The Reds still have Europa League football to look forward to and Ben Lockett takes a look at some of the comp’s strongest teams
Aside from the League Cup semi-final showdown with rivals Jose Mourinho and Chelsea, Liverpool are fighting on four fronts this season. A top four spot in the Premier League is still within reach, while the Europa League and FA Cup are feasible targets. This is despite the disappointing season thus far on the back of their closest title challenge since winning the crown in 1990.
Although no club has any right to a trophy, Liverpool fans must be feeling that a cup could be round the corner. League Cup semi-finals, a replay with Bolton to progress to the last 16 of the FA Cup and a tie against Turkish side Besiktas are the current predicaments for Liverpool in the cup competitions.
However, with this weekend’s incredible results in the FA Cup, witnessing the fall of Chelsea, Manchester City, Southampton and Tottenham, the draw is far more open than it could have possibly been predicted. Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool must feel they are now the front-runners in the competition, with West Ham serious dark horses.
Meanwhile, winning the Europa League now means Champions League football for the following season, a huge incentive. Which would fans prefer – glory on Steven Gerrard’s birthday, or winning Europe’s second competition to guarantee a return to the elite? A pragmatic answer would be a fourth Europa League title, although fairy-tales and personal feelings will yearn for Gerrard’s last game for Liverpool being at Wembley with a trophy.
Yet out of the three, the Europa League is the clear choice to secure Champions League football, given Liverpool’s troubles in the league this season. Whilst in the top eight and only five points off Manchester United, there are at least five clubs competing for just two positions in the top four and the Reds could easily miss out. Therefore, becoming the most successful team in Europa League history, allied to the insurance of Champions League football, makes the competition extremely enticing.
However, even though the quality of the Europa League is inevitably lower compared to the Champions League, there remain a number of top-class operators who could cause serious trouble and wreck Liverpool’s ambitions of obtaining European silverware and Champions League football.
[ffc-gallery]See who Ben thinks are LFC’s biggest Europa League threats here.[/ffc-gallery]
Haha who’s laughing now lmfao!