Where will we finish this season?

[DannyMan2006]

If you win the Europa and finish outside the top 4, that obviously gives you entry to the CL, along with the top 4 teams.

However, if you win the Europa AND finish top 4, I don't believe it gives England another CL place.

In much the same breath, if Chelsea won the CL and finished top 4, England wouldn't get another CL place.

[ChesterDave]

I'm 99.9% certain no extra place will be awarded to the association of the Europa winners. If they are outside the qualification position in the league Europa winners quality at the expense of the lowest placed league qualifier

[Pablo]

I think we're certainties to finish above them. I predicted we'd finish ten points ahead of them and, based on current form and respective remaining fixtures, I see no reason why that won't happen.

They're a mid-table team masquerading as top four contenders. I think they'll finish sixth at best. They could even finish seventh like last season.

As much as I'd like that I think you're absolutely ****ing insane if you think we're going to gain another 12 points over them in the next 12 games

[Alex]

Im fairly confident of 4th, but I dont think itll be sorted until May. No way we will finish 10 points ahead of Man Utd.

[BigChief]

As much as I'd like that I think you're absolutely ****ing insane if you think we're going to gain another 12 points over them in the next 12 games

We've made 8 points up on them in around 10 games while going through mad cup runs and a much harder league fixture list in February.

Utd now have a mad league fixture list coming up in March while our games start getting slightly 'easier'. If the form trajectory of both teams continue the above scenario isn't that impossible or improbable.

[G]

I'm 99.9% certain no extra place will be awarded to the association of the Europa winners. If they are outside the qualification position in the league Europa winners quality at the expense of the lowest placed league qualifier

Thats the way it used to be. Now if you finish 5th and win the Europa you get in along with the top 4. If the team finishing 6th wins the CL and the team in 5th wins the Europa that would then mean the 4th place league team misses out.

I hope United get the Europa so it can **** them up next season too. A few seasons out of the CL will do them real harm I hope.

[The_weatherman]

Im fairly confident of 4th, but I dont think itll be sorted until May. No way we will finish 10 points ahead of Man Utd.

I think we have a chance of finishing anywhere between 3rd.-6th. which is extraordinary given our **** start. When Rodgers figures out how to start a season we'll be a force.

[frank the tank]

i think every game will be 10% harder for them from here on in. People smell blood.... people go on about Falcao not doing it for them but for me it is Van Persie and Van Gaals loyalty to RVP that could cost them dearly this season. Rooney should be their number one striker every day of the week. Just because he can also play in midfield doesnt mean he should because their team suffers from an attacking perspective. Defensively they are terrible as well. Had it not been for De Gea then we could probably be a good 6 points above them already......

I would nearly (and i emphasise the word nearly) prefer us to finsh 4th and keep them out of the CL rather than win the Europa and finish 5th with United getting 4th. Why? Normally i don't give a **** about what they are up to but if they don't finish in the CL places, then it is entirely plausible that they will spunk another £200m in the summer. They will probably spend that kind of money either way but if they are not in the CL, then they get money-motivated players like Di Maria and a patched up Falcao as opposed to motivated players like a James Rodriguez. They could also be replacing RVP, Falcao and 3 of their back 4 defenders this summer.........and LVG will be under pressure to hit the ground running in the new season. If they are not careful then they could end up like Inter Milan in the 90's - throwing money at new players every summer but never getting it right. It would be great.

We just need to concentrate on ourselves though to be honest. We are on form, feeling good and looking better with each game. Do you know what could actually **** us over though? The return of Gerrard. If the team are playing well, keeping clean sheets and scoring goals, then for me Stevie should be used for Europa and FA Cup duties as well as an impact sub.

If United drop points before they play us again (a draw between United and Spurs on 15th of March would be great) then we can really hurt them at Anfield on March 22nd. And their April of playing City at home followed by Chelsea and Everton away could really **** them up. It could be hilarious.

[frank the tank]

I think we have a chance of finishing anywhere between 3rd.-6th. which is extraordinary given our **** start. When Rodgers figures out how to start a season we'll be a force.

I think a summer of rest and recuperation for all of our players and we could be hitting the ground running next season. That would be massive. For me, I only want to see 2 or 3 quality additions to our squad this summer (plus the integration of Origi as well as the return of Wisdom and maybe Teixeria) and these should be signed early so they can have the full pre-season with the group.

With luck from an injuries perspective, watch us fly in August...

[ChrisDR1968]

I would nearly (and i emphasise the word nearly) prefer us to finsh 4th and keep them out of the CL rather than win the Europa and finish 5th with United getting 4th.

I see where you're coming from. Potentially this could be their Graeme Souness period where a dominant team loses it's way and takes a heck of a long time (and several managers) to recover. Of course with their fan base and spending power I doubt they'll have as much trouble as we have had getting back to league winning ways.

Having said that winning the Europa would be great (and better than the FA Cup imo). I still have good memories of that amazing 5-4 victory over Alaves in 2001. It may be the lesser of the two European competitions but it would still be special

[Fosterbloke]

I wish they'd rename it to the UEFA Cup,

[RedReet]

I think we have a chance of finishing anywhere between 3rd.-6th. which is extraordinary given our **** start. When Rodgers figures out how to start a season we'll be a force.

I think a summer of rest and recuperation for all of our players and we could be hitting the ground running next season. That would be massive. For me, I only want to see 2 or 3 quality additions to our squad this summer (plus the integration of Origi as well as the return of Wisdom and maybe Teixeria) and these should be signed early so they can have the full pre-season with the group.

With luck from an injuries perspective, watch us fly in August...

In our opening 9 games last year, we won 6, drew 2 and lost once (despite teh Suarez ban).

I guess we can chalk that off with the accusation that he can't organise a defence.

[The_weatherman]

In our opening 9 games last year, we won 6, drew 2 and lost once (despite teh Suarez ban).

I guess we can chalk that off with the accusation that he can't organise a defence.

Yeah, I remember, but we didn't really look good IIRC, we were scraping through a lot IIRC and sitting deep. Not saying we lucked out but we weren't blowing anyone away, it seems like we have been a whole lot better in the second half of each season Rodgers has been here.

If he gets that balance we'll be a force. The first half of his first and third seasons were very poor, by getting the results in the first half last season we ended up in a title charge.

[RedReet]

Yeah, I remember, but we didn't really look good IIRC, we were scraping through a lot IIRC and sitting deep. Not saying we lucked out but we weren't blowing anyone away, it seems like we have been a whole lot better in the second half of each season Rodgers has been here.

If he gets that balance we'll be a force. The first half of his first and third seasons were very poor, by getting the results in the first half last season we ended up in a title charge.

I would say that form isn't too dissimilar to our current form and the results are pretty similar.

Also I don't think it's just a coincidence that the two years we struggled, we had a lot of new players getting used to a new system, whereas last year we had a slight more settled team quite familiar with Rodgers system.

[ChrisDR1968]

I wish they'd rename it to the UEFA Cup,

Me too

I also wish they'd reinstate the Cup Winners' Cup. There was nothing wrong with UEFA having three cup competitions.

They could do away with the group stage in the Europa (and also this silly idea that 3rd placed teams from the CL get parachuted into the competition at the knock out stage) and make that and the Cup Winners' Cup straight knock out competitions from the start.

UEFA messed up their cups competitions in the 90's imo