Comments on: Trebles and Quintuples

By: karthik

karthik — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 04:08:20 +0000

yeah … i totally agree with this report … anything less than 5 trophies means a failure … wth … but on the other hand i think teams should be going for as much as titles as possible … thats when football gets interesting and we fans got something to talk about …

By: Ahmed Bilal

Ahmed Bilal — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 08:54:11 +0000

Victor – I wouldn’t be so quick to assume that. They’ve won it 5 times, if they lost that then they’d have nothing more to gloat about

But yea, I think United fans to an extent value the Cup a bit more than the league because of how much we’ve won over the last couple of decades, although having said that the league remains the club’s bread and butter.

By: Victor Li

Victor Li — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 22:33:09 +0000

I think it depends on the club, Dan. Some clubs, particularly Arsenal and Chelsea, would probably care more about the Champions League simply because they’ve never won it before. Otherwise, I think that you’re correct. I’m sure Liverpool fans would trade their Champions League crowns for a Premiership title.

By: Daniel Chung

Daniel Chung — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:26:41 +0000

It’s truly a unifying point for big clubs across the continent that in the end, the league matters the most and the Champions’ League is the icing on the cake. Back when Barça lost the 1994 final by a humbling score of 4-0 to Capello’s AC Milan, I remember reading how the fans at the airport greeted the players arriving back from Athens.. and the chant was essentially “it doesn’t matter, we’ve won the league.” Even more poignant was Liverpool’s memorable 2005 final win against Milan in Istanbul, which was the first Champions’ League win since 1984 (when it was called the European Cup). I am no Liverpool fan, but you still got the sense that despite the euphoria of coming back from 3-0 down to win it, there was still a feeling that it was more of a consolation in the absence of a league title. Perhaps Liverpool fans can expound more about whether my conjecture has any basis or not, but that seems to be the feeling toward the European title.

By: BD Condell

BD Condell — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:43:41 +0000

I think most of the hype about the quintuple is driven by the media.

I don’t believe that the Community Shield or Super Cup should count. A one-off showcase game means little and I don’t think most fans count these as genuine trophies.

I myself don’t rate the Club World Cup either. I think the format and make-up of teams is farcical. (I’m a Utd fan by the way).

For me, every season starts with the objective of winning the PL. That’s the true yardstick of the best team in the country. Everything else is a bonus. The CL is my 2nd priority.

It’s great to win the FA Cup but I’m always wary of being involved in too many competitions at the business end of the season which can possibly jeprodise the chance of winning any (as shown by your Barca example).

I also firmly believe that a lot of luck comes into play in the cup competitions(who you get in the draw; the timing of key injuries; a single mistake or a bad decision, when you have no time to recover).

It does show though, how the fans of big teams become spoilt by success. As a Utd fan of many years I remember when an FA Cup win would not only make my season but make several seasons!

Good article!

By: Ahmed Bilal

Ahmed Bilal — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:17:46 +0000

Liverpool have had a fantastic season in the league, even if they don’t win anything it shouldn’t be thought of as a failure.

Ditto for United and Barcelona even if they lose the CL and just win the league.

By: dan price

dan price — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:08:48 +0000

interesting point re: would the super cup be counted as a 6th trophy… in the calender year 2001 liverpool not only won the treble, but also the charity shield and super cup (vs man u and bayern respectively)… however, these are never mentioned. so – no – i dont think it can/will be counted (i however believe it should – - a trophy is a trophy – end of).