Topic: Champions League, Europa League, Conference League SF 2nd leg 7th-9th May

[redtel]

Competing in four competitions is too much for even the biggest squad, especially if you add on three international breaks before Christmas.These involve 8 or 9 games in far flung destinations with a long flight home at the end.Hardly good preparation for an early ko on the Saturday.

Ferguson teams regularly bailed out early from the LC as it’s played mostly before Christmas. Arsenal benefitted hugely from their defeat in the FAC as it meant just one game in that competition. Next season will tax the players even more with two extra group games which will include one extra flight into Europe to goodness knows where.

It’s very short sighted of TNT who own the early ko slot on Saturdays to choose a team involved in Europe to play in it or to not consider how many international players that team have playing around the world. The demise of PL clubs in the CL may continue if more thought isn’t given to player burn out with more matches due to be played.

[Crosby Nick]

TNT won’t change though. There will be what, 7 English teams in Europe next season? If they always chose televised fixtures from the other 13 teams a) viewing figures would collapse and b) you’d potentially only have about 3 or 4 games to choose from each weekend.

The best we can hope for is they share things around a bit more. We’re fucked over because we bring in the most viewers (maybe with United too, forgot they were even in Europe this year, certainly wasn’t an issue for them after Christmas).

[Fromola]

That's what Klopp suggested, and Neil from the Anfield Wrap in a recent podcast. 60+ high level games is too much (outside of international football). And the uncompromising nature of the UK TV schedule that insist on early kickoffs (for the top teams) after International breaks. In contrast if a Spanish team have a big European game it's likely their domestic game will be played on Friday night giving enough recovery time.
Klopp's point of course that it so counter-intuitive for the UK TV stations to impede the English teams in Europe, they can't think strategically and only think of the next game and the highest TV audience. I can't see it changing. Unless someone like Foden or Rice refuse to play for England in a meaningless Nations League games.

In the same vein it will be tough on our new manager to negotaite the demands of the premier League, the extended cjampions league and the 2 domestic cups.

The schedule is part of it, but Arsenal can't really use that as an excuse. They were out both cups early and barely played in January and had a winter break. Bayern just did a number on them, they aren't great in Europe.

Man United are a shambles and finished bottom of their group - we can thank PMGOL for them being in the CL in the first place to embarrass the PL.

Newcastle - a mix of no European experience (Howe particularly), overachieveing to get top 4 with the squad they have and they also got unlucky with the draw. It was nip and tuck with them and Dortmund/PSG to qualify and they end up playing each other in the semis. Milan the other team in the group.

West Ham - did well enough to get to the quarters. Leverkusen are just a better team

Liverpool - very complacent against Atalanta and got them just when the wheels came off. We were caught cold at Anfield. Also, in reality you have to prioritise. You can't just go flat out in 4 comps. We'd got to the quarters of EL with heavy rotation and not exerting too much energy. Then we couldn't raise the levels needed when they faced a decent team.

Villa - similar to us, they fucked it in the Olympiakos first leg. Maybe took them lightly and caught cold, Olsen in goal hardly helps. I think had we both been home 2nd then those ties are a lot different.

City - it was only Real who were going to beat them if anyone did, possibly Arsenal. could have gone either way.

[Tokyoite]

I think for most teams to stand a better chance in Europe they'd have to bin the cups as early as possible. Abu Dhabi are probably the only team that can afford to stay in most competitions as they can just break the rules, again, and have a bench that costs more than some teams' first 11.

Next season will probably see just as many injuries as this, if not even more unfortunately.

[mikey_LFC]

Anyone else think Atalanta are going to end up winning?

[smutchin]

Anyone else think Atalanta are going to end up winning?

Nah. They'll be 1-0 up in the 90th minute and lose to a Leverkusen winner in the 102nd minute of "normal" time.

[Peabee]

TNT won’t change though. There will be what, 7 English teams in Europe next season? If they always chose televised fixtures from the other 13 teams a) viewing figures would collapse and b) you’d potentially only have about 3 or 4 games to choose from each weekend.

The best we can hope for is they share things around a bit more. We’re fucked over because we bring in the most viewers (maybe with United too, forgot they were even in Europe this year, certainly wasn’t an issue for them after Christmas).

The TV slots should be more flexible. They'd still get the viewers if they moved our game and the TV slot to a different day/night.

[Peabee]

Nah. They'll be 1-0 up in the 90th minute and lose to a Leverkusen winner in the 102nd minute of "normal" time.

There'll come a point when Leverkusen don't get those late injury time winners/equalisers. It's not sustainable imo. It happened to us this season too.

[killer-heels]

I'm obviously not saying that i think he will, it's just nice to think we wouldn't be up shit creek if it were to happen. 

But thats the point, people are already thinking it. Rodgers had a bit of this in his final season with Klopp available. Its not healthy for Slot unless he does well from the off.

[Fromola]

The Premier League can't dominate European competition every year, it'd be shit if they did.

We won the Champions League in 2019 beating an English team in the final and the Europa League final was Arsenal against Chelsea. 2021 Chelsea won the Champions League and United reached the final of the Europa League. 2022 we reached the final of the CL and City the semi final (only by sheer fluke did Real beat both). Last season City won the Champions League, West Ham won the Conference League.

[Fromola]

But thats the point, people are already thinking it. Rodgers had a bit of this in his final season with Klopp available. Its not healthy for Slot unless he does well from the off.

It was nothing to do with Klopp, Rodgers had lost the plot, like he went on to do with Leicester in his last year there. There was no point prolonging it.

[mikey_LFC]

It was nothing to do with Klopp, Rodgers had lost the plot, like he went on to do with Leicester in his last year there. There was no point prolonging it.

There was only one particularly bad result under Rodgers in the last year. Apart from that we’d had an okay start. I don’t think he’d have gone if Klopp wasn’t available.

12 from 8 having played Arsenal, United and Everton away is fine. It’s not sacking territory. My impression is they’d agreed it all with Klopp, and then parted ways with Rodgers. He’d have gone even if we beat Everton away, or perhaps after the next draw/loss.

[smutchin]

There'll come a point when Leverkusen don't get those late injury time winners/equalisers. It's not sustainable imo. It happened to us this season too.

Sure. But even at 2-0 last night I didn’t for a second think Leverkusen were going to lose the game. It’s getting kind of boring. 

Hope we draw them in the CL groups next season and be the ones to put an end to the unbeaten run. Maybe then people will start to get behind our new manager and stop obsessing over Xabi.

[Fromola]

There was only one particularly bad result under Rodgers in the last year. Apart from that we’d had an okay start. I don’t think he’d have gone if Klopp wasn’t available.

12 from 8 having played Arsenal, United and Everton away is fine. It’s not sacking territory. My impression is they’d agreed it all with Klopp, and then parted ways with Rodgers. He’d have gone even if we beat Everton away, or perhaps after the next draw/loss.

He was a dead man walking after the season before though already. Losing 3-0 at home to West Ham in the 2nd home game pretty much sealed his fate in terms of any hope we'd turned a corner from last season (West Ham's only win at Anfield in 60 odd years). We lost 3-1 at Old Trafford a week later and were awful. Then drew 1-1 at home to Norwich. Needed pens to beat Carlisle at home in the League Cup.

We were a shambles at the time. Even Klopp couldn't turn the mood around initially. It took that West Brom game, which he was widely mocked for, to get everyone back on the same page again.

[mikey_LFC]

He was a dead man walking after the season before though already. Losing 3-0 at home to West Ham in the 2nd home game pretty much sealed his fate in terms of any hope we'd turned a corner from last season (West Ham's only win at Anfield in 60 odd years). We lost 3-1 at Old Trafford a week later and were awful. Then drew 1-1 at home to Norwich. Needed pens to beat Carlisle at home in the League Cup.

We were a shambles at the time. Even Klopp couldn't turn the mood around initially. It took that West Brom game, which he was widely mocked for, to get everyone back on the same page again.

I remember his sacking being seen as out of the blue, really. Yes, the start of the season was mixed, but it was a side in transition. Most expected him to be given more time, without the knowledge that we’d been working to get Klopp in the background. The general consensus was Klopp would be taking the full year out, so Rodgers would get the year to prove himself and Klopp would come in in the summer, if needed. The club thought too highly of Klopp to wait that long, and showed they were willing to be ruthless in a way most didn’t think they would be.

[Fromola]

I remember his sacking being seen as out of the blue, really. Yes, the start of the season was mixed, but it was a side in transition. Most expected him to be given more time, without the knowledge that we’d been working to get Klopp in the background. The general consensus was Klopp would be taking the full year out, so Rodgers would get the year to prove himself and Klopp would come in in the summer, if needed. The club thought too highly of Klopp to wait that long, and showed they were willing to be ruthless in a way most didn’t think they would be.

I think it was becoming untenable with Rodgers to the point where if Klopp had said no we'd have gone elsewhere (Ancelotti widely linked). He only survived the summer because the managers we wanted weren't available.

[Kalito]

Some of our fans are incredibly bitter. Just look at the comments about Mane when he left, that he's not a legend, glad he left becuase he didn't get on with Salah etc.

Aye.

Like all clubs have, some of ours are pretty fucking pathetic.

[tray fenny]

not a lot worse than seeing posts on here tryin to shame our own fans, dont you think we get enough of that shite everywhere else?. Have a serious word with yourself and wind your neck in.