Footballing Weekly: Could Manchester United, Newcastle find silver linings in their European exits?
With their schedules easing up for the second half of the EPL season, there are opportunities for both clubs to improve their standings
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SINGAPORE — Fans of Manchester United and Newcastle United must be feeling downcast this week, following the two English Premier League (EPL) clubs' unceremonious exits from European competitions.
But could there be silver linings amid the deep disappointments? Much would depend on how Man United and Newcastle respond with a lighter schedule in the coming months, and if they can improve their standings in the EPL.
For Man United, elimination from the Uefa Champions League must have seemed unthinkable when the group draw was made in September. They were drawn in the same group as Bayern Munich, FC Copenhagen and Galatasaray, and many believe that Erik ten Hag's men would comfortably advance to the knockout stages together with Bayern.
Instead, the Red Devils stumbled punch-drunk through their six group-stage matches, losing to the modest Galatasaray and Copenhagen outfits as well as to Bayern twice. When Kingsley Coman netted the winning goal for Bayern at Old Trafford on Tuesday night (12 December), Man United were condemned to a last-place finish in Group A, unable to even move on to the second-tier Europa League competition.
The European exit was symptomatic of United's mediocre domestic season, a year after ten Hag appeared to have revived the 20-time English champions with a third-placed finish in his first year as manager. Instead, the Dutchman is floundering amid a mounting injury list and players' indifferent form.
With rumours swirling of the United board already looking around for a replacement, ten Hag faces a daunting trip to Anfield to face league-leading arch-rivals Liverpool on Sunday. If the Red Devils suffer a heavy loss - like their 0-7 humiliation in the corresponding fixture last season - the former Ajax manager's position would become really precarious.
But should Man United survive the Liverpool examination, and if their wretched injury list starts clearing up, then perhaps their European exit could work in their favour, with the lightened schedule giving ten Hag more training time to continue rebuilding his side.
Opportunity amid easing schedule
Like Man United, Newcastle also finished at the bottom of their Champions League group, after a 1-2 home defeat by AC Milan on Wednesday placing them behind the Italian giants as well as Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint Germain.
The Magpies are also reeling from an injury crisis, and are floundering in the EPL after finishing fourth last season and qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years. While fans are not expecting much from Newcastle's European exploits, it must have stung to tumble out and not having a go at the Europa League.
But, like Man United, Newcastle will be facing an easier schedule without European commitments, especially since they are still in contention in the Carabao Cup, in addition to their EPL and FA Cup matches.
With Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool still involved in Europe, the three league-leading clubs will have to juggle their continental commitments with their EPL title-chasing aspirations. This leaves the challenging clubs that are out of Europe - Man United, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Tottenham - with an opportunity to make use of their lighter-schedule advantage to make a push amid this tightly-contested season.
Can they make the best out of this opportunity? They have the next half of the EPL season to realise that.
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