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      Enzo Maresca says Chelsea ‘are back’ but vows Blues will ‘win and bin’ Conference League as they target Europe’s elite

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      ENZO MARESCA claims Chelsea “are back” if they win the Conference League.The Blues — who last lifted a pot in February 2022 at the Club World Cup — are one step from the final.Enzo Maresca wants to win the Conference LeagueCredit: GettyChelsea are preparing for the second leg of the semi-finalCredit: PAChelsea beat Djurgarden 4-1 in the first legCredit: GettyAnd they will be the first club to win all four major European trophies if they go all the way.Maresca said: “It’s the only trophy that Chelsea haven’t won in the past and we can become the first club in Europe to win all the European competitions. So it’s good for the club.“Winning the Conference League trophy is a statement in terms of that.“You can say Chelsea are back because first of all you win a trophy and it’s more a way to start and to build a winning mentality with this squad.”READ MORE ON FOOTBALLThe Conference League is considered a third-rate tournament way below the Blues’ lofty ambitions.Chelsea — who have previously locked the Champions League, Europa League and Super Cup trophies in their cabinet — are putting a positive spin on it to lift the fans.Maresca also wants to boost the confidence of the Prem’s youngest squad — and a team of kids likely to include the likes of Tyrique George, 19.Beating Prem champs Liverpool 3-1 on Sunday has given Chelsea a boost.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSForward Cole Palmer followed up his goal by enjoying his 23rd birthday on Tuesday.Maresca said: “Cole had a good game against Liverpool, scored a goal, and then he celebrated his birthday.Chelsea star Cole Palmer explains how 100 versions of himself would beat one gorillaChelsea beat Liverpool on the weekend to boost their Champions League hopesCredit: GettyCole Palmer broke his goal drought with to make it 3-1Credit: Alamy“We had a session, I don’t know if he did something different, but he’s in a good mood.”Chelsea will have less than 72 hours to recover from their semi-final second leg against Swedish side Djurgardens before an important match at Newcastle — one of their main rivals for a Champions League place next season.Maresca said: “Last week we arrived here in the UK at 4-5 o’clock in the morning from Sweden and then Sunday we had the game.“It will be the same this weekend but we’re going to try to be ready for this game and for Sunday’s game.”Chelsea enjoy a commanding 4-1 lead from the first leg but Maresca will not ease up with his tactics.He said: “We try for every game to start with the best XI.”Despite the aim to win the competition, Maresca suggested it is a “win it and bin it mission”.The manager is already setting his sights on more glamorous competitions moving forward.He said: “Hopefully in the future we can be in different competitions but, at the moment, the reality is the reality.”We need to start from there. We’re playing in the Conference League.”If you play in the Conference you cannot win the Champions League — if you play in the Conference League you cannot win the Europa League.”If you play in the Conference the only trophy you can win is this. We’ll try our best to reach the final and then to win it.”It’s a good starting point to start to build a winning mentality and win games and trophies.”I try to convince the players that first of all, day by day, you have to build the winner’s mentality, try to win from the play-off and try to win this competition.”Victory in Poland on May 28 is purely an unromantic box-ticking exercise, designed to trigger a new era of success at Stamford Bridge in bigger and better competitions.In 2019, it was a similar story when Maurizio Sarri led them to the Europa League title against Arsenal in Azerbaijan.Chelsea had already finished third to qualify for the next season’s Champions League. The Europa League was a night out but an irrelevance.Maresca is painting an upbeat vision of the future as he approaches the end of his first season in charge. One full of highs and lows to reflect life at Chelsea.But it is also an honest admission of how far the club have fallen from their once domineering presence as serial champions.Chelsea have won the Champions League twice in their recent historyCredit: GettyThe most recent success came in 2021 as the Blues beat Man CityCredit: AFPA staggering 19 trophies in the 19 years under former owner Roman Abramovich, then turmoil.Turmoil of Abramovich’s fire sale in light of the Russia-Ukraine war, the emergency takeover by an American-led consortium, plus five managers in just over three years.And more than a billion quid splurged assembling a squad which finished sixth last season and 12th the year before.Even for a club that once tried to electrocute their own fans with high-voltage perimeter fencing, that is a dramatic turn of events.If Abramovich was still in charge, it is unlikely Chelsea would be stooping so low as to face Sweden’s 11th best team in Europe’s third-rate competition.Maresca admits Chelsea deserve to be where they are — a launchpad to success.As a midfielder, Maresca won three European trophies: the old Uefa Cup twice and the Super Cup with Sevilla.This came after landing the Italian title with Juventus. All of the triumphs are stepping stones.He said: “It’s important because it shapes you a little bit. All the experience.“Probably the best experience in terms of winning mentality was with Juventus. It’s a club where you realise even in training sessions you want to win the small-sided game.“So it’s a winner’s mentality. It’s nice to win trophies because you learn how to win.“We mentioned many times that Chelsea is a big club with many important trophies in the past.“But we need to learn how to win with this squad.”Captain Reece James is a Champions League winner. Vice-skipper Enzo Fernandez was part of the World Cup-winning Argentina squad in 2022.There are other gongs scattered here and there but, by and large, the Chelsea dressing room does not mirror the club’s glittering past.Maresca is wary of Djurgardens despite his team’s commanding 4-1 lead from the first leg.Chelsea beat Legia Warsaw 3-0 away in the last round and crashed to a  2-1 defeat at home in the second leg because they felt too comfortable.Read More on The SunMaresca chastised his players for that performance and will not tolerate a repeat. He said: “After the first leg, I said that the second game against Warsaw was not good enough.“So that experience hopefully is going to help us, the players and us, to win again and continue to build the momentum.”Win a trip to the UEFA Conference League Final in Wroclaw with Hankook More

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      ‘Spurs does crazy things to people’ – Postecoglou takes swipe at Wenger as Arsenal legend proposes shock rule change

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      ANGE POSTECOGLOU has hit back at Arsene Wenger after he claimed the Europa League winners should NOT get a Champions League spot.Tottenham go into their semi-final second leg against Bodo/Glimt with a 3-1 lead as they look to qualify for Europe’s elite competition next season.Ange Postecoglou has hit back at Arsene Wenger’s remarksCredit: RexWenger said the Europa League winners should not be in the Champions League next seasonCredit: SplashBut ahead of tomorrow’s huge tie, legendary Arsenal boss Wenger said Uefa need to look at ditching the rule that rewards the Europa League champions.Spurs manager Postecoglou hit back when asked about the comments, saying: “Well, that’s a debate that’s been raging for years, mate… at least the last eight days.”I’ve said it before mate, Spurs does crazy things to people, it does.”You put that club into any sentence or any issue, and invariably they all come out to diminish as much as they can.READ MORE IN FOOTBALL”Why wasn’t it an issue before and it’s an issue now? What’s the difference? I don’t understand what the difference is.”Last year fifth didn’t get you Champions League, this year it does. There are competition rules.“I’ve got a great respect for Arsene but it does crazy things to people – I love it. “But it’s Spurs mate, they love it. They love it.”Most read in Europa LeagueBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKThe rule that the Europa League winners qualify for the Champions League has been around since the 2014-15 campaign.But Wenger is not a fan of it, saying on BeIN Sports: “No – they should qualify automatically for the Europa League again but not necessarily for the Champions League.Ange Postecoglou gives bleak update on Tottenham future even if he wins Europa League “Especially when you’re in the Premier League where already five teams qualify.”I think it’s something (for Uefa) to think about and to review.”On the other hand people will tell you that to keep the Europa League focused, interesting and motivated you need to give them that prize.” More

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      ‘We lose our minds’ – Amorim fears conceding three to Bilbao as he calls Man Utd ‘worst team in Prem since I arrived’

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      RUBEN AMORIM is worried about losing to Athletic Bilbao as his team have a tendency to “lose our minds”.Manchester United take a commanding 3-0 lead into Thursday’s Europa League semi-final second leg at Old Trafford.Ruben Amorim admits his team cannot control a game and they need to score another to go through to the finalCredit: EPABut despite the scoreline, Amorim believes the tie is far from over as his players could capitulate and leak goals like they did in recent games to Lyon and Brentford.The manager admitted in his pre-match press conference: “We cannot control, we cannot say what is going to happen. “There are some teams that understand the game is going to be like this. “It can change a little bit but the story is going to be like this and you can control the narrative of the game. But we cannot do that.READ MORE IN FOOTBALL”We have to face the game as one more game, to win it, I feel we need to score to go to the next round.”We use Brentford, we are near a draw then we suffer a goal and another goal quite fast.”We will have to suffer a bit to go to the final and we are ready to suffer.”Asked what Man Utd will turn up tomorrow, Amorim said: “Sometimes during the game we are one team and something happens and we then we lose our mind a little bit.Most read in Europa LeagueCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS”But we are improving the way we play, we are more confident and ready to face this challenge.”As they edge closer to silverware, Amorim was asked about when he labelled his side the “worst Man Utd team in history” back in January.Amorim is officially WORST Man Utd manager of post-Sir Alex Ferguson era as under-fire boss admits- I’m underperformingAmorim has not changed his mind despite the Europa League run, replying: “If you look to the Premier League, since I arrive, we are the worst team in terms of results. “In the end of this season, we can be the worst team in Premier League history but with a European title. That will change nothing.”We know that this season was really disappointing for everybody, nothing is going to change. “This season was the worst one, I don’t know if in history but, for sure, in the last 50 years.” More

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      Man Utd vs Athletic Bilbao FREE BETS: Get up to £40 bonus to spend on football with talkSPORT BET

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      MANCHESTER UNITED bring a 3-0 lead over Athletic Bilbao back to Old Trafford on Thursday as they look to book a Europa League final place.And brand new talkSPORT BET customers can claim up to £40 in free bets when they register an account and stake at least £20 on the semi final second leg.Man Utd vs Athletic Bilbao: Get up to £40 in free bets – Claim here*Find The Sun’s betting publishing principles hereHow to claim talkSPORT BET offertalkSPORT BETVisit the talkSPORT website HERE*Create an account and Opt In to this promotion via the OFFERS tabMake a depositPlace your first bet up to £40, minimum £20, on any football market, at odds of Evens or greaterYou must do this within 7 days of registrationOnce that’s settled – win or lose – your account will be credited with up to £40 free bets based on your first betFor example, if you stake £20, you will receive 4 x £5 free betsIf you stake £40 you would receive the full 4 x £10 free betstalkSPORT BET: Get up to £40 in free bets – Claim Here*Man Utd vs Athletic Bilbao: Get up to £40 in free bets – Claim here*What’s the offer?Brand new talkSPORT BET customers can claim a welcome bonus of up to £40 when they register an account.How to claim?Simply visit the talkSPORT BET website on your mobile device and create an account. Opt in to this promotion via the OFFERS tab and then make a deposit via debit card or Apple Pay.Stake £20 or more on any football market at odds of at least Evens. Remember, you must do this within 7 days of opening your account.What happens next?Once that’s settled – win or lose – your account will be credited with up to £40 free bets based on your first bet bet.For example, if you stake £20, you will receive 4 x £5 free bets. If you stake £40 you would receive the full 4 x £10 free bets:On settlement of your qualifying bet, your account will be credited with the following:£10 free bet – Bet Builder (if your qualifying bet is £20, you will only receive a £5 free bet)£10 free bet – Correct Score (if your qualifying bet is £20, you will only receive a £5 free bet)And the following free bets, which will be credited 24 hours after the first bonus funds:£10 free bet – To Win and Both Team to Score – 90 mins (if your qualifying bet is £20, you will only receive a £5 free bet)£10 free bet – Acca 4+ selection (if your qualifying bet is £20, you will only receive a £5 free bet)*18+ New customers only. Opt in via mobile device, bet up to £40 (min. £20) on any football market at odds of 2.00+, in 7 days. Get up to £40 in free bets on selected markets. Bonuses expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsiblyRemember to gamble responsiblyA responsible gambler is someone who:Establishes time and monetary limits before playingOnly gambles with money they can afford to loseNever chase their lossesDoesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressedGamcare – gamcare.org.ukGambleAware – GambleAware.orgRead our guide on responsible gambling practices.For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites. More

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      Manchester United vs Athletic Bilbao prediction: Free betting tips, odds, free bets and Europa League preview

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      MANCHESTER UNITED have more than one foot in the Europa League final and will hope to finish off the job in style against Athletic Bilbao on Thursday.SunSport have enlisted the help of their betting experts to preview their home second leg and select the best bets, tips and exclusive sign-up bonuses from our leading betting partners.Find The Sun’s betting publishing principles hereNew sign-up offersSunSport exclusivesManchester United vs Athletic Bilbao previewJust 90 minutes stands between Manchester United and a spot in the Europa League final.Not many people would’ve seen that 3-0 victory coming last week and after the Bilbao red card in the first half, United would probably be slightly disappointed it wasn’t more!Bruno Fernandes was front and centre yet again and it’s incredible how he’s carried this side in this competition.It’s no surprise to see he was one of a few changes to the side on Sunday as they went down 4-3 at Brentford.Bilbao had no such “luxury” to rest their players over the weekend, given they’re in a real competition to finish fourth and book a Champions League spot next season.That ended in a goalless draw at Real Sociedad, taking their winless run on the road to four games and only one win from their last TEN away from home.They’ve also failed to score in any of their last four away games so it’d be quite the achievement should they come back from this.First scorer and correct score predictionsCorrect score: 2-0 at 17/2 with Betfred – HEREFirst scorer: Bruno Fernandes 5/1 with talkSPORT BET – HEREMan Utd vs Athletic Bilbao latest oddsOdds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.How to claim..William Hill £60 welcome bonusVisit the William Hill website HERE*Register an account using the Promo Code: T60Once your account is registered, click ‘opt in’ on the ‘Vegas Promotion’ pageDeposit a minimum of £10 in your main account to receive a £20 Vegas Bonus for use on Selected GamesThen place a bet with a minimum stake of £10 at odds of 1/2 or greater on any football marketOnce that’s settled, your account will be credited with £40 in free betsWilliam Hill: Claim £60 welcome bonus – click here*Man Utd vs Athletic Bilbao predictionsCase in pointCasemiro has become one of the first names on the teamsheet in the last couple of months and his goal in the first leg highlighted why.His disciplinary side also seems to have improved but on a night like this, if it does get edgy for whatever reason, his European experience will help slow things down.Casemiro to be carded at 13/8 with William Hill – CLAIM HEREMDL SOTMatthijs de Ligt’s return from injury has come at a timely moment for Manchester United.He managed half-an-hour in the last two games – including the first leg – and could be thrown in from the start here.Even if not, he’ll likely appear at some point to solidify what United have and he’s a monster presence in the opposition box.De Ligt shot on target at 2/1 with William Hill – CLAIM HERE*William Hill. 18+. Play Safe. New players only, using promo code T60. Valid from 13/04/2022. Online play. Get £60 Bonus split between Vegas & Sports in the following manner – (i) Deposit £10 to unlock £20 Vegas Free Bet on Selected Games (72hr expiry, wagering reqs apply); then (ii) bet £10+ (odds 1/2+) with cash (excl. £10 deposit) or Vegas winnings (after wager reqs met). Once settled, receive £40 Sports Free Bets excluding Virtual Markets (4x £10, 7 days expiry). Payment methods & country restrictions apply. Full T&Cs apply.*Betfred. New customers only. Register (excl 05/04/25), deposit with Debit Card, and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility exclusions & T&Cs Apply. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs apply.*BetMGM. New customers only. 7 days to place qualifying bet of £10 at 1/1 (2.0) to receive 4 x £10 Free Bets: 1 x £10 football, 1 x £10 horse racing & 2 x £10 Bet Builders. Free Bets cannot be used on e-sports and non UK/IE horse racing. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned T&Cs apply. 18+ GambleAware.org.*talkSPORT BET. 18+ New customers only. Opt in, bet up to £40 (min. £20) on any football market at odds of 2.00+, in 7 days. Get up to £40 in free bets on selected markets. Bonuses expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply, see below. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly*Tote. New customers online only. Eligibility restrictions apply. Only valid with code B10G40 on registration. £10 min qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater across sports or racing (if EW then min £10 Win + £10 Place). Receive £20 Tote Credit, £10 Free Sports Bet and 50 Free Spins on Big Bass Bonanza within 48 hours of qualifying bet settlement. 7-day expiry on free bets & Tote Credit. Your first bet will be your qualifying bet. One per customer. UK & ROI customers only. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Gambleaware.org. Full T&Cs apply.Remember to gamble responsiblyA responsible gambler is someone who:Establishes time and monetary limits before playingOnly gambles with money they can afford to loseNever chase their lossesDoesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressedGamcare – gamcare.org.ukGambleAware – GambleAware.orgRead our guide on responsible gambling practices.For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites. More

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      Fan swaps five kilos of semi-dried fish worth hundreds for ticket to watch Tottenham in Europa League semi-final

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      A FOOTBALL fan secured a ticket for Tottenham’s Europa League semi-final at Bodo/Glimt in a swap for a bucket of FISH.Spurs travel to Norway on Thursday looking to hold on to their 3-1 lead from last week’s first leg in London.A fan secured a ticket for Spurs’ trip to Bodo/Glimt by trading a bucket of fishCredit: AlamyTottenham travel to Norway as they look for a place in the Europa League finalCredit: GettyThe tiny stadium holds just 8,000 fans and only 450 tickets were made available late onCredit: Kenny RamsayAnge Postecoglou’s men are desperate to reach this month’s final, where they will likely play Premier League rivals Manchester United.But with Bodo/Glimt’s stadium holding just over 8,000 seats, only a handful of tickets were made available for Thursday’s big clash.According to the Independent, 50,000 supporters were left to compete for just 480 tickets put on late release.But one Norwegian managed to bag a ticket in bizarre style.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLTorbjorn Eide is a production manager at a fish farm in Senja.And he managed to eventually get his hands on a ticket by offering up five kilos of boknafisk, a semi-dried fish delicacy, in exchange.The value of the food came in at £182, with Eide saying: “We produce Norway’s best boknafisk, and you probably can’t get it in Bodo city.“So I thought maybe someone would want it.”Most read in FootballBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSOystein Aanes swapped his ticket for the fish, adding:”It was just a fun thing.”It then inspired another Norwegian, Nils Erik Oskal, to offer up five kilos of reindeer meat worth £73 for a ticket.Tottenham fan brings along his puppet to watch the match And to his delight, someone eventually came forward with an offer.Oskal said: “Someone took the bait. It didn’t take long.“(The price) doesn’t matter. I get to experience something huge.” More

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      Supercomputer predicts final Premier League table with race for Champions League places going down to the wire

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      THE race for the Champions League spots is set to go down the wire as Prem teams jockey for position.With English sides having performed well in Europe this term, the Premier League has been awarded an extra Champions League place for next season.The race for Europa took a further twist as Forest failed to beat Crystal PalaceCredit: GettyThis means that the top five will all enter Europe’s premier competition in the 2025-26 campaign.Having already won the title, Liverpool have sewn up their place at Europe’s top table for next season.Second placed Arsenal are then in pole position to join the Reds, sitting six points above sixth with three matches remaining.Manchester City currently occupy third – with Newcastle fourth and Chelsea fifth.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLFollowing last night’s 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest are now on the outside looking in at sixth.While Aston Villa are seventh, but will still believe that they are in the hunt.With the race hotting up, boffins and brainiacs over at AceOdds have crunched the numbers to determine how the final Premier League table is likely to look.They reckon that out-of-form Arsenal will win two of their final three matches to seal second spot, and thus a place in the Champions League next season.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSMikel Arteta’s side will travel to Liverpool this weekend, before hosting Newcastle the following Sunday and finishing with a trip to relegated Southampton.In third, the supercomputer has Manchester City finishing two points back from Arsenal.Premier League manager starts new tradition of joining fans at local pubs if club wins It reckons that Pep Guardiola’s men will collect seven points from their last three games; as they travel to Southampton and Fulham either side of a home assignment against Bournemouth.Newcastle are tipped to finish in fourth place, as the Carabao Cup winners are backed to collect two wins and a defeat from their final three matches.Eddie Howe’s side will host Chelsea and Everton either side of their trip to Arsenal.Somewhat surprisingly, the supercomputer backs Aston Villa to win all three of their remaining games to vault up from seventh into fifth.Unai Emery’s men travel to Bournemouth this weekend, before hosting Tottenham in a match likely to be moved from its current Sunday slot to next Friday night – with Spurs potentially distracted by the upcoming Europa League final, should they make it.Villa then finish their campaign with a trip Manchester United, who will likely have played in the Europa League final in Bilbao four days earlier.The supercomputer reckons that Chelsea will only collect four more points to fall out of the top five.The Blues have awkward trips to Newcastle and Nottingham Forest to come, either side of a home assignment against Man Utd.Forest are backed to win two of their remaining three games, against Leicester, West Ham and Chelsea, but still finish behind the Blues on goal difference.Sixth place will earn a spot in the Europa League.Winning the FA Cup also carries a Europa League place, meaning that Crystal Palace could qualify by winning the competition.Should City win the FA Cup, by virtue of them having already qualified for Europe higher up the table, the Europa League spot would pass down to the team that finishes seventh in the league.Newcastle qualified for the Europa Conference League by winning the EFL Cup.But if the Toon qualify for the Champions League or Europa League via their league position, that Europa Conference League spot would be passed down to the next-best placed team in the Premier League table.This means that the team in eighth could earn a Europa Conference League spot.By winning this season’s Europa Conference League, Chelsea would earn themselves a place in next season’s Europa League.But Enzo Maresca’s side will hope to have already secured at least a Europa League spot via their Premier League finish.Finally, the Supercomputer predicts Man Utd and Tottenham to finish 14th and 16th respectively.Read More on The SunIf one of those two teams wins the Europa League, however, they will automatically enter the league phase of next season’s Champions League, despite their lowly Prem positions.An English side winning the Europa League, coupled with Crystal Palace winning the FA Cup, would see 10 Premier League sides in Europe next season – with six in the Champions League, three in the Europa League and one in the Europa Conference League.Tottenham or Man Utd could salvage a Champions League spot by winning the Europa LeagueCredit: Getty More

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      ‘Big problems’ – Rooney slams Amorim’s Man Utd tactics as he says Europa League final would only ‘paper over cracks’

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      WAYNE ROONEY fears Manchester United’s Europa League form is “papering over a lot of cracks”.And the Red Devils’ all-time leading scorer says there are big problems at Old Trafford which need to be solved — and soon.Wayne Rooney has had his say on Man Utd’s formCredit: RexRuben Amorim has deployed a three-at-the-back systemCredit: RexRuben Amorim’s men hope to seal a place in the final by defending their 3-0 lead against Athletic Bilbao in Thursday’s semi-final, second-leg tie at Old Trafford on Thursday.United are the only unbeaten side in Uefa competition this season, and lifting the trophy in Spain on May 21 would earn them a place in next season’s Champions League.Yet their form in the Prem has been in stark contrast and Amorim’s 15th-placed side slumped to their 16th defeat of the season in the 4-3 loss at Brentford on Sunday.Rooney — who lifted the Europa League trophy as United captain in 2017 — said: “I feel like getting to the final is papering over a lot of cracks.READ MORE IN FOOTBALL”There are big problems at Manchester United which need solving quickly.”The former England striker’s son Kai is in the academy at Carrington, so he is a regular visitor to the training HQ.Rooney admits he finds it odd that Amorim is sticking to the three-at-the-back system which has been exposed countless times in the Premier League.And it is even more puzzling because United’s Under-23s are not doing the same — meaning the players who step in to the first team are not ready.Most read in Europa LeagueCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSTyler Fredricson is one of the Man Utd youngsters to have stepped in during recent Prem gamesCredit: RexKai Rooney is coming through the ranks at Man UtdCredit: X / MUnitedFRVideosRooney, who hit 253 goals for United, added: “The second team are playing with a back four, which I found strange.“A lot of those players have come into the first team now but they’re getting their game time with the Under-23s or 21s yet they play a different system.Ruben Amorim will go all out to secure Europa League glory for Man Utd “For me, that’s a bit confusing. It’s strange as you play a back five, or a back three, to put pressure on the ball — otherwise it keeps coming back through the midfield.“Brentford caused United a lot of problems from the wide areas — and United didn’t really have the intensity.”However, the Red Devils’ Europa League hopes have been given a big boost, with Athletic Bilbao’s two star men missing training on Monday.Winger Nico Williams and top scorer Oihan Sancet were both absent as Ernesto Valverde put his players through their paces.Neither forward featured in the goalless draw with derby rivals Real Sociedad in San Sebastian on Sunday night.And it remains touch and go whether they will be passed fit to fly to England tomorrow ready for Thursday night’s return leg in Manchester.Valverde knows there is little margin for error if his team are to perform a miracle and come back from 3-0 down.Williams, who is a summer target for Arsenal, has just returned from a hamstring problem and was subbed late on in the defeat to United with a new injury.Read More on The SunSancet has missed the last couple of weeks with a muscle problem and is viewed as doubtful.Defender Dani Vivian is also unavailable after his controversial first-half red card in the first leg.Athletic Bilbao were left dejected after last week’s first legCredit: AP More