Europa League

[Judge Jules]

Not sure I'd go as far as the U-18s but I would treat it like the domestic cups when it comes to team selection, to avoid the risks created by Thursday night football. The only thing that might cause me to do otherwise would be if we ended up having such a disastrous league season that we lost any chance of minimum 5th place.

 

[Beamrider]

lNot sure if it's still true but it used to be the case that qualifying for the CL via the Europa was not worth anywhere near as much financially as you didn't get a share of the first half market pool.
When United got into the CL via their Europa win in 2016-17, their market pool share the following year was €13.5m v Chelsea's €40.5m, when they both got knocked out at the same stage.
So it's still best to qualify for CL via the league (and I think we're into to 5 qualify from this season).
EDIT - just checked and this was still the case for media payments last year.

 

[localny]

CL pathway? Let's give it our all. It's what, 13 games to make the CL? 66% less games to achieve a major target? Sounds like a good deal.

 

[localny]

How can five teams qualify for the Champions League?

The two leagues that have the best coefficients this season will get an extra place in the UCL group stage next season.
If England is in the top two, fifth in the Premier League will qualify for the Champions League. Individual club coefficient isn't relevant; it goes to the next team in the domestic table.

The good news for the Premier League is it has been in the top two in six of the past seven seasons.
2016-17: Spain and England
2017-18: England and Spain
2018-19: England and Spain
2019-20: Spain and Germany
2020-21: England and Spain
2021-22: England and the Netherlands
2022-23: England and Italy
In 2019-20, Germany pipped England to second place by just one victory.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_...e-new-format-how-premier-league-gets-5-places

 

[dee]

I wouldn't. The Premier League and the Champions League are the only, as in ONLY, trophies worth winning in their own right. Winning the Europa League gets you into the Champions League and that's its one and only value, especially when you have to pay the price of coping with Thursday night European ties in order to do so.

From next season all three weekdays are used for UCL and Europa with some weeks “exclusive” to each comp

 

[Irishanfield]

You do not need to be a Dubliner to react like that when you suddenly find out Liverpool could be playing in the final in Dublin. Fuck the tickets, just go for the craic

But he is a dub

 

[Dreambeliever]

I wouldn't. The Premier League and the Champions League are the only, as in ONLY, trophies worth winning in their own right. Winning the Europa League gets you into the Champions League and that's its one and only value, especially when you have to pay the price of coping with Thursday night European ties in order to do so.

Fuck that. It’s a European trophy and worth winning in its own right once we are in it. We weren’t good enough to get in the CL so this is the biggest trophy we can realistically win this season and will give us exposure and a pot 1 draw next year in the CL.
It ticks a lot of boxes.

 

[Dreambeliever]

But he is a dub

A Jackeen.

 

[SummerOnions]

But he is a dub

He doesn't have to be a dub to be a dub but he is a dub

 

[Judge Jules]

Fuck that. It’s a European trophy and worth winning in its own right once we are in it. We weren’t good enough to get in the CL so this is the biggest trophy we can realistically win this season and will give us exposure and a pot 1 draw next year in the CL.
It ticks a lot of boxes.

That's exactly the kind of small club thinking we rightly take the p!$$ out of when other clubs try and console themselves by spouting such cobblers.

 

[Frogfish]

The comp is worth €20m plus and more importantly, a plot 1 grouping for CL the following year.

And Klopp has never won it. Be nice to have the full set.

 

[Woland]

It's an ace competition, especially for the traveling fans. I don't watch any of it when we're not in it but I love it when we are. A pragmatic mix of youth and senior players will be enough to get us through to next February, and then take each match as it comes.

 

[Squiggles]

My geography improves two folds when we're in the Europa League. In all seriousness there can be some long term benefit to being in it this year. We've already accepted it's going to be a transitional year. We're integrating a whole new midfield, still finding our feet with Nunez, as well as needing to develop the likes of Quansah (top priority), Doak, Elliott, Bradley, Clarke, etc. We just need to ensure it doesn't prevent us from finishing in the top five.

The CBs are going to need protecting all year. It needs to be Quansah plus one for much of the tournament. It's still a bit shit being in it, but they'll be some fun matches along the way.

I'm just going to shut out the CL this year pretend it's taking a year off.

 

[Woland]

I think we can get Quansah in the next round. The birds are dead fit and it's 50p a pint.

 

[Modo]

Yeah, I agree the Europa League is good way for some of our reserves/youth players to get games. Bradley is a bit unfortunate though, he'll miss out on the whole group phase with the "easy" teams.

 

[Bradley]

Yeah, I agree the Europa League is good way for some of our reserves/youth players to get games. Bradley is a bit unfortunate though, he'll miss out on the whole group phase with the "easy" teams.

I was just hoping for a single appearance at the final, but if someone wants to pay, I'll try and make other group games.

 

[Dreambeliever]

That's exactly the kind of small club thinking we rightly take the p!$$ out of when other clubs try and console themselves by spouting such cobblers.

You might but I don’t. I was firmly in the fair play camp. Trophies matter. The top one has been bought and we aren’t in the other. This we are too good for a European trophy is arrogance bollocks to me.

 

[tombrown]

I think we can get Quansah in the next round. The birds are dead fit and it's 50p a pint.

Isn't that our 5th choice CB?

 

[Modo]

Isn't that our 5th choice CB?

I think he's counting on at least one of our defenders to be out injured.
Don't forget, we don't have a back up RB until December at least. So Gomez will have to cover the RB spot, which leaves Q and Matip as CB's.

 

[bluebell]

I think he's counting on at least one of our defenders to be out injured.
Don't forget, we don't have a back up RB until December at least. So Gomez will have to cover the RB spot, which leaves Q and Matip as CB's.

mark my words, Endo will be playing defence come December. Stadium issue could see reduced capacity till December. So the owners will moan about having to tighten belts. This year the aim should be top 4 plus Europa Cup and FA Cup possibly. With the sale of Salah, we can address CB, RW and RB issue in Jan

 

[Woland]

I don't think that when you've got seven points from nine having gone to two very difficult opponents, your new signings look mustard, Diaz is brand new, even the donkey might actually be good and you're called Liverpool FC, that you should be aiming for top four. You should be aiming to win every match and expect to be in the hunt for everything.

 

[bluebell]

I don't think that when you've got seven points from nine having gone to two very difficult opponents, your new signings look mustard, Diaz is brand new, even the donkey might actually be good and you're called Liverpool FC, that you should be aiming for top four. You should be aiming to win every match and expect to be in the hunt for everything.

What about our defence? How long will Matip and Gomez last? I expect come December Endo will be playing either Rb or CB with Konate, Matip and Gomez all out due to injury. Mind you, I would rather you be correct.

 

[Woland]

The defence is clearly the weak spot now, but it's the only weak spot. Last season I was laughing at how slow the midfield was, not just the legs but the minds. It's totally changed. If, big if, the defence can hold firm till January, or we can keep winning games that we concede goals in, we'll do very well.

 

[Judge Jules]

You might but I don’t. I was firmly in the fair play camp. Trophies matter. The top one has been bought and we aren’t in the other. This we are too good for a European trophy is arrogance bollocks to me.

You might not have (well, you wouldn't, would you) but plenty piled in when the Mancs and their fans were trying to persuade themselves that being in the Europa League and not the CL was OK really. The Prem and Bigears matter. The rest are window-dressing.

It's got bugger all to do with "arrogance" BTW. None of us is in any doubt that we weren't good enough last year. We won't change that by pretending that consolation prizes are worth winning.

 

[Whaddapie]

Anything we're in is worth winning, JJ... Not everything we're in is worthy of an open-top bus parade if we do win it though. Big difference there, for me.

 

[Judge Jules]

That's a fair point, mate. I'd have done better to say "worth prioritising". By that I stand though.

 

[King Binny]

 

[Dreambeliever]

I don't think that when you've got seven points from nine having gone to two very difficult opponents, your new signings look mustard, Diaz is brand new, even the donkey might actually be good and you're called Liverpool FC, that you should be aiming for top four. You should be aiming to win every match and expect to be in the hunt for everything.

Injuries will derail us.

 

[Dreambeliever]

That's a fair point, mate. I'd have done better to say "worth prioritising". By that I stand though.

That’s a better and fairer way of saying it.

 

[localny]

For all our criticisms, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact we have turbo charged our midfield, lost a lot of experienced (but slowing) players and still hitting some performance highs (so far). We are still a top side on current evidence.

There’s a lot to be grateful for. Not much to moan about really (as no window is perfect).