4th place – nay, even 3rd place – was handed on a plate but we failed to take the opportunity. On 3 occasions in the last 2 or 3 weeks we should have played as we can do and taken all 3 points in league games, but we didn’t.
We seem to be only looking at that holy grail up for grabs on the 19th May. This is dangerous, of course, as to beat Bayern Munich in their home ground, without your first choice 2 defenders and best playmaker available for selection is a tough one.
We’ll be in the Europa league next season, I’m afraid. But it will sprout some different grounds to go to, with many I haven’t even heard of coming up, I expect. Landing at some military airfield scores of miles from a small stadium in the old Eastern Bloc will be the form of the group stages, me thinks.
It’s our fault, though. The clueless twat at the helm for the first 2/3rds of the season cost us the 3 points we may end up being short of on numerous occasions. Coupled with the lack of urgency or awareness in the last half a dozen PL games means we will miss out.
It’s a shame, as despite never winning the trophy we always put in a good shift. We have always exited the group stages, with 6 semis and 2 finals reached in the last 9 seasons of qualification in a row. But for a bent referee (who now admits he should’ve done different), and a ball that didn’t cross the line, we’d have had 2 more finals in that time, and maybe one or two trophies? And let us not forget Terry’s penalty that has given the mancs so much to sing about since ’08. Had he not slipped, and with van de sar diving off in the wrong direction, we’d have lifted it that year. But alas, no. But this is a better average that all the other English teams who have been in the competition over these years. I’m sure most won’t deny that we have represented the country quite well in Europe over the last 9 years. Maybe this ageing team can get a break in Germany? The realist in me says ‘no’.
But normal service will be resumed next season, I hope.