Europa League

[G]

Ask Spurs how good it is being in it. Their league results have suffered after an awful lot of Europa league game's and it's cost them league position without doubt. Because they are in it, it hampers their chances of not being in it the following year and so the cycle continue's. In Europe, other league's are far more accommodating when it comes to arranging league fixtures to give adequate rest between game's, our league won't entertain that.

Make it straight knockout on a tuesday/wednesday night and I'd be in favour if it.

[Catrin]

I don't have sky or BT sports so I quite like the Europa League as I get to see us play a bit more. Even being on MOTD2 means being one of a few on a Sunday instead of one of many on a Saturday so longer highlights.

[Robbie-9-Fowler]

Ask Spurs how good it is being in it. Their league results have suffered after an awful lot of Europa league game's and it's cost them league position without doubt. Because they are in it, it hampers their chances of not being in it the following year and so the cycle continue's. In Europe, other league's are far more accommodating when it comes to arranging league fixtures to give adequate rest between game's, our league won't entertain that.

Make it straight knockout on a tuesday/wednesday night and I'd be in favour if it.

Has it?

- Spurs are currently 6th in the table
- They finished 6th last year
- My opinion is they have the 6th best squad in the league
- Their wage bill is the 6th largest in the league
- Over the past 8 seasons their average position is 6.125

I agree the league should do more to accommodate Premier League teams in Europe but it doesn't affect the top squads anymore negatively than the Champions League.

The teams we see suffer are mid/lower league teams... Everton, Newcastle, Swansea, Hull..

Is the league easier without ANY form of European football? Yes

Does playing in the Europa League have a more adverse affect than the Champions League? No

[G]

Has it?

- Spurs are currently 6th in the table
- They finished 6th last year
- My opinion is they have the 6th best squad in the league
- Their wage bill is the 6th largest in the league
- Over the past 8 seasons their average position is 6.125

I agree the league should do more to accommodate Premier League teams in Europe but it doesn't affect the top squads anymore negatively than the Champions League.

The teams we see suffer are mid/lower league teams... Everton, Newcastle, Swansea, Hull..

Yes their players and manager have said so(when it was Redknapp). I'd trust them more than stats. Over a league season they might end up where their wage bill says they should but that doesn't mean they haven't dropped bad points on a Sunday after a Europa game which the may not have otherwise. The season Arsenal overtook them for 4th I seem to remember Redknapp whinging about the Europa alot.

They don't have a top squad either and like ourselves are much less able to rotate without it affecting their performance. The CL clubs have more quality and can cope better.CL for us and them would probably have the same affect but the upside is it pays vastly more and allows you to get a top squad.

[Robbie-9-Fowler]

Yes their players and manager have said so(when it was Redknapp). I'd trust them more than stats. Over a league season they might end up where their wage bill says they should but that doesn't mean they haven't dropped bad points on a Sunday after a Europa game which the may not have otherwise. The season Arsenal overtook them for 4th I seem to remember Redknapp whinging about the Europa alot.

They don't have a top squad either and like ourselves are much less able to rotate without it affecting their performance. The CL clubs have more quality and can cope better.CL for us and them would probably have the same affect but the upside is it pays vastly more and allows you to get a top squad.

Teams drop inexplicable points every year, Spurs are losers and Redknapp moaning? Hardly groundbreaking like I've said Rodgers said this about the CL and time coaching. That isn't my point though, I've said European football will have an affect in the league but no more than CL footy.

Should we not bother playing in the Champions League because it effects how we do in the league? Dropping points after a CL game we may otherwise not have?

[DannyMan2006]

I would say there is an argument to say the Europa effects you less than the CL.

LFC could effectively rest their best players for the away trips and avoid the travel argument. The standard of the competition allows you to rest players, whilst in the CL, it's more difficult to do that unless you breeze your group.

It's all about effective game management. Make sure you play a strong side at home so you qualify, whilst a slightly weaker side in the away games should still be competitive with the size of our squad.

Also key to note, Harry Kane, Ryan Mason & Nabil Bentaleb amongst others, all broke into the Spurs first team after proving themselves in the Europa League. Imagine how beneficial some more simple games could have been for the likes of Markovic this year and players like Origi next.

In the CL you pretty much can't afford to play a weaker side as it can cost you & IMO that's when the amount of games etc can catch up.

[Muddled]

[G]

Teams drop inexplicable points every year, Spurs are losers and Redknapp moaning? Hardly groundbreaking like I've said Rodgers said this about the CL and time coaching. That isn't my point though, I've said European football will have an affect in the league but no more than CL footy.

Should we not bother playing in the Champions League because it effects how we do in the league? Dropping points after a CL game we may otherwise not have?

I want to win the league. We don't have the squad quality to compete in the league, the Europa and 2 domestic cups. We also have a manager who says he wants to win every competition we are in which I understand, its what LFC is about so therefore he doesn't really prioritise one over the other. However realism has to kick in about our squad abilities to compete in them all. We've all said things like play the kids in the league cup etc but we don't. Every season we are out of the CL means those already ahead of us get more money to stay ahead and grow the gap. The focus has to be get into the CL regularly first, use the money to build squad quality so we can compete in it and the league and go from their towards regular title challenge's. Everything else is a distraction. If we won't prioritise I'd rather we weren't in the thing in the first place.

UEFA devalued their own comp by making everything about the CL and the money on offer in it compared to EL just exacerbates that.

[baitman]

if we are in the europa and back in the league we play a team that is in the CL they will have an extra days rest. this will be much more of an issue if we have played away.
playing another prem team that isnt involved in any european football will also mean they are more fresh. we are struggling to beat these teams as it is!

[RichC]

It's ok MUDs I've seen this, you do exist it just doesn't help make others points that's all

[Cormack74]

Use the EL as a way of gaining experience for the young 'uns and for easing injured players back into competitive football and it makes sense to be in it IMO.

[G]

Rodgers has made noise's indicating just that today. It won't be the full U21 team though which is what I'd do

[Red_Polo]

Is that representative of us though? We're usually in a very different position to most of the English teams to qualify for Europa. Would be more interesting to see stats on how it has affected us specifically.

[Red_Polo]

Use the EL as a way of gaining experience for the young 'uns and for easing injured players back into competitive football and it makes sense to be in it IMO.

That's my take. Also a useful testing ground for ideas. Gain some experience. Another chance of a cup and shot at a CL place. Raise our profile abroad. There are definite negatives but if you have designs on being a club competing regularly for the biggest titles you've got to learn to cope with these pressures. I see no sense in putting it off.

[Muddled]

It's ok MUDs I've seen this, you do exist it just doesn't help make others points that's all

Is that representative of us though? We're usually in a very different position to most of the English teams to qualify for Europa. Would be more interesting to see stats on how it has affected us specifically.

The full article is here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/31470797

It's fair to say we have had the squad to cope with Europa League football better than the majority of teams used in the sample and our position increased by one on each occasion. However, in 2010/11 we had the extensive European experience of Roy Hodgson and in 2012/13, I imagine Rodgers wanted to get a feel for his inherited squad. I accept there will be similar circumstances or excuses that could be used by other teams.