at United for yesterday's events. Best not to have one, methinks.

This guy might be in a wee bit of trouble:-

https://twitter.com/BBCNews/status/7...729528834?s=09

I wonder when the next time that we will be playing a Tuesday night match?

Hopefully not too long that is for sure.