Europa League: Spurs, Man United most chaotic combined XI
On Wednesday, Athletic Club’s wonderful San Mamés stadium in Bilbao will serve as host for this season’s Europa League final, and for the third time, it will be an all-English final as Tottenham Hotspur face Manchester United. Despite the fact that the Premier League can feel a sense of pride about having three representatives in two European finals this season (Chelsea playing Real Betis in the Conference League final), the overall sentiment is that this is a game that comes with an emphatic, overwhelming air of mediocrity.
After losing to Chelsea on Friday, Ruben Amorim’s United suffered their 18th league loss of the season, making it their worst campaign since 1973-74, when they suffered 20 defeats and were relegated from the top flight. They are also in an eight-match winless run in the league and find themselves in 16th place. Spurs, meanwhile, are 17th, have lost 25 games in all competitions, an unwanted record for them in a single season, and have one league win since April 6.
Do I need to keep going here? I think you get the picture. These are two terrible teams, playing in a woeful season, devoid of style, aggression or delivery. And what’s their reward? A trophy and a glorious chance to book a spot in the Champions League. The neutral will express their anger at the unfairness of seeing either take part in next season’s biggest European competition when the likes of Chelsea, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest might miss out.
But since when has soccer been fair? These are the rules, my friends. We should all accept this very point and remember the everlasting mandate that when it comes to this game of ours, it’s not us who write the script, it’s soccer itself. And this is the final, whether we like it or not.
But can I offer you an alternative train of thought? What if, because of desperation and a desire to get something out of this dreadful season, United and Spurs actually give us a wonderful circus of entertainment? To quote a great line from HBO’s “Game of Thrones:” “Chaos is not a pit, it’s a ladder.” Chaos doesn’t represent destruction. It is an opportunity.
I expect exactly this — a very chaotic final with goals, flying tackles, multiple bookings and an overall sense of tumultuous football. It will be the Europa League final equivalent of Heath Ledger’s Joker in “The Dark Knight.” My suggestion? Just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Without further ado, here’s my most chaotic combined XI of the two teams. This isn’t necessarily about my idea of the strongest lineup, but rather the players who are best equipped to give us the most chaotic, possibly worst/best final ever, and I mean that in the worst/best possible way. Lots of fireworks with zero composure.
Let’s see what you got, United and Spurs. I’ll be preparing my popcorn with excitement.
3-5-2 formation
GK: André Onana
I think Onana is often made the scapegoat for many of United’s issues, but there is no doubt he has made some costly errors throughout the season, including in this very competition against Lyon in the quarterfinals. In a final that promises imperfection, I am sure the Cameroon goalkeeper will give us — for better or worse — some moments to remember.
CB: Cristian Romero
At his best, the Argentina World Cup winner is an imposing presence at the back thanks to his physicality and intensity, so I have him in my lineup for one reason only: There might be a few scraps in this game, and whenever there is a possibility of that scenario, I need Romero to be part of it.
CB: Harry Maguire
This is a no-brainer, isn’t it? Maguire could do any of the following on Wednesday: score a stoppage-time winner from a set piece; go on the right wing, nutmeg Destiny Udogie and put in a dime of an assist; score an own goal; see a red card. All of these are realistic possibilities.
It’s simple: if you want drama, light up the Maguire bat signal.
CB: Micky van de Ven
Here’s what I think: Spurs’ chances of victory — and in many ways, manager Ange Postecoglou’s fate — begin with Tottenham’s center-back partnership. A lot rides on the aforementioned Romero and his Dutch partner, Van de Ven, who is the fastest player in the Premier League, thus making him invaluable for Postecoglou’s high line.
Let’s expect some marauding runs, causing some major headaches for United.
RWB: Amad Diallo
Diallo has been one of Amorim’s most important players this season, and it’s a shame his productivity didn’t continue due to an ankle injury that kept him out of the side from February until late April, when he returned in record time. His menacing runs and trickery will be a focal point on Wednesday and, after losing in two Europa League finals (2021 with United; 2022 with Rangers, both times as an unused substitute), he’ll be extremely ready for Bilbao on Wednesday night.
CM: Pedro Porro
Yes, I know. I know. Porro is not a central midfielder, but he is the most forward-thinking distributor for Tottenham. Due to injuries to Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall, Postecoglou has issues in the midfield, so why not place the Spain full-back in the middle of the park? At the very least, it could make great entertainment — for better or worse.
ACM: Bruno Fernandes
Without their captain, United could have been in even worse danger this season. He’s their most vital player in every sense of the word and, even though he hasn’t done anything this season against Spurs (who have won all three games this season against the Red Devils), this is a European final, so the stakes and narrative are different. However, we also know about his temper, especially when things are not going his way, so this isn’t even a discussion.
In this chaotic situation with a chance to see much drama, I need Fernandes in this XI.
CM: Manuel Ugarte
It’s quite simple, really. The Uruguay holding midfielder is the football equivalent of the Tasmanian Devil from Looney Tunes. An enforcer with a sense that, sometimes, his erratic physicality can get him into trouble. He ran the show in the first leg against Athletic Club but was not great in the second and came off in the 62nd minute.
Which version will we see on Wednesday? I need to have him in the lineup to find out.
LWB: Patrick Dorgu
Dorgu is a talented defender, but he has yet to acclimate to the Premier League and most notably to Amorim’s system, which is very demanding for wing-backs. There will be lots of offensive opportunities, but against the counter? That’s when you could see a lot of scrambling from the Denmark international.
FW: Son Heung-min
“I feel good and ready to go,” the South Korean captain said after playing 74 minutes in Tottenham’s 2-0 loss against Aston Villa on Friday. This is good news for Tottenham, but Postecoglou now has to figure out what’s best for his team, because there is still a sense of rustiness from Son after being sidelined for a month. We obviously know how good and impactful Son can be for Spurs, but can United take advantage of his recent return to action? I expect the Red Devils to fully focus on him whenever he is on the pitch.
CF: Rasmus Højlund
After a disastrous campaign (four goals in 31 league matches), the Denmark striker has been unable to do pretty much anything up front. Just like Onana, I think he is also somewhat of a scapegoat for the club’s poor season, because distribution for him has been almost nonexistent.
Do I expect frustration on Wednesday? An all-out mission to do everything he can to score a goal and become a hero for United? Or once again, just like in Friday’s loss against Chelsea, no more than a shot on target and another disappointing evening for the 22-year-old?
All of the above are extremely possible.