Spectators in the stands at Old Trafford on Tuesday night could be forgiven for feeling that, for once, the nation’s attention was not on Manchester United. A quirk of the expanded Champions League format means that most football fans will be focused on the start of Europe’s premier competition, when Erik ten Hag’s side enter the Carabao Cup.
The identity of the visitors to Sir Matt Busby Way is designed to underline the gulf between United’s current status and where they would like to be. Barnsley are a traditional club, founded in 1887, but currently sit seventh in League One, some 41 places behind United in the English rankings. They are opponents on the same night that Liverpool, United’s great rivals at East Lancs Road, face AC Milan in Italy.
This game at the San Siro is one of those that is driving up United’s FOMO. Not just the fear of missing out on glamorous games that get the blood pumping, but also the fear of missing out on the financial rewards that come with it. Manchester City earned €134.9 million (£113.6 million; $150 million) by winning the Champions League in the 2022/23 season, while Sevilla, who won the Europa League this season, pocketed €21.8 million.
United actually earned the most money of any club in the Europa League two years ago. The club reached the quarter-finals and received €32.6 million. The club benefited from the highest coefficient ranking and a significant amount from the Market Pool, which takes into account the value of the national television rights of each league. But this is still much less than what the Champions League participants can earn.
With United announcing losses of £113.2m last week and walking a tightrope with spending regulations at Premier League and UEFA level, a return to the top of the European table seems vital to the prospects of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s investment. Barnsley’s arrival at Old Trafford as the strains of the Champions League anthem ring out across the continent is a sobering reminder of that.
Of course, football is more about emotion than economics and a domestic cup tie can be a lot of fun when it’s dramatic. But it also needs a certain amount of risk and that only happens against League One opposition if United go behind and that wouldn’t be Ten Hag’s idea of fun.
Still, enough fans seem to think the game is worth a night under the lights to ensure sell-outs. Sales have been slower than usual and the club relaxed the rules on passing on season tickets to fill the seats. However, by the end of last week, more than 70,000 tickets had been sold, so it’s time to sell the last few thousand.
Most likely, however, even those present would say they would rather welcome Barcelona than Barnsley. Perhaps even Slovan Bratislava, City’s Champions League opponents on October 1. Juventus, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid all start their European campaigns at the same time as Darrell Clarke gives his team address to the Barnsley players.
The Champions League’s new 36-team Swiss-style format means not all games are glamorous trips. Aston Villa kick off at Young Boys, for example. But there is a certain prestige claim to which United want to add its name. The Carabao Cup, a trophy Ten Hag proudly won in his first season in England, does not add to that ambition, so the question is how seriously the United manager takes the competition.
He has expressed his concerns about the fixture list, which is even higher this year as each club has two extra guaranteed games in the Champions League and Europa League, and has more than once described modern football as “survival of the fittest”. But he also knows that trophies are important. The FA Cup practically saved his job, although it also gave him entry into the Europa League and brought in extra revenue that made the summer transfer window more manageable.
Ten Hag has tended to play strongly in the Carabao Cup, although it is an illusion to think he will not make changes. When Crystal Palace visited at the same stage last season, he swapped seven players from the previous Premier League team. He wants to continue to have the opportunity to adjust his selection as the season progresses, as last season became a do-or-die situation due to injuries.
“We are aiming for a cup, it’s a chance, so we take it seriously,” Ten Hag said on Monday. “I hope I have a headache, because last year I had a headache too, but there were no players available. I hope there are many available, so I’ll choose from game to game. It’s not just about the starting eleven. It’s a nice headache.”
Next week it is the turn of the English Champions League clubs to enter the Carabao Cup, so the comparison with Barnsley is somewhat unfortunate. Nevertheless, progress is essential to avoid the false headaches and then energies will be directed towards ensuring United are back in the mix when the Champions League starts again.
(Top photo: James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
