So, the Europa League then

[ZonkoVille77]

Benefit of this is to see what some marginalised players are really like. I'd play as many of our European players for this as they'd have a slight advantage coming up against European playing styles.

 

I'd make sure this lot played in the EL.

 

Can

Moreno

Manquillo

Markovic

Lucas

Lallana

 

And any others as required.

[billypilgrimnz]

Probably already been mentioned but if 4th place continues to slip away from us I can see us going all out for this and saving our strongest lineups for the Europa games at the expense of the odd Sunday.

Nothing I've seen from Rodgers leads me to believe he is much for cup runs. Too many holes in the set up and tactics. Close a game out? Right.....

[magicrat]

No chance we will progress far in this competition .

Its second prize in a two horse race and Rodgers doesn't have what it takes to lift these boys and convince them its worth fighting for.after the CL shambles.

Likes of Everton and the Spuds geared up for it, took it seriously and and are on a roll . 

[ngogswilly]

Nothing I've seen from Rodgers leads me to believe he is much for cup runs. Too many holes in the set up and tactics. Close a game out? Right.....

Yeah I agree I'd put our chances of winning it at slim the way we are playing at the minute. 

[tenner]

It kills me to say we are simply not good enough at the moment to win any competition.

[ZonkoVille77]

It kills me to say we are simply not good enough at the moment to win any game.

 

Yes, I agree.

[ratcatcher]

We're unseeded in the draw on Monday as well arent we? Napoli here we come then!

[FanchesterCity]

I really don't like EL, especially the group stages which kill teams domestic performances, but...

 

9 games (I think?) to get back in CL. Just 9 games. So:

 

- which offers the better chance of CL next year.... EL, or top 4?

- if you fail at either / both, which would appease fans the most? (i.e. EL semi final, or PL 5th?)

 

I think EL offers the best opportunity of CL, but I think it's a gamble too far for Rodgers, as attempting to win EL will almost certainly hurt PL performances, so I think he'd probably (for HIS career, not LFC's benefit) be better off focusing on PL and salvaging some credibility if he finishes (say) 5th.

 

As Mr Shankly once said (paraphrasing): 'European games are great, but this is our bread and butter' (referring to the domestic league). Wise words I'd say.

[ratcatcher]

Its the European 2nd Division. Or more correctly, The Championship.

 

I'd swerve it and concentrate on the bread and butter, the PL. Fanchester, Shankly referred to European games as 'the icing on the cake' with the league as being the bread and butter.

[FanchesterCity]

Its the European 2nd Division. Or more correctly, The Championship.

 

I'd swerve it and concentrate on the bread and butter, the PL. Fanchester, Shankly referred to European games as 'the icing on the cake' with the league as being the bread and butter.

 

Aye, I wasn't far off and did say it was paraphrased!

To be fair, at that time, Liverpool hadn't done the amazing things they'd done in Europe, so Europe's got a bit more importance to Liverpool now, but I still think he was right, it's the icing on the cake and not the bread and butter. 

 

9 games is a lot in EL (to win it) and teams will be itching to get a Liverpool 'scalp' on their CV. It's got injuries galore written all over it.

[Lee909]

The game has moved on(maybe not for the better) since then. European football attracts better players and as a team that has one league cup to show since 2007 we are not in a position to ignore a cup. Go all out and try to win the Europa,give it the respect it deserves,another win of the trophy and we are again the outright record holders of it. We have three cups to play for and should be trying to win all three

[BCM]

So there is a chance Its Rodgers v Benitez in the next round.

 

Interesting.......

[El Dangerous]

So there is a chance Its Rodgers v Benitez in the next round.

 

Interesting.......

The outcome would be depressing.

[skend04]

The outcome would be depressing.

TLW would implode.

[Original202]

Our potential opponents:

 

Bor. Mönchengladbach

Club Brugge

Besiktas

Salzberg

Dinamo Moscow

Internazionale

Feyenoord

Napoli

Dinamo Kiev

Fiorentina

Legia Warsaw

Olympiakos

Sporting Lisbon

Athletic Bilbao

Zenit St Petersburg

 

We play the first leg at home.

[Denny Crane]

Liverpool have the most expensive squad in the Europa and the highest wage bill. We are the Real/Barca of this cup on paper at least. Our wage bill is 60-70% higher than the likes of Sevilla, Napoli,and Fiorentina.I guess that is why we are the favourites with some bookies. Most teams in this  can only dream of having such a large squad as we have.

 

Don't forget our "3rd choice leftback" Moreno won it last season and  Markovic would have played the final if he never got sent off in the semi-final against Juventus. Our squad of players are more than good enough to win this, but is the manager?. 

[FanchesterCity]

Liverpool have the most expensive squad in the Europa and the highest wage bill. We are the Real/Barca of this cup on paper at least. Our wage bill is 60-70% higher than the likes of Sevilla, Napoli,and Fiorentina.I guess that is why we are the favourites with some bookies. Most teams in this  can only dream of having such a large squad as we have.

 

Don't forget our "3rd choice leftback" Moreno won it last season and  Markovic would have played the final if he never got sent off in the semi-final against Juventus. Our squad of players are more than good enough to win this, but is the manager?. 

 

I don't think that's why the bookies have you down as favourites.... they don't choose the favourites, the betting public do.

 

I suspect the betting public have you as favourites because:

 

1) There's a lot of Liverpool fans

2) You're still the standout 'big name', not to mention 5 times CL winners, and a lot of betters will overlook current form and go off name alone.

 

You're right to say you're the Real Madrid / Barcelona of the Europa League... but that's because teams will play out of their skin to try and beat you - because they want to say they beat the mighty Liverpool. 

 

I think people underestimate the quality of teams in the EL. There's some really decent and efficient teams that don't set the world alight, but are rugged and can grind out a win. In some ways, I think winning the EL is probably much tougher work than winning CL. 

[xerxes]

I think people underestimate the quality of teams in the EL. There's some really decent and efficient teams that don't set the world alight, but are rugged and can grind out a win. In some ways, I think winning the EL is probably much tougher work than winning CL.

I agree.

 

The (non) performance of English clubs in winning it, and before that the UEFA Cup, shows how tough it is.

[ritchie]

I agree.

 

The (non) performance of English clubs in winning it, and before that the UEFA Cup, shows how tough it is.

 

If Roy Hodgson, Steve McClaren and Walter Smith can take shit teams to the final in recent seasons then it can't be that strong. 

 

But what they did, Hodgson and Smith in particular, was keep clean sheets. If you don't concede goals then you can win ties. We're not going to do that. But the Europa League is probably Rodgers' best chance of saving his job, at least if he stays here long enough.

[Jairzinho]

If Roy Hodgson, Steve McClaren and Walter Smith can take shit teams to the final in recent seasons then it can't be that strong. 

 

But what they did, Hodgson and Smith in particular, was keep clean sheets. If you don't concede goals then you can win ties. We're not going to do that. But the Europa League is probably Rodgers' best chance of saving his job, at least if he stays here long enough.

 

I remember that Rangers cup run, they scored what seemed like about two goals in ten games.

[xerxes]

If Roy Hodgson, Steve McClaren and Walter Smith can take shit teams to the final in recent seasons then it can't be that strong.

Our squad is by far the best, so its just down to Brendan to prove he can outperform the above then...

[Grinch]

Our squad is by far the best, so its just down to Brendan to prove he can outperform the above then...

 

A team starting Lucas, Toure, Mignolet and any one of shit forwards isn't the best in any competition.

 

No chance we're winning this.  Most of the teams left in this are better than Basle.

[liverpoolsno9]

Our potential opponents:

 

Bor. Mönchengladbach

Club Brugge

Besiktas

Salzberg

Dinamo Moscow

Internazionale

Feyenoord

Napoli

Dinamo Kiev

Fiorentina

Legia Warsaw

Olympiakos

Sporting Lisbon

Athletic Bilbao

Zenit St Petersburg

 

We play the first leg at home.

Better hope we get Legia Warsaw or maybe Brugge,everyone else will beat us.

[Block109'er]

 

Our potential opponents:

 

Bor. Mönchengladbach

Club Brugge

Besiktas

Salzberg

Dinamo Moscow

Internazionale

Feyenoord

Napoli

Dinamo Kiev

Fiorentina

Legia Warsaw

Olympiakos

Sporting Lisbon

Athletic Bilbao

Zenit St Petersburg

 

We play the first leg at home.

 

On this season's form we would struggle to get past any of these.

[Redder Lurtz]

Besiktas then.

 

I'll wager we won't beat them 8-0 this time.