It was the result of understandable disappointment, although there was an acceptance that the Blades had been caught short by a lack of quality, not just the Premier League's perceived generosity towards West Ham.
"I always said that Malaga were not in the Champions League just to make up the numbers, " manager Manuel Pellegrini told reporters.
With millions in TV money, higher attendances and big sponsorship deals at stake for just being part of the league, the aim will be survival not just for the newbies, but for all teams that lack deep-pocketed ownership.
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Newcastle coach Rob Andrew was pleased not just with his side's first league win in six games but also the manner in which they beat Leeds.
Playoff ticket sales and TV revenue are enormous moneymakers for every team, not just those still involved, so the league wants to play as many playoff games as possible.
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Despite all the increasing plaudits, Toshack is hoping any move Hennessey makes does not end up with him just warming a Premier League side's bench.
But like with most successful businesses, the success of a major league baseball franchise is not based on just one item.
With that newly created fanbase, the league has gained more credibility, not just within its sporting limits but around the country.
Not that any major league owners envision a doomsday scenario just yet.
However, he insisted the rest of this year will not just be about keeping the club safe in the Elite League after three recent additions to the team.
The idea of a winter break is entrenched not just for the players but also for referees, media, league officials and fans.
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Four wins from their opening four league games this season suggest the Crusaders do not just talk a good game, they play one, too.
The Norwegian league does not begin until 30 March and, just as it did in the first leg in Bergen, Brann's lack of match fitness ultimately told.
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I'm not sure Cardiff are overlooked as such - it's just that people like myself thought there would be three or four teams pulling away in the Championship by now, with the three teams who came down from the Premier League among them, and that has just not happened.
Furthermore, their research shows that major-league hitters use both eyes at the plate, not just their "lead" eye.
Their principal ally in the region -- Syria -- is under extraordinary pressure from not just the United States and our allies, but today the Arab League reduced their diplomatic relations with Syria and recalled their ambassadors.
Those men had been through a grueling season in which their clubs went down to the wire not just in the domestic championship but in the Copa del Rey and Champions League, as well.
"It's not just about me, it's about my family, becoming a Premier League manager is a life-changing thing, " added MacDonald.
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"It's not just comments about our club - it's every club in the Super League that they try and drum up controversy about, " he concluded.
Myanmar's onetime military strongman, Ne Win, at about 85 just six years younger than the Chinese patriarch, is not quite in the same league.
All had not looked well when Celtic failed to qualify for the Champions League group stages, just failing to recover after a 5-0 defeat away to Artmedia Bratislava.
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But it is not just America that would like to see the generals start talking to the opposition National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi.
But he has not scored since and has struggled to get into the squad this season, playing just two league games since Roeder became manager in October.
Clearly, Al Gore is somebody who not just has national name ID - and now international name ID - but he is a major league player for the Democrats.
Plaid Cymru's Education spokesperson Simon Thomas AM welcomed the statement that the stocktakes is not about creating league tables but warned that it is inevitably that some organisations will present themes just that.
Cardiff, who have not played Chelsea since a 2-1 League Cup win in October 1986, have appeared just once in the fifth round in the past 16 years - and that was en route to Wembley in 2008.
Just not nearly as much as they would be had it actually finished the job of breaking the league in half.
It has not been a prolific season for Aruna in terms of goals - he has scored just eight in the league - but his all-round play has been spectacular.
Just some of the heartwarming stories you may or may not hear Brent Musberger tell you during the Little League World Series.
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