Does the Super Cup matter?

In recent times we have seen a whole load of pointless competitions being introduced to club football, mainly seeking to make a quick buck for the clubs involved. United's jaunts to Brazil in 2000 were well documented and came at the expense of participation in the FA Cup.

The most exciting domestic club competition had to be forfeited because the FA were pressuring United to fly off to Brazil for two weeks to help England's World Cup bid. The move was widely criticised by fans of all clubs including United, and the players were far from amused too as they wanted to retain the cup they had won several months before.

That competition was supposed to be revolutionary and change club football forever, but never actually took off and fell to pieces.

Whereas Liverpool claim they won five trophies in a year following their plastic treble, United would never count the Charity Shield or Super Cup as a real coup.

As I fly off to Monaco on Friday morning, I can honestly say I could not care less of we win or lose to Zenit. It is no more than a showpiece event for the men in suits to get a jolly in the South of France, and United are there to provide the entertainment.

I went to the same game when we played Lazio in 1999. Losing to the Italians with 20 minutes left we took off Beckham, Jaap Stam and Cole and brought on players including relative unknowns John Curtis and Jonathan Greening. It was not the sign of a club that cared about entertaining UEFA officials, and instead attention was far more focused on a game we had to play against Newcastle only a few days later.

I expect United to put out a stronger team this weekend, as we have players who need to get games under their belts and also do not have a game a few days after as we did last time. However, it will also not be a priority and if we lose I doubt many tears will be shed. The league, European Cup and FA Cup are the bread and butter of what the players and fans want to see achieved and whether it is UEFA, FIFA or whoever else meddling, it is hard to change that tradition.

Similarly, who will pay that much attention to United's trip to Tokyo in December? Will Sebb Blatter really take away the prestige of the European Cup by organising fixtures for United against a J-League team, LDU Quito of Ecuador, Waitakere of New Zealand or Pachuca of Mexico? I think not. But they will keep trying as long as there as sponsors who'll put their name to it and TV companies who want to pay to televise it. Who cares about jetlag, fixture congestion or tradition when FIFA's purse will be strengthened eh?

Oli Winton

Comments

[abismo]

Posted by: mike | August 28, 2008 at 11:12 AM

Zenit won not only Glazgow.
In UEFA cup this spring they kicked out: Villareal in 1/16, Marseile in 1/8, Bayern Leverkusen in 1/4, Bayern Munich in 1/2. Munich lost 0-4 in St. Petersburg, Leverkusen lost 1-4 in Leverkusen.
Besides Leverkusen all other teams start in CL coming fall.

Its was easier than to win CL indeed, but still... Glazgow was just a peace of cake. Outplayed completely. Nice season for Zenit anyways.

[mike]

It kind of devalues the CL for the winners to have to play a team that only had to beat Glasgow Rangers to win their trophy. Zenit have nothing to lose.

[DJB]

Barrie Collins
'It's just a good excuse for Man U to skip a week of the Prem, rest their injured players, and give their reserves a game.'

I think we'd rather play the game due this weekend than play in this. After all, it's not been created this season, has it ?

TomTom

People were saying that last season - one journalist said we'd finish fifth !

[Lirpa Olof]

Ask FC Zenit St. Petersburg if they care.

Or ask Lazio if they cared nine years ago. For a clue check out Marcello Sallas's celebration after he scored what turnmed out to be the winning goal, or of their players reaction at the end.

Or ask Scolari's Palmeiras v United in the Intercontinental Cup Final also nine years ago.

This is a Palmeiras side that went to Japan a couple of weeks before United and played two friendlies to acclimatise themseleves. And who had some players crying at the end of the game after losing.

Yup, let's ask them too.

[Barrie Collins]

It's just a good excuse for Man U to skip a week of the Prem, rest their injured players, and give their reserves a game. Who dreams up these farcical events anyway? I'm waiting for the day that the Arctic and Antarctic regions have their champions entered in the equally farcical "World Club Championship". Let's get serious!

[dave]

you might not care, but believe me fergie wants to win these - he didn't like losing to Lazio in the Supper Cup 9 years ago and he rates the FIFA trophy highly..

[tomtom]

Well, ManU should care as it's the only trophy they will lift this season!!!

[Craig]

Admittedly, its not the most important trophy but it will sit nicely as number 2 out of a possible 7 for the season.