FC Twente have been urged to not treat their upcoming clash against Manchester United as a ‘school trip’, as it would be akin to immediately going 3-0 down in the tie.
Twente Fans cover comments from journalists Marko Timmer and Pieter Zwart, via Twente Fans, ahead of the clash in the Europa League tomorrow.
Manchester United host Twente at Old Trafford in matchday one of the new league format that has been introduced to the competition this year.
The Dutch side have not been given much hope ahead of the clash, with many expecting a comfortable win for Manchester United despite Erik ten Hag’s unease at facing his former side.
That’s a dangerous precedent for the Dutch side, though, and Timmer has urged them to treat the game professionally rather than a school trip to one of Europe’s biggest teams.
“If there is one thing I cannot hope for, it is that it will be an outing for Twente,” he said.
“I am now making an appeal: I do not want to see any Twente players in the stadium taking a photo. No selfies. Then you are already behind 3-0.
“Just play that match as if you can win it, with that intention. And be humble when you get beaten up. But don’t say in advance: oh great, we are going to have a nice journey on a school trip.”
If there is one small opportunity for Twente it is that Ten Hag is likely to heavily rotate his side for the game.
The Dutchman is very much focused on using his extended squad in the competition, with the focus on the Premier League and getting into the Champions League.
That saw him recently make a host of changes for the clash against Barnsley, changing eight of his starting 11 from the win over Southampton and Zwart believes that could happen again, and give Twente their chance.
“For Twente, the prospect that Ten Hag will probably rotate offers some hope, as top players may be rested and automatisms are less visible,” he added.
“Although this offers perspective, it remains a major challenge to achieve a result against United’s individual class.”
