I think we are talking at cross purposes
I completely get your frustration. I just not sure I agree with the idea that the players consciously chose to play the way they did. I think to have half an eye on a competition we can win is human nature and there’s not a team in the world that doesn’t do it. As I said to NQ you’ve only to look at what shite Liverpool and Chelsea were putting in, in the league prior to their respective champions league finals in 2005, and 2012 and 2021.
Is it acceptable? No I agree with you, I want us to finish 2nd. But ultimately a player will think “do I want to risk injury”. It’s frustrating as fuck…I think we needed to win tonight, I’m sick of draws. But I hate defeats even more, and tonight we should have lost