Liverpool FC

[The Baron]

Defo rather 7th

[Karabiner]

Defo rather 7th

I was just looking at the table and wondering at which point teams might decide 7th is preferable to 5th or 6th.

[Pawprint]

Why would you rather 7th ?

[The Camel]

Why would you rather 7th ?

Strange how little anyone cares about the Europa League.

Certainly not the case in other European countries.

[Waz1892]

Why would you rather 7th ?

Strange how little anyone cares about the Europa League.

Certainly not the case in other European countries.

Maybe "not caring" per-say, but it does seem to put a strain on preparation for league games, blocks up too many fixtures and starts in July and goes on for seemingly years - and for what, a few million and a 2nd rate euro cup.

Won't be long until (at least english teams) to take squad players in total.

English teams, it may go back to prem being too competitive, no winter break etc etc as to why it isnt rated as much, as domestic league to harder and certainly more important!?

[TightEnd]

these days with chelsea and man c throwing middle eastern and russian multi millions at winning the league teams a little below that such as liverpool, arsenal etc (even with funding from henry, kroenke etc, they are not going to spend on the level of abramovich and qatar) should priortise winning fa cup, league cup and europa cup

finishing 3rd in the premier league is the equivalent of winning it 15 years ago before the whale owners arrived

don't think fans have ever adjusted to this properly

liverpool should prioritise the euorpa, and getting into it. talk of preferring to finish7th is ridiculous

[Tal]

these days with chelsea and man c throwing middle eastern and russian multi millions at winning the league teams a little below that such as liverpool, arsenal etc (even with funding from henry, kroenke etc, they are not going to spend on the level of abramovich and qatar) should priortise winning fa cup, league cup and europa cup

finishing 3rd in the premier league is the equivalent of winning it 15 years ago before the whale owners arrived

don't think fans have ever adjusted to this properly

liverpool should prioritise the euorpa, and getting into it. talk of preferring to finish7th is ridiculous

Europa League
First qualifying round: €120,000
Second qualifying round: €130,000
Third qualifying round: €140,000
Play-off round elimination: €150,000
Base fee for group stage: €1,300,000
Group match victory: €200,000
Group match draw: €100,000
Group winners: €400,000
Group runners-up: €200,000
Round of 32: €200,000
Round of 16: €350,000
Quarter-finals: €450,000
Semi-finals: €1,000,000
Losing finalist: €2,500,000
Winners: €5,000,000

Champions League
Playoffs: €2,100,000
Base fee for group stage: €8,600,000
Group match victory: €1,000,000
Group match draw: €500,000
Round of 16: €3,500,000
Quarter-finals: €3,900,000
Semi-finals: €4,900,000
Losing finalist: €6,500,000
Winning the Final: €10,500,000

If you finish seventh, you don't have to spend huge sums travelling around eastern Europe to play in substandard venues in hard to reach places. Instead, you can play 10 games fewer for the chance to finish fourth (which is entirely possible for United, Liverpool and Spurs - assuming Chelsea, Arsenal and Citeh get the top three) and lock up the same money as the runner up in the Europa for the CL playoffs (assuming at least an extra 400k in gate receipts and revenue given it's two legs).

No brainer for me. The prestige went when they allowed four teams in.

[TightEnd]

you obviously try to finish 3rd or 4th

occasionally if the stars align and you have a suarez with 31 goals and a partnership with 50+ you can challenge higher

but if you can't finish 4th, in my opinion you have to try to finish 5th or 6th not 7th

a) premier league prize money

b) european competition

that european competition may be a bag of shite, but its still a chance to win a trophy when really cups are the only way you are going to win one

c) attracting players better than you have is trickier if you can't offer i) champions league ii) europa league

liverpool since their tactical changes post Basle have been brilliant since November, today notwithstanding but now say at some point in the next month "we can't finish fourth, we're happy if we finish seventh" is barmy, and no club manager or directors will think like that

[Tal]

The gamble is that the following season's prospects are better and they have a much better chance of finishing fourth.

Look at the mess Everton are in from a small squad being stretched. Had they made the CL, they could have brought in revenue to build the reserves up. Sixth means 40 games by March and they're ruined.

Liverpool last season and Man United this season have been hugely advantaged by not having to travel to Limassol, Sofia and Anzhi every other Thursday before a big Sunday fixture.

[TightEnd]

The gamble is that the following season's prospects are better and they have a much better chance of finishing fourth.

Look at the mess Everton are in from a small squad being stretched. Had they made the CL, they could have brought in revenue to build the reserves up. Sixth means 40 games by March and they're ruined.

Liverpool last season and Man United this season have been hugely advantaged by not having to travel to Limassol, Sofia and Anzhi every other Thursday before a big Sunday fixture.

yes this is fair

put another way though, manchester united haven't had europe this season and (accepting that it is a transitional period) are still only challenging for 3rd at best

so why deny yourself the chance to challenge for one of the few competitions that is is feasible you might win?

liverpool and united are going to have greater resources than everton to squad rotate through a season so will be less disadvantaged by finishing 5th-6th

what happened to everton may lie ahead for southampton post koeman, in terms of dehabiliting effect of europa league travel on a small squad, not gonig to happen to liverpool

[Tal]

The gamble is that the following season's prospects are better and they have a much better chance of finishing fourth.

Look at the mess Everton are in from a small squad being stretched. Had they made the CL, they could have brought in revenue to build the reserves up. Sixth means 40 games by March and they're ruined.

Liverpool last season and Man United this season have been hugely advantaged by not having to travel to Limassol, Sofia and Anzhi every other Thursday before a big Sunday fixture.

yes this is fair

put another way though, manchester united haven't had europe this season and (accepting that it is a transitional period) are still only challenging for 3rd at best

so why deny yourself the chance to challenge for one of the few competitions that is is feasible you might win?

liverpool and united are going to have greater resources than everton to squad rotate through a season so will be less disadvantaged by finishing 5th-6th

what happened to everton may lie ahead for southampton post koeman, in terms of dehabiliting effect of europa league travel on a small squad, not gonig to happen to liverpool

Making the final of the Europa league and finishing in the top four of the Prem is a huge ask for any squad. Liverpool and United benefit from (and please don't take this as a sleight, Liverpool thread) their brand in the ability to attract players. They would be best placed for sure, but I'm not convinced they'd be able to do that sort of double without finding another Suarez.

Because that is really what this is about. If you're having a good run in the Europa, the board and the fans expect you to be competitive every Sunday, too. Losing to rivals gets managers into trouble (Pardew?) and the reality is you need to be fifth rather than sixth to avoid a conversation about keeping your job, even if you make the quarters of the Europa League.

Finish seventh, get some money from the top brass and have a run at fourth.

I never used to have this view, but, having tasted the Champions league and having watched the Thursday night drossathon that has followed, that's where I am now.

[Pawprint]

So if not playing in the Europa League gives a team a better chance at a Top 4 finish for the following season, should Liverpool be bothering with the FA Cup ?

Or is there still a draw of winning a trophy, even if it comes with a Europa League spot attached to it ?

[Tal]

So if not playing in the Europa League gives a team a better chance at a Top 4 finish for the following season, should Liverpool be bothering with the FA Cup ?

Or is there still a draw of winning a trophy, even if it comes with a Europa League spot attached to it ?

That's the interesting one. Also, without the Europa league the current top goalscorer in the league might be on loan at millwall again.

[The Baron]

these days with chelsea and man c throwing middle eastern and russian multi millions at winning the league teams a little below that such as liverpool, arsenal etc (even with funding from henry, kroenke etc, they are not going to spend on the level of abramovich and qatar) should priortise winning fa cup, league cup and europa cup

finishing 3rd in the premier league is the equivalent of winning it 15 years ago before the whale owners arrived

don't think fans have ever adjusted to this properly

liverpool should prioritise the euorpa, and getting into it. talk of preferring to finish7th is ridiculous

Ultimately it's really bad for business and therefore the development of a squad.

[The Camel]

So, if you honestly coming 7th is better than 5th, why don't teams turn down the chance to play in the Europa League?

While I'm at it, why don't the managers who moan about too much football, turn down the chance to play in the League Cup or even the FA Cup?