Europe

[our boy]

what are the financial rewards for being in the europa league?

[The_weatherman]

what are the financial rewards for being in the europa league?

I think they matter at least if get a good run, semi finals at least, several extra million. I think we'll get a bit better crowd next season though if we keep playing like we have under Kenny.

[SimonNo7]

Perhaps so, but at least then they won something earning a spot in the competition more than by clinging on to the fourth spot in the league. No matter how you look at it, it would create a more competitative domestic cup and it would still be a shorter way to the big stage for the smaller teams.

And I still havn't heard an argument as to why the CL spot should be handed to the fourth place finishers instead of the domestic cup winner, and mainly because there is no argument other than that's how it's always been (since the CL got introduced).

Been arguing this for years with my footy fan mates. We keep hearing how first the League Cup has been devalued that big teams just play reserves and now questions have risen about the FA Cup. Well give a CL spot to each cup winner and then each team will be a champion of some kind.

But it will never happen, we must have the same old same old in the CL year after year.

Personally I would rather we went back to the old format of the European Cup where you get two games to progress rather than several chances to progress. Oh and bring back the old Cup Winners and UEFA Cups while we're at it and give relatively equal prominence on TV so that fans of all clubs involved can get excited about them instead of giving all the razzamatazz to one of them and then try and play copycat with the lesser one!

Let's make all cups at the top level worth winning!

[the rev leeroy brown]

mixed emotions over europe next year.

on one hand, we belong in europe. it is a trophy to be won. it gives a good chance to rest big players and blood younger / fringe players.

on the other hand, it is an unwanted distraction on our main aim to get back to CL football. it is crazy long midweek journeys to azerbaijan and beyond. it is a return to thursday - sunday football (both days where i have my own football to play and more regular than not i miss the reds games)

ideally, we want to finish as high as we can and to be 5th would be a statement of intent for next season but i still find myself in the situation of not being that bothered if spurs pip us to it.

[PTP]

mixed emotions over europe next year.

on one hand, we belong in europe. it is a trophy to be won. it gives a good chance to rest big players and blood younger / fringe players.

on the other hand, it is an unwanted distraction on our main aim to get back to CL football. it is crazy long midweek journeys to azerbaijan and beyond. it is a return to thursday - sunday football (both days where i have my own football to play and more regular than not i miss the reds games)

ideally, we want to finish as high as we can and to be 5th would be a statement of intent for next season but i still find myself in the situation of not being that bothered if spurs pip us to it.

lol - summed it up almost perfectly for me - it really ****s up my own footballing schedule and to think years ago we moved it from a wednesday to thursdays because of the champions leagues.

But i'm not too fussed about the europa - it has it's benefits as well as negatives and if we strengthen the squad with 3 or 4 first teamers that we need, well then it's an ideal competition to give some of the younger lads a game....

One could argue that for example, Jay Spearing, who played a fair few of the europa games, and looked out of his depth, has benefitted from it later on in the season as he's got some experience already when he's been called upon in the first team - had he not struggled through 5 or 6 europa games earlier on - he might have come into the side with no experience and had a nightmare in the league


When you look at it - we have competition for places now and youth coming through and if we sign a left back, centre back, centre mid, a wide man like expected - well there will be plenty of people rested and ready for europa games...i expect to see the likes of the following playing in all the europa matches...

back up keeper
flannagan
robinson/aurelio
wilson
one or two of the senior centre backs not playing in first XI
possibly kelly/johnson depending on who is playing regularly
spearing
shelvey
new centre mid?
maxi
kuyt - as he can play every game
striker who isnt starting every game

plus plenty of youngsters like - suso, coady, sterling? morgan? - arguement that they could be included.


we've got a big enough group of players perfect for the europa - they may not go on and win it - but for some of them if they can get 10 games or so it will be a massive help in their development, and for the others it means they have chances to keep match fit and prove their worth/find form/ recover from injuries


What i don't want to see is the likes of the following be used in it

reina
johnson/kelly
carra
sktrel/agger/new centre back
new left back
lucas
new winger
meireles
suarez
carroll

[DannyMan2006]

It's about time we won something tbh so we need all the chances we can get.

4th place is great as it moves the club forward but you get nothing in the way of trophies for 4th.

[DannyMan2006]

Also, Europa league provides experience of playing in europe which is needed by many of the squad. And after seeing LFC's efforts this year, I dare say Kenny could do with the experience of managing a club in Europe again.

[Exiled_red]

Also, Europa league provides experience of playing in europe which is needed by many of the squad. And after seeing LFC's efforts this year, I dare say Kenny could do with the experience of managing a club in Europe again.

People forget that Kenny never managed a Liverpool side in Europe in his first spell at the club, Kenny is inexperienced in terms of managing in Europe.

[BillobShaisley]

Back to the cup winners getting in the CL: I don't think it should be both cups, just the major cup in each of the leagues, it would make a big difference in Italy, France, Germany and even Spain where there is less presteige for the cup competitions.

What makes the FA Cup that bit special is the fairytale stories, adding a bit of that to the champions league wouldn't do any harm at all. It will give the likes of Stoke a glimmer of hope of an away day at the San Siro or Bernabau etc though mostly it will just make the bigger teams take the competition more seriously, thereby preserving the FA Cup itself as serious trophy. In the era of sky razamataz and sucking the EPL cock, I do worry about the belittling of the rest of football, the FA cup has provided some classic stories and legendary matches we should be wary of sacrificing it at the Premier League altar.

[anfieldanfield]

Where is the final next next season ?

[DannyMan2006]

Where is the final next next season ?

Bucharest, Romania.

[kop-al-74]

Spurs fans are probably the most deluded bunch out there....most of mates are Spurs fans and I really can't get my head around their way of thinking.They overachived massively,they were lucky we had such a bad season last year and they managed to take our place in the Champ league.

Now it's as if they are an established side and are top 4.They have the attitude that Europa is beneath them.....Really,ffs!

They are in for a shock next season I believe once they lose Bale,Modric and Lennon.

We will claim our place back in the top 4 next year and normal service will be resumed with them fighting it out for 5th and 6th.

[Lee]

Spurs fans are probably the most deluded bunch out there....most of mates are Spurs fans and I really can't get my head around their way of thinking.They overachived massively,they were lucky we had such a bad season last year and they managed to take our place in the Champ league.

Now it's as if they are an established side and are top 4.They have the attitude that Europa is beneath them.....Really,ffs!

They are in for a shock next season I believe once they lose Bale,Modric and Lennon.

We will claim our place back in the top 4 next year and normal service will be resumed with them fighting it out for 5th and 6th.

Well said.

Spurs' fans are deluded ****ers at the best of times. The 'success' that they've had over the last season or so has made them even worse.

[lickedlollipop]

They overachived massively,they were lucky we had such a bad season last year and they managed to take our place in the Champ league.

this!!!

[Exiled_red]

I don't think that the cups should get a champions league place. The Champions League is designed to have the best sides in Europe and is more of a European Super League than a Champions League IMO. (Whether this should be the case or not and whether the CL should just have the league winners in it is another debate) But while it is the case, the most effective method to judge who are the best teams is over a whole season (38 games) rather than 6 or 7 where you might not even meet the best teams.

The FA Cup doesn't need the promise of a Champions League place to keep it's prestige most clubs have more interest in winning trophies than in the European rewards. In fact many clubs find Europe a distraction from their main goal of Premiership survival hence the Europa League not being taken seriously by a number of sides