You think $39 billion is keeping a $20 trillion economy afloat? That's just funny, not even ridiculous statement.
If EU really needed UK that much and was under imminent collapse: It would do everything in it's power to appease UK and wouldn't spend 3 years negotiating a brexit deal that UK isn't happy about. As it stands: EU isn't willing to pressure Ireland to give up it's soft border with UK at the risk of severing economic, political ties with UK. They know that even in the event of hard Brexit the UK will have to come back and play by the tune the heavyweight plays. And EU probably won't be as generous as right now in negotiations, it will probably dictate the rules that suit the EU.
Just to illustrate the level of confusion you're under:
EU thumps UK about 10-1 in every way. Economically, population, market size, GDP.
50% of UK exports go to EU and less than 10% of EU exports go to UK.. I think you can figure out from that who's got who in headlock and why the UK hasn't left already with super deal as promised by Brexiter campaigns....
