in the end either way...... we are failing to deliver even europe so we talk baout points totals and progress but we are not doing well are we? you'd swaer we were turning down a chance to win something.. .we've zero chance of winning a europa league.
the ONLY point i'd accept here is that europa could be VITAL for getting suarez up and running next year. the idiot needs games and here are ready games to get his teeth into!
He's got Copa America though so not like he won't be playing. TBH a couple of months break after that would do him some good
Yeah tell me about it. I'd not bothered trying beyond the lad who said he'd get me a main stand ticket, if I got let down on the corporate, because he said it'd be 'no problem' Having said that, I hate every minute of the Anfield derby usually, as we invariably get gubbed. You watch this'll be the twatting year that we do you & having sat through all those years of pain, I'm missing the ****er x100
Apologies, I meant more your judgment of him was evident in your phrasing but as you say largely irrelevant: on this point we actually agree lol. Out of all the teams Spurs were the only one that seem to suffer in the match immediately after compared to their over all PL win % but then you could argue that us and Newcastle were performing so poorly in the PL comparatively that that is the reason for a less significant difference. Between performance in & out of the EL Again speculation but if FSG's target is top 4 next year at the cost of competing in everything else then what is the point in talking about Long term strategy & it was them not BR that stated that originally. Its still short term thinking. You either give a limited budget & say gradual transition up through from nothing; to EL, to CL competitive over a few years or.... You buy the players with CL quality & experience within 2 years and rightly expect fairly immediate performance. Well FSG haven't done the latter so painting themselves into yet another corner with what I actually agree Tobes is a very tough target looking at the level the teams above us are at and can improve on. Rather than giving BR, (their chosen man ) breathing room, its heaped the pressure on expectations being concentrated into next year. Again; at odds with the "long term plan" speeches. Before this I would have been happy with competing for a 4 spot right up to the end of the year even if failing at the last due to the quality around us & good efforts in all other comps, which, if we win won great. Now he's/they are basically saying only one comp matters so I'll be less forgiving to BR for allowing that singular target if not achieved & I'll blame FSG if they don't back up the urgency & short termism with the large amounts of cash that it requires.... Very silly statement to make about something we may not even have been offered.
Backing out of any competition to focus on any other given competition is going to heap pressure on the manager and the players. BR is obviously the man behind the decision, because I can't understand FSG agreeing to reduce their asset's visability in Europe and around the world, lowering sponsership values etc., unless they have been promised a big payoff - i.e. CL football the season following. And it took Rafa's neck when he made that promise... Has Brendan made the same silly mistake???
In monetary terms there is only one comp that matters outside of the PL mate, as it's not only the direct revenue generated, it's the knock on it has in terms of sponsorship values, merchandising sales, globalisation of the 'brand' (I hate that being used in football, but it's a business fact), player values etc etc. FSG may have a long term strategy, but I'm sure they'll also have short & medium term goals. They wanted CL football in return for their investment last season, that's indisputable. This season whilst not spending at that heady level, they've still invested £40m net on player acquisition, hardly small beer in fairness. If they invest again this summer, then would CL football be a goal that shouldn't be set as it's too challenging? Not imo, if he delivered 5th & came close I wouldn't say he should be sacked like, but if he got nowhere near, then maybe that should rightly be classed as failure?
I'm sure if you asked RHC nicely he'd sell you his ticket. On topic, much as I would love to see us in with a shout for CL position next year, I think we're too far away from it. In the meantime I'd like to see our squad players cut their teeth (not in the Suarez sense) on European competition. I accept it's probably a moot point anyway, but I agree with dev it's a sad day when LFC don't want to be in Europe, out of principle.
Not a vain attempt to rehash my thread but thought since we all slagged him off for a decision he may or may not make if we were or were not offered a place in the EL, I should post this in the spirit of fairness and all.. @JamesPearceEcho: Rodgers - As a football club we would have to accept it (if offered a Europa League spot through fair play table). #lfc
Rodgers seems to be backtracking on his previous comments about not accepting a place in Europa league in his latest press conference. Wonder if the owners have had word. No way they'll turn down the extra match day revenue and prize money whether rodgers likes the competition or not. Wish he'd take it more seriously tbh we should be looking to win it. He deserves some stick for not taking the cups seriously this year we should be challenging for trophies. Don't want to see us with mentality of spurs or arsenal, finishing 4th is not the same as winning something.
Brendan Rodgers has insisted that his side do want a place in Europe next season via the Uefa Fair Play League, declaring that he was only joking when he implied the opposite four days ago. "I think I was asked the question last week and [my reply] was obviously meant as a joke, but it gets reportedly differently." So it was the media's fault all this time and not Brenda's!!!! Brilliant!
well if it was obvious it was meant as a joke, bit sad of the media to try and twist his words, wouldn't be the first time or first manager they would have done that to, would it. anyone know what interview this allegedly came from? be interesting to see if it was obviously meant as a joke or Brendan is just back tracking because maybe he received a lot of criticism over his comments.
Who cares? If it was him who said it he's made a mistake which he's now put right. What's wrong with that?
He could definitely do with some media training then. What a bizarre thing to say! Didnt sound like he was joking. England are only 4th in fair play league when need to be 3rd so probably doesn matter anyway, maybe should have kept quiet until later as its needless pressure on rogers
