Spurs And Man Utd Meet In Worst-form European Final

Never successful nan history of European title has a last been played betwixt 2 teams truthful retired of form.

The winners of Wednesday's Europa League last betwixt Manchester United and Tottenham successful Bilbao could beryllium nan lowest convention finishers ever to triumph a awesome European trophy.

And they will surely go nan lowest squad to ever suffice for nan European Cup aliases Champions League.

United beryllium successful 16th spot successful nan Premier League, pinch Spurs 17th - and a mixed 39 convention defeats.

The only convention games either person won since 2 February person been against sides who were relegated - aliases each other.

Their points tally could person had them relegated successful immoderate erstwhile seasons.

"I can't retrieve specified a crippled which was truthful highly pressurised for some teams," said erstwhile Celtic striker Chris Sutton connected BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

And yet 1 of them will observe glory - and a return to nan riches of nan Champions League adjacent season.

BBC Sport elder shot analogous Sami Mokbel and main shot news newsman Simon Stone, who will some beryllium astatine San Mames for nan final, person had their opportunity connected whose play has been worse.

Mokbel connected Spurs: "Underperformed, underachieved, unacceptable. Domestically, astatine least.

"While Tottenham will cling connected to dream of someway turning a catastrophic play into a historical one, location tin beryllium nary moving distant from nan truth that results and performances person been mostly disastrous.

"Twenty-one defeats successful nan Premier League and counting. Of course, each that will beryllium forgotten if Spurs assistance nan Europa League trophy connected Wednesday night.

"Whether that is capable to support Ange Postecoglou successful a job, however, is nan million-dollar mobility pinch each nan indications pointing towards nan Australian departing sloppy of nan result successful Bilbao.

"The truth Postecoglou's tenure successful northbound London looks group to extremity imminently illustrates conscionable really pitiful their home run has been.

"In their defence, injuries person debilitated Tottenham's season. They person mislaid cardinal players for agelong periods of time.

"But this is an expensively-assembled Tottenham squad - 1 that includes nan club-record £65m signing of Dominic Solanke.

"United are successful a play of transition, having changed managers midway done nan season.

"It's different for Tottenham. Following Postecoglou's encouraging first play successful charge, successful which Spurs vanished fifth, this was a squad group up to compete for Champions League qualification.

"Instead, they could decorativeness 1 spot supra nan relegation zone. That's undeniably poor."

Stone connected United: "Manchester United person been worse because overmuch of nan harm has been self-inflicted.

"United were nan ones who reflected connected Erik 10 Hag's tenure, some successful nan aftermath of their 4-0 conclusion astatine Crystal Palace past May, past aft nan FA Cup last triumph complete Manchester City, and decided to instrumentality pinch him.

"United gave him money to spend, specifically connected Matthijs de Ligt and Joshua Zirkzee successful nan summer, past sacked him aft 9 games.

"And United told Ruben Amorim he had to commencement immediately, not hold until nan summertime to subordinate from Sporting.

"Now, nan information nett is Bilbao and past that United deed nan crushed moving astatine nan commencement of adjacent season, which would warrant nan refusal to hold for Amorim.

"But, successful nan present and now, United person been woeful.

"There person been periods successful games erstwhile they person looked fluid and their passing triangles person worked.

"However, Rasmus Hojlund has not looked a threat astatine 1 extremity of nan section and basal mistakes person undermined them astatine nan other.

"With six minutes near of other clip successful their Europa League quarter-final against 10-man Lyon, it was not easy to onslaught a azygous optimistic statement connected United's behalf. Somehow, they rescued themselves.

"Since then, United person sewage 1 constituent from 5 Premier League games. No-one has done worse than that.

"By immoderate measure, this is United's worst play since nan 1973-74 relegation campaign. And they announced financial losses of £113.2m past September.

"To walk truthful overmuch and beryllium truthful bad really takes immoderate doing."

Only 2 teams person won a European trophy aft finishing beneath 12th successful their home league.

That includes nan aged Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, European Cup Winners' Cup, Uefa Cup, European Cup, Champions League, Europa League and newish Conference League.

The lowest-ranked squad yet was West Ham conscionable 2 seasons agone erstwhile they vanished 14th successful nan Premier League but won nan third-tier Conference League.

The highest Manchester United aliases Spurs tin decorativeness is 14th - pinch respective results having to spell their way.

The different lowest finishes person each travel successful various iterations of nan Europa League.

Inter Milan vanished 13th retired of 18 teams successful Serie A successful 1993-94, only staying up by 1 constituent (in nan aged strategy of 2 points for a win), but won nan Uefa Cup.

And a squad finishing 12th person won it 3 times - Arsenal successful nan 1969-70 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, Schalke successful nan 1996-97 Uefa Cup and Sevilla successful nan 2022-23 Europa League.

That Sevilla squad are nan lowest-placed to person ever qualified for nan European Cup aliases Champions League - until now.

Former Chelsea subordinate Sutton said: "There's not going to beryllium a awesome woody of value connected show.

"Both sets of players will beryllium apprehensive and nervous."

On Amorim and Postecoglou making changes successful caller Premier League games, he added: "I don't understand why they are gripped by fear. Both managers want to spell into nan cup last pinch momentum.

"That really adds to nan juncture and nan pressure."

This will beryllium nan sixth all-English last successful European title - pinch each of those involving either Tottenham aliases Chelsea.

England is nan first state to person truthful galore successful Uefa title (excluding nan Inter-Cities Fairs Cup).

Tottenham hit Wolves for nan 1972 Uefa Cup last and Manchester United defeated Chelsea to triumph nan 2008 Champions League.

In 2019, some finals were all-English - pinch Liverpool beating Tottenham successful nan Champions League and Chelsea seeing disconnected Arsenal successful nan Europa League.

Chelsea hit Manchester City to triumph nan Champions League successful 2021.

Both managers are looking for their first trophy successful complaint of an English nine - but they person won silverware abroad.

Postecoglou, 59, has nan bigger trophy haul, though he has been managing a batch longer than his 40-year-old other number.

Both sides will beryllium hopeless to triumph this match, but their incentives are rather distinct.

For Tottenham, this would beryllium a first trophy since nan 2008 Carabao Cup and their first European trophy since 1984.

It would vindicate Postecoglou's early-season declaration that he ever wins a trophy successful his 2nd season.

And someway their worst home play since nan 1970s could move retired to beryllium their champion successful years.

"I'm judge if that happens connected Wednesday nighttime Ange will beryllium smug stepping disconnected nan transportation and opportunity 'see you later, I've told you what I do mate'," said erstwhile Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given.

Sutton reckons if Spurs lose, Postecoglou whitethorn not moreover beryllium successful complaint for nan last crippled of nan Premier League play astatine location to Brighton connected Sunday.

"If Postecoglou wins he'll beryllium hailed," said nan erstwhile Blackburn forward. "But conscionable ideate nan ambiance against Brighton if Tottenham lose.

"I fishy he mightiness not beryllium successful complaint if that happens because that will beryllium arsenic toxic arsenic anything."

For Manchester United - who person won home cups successful nan past 2 seasons - Champions League qualification is nan eventual extremity here.

"Financially, it's nan astir important lucifer successful nan club's history," says shot finance master Kieran Maguire.

Sutton feels nan crippled is simply a imaginable "get-out-of-jail-free card" for Amorim.

The Portuguese, who is hoping to oversee a summertime rebuild, said: "I deliberation [qualifying for the] Champions League is much important for everything, to hole nan adjacent season.

"We are expected to beryllium successful nan Champions League and nan Europa League present is not enough, you person that emotion here. The champion measurement to thief america get to nan apical successful a fewer years is nan Champions League."