Manchester United playing Tottenham in the Europa League final is ‘shocking’ and ‘not a great look’ for the competition, believes former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock.
Both the Red Devils and Spurs have had nightmare seasons in the Premier League with Ruben Amorim’s side sitting 16th in the table and Ange Postecoglou’s one point and one place below them.
There has not been a legitimate threat of relegation as Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton are a long way behind them, but the two huge clubs hovering just above the relegation zone represents a disastrous campaign for both.
However, both sides still have the chance to save their seasons to some extent as they meet in the Europa League final in Bilbao on May 21.
It is the first edition of the tournament since the change in format which stopped teams dropping into the competition after being eliminated from the Champions League group stages.
Warnock feels the fact that two teams struggling so badly in the Premier League doing so well in the Europa League does not look good for the new format, which he reckons has clearly made it a weaker competition.
‘Tottenham and Manchester United have lost 37 Premier League games between them and it’s shocking to think one of them will be playing in the Champions League next year,’ Warnock told Casino Apps.
‘It’s not a great look – it shows the quality of the Europa League has worsened since they’ve stopped teams dropping down from the Champions League if they’re knocked out.
‘Naturally, the competition is now weaker and more diluted when it comes to the quality of teams, but I understand not wanting a team to be knocked out of one European competition and going straight into another.’
Both Manchester United and Tottenham were beaten 2-0 at home un the Premier League over the weekend, with their European exploits doing nothing to help their domestic form.
After the loss to West Ham at Old Trafford, Amorim said of the situation: ‘How a manager of Manchester United is supposed to feel in that position – embarrassed. It’s hard to accept.
‘Everybody has to think seriously about a lot of things here. We have to change a lot of things at the end of the season. I’m talking about myself, I’m talking about the culture in the club and the culture in the team. I have that feeling and we need to change that.
‘We need to be really strong in the summer and be brave. If the feeling is still here, then we should give space to different persons.’
The Red Devils boss even admitted that he was not sure if it would be a good thing for his team to win the Europa League and make the huge leap into next season’s Champions League.
‘I don’t know what is best,’ he said. ‘If it’s playing in the Champions League or not. We need to feel that it’s the end of the world when we’re not winning a game.
‘So it’s a big problem that we have here at the club. It’s a decisive moment in the history of the club and we need to address that.
‘It’s a big problem because it’s mentally. We’re not scared of losing a game.
‘We don’t have that fear anymore – and that is the most dangerous thing a big club can have.’
Spurs lost at home to Crystal Palace and Postecoglou was keen to point out that the run to the Europa League final has impacted his team’s league form.
‘It’s not exactly Pythagoras theorem,’ he said. ‘It’s quite simple to understand we would have had much better results if we didn’t have to navigate this.
‘Either you understand or you don’t and you beat us over the head. I get it.’
The Australian did make a number of changes for the clash with the Eagles, but admitted that he was underwhelmed by those given their chance to shine.
‘Guys had an opportunity today to put their name forward and put some pressure on the guys who played the other night,’ he said.
‘It’s fair to say there wasn’t any compelling evidence of that. I’m disappointed more didn’t step forward. They missed a chance.’
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