Europa league draw

[S-RED]

Teteks are currently 2-0 up after 52 mins, so looks like we'll be seeing the w/c plyers in the home leg on 5th August

Liverpool will face FK Rabotnicki in the third qualifying round of the Europa League after the Macedonian side saw off FC Mika on Thursday afternoon.

Rabotnicki claimed a goalless draw in Yerevan to protect their 1-0 first-leg lead and set up a meeting with the Reds.

Following last week's draw, the first leg of the third qualifying round tie was originally scheduled to be played at Anfield on July 29, with the return a week later.

However, UEFA confirmed that should Rabotnicki's fellow Macedonian team FK Teteks also progress into the Europa League third qualifying round, Liverpool's home and away legs will be switched.

This would mean that the away leg would move to Thursday July 29, with the return at Anfield on Thursday August 5.

[RedReet]

I'm not that bothered about this cup,but i believe the likes of kuyt,maxi and babel might be given these games to start in,rather than the league games.no?

I have a sneaky feeling if Kuyt isn't sold, he might sneak a game or two in the league.

On a serious note, I'm optomistic about the season ahead for Maxi, I think he might outshine Cole.

[red g]

That is good, Macedonia is a better option than going to Armenia.

is it? take your word for it think i need to brush up on my european for the forthcoming europa cup !!

[Gibbo]

I have a sneaky feeling if Kuyt isn't sold, he might sneak a game or two in the league.

On a serious note, I'm optomistic about the season ahead for Maxi, I think he might outshine Cole.

[little dave hedgehog]

i speak european. i can teach you!

[DannyMan2006]

Great news that the home leg could be switched to the 5th August. Means no tough journeys prior to the league opener. Also means we know what score is required to turn the game around if it goes pete tong away from home.

[Mostar]

I have a sneaky feeling if Kuyt isn't sold, he might sneak a game or two in the league.

On a serious note, I'm optomistic about the season ahead for Maxi, I think he might outshine Cole.

I also feel positive about Maxi and I personally would like to see him get more regular playing time even at the expense of Kuyt.

[Craig_H]

I'm quite tempted to go to this, but flights appearing to be rather tricky and very pricey, to say the least!

[RedReet]

I also feel positive about Maxi and I personally would like to see him get more regular playing time even at the expense of Kuyt.

Before Cole signed, I expected Kuyt to go up top with Nando, with Maxi stepping in RM. I seriously don't have a clue how we're gonna line up now, although there is no point in guessing now as I imagine there'll be a couple more key changes to the squad before August.

[Pablo]

Time to re-sign Crouch so he can do the rabot when he scores?

[Nicey]

Play the kids exclusively this cup means absolutely nothing to Liverpool FC nothing .. win it with a young squad and then its special

[kop-al-74]

Play the3 kids exclusively this cup means absolutely nothing to Liverpool FC nothing .. win it with a young squad and then its special

I agree,win win situation.

If we get anywhere,credit to the youngsters,if we go out one less distraction,because thats exactly how I see the Europa competition as.

[Exiled_red]

Liverpool Daily Post

ROY HODGSON has urged Liverpool FC to make clear where the Europa League stands in the club’s list of priorities after admitting there will be no further new signings ahead of his first competitive game next week.

Hodgson is concerned about the standard of team he will be able to field for Thursday’s third qualifying round first leg against FK Rabotnicki in Macedonia.

The manager, who must inform UEFA of his matchday squad for the game by midnight tonight, has been warned by the club’s sports science department not to use any of the 13 players who appeared in the recent World Cup.

Although a youthful Liverpool team earned a creditable friendly draw with Grasshopper on Wednesday, Hodgson is pondering whether to go against the medical advice and include more senior players in the European line-up.

And the manager admits much will depend on where the club’s hierarchy place success in the Europa League in their grand scheme for the coming campaign.

“I worry about not having enough players for next week a lot,” said Hodgson. “It would be nice to have someone in before the (Europa League) deadline but it’s pretty unrealistic and I can’t see it happening.

“These will be two unbelievably difficult games for us at this stage of the season but it really depends where we put the Europa League in the grand scheme of things.

“Aston Villa last year went out very early and went on to have a very good season, especially in the early part, so it will be tough.

“If the club puts such emphasis on it and they want all our top players to play the sports scientists are telling me quite clearly that is not going to help us further down the road.

“It is a balance that not only I can sort out but it will be a decision for the club to take on.”

Rabotnicki, 1-0 up from the first leg against Mika, earned a glamour tie with Liverpool with a goalless draw in the return game in Armenia yesterday.

With fellow Macedonians FK Teteks also progressing last night, it has meant the two legs of Liverpool’s game have been switched with Hodgson’s men now heading to Skopje for the first game on Thursday with the return at Anfield on August 5.

While Sotirios Kyrgiakos and Milan Jovanovic have been non-playing members of the training camp in Switzerland, World Cup quartet Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Glen Johnson and Daniel Agger have been training at Melwood the last few days.

The 25-man squad will apply for both legs of the tie, although changes will be allowed ahead of the final qualifying round next month should Liverpool progress.

Hodgson, though, believes he is in a difficult position by the need for the Anfield outfit to start their season so early following last season’s seventh-place finish.

“The sports scientists have a very clear idea of when players come back training after a World Cup and a three-week break how much work they need to do physically before you can start throwing them into competitive matches,” said the manager.

“They tell me it would be wrong if I look into using these players that early if we want to use them throughout the season.

“If we don’t throw them in then we don’t have the players with experience to play the games so it is a cleft stick at the end of the day.

“You lose lose. You lose if you don’t play them and you lose if you do play them.”

Scottish youngster Danny Wilson followed Joe Cole in moving to Liverpool this week, and Hodgson does not expect that to be the last of his recruitment before the Premier League season begins, with a left-back and backup striker the priorities.

“We need to strengthen at both ends and we need to have some very good young players that are really worth working with for the future so we can hopefully start producing a few more Gerrards, Carraghers, Owens and Fowlers,” he said.

“We need some coming in from that end but we need to strengthen at the top end as well and someone like Joe Cole is very important in that respect and I hope he won’t be the last one and we can get at least a couple more in before the season starts.”

It'll be interesting to see what happens, the potential of resting all the players who were at the world cup could make this a very difficult tie for us.

It's easy to say that we should rest players and not take this competition seriously but these are Roy's first competitive games so I'd imagine he'd want to do well in them, add to that if he could win a trophy it would be a decent season.

[-V-]

Our club always takes the moral high ground and tries to respect traditions by playing top players in these situations. However it would be in our interests to let the kids play. Our priority needs to be to focus on getting back into the top 4 and not be handicapped by this compitition

[PTP]

I really think that the europa cup is ideal to give game time to fringe/squad players and youth trying to push on.....

taking away the 13 world cup 'stars' - from the official we have the following on the books (had to delete riera and insua)
• Cavalieri
• 4. Aquilani
• 21. Lucas
• 24. Ngog
• 26. Spearing
• 27. Degen
• 28. Plessis
• 29. Nemeth
• 30. Itandje
• 31. El Zhar
• 32. Darby
• 34. Kelly
• 36. Irwin
• 37. Skrtel
• 39. Eccleston
• 40. Ayala
• 41. Hansen
• 42. Gulacsi
• 43. Bouzanis
• 46. Amoo
• 47. Pacheco
• 48. Bruna
• 49. Robinson
• 50. Dalla Valle
• 51. Ince
• 52. Palsson
• 53. Shelvey
• - Brouwer
• - Chamberlain
• - Cooper
• - Kacaniklic
• - Kohlert
• - Mavinga
• - Mendy
• - Poloskei
• - Roberts
• - Saric
• - Simon
• - Weijl
• - D Wilson


all due respect to robotniks but if we can't get 11 players out of that lot to get a result against them then they should all be bombed out.

----------------cavalieri-------------

kelly----------ayala------wilson-------robinson/mavinga

shelvey/amoo----lucas-----aquilani--------ince/eccleston

-------------------ngog------pacheco/dalla valle


thats just a very quick look at it..........we are talking about players who have played regular top flight football or on the fringes of the first team, or youth being talked about as stars of the future.... - i'd be expecting that team to be able to get results against championship sides let alone some part timers from macedonia